wamba2000

Thank you for the recap, and the pictures.

Fordfan, I just went through this with another vehicle. Couple things to check out: 1. The residual ( buy-out) value was set when the lease was first done, using the estimate of expected value at end of the term. Given that the Cmax has taken some lumps, you may find that the residual is higher than what the market value is of your vehicle. You can check Edmunds.com to find what the value is projected given your location, mileage, equipment, etc. 2. If you find yourself with a buyout greater than market value, wait until 30 days or so before lease end, then offer Ford (or whoever holds the lease) what you think market value is. Also get them to waive any disposition fees etc. that might be part of your original deal. (of course if you are lucky enough to owe less tha market value, you can buy it out or buy, then sell on your own and pocket any profit.) 3. Manufacturers and their Finance people want you to turn that vehicle every 3 years, expecting that they will get a good used car to sell and you will pay another upfront cost to do a new lease. As one of the other board members wrote, if you plan to keep the car long term, buying is likely better. If you want a new car every three years, leasing helps that process and may save you $ Last point: be wary of the "Excess wear and Tear" insurance offered, unless you are hard on your vehicles. I am fighting with the insurance company that holds this coverage, they have dragged their feet for a month, and the latest is that they sent the funds ( all of $160 reconditioning fee) to the Automaker's finance arm, rather than me, the claimant. I already paid the fee as well as lease end $.....Their mode is to avoid paying as long as possible. Avoid!

Fedex dropped the envelope on my porch yesterday, already deposited!

I use a Patriot 32Gb minisize USB drive ( only 2.0) so that it does not get knocked into by other console items. It is smaller than a quarter in size, and has worked flawlessly, only about 1/3 filled with music so far. I see there are USB 3.0 versions from Patriot that are very small physical size.

Use an adhesive remover, but check that paint is not mentioned in the items removed. "goof-gone" or such you can get at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Also, use a hair dryer on Hot setting to warm the residue prior to using the adhesive remover. Put the Remover on a paper towel, about a half dollar size and rub over the adhesive. Clean the Remover off with soap and water when done, then put a little auto polish over to protect the surface. No abrasives or scrubbers are needed.

Hot Potato said: That is the sad truth. The Cmax is a unique and very good vehicle. The urge to beat the Prius in order to make marketing hay has bitten Ford in the backside twice over. I am in my Cmax for the long term, and bought the extended warranty in case of true reliability issues - which have not arisen so far in 1.5 years of driving. Maybe the market will redeem the Cmax in longer term consumer feedback,etc., at lease we can hope so

I bought my SEL in Jan 2013, I too was skeptical of the 47 mpg claim, but figured if i could hit 40 and have a comfortable vehicle with room for a 6'6" driver (me) I was ahead of the game. I also would not buy the Prius V. My current lifetime for about 9000 miles is 43.4mpg, so I am doing better than the EPA testing. There was an article in the paper this morning on this topic, and it explained the original 47/47/47 belonging to Fusion, which was used for Cmax due to same power-train and similar weight. It referenced the EPA acknowledging that there are inconsistencies in their testing methods, and they have plans to update to a new approach. Face it, all manufacturers want to comply but present their vehicles in the best possible light, so if there are ways to "tweak" the tests, they are done. Hyundai & KIA have had this issue recently, as well as Ford. EPA claims they will be auditing all manufacturers to confirm tests are accurate and representative of actual mileage. Again, I commend Ford for facing the issue head on, rather than trying to bury it and hope it never came to light

Doug , I thought the same thing, but from the release, I think the early adopters will be compensated. The original payment was for lowering from the 47/47/47 rating to what has now been again replaced with updates (lower) ratings.

This video for the announcement was on YouTube, and also on Facebook. I commend Ford for at least stepping forward and taking responsibility. The new combined mileage for Cmax of 40 makes my lifetime of 43.4 more impressive, and I know others have done much better than that.

Jus, sorry to hear of the issue. My MFT/Sync had some learning issues, after having sat mostly unused for 4+ months. Kept re-indexing USB, not responding to voice commands as it formerly did. I think I am back to more normal now. I did read that Ford was dumping their Windows CE based systems with a move toward a Blackberry based system. Not sure if that is a good long term choice, but the interface may still be around for a while? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-22/ford-said-to-swap-blackberry-s-qnx-for-microsoft-in-sync-system.html

Resale is as others have described: Perception and number of similar vehicles in the market, plus whatever the manufacturer has done to move inventories. Just wen through this: 3 years ago leased a Hyundai Genesis for the wife, 3 yr/36K deal. Was a nice vehicle, but needs do change.... When we looked to replace it, looked at what value we could get trading it, as actual mileage was around 20K. OOPS...Hyundai had been blasting out $2500-4500 rebates, to move 2013 and 2104 models, as a 2015 totally redesigned model was in the pipeline. Bottom line, even though lower miles, the car was not even worth the residual that was in the contract. When I leased, the 2012s were new and in scarce supply, so residuals were higher. Looks like setting lease residuals is like the craps table in Las Vegas. This past week, I handed in the car and the keys and walked away......Happy to be driving the Cmax again, and should be for a long time!

Hi all, the lease just ended on wife's car, which I had been driving the past few months. It is now the motor finance comapny's headache ( worth less than the residual that was quoted 3 years ago.) Cmax got to rest for a few months...Occasional driving on the weekends only. Man, did I notice the comfort and room going back to it. Also love the quiet at traffic lights with only the music heard!! Going from 21 mpg to 46 will obviously be a plus. I will catch up as time permits, hope all are still enjoying their Cmaxes!

Thank you all for your comments. The place where the Cmax will be garaged does have power, so could use the trickle charge....but! Right after I posted the original message, I finally heard back from a friend that lives in the area, and we worked out a plan for him to drive the Cmax for 15 miles or so every week to keep it running. This should help it maintain ok. I will add the Sta-Bil since the fuel usage will be small. Thanks for all the advice, this community of Cmax drivers is awesome!!

HI guys, I've been kind of missing from the forum lately. I find myself now with 4 cars and three drivers, with one of the vehicles on a lease that runs out shortly. Since the miles are under the contract, and the car's value is under the residual, I will be driving it until turn-in. Since the CMax is purchased, makes sense to save it more than the others. It will be located where I will rarely if ever get to drive it, so my question: Has anyone had a similar circumstance, and what should be done to make sure it will be ok when again driven? Any advice or experience you share is much appreciated. I already filled the gas tank, made sure all power consuming devices are unplugged or out ( other than the vehicle itself, etc. Thanks!

HannahWCU, very nice recap! my Cmax just finished a year of ownership 2 weeks ago. A lot less in miles (7800) but a lifetime of 43.6 mpg with just under 50% being on EV mode. Mostly a City used car, so no mileage issues as some highway drivers have mentioned. Braking efficiency is 94% - driving in city traffic and getting cut off/lights changes makes it harder to control. As far as service, I had only one item besides the drivability and software upgrades: had a bolt that was cross-threaded on install at the factory, which was causing a rattles in the rear. Dealer found and fixed it in 1 visit. Had one oil change. I have been truly amazed at how well the car is made and stays squeak and rattle free. Did some highway driving and it can keep up, but will never be a demon- maybe won't get tickets that way. I am 6'6" 240 lbs and love the seating position and legroom, for such a small vehicle. Looking forward to many miles!