jhinsc

I test drove a CMax yesterday and while I think it's a good effort on Ford's part, it's not for me. Three things I have an issue with; 1) for such a short wheelbase, why is the car so heavy for it's class of vehicle? 2) the style of the car for me is a bit odd and I can't get past it. 3) can't get anywhere near EPA mpg's. I loved the gee whiz features of the interior thought and it did ride with a nice isolated, quite feel, but the shorter wheelbase makes for a more bumpy, but not harsh ride. I know it's subjective on my part but I just wasn't feeling I had to have it.

My bad! Apologies for mixing up the two posts and numbers! You are correct with .402 per mile versus mine at .301 per mile. Wonder what the Ford lease payment would have been for 36 months. I've always had good success on a 3 year lease trading in about 6 months early at about 30 months, and tend to buy/lease later in the model year (Aug - Nov). I drive 18 - 20k miles per year and my mileage overage doesn't seem to hurt me at trade time or end of lease since I start from near the end of the model rather than the beginning. I still think financially it makes sense to put less $ down on a lease. Even with gap insurance, you won't recover your down payment if the car is totaled in an accident. Once taxes are done (ugh!) I'll concentrate on looking at everything on my short list which includes; CMax, Fusion Hybrid, Prius V, and Camry Hyrbrid. I am fascinated by the Volt but I think it will lack the utility I need for long trips with the dog and luggage. I like my Prius a lot, but wish it was just bit wider and roomier. I've never had problems achieving EPA combined mpg rating on any vehicle I've owned so I'm not bothered about reports that CMax and Fusion drivers are getting lower mpg. There are plenty of people who can't get 50 mpg in the Prius - my lifetime avg is almost 52 mpg.

I agree with your calculation of 30.1 cent per mile of my lease as it include all costs, taxes and fees rolled in - these costs don't go away because you don't count them ($349 x 36 +$1000). I come up with 45.2 cent per mile for your lease over 27k miles with all costs rolled in. ($300 x 24 +$5,000)/27000. Granted, your CMax is higher priced than my Prius IV was, but not by 50% more. If my lease term was shorter or your lease was longer, maybe our cost per mile would be closer together. There's more to deciding to buy or lease a particular car than just price, but it's a major factor. Let's face it, if you're like me and don't like a vehicle, even if it was a screaming deal, I wouldn't take it since I'm at the point in life where I don't have to. I like to lease too because I tend not to keep my cars forever, but with leasing I will not put a large amount, if any, down, while keeping my payment reasonable. To me it doesn't make financial sense to give a large sum upfront just to have a lower lease payment - I'd rather keep the money in the bank and use it to supplement the payment. But, if I were to purchase my next car, which I am considering, I will put $'s down because the idea is to pay it off as quickly as possible.

Putting large amounts down for a shorter term lease doesn't seem to make sense to me. $244/mo and $5000 down spread out over 2 months equates to $441/mo. $300/mo with $7000 down over 24 months equates to $592/mo. Seems high given the mileage limits and the fact you won't get any of it back. I'm in the market for new car this year and I'm interested in the CMax, among others, if I decide not to buy out my Prius. But when I leased my Prius in 2010 IV, I had $1,000 trade equity, nothing down and lease payment of $349/mo with 15k miles per year for 36 mo. First 25k miles maintenance is free, so I've paid for 2 service/oil changes and had to replace tires at $415 cost. Unless Ford can do same or better, I fear I may have to scratch them off my list.

It is possible to get very high mpg's in the Prius, BUT you would have to drive in such a way that no one else would imagine doing. Can you imagine if there was any traffic around - a bunch of pissed off driver wonder what the heck you're doing going so slow and holding up traffic. I also question if the mileage includes a cold start up. Some advocates of high mpg's (cleanmpg.com) don't include the warm-up of the ICE and being sure the hybrid battery is fully charges before they start a test run. Being a Prius owner myself, I pretty much drive like I always do (80-90% in rush hour traffic) and get a real 51 - 54 mpg calculated.