jmcgliss

If a 3G modem has not been upgraded, will the 'expired' 3G modem continue trying to connect? Am wondering if the 3G is truly disabled or will continue drawing voltage from the 12v system?

Welcome!  WE leased a 2018 SE Hybrid for 3 years and 42,000 miles.  Loved everything about it and agonized over returning it.  Handling and reliability were superb. My wife averaged 49mpg over that time even with some highway trips and winter weather.  We now have a '21 Escape SEL Hybrid AWD for a little more room and the AWD benefit.

Yes, we went there!  But, she still misses the trusty steed - and miffed that it's not with a good home yet.

On a whim, I searched Cars.com for our 2018 C-Max Hybrid SE that we returned at lease-end in May.  Found it!  A dealership in the Midwest has it listed for $19K, with a $20K windshield banner showing in the pictures.  That seems high for a car with almost 42,000 miles.  Anyway, it was bulletproof for us and fun to drive was well.  One of the pics still shows the cumulative 48.9mpg reading.

My wife was on the verge of tears, she misses her trusty C-Max that much.  We gave it much thought, but in the winter she needs our AWD Subaru turbo with 5speed manual that's also fun to drive.

Does anyone think that the Maverick front end looks more Chevy/GM than Ford?

I read that Ford announced this will have a first-ever built-in-house hybrid driveline.  So, different from what's in the 2020-21 Escape Hybrid?

EDIT: The hybrid powertrain differences are described here: MotorTrend Review

Our 2018 SE had very few options but did have a power liftgate option and backup camera.

Front set of MaxLiner floor liners with light wear.  Husky rear tray in like-new condition.

Negotiable if in the Chicagoland area or southeast Wisconsin.  Awkward to ship.

With snow, the Escape has more room in the wheel wells for adding snow tires (and room for snow pack thrown up by the tires).

The C-Max has aero features that can drag in deep snow, and the OEM tires are designed for low rolling resistance, not snow/ice traction.  The C-Max also has good torque off the line, which will spin the tires on slick roads (momentarily until the traction control kicks in). Or, using Eco Mode is a way to buffer the torque and throttle response.

Just a heads up that our excellent, bulletproof leased 2018 C-Max Hybrid SE was returned to the dealer last week with 48.9mpg displayed on Trip 2 . They are in the process of trying to buy it from Ford to sell. North Chicagoland suburbs. PM me of interested. 

Not to discount what's already been discussed, but one other source of scraping can be a dust shield (aka brake disc backing plate) is bent slightly or not square with the disk.  These can sometimes get bent enough to rub the rotor during a tire rotation, for example.

LOL. Live footage of a C-Max driver on the day of their scheduled lease return. LOL. For my wife, that day is next week.

Love the wheels and stance, Mixxer. Enjoy your ride.

Where are you located? Our 2018 C-Max Hybrid SE with 41,000 miles has been flawless, averaging 49mpg (indicated) which includes three winters. Of course, YMMV.

FWIW, our leased car goes back to the dealer in Chicago's northwest suburb in mid-May.

Fuelly.com is a good source for mileage stats on C-Max's by model year.  Get familiar with the range of owners' mileage to compare with the cumulative mileage of each used car. 

Check for back seat fold-down operation. Some owners reported a broken cable which can be difficult to fix.

If the 12-volt battery is older then 36-42 months, try and negotiate for a fresh, fully charged one, and have the dealer reset the battery life management system.  

You could also ask the dealership to pull "Oasis Reports" that will show service history, recalls fixed, etc.

After removing the leaves we can grab, I flush with short bursts from a hose (do not spray it continuously). Water drains out behind the front wheels. Then we drive it to circulate some air and engine heat.

On 4/8/2021 at 1:20 PM, homestead said:

 

You have pretty good avg MPG's on your 2018.  Are you going to buy the car after the lease is up?

We have a few more weeks to agonize over that, and know we will regret returning it. My wife averages about 54mpg in warm weather, dropping during the winter or a few turnpike trips.  We also have two Subaru turbos with manual transmissions for winter weather that are like members of the family. But, a 2021 Escape AWD Hybrid is calling our name since it can replace the C-Max and one of the Subaru's that is nearing 200K miles.  The short answer is we would buy out the C-Max lease on its own merits.  

Congrats!  We're at the end of our 3-year lease with our 2018 and it's been a solid experience. Winter driving lowered our 3-year average mpg, but 750 mile range per tank is achievable. 

Appreciated!

Our 2018 C-Max with 40K miles is still on the original low-rolling-resistance Michelins. So, my wife takes the 180K mile Subaru + Blizzaks to work on the snowiest days. The stock tires that came on the Subie were too hard of a compound for winter.  This February I did have to take the C-Max on the expressway in salt / slush mix.  It tracked well and felt solid, but did not handle lane changes or turns as well as AWD.  

We also had  a scare on a cold, wet day turning left (briskly) at an intersection we know well. Except someone had dropped oil or fuel on the pavement and we went skating toward the curb.  One of the C-Max's systems must have engaged because it took more than my reflexes to straighten out.  If we had purchased the car instead of leasing, I'd buy a set of winters.

Thanks for the list - I've seen most of the issues in separate threads.  Yes, we will miss the energy displays in C-Max, and my wife is accustomed to 650-720 mile range in warm weather. Color options are a big reason we are looking at 2021's vs the deals on 2020's - and the chance to order an SEL without packages we don't want.

Overall, we will appreciate more interior room,  AWD, trailer hitch for gardening, and so on.  We're test driving again tomorrow so I can check ground clearance and wheel well space for snows since we are eventually replacing a high mileage Subaru for winter use. 

Update: We drove a 2020 Hybrid AWD Titanium. The turning circle is good. Wheel wells have more room for snow pack or burlier tires. Step-in height is taller than C-Max.  

Our 2018 C-Max SE (leased) has been great in terms of powertrain, handling, and build quality.  We really are torn about turning it in come May '21. 

Our reliable 2018 C-Max ends in mid-May and we are reluctant to give it back. But the lease buy-out of $11K+ feels steep. 

On Wednesday we sit down with the dealer to possibly order a 2021 Escape SEL Hybrid AWD.  Still reading about some issues with the 2020's.

We've been changing oil at the Ford dealer every 6,000 miles on our leased 2018. It's parked outside even in winter.

Only at this last oil change did the service writer notice they had not been charging for synthetic, and that the spec for Hybrids is full synthetic.  When I asked "how do I know they've put synthetic in the car?" He replied that the mechanics know what to do (even though the service invoice is always worded generically). The sticker they put on the windshield always specifies a 5,000 mile interval.  

I was looking into this recently and could only find a lift kit "from Russian Federation".  My wife loves her C-Max until we have deep snow.

Thank you for the clean-up and to all who have posted their knowledge.