Riddley

Two more items for dkashlee: You live in SoCal? Ask your dealer to include window tinting. THe C-MAX doesn't come with privacy glass, even as a factory option. A number of C-MAX owners from the southern regions have mentioned that dealers in the sunny regions often add tint to vehicles as a rule. If possible, make sure the tint offered is quality (like 3M or similar/better). Fuel Economy: you live in a warmer climate, so I wouldn't worry too much about the MPG question. Discrepancies reported in fuel economy often have to do with the time it takes for vehicles to warm up - especially for the batteries to warm up. If your vehicle is already warm, and you are a prudent driver (not a lead foot), you should enjoy better fuel economy by default (compared to folks living in, say, Alaska or Minnesota).

Suggestions for prospective C-Max owners: Try driving both the Base and SEL models. Some people have reported that the seats feel different in the different trims. Not sure there is much to it, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out. If you have a COSTCO membership, see if you can find a dealer that lists the CMAX at Costco Auto club pricing. This will save you a lot of money and hassle. You shouldn't have to pay MSRP. In my region, the C-MAX wasn't listed on the Costco sheet, yet two different dealers were willing to sell me a C-MAX for the Costco price. Regarding the Panoramic moon roof: there is almost no chance that it will leak. As has been mentioned, it is not openable - which would be the most likely source of a possible leak. And - manufactures have been putting moon roofs in vehicles for 20 years now, and by now problems are extremely rare. For example, I have a year 2001 Ford truck with a moon roof that is openable. And I have never had a leak in 12 years of use. Regarding possible delays: I was looking for a model with the panoramic roof in a specific color. I didn't find the vehicle on any dealer lot in my region. I asked the dealer to check for vehicles with my color and the roof in production. One was located that was just completed at the factory (and not yet sold). I bought that one. It saved me at least 6 weeks of waiting (over ordering a new one from scratch). Most dealers will try to sell you lots of extras at closing (like paint protectants - example: Xzillion, extended warrantees, etc. You do not need any of that. I added up the list of extras I was offered at closing and it would have added more than $3000 to the final cost. No thanks. Save your money. Ask your dealer if they would be willing to give you a 24 hour test drive. I was surprised to see some C-MAX owners who mentioned that they did that. It was a good idea. I would have liked to have done that.

In doing some research for the C-MAX, I ran across this excellent resource for window tinting, including laws by state: http://www.tintcenter.com/. One thing I wasn't aware of was that there were regulations for both the darkness of the tint, and the reflectivity. Darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%) - the percentage of visible light allowed in through the film only. Where I live in Washington the regulation for passenger cars appears to be: must allow more than 24% for all windows (not including the windshield). Reflectivity: Separate from darkness, the law regulates how reflective the tint can be. Some tinting film contain metallic elements that help in reflecting incoming light and reducing the glare and heat generated by visible light. In Washington the regulation for reflectivity in passenger cars appears to be: must be less than 35% for all windows (not including the windshield).

There is a great discussion about after-market window tinting in the "Exterior" forum. Since Ford seems to have not made privacy glass an option with the C-MAX, many CMAXers are getting after-market windows tinting. The best products offer excellent UV protection. See: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/index.php?/topic/291-tinted-windows/. Its a great idea in the sunny climates, and I'll be getting my glass tinted even though I live near Seattle.