BIG ROCCO

We just got our C-Max back from the body shop - at 1,500 miles, the wife drove it into a concrete wall while parking - ~$8,500 damage...yeah - bummer. We took it back to the dealer for the body work, and while it was there asked them to apply any applicable recalls. I think there were three - the head protection one, the auto rear liftgate one, and the FE one. It would appear that they did all three. My impression after only 3 days is that the FE has improved, especially on the highway...with mostly highway driving, the FE readout is at ~ 50 MPG...used to be ~45 MPG. Also, the car seems peppier on the highway...I'm having a hard time keeping it under 70 MPH! These are not scientific double blind test results...just my informal impressions and personal experiences.

Yeah - good insight JAZ - frequent starts and stops and/or other operation that is peculiar to a hybrid powertrain could mitigate or even overwhelm the fact that the engine is not running. For example, maybe the ICE never really warms up the oil in cooler weather, even in 10-15 miles, like it does in a conventional car...???

Thanks folks - NHTSA site was a good idea. I went and looked - I think it was all the wifey's fault. Insurance adjuster coming to look at it tomorrow. What a bummer!

How does L differ from Grade Assist?

The wife jumped a curb while parking and drove the C-Max into a concrete wall/building this AM. $6,000+ in damage to the car...yeah, pretty bad...but at least no one was hurt (right?). Airbags did not deploy. It seemed like she must have been stepping on the accelerator - the was dirt and gravel kicked out of the planting bed she drove into. She doesn't know what happened. I assume her foot slid off the brake and onto the accelerator, but there haven't been any reports of the car malfuntioning (a la Toyota), right?

What about buying in Buffalo or Rochester? Or is that difficult to do across borders?

Yes - I think you put your finger on it - it has become a game for my wife - she's always checking out the avg MPG and she loves the vine/leaves (I don't, but to each his own). Also, we both always LOL whenever I fill up the car (she is afraid, so I always have to do it). I tell her I filled up the car and show her the receipt, and on the most recent fill-up for 2 weeks driving (about 275 miles) it came to....a...whopping...$21.00!!!

I have tried to drive economically, most of the time, for a long time...even when I drove a 300HP Northstar equipped Cadillac (I've had 4 - Ioved those cars!). What I mean is: I occasionally would go on a binge and give in to my preference to drive like nut, flooring the pedal every chance I got, but most of the time, I tried to keep my speed and acceleration down, and used the AC sparingly. My wife has never been focused on or interested in fuel economy - she always liked to accelerate quickly, drive fast, let the engine idle for long periods, with the AC on, and put the AC on MAX cooling and fan speed any time the temp or humidity was the least bit elevated. Her most recent car was a 2004 Grand Prix GTP with the supercharged 3.8L V-6, but even with the way she drove it, we got what I thought was decent gas mileage - 20+ MPG around town and 25+ MPG on the highway. When I bought my 2012 Buick Lacrosse with e-assist (mild hybrid), my wife suddenly took an interest in MPG...I average about ~35 MPG in all around suburban driving, with ~ 50% highway miles. When my wife's GP was T-boned and totalled, she wanted to go with a hybrid, she got the C-Max, and now that her car is a hybrid, she is the one most focused on MPG. At a little over 1,300 miles total, she is getting ~45 MPG in all around suburban driving. So, now I'm the one wasting money and driving a "gas hog". Seriously, though, I love driving my Lacrosse, am more than happy with the MPG, and nothing has ever gone wrong with it, so it's not been back to the dealer in the 1 3/4 years and 25,000 miles I've had it.

Yeah - I agree, but the car manufacturers are leaving spare tires and jacks (which probably weight about the same as the hitch) off cars, supposedly for fuel economy purposes

Yeah - the top of the line Harmon Kardon XM radio in my Lacrosse sounds really good, but it does seem like it is better on some stations than other. For example, the 80s on 8 station usually sounds better than 70s on 7 or 90s on 9. I would say a CD or MP3 file on USB does sound even better. On the C-Max, I noticed the Sony system had more bass than the base audio system, but it's still pretty weak, especially compared to my Lacrosse. Then, I accidentally inserted and CD, and there seemed to be tons of bass...??? I need to research this further, but I think your observation does have merit. I do love the XM radio in my Buick - I drive 1/2 hour each way to work and we take that car on long trips and into remote areas with no radio reception. Also, XM has MLB play by play, every game is on the air, and we are big Red Sox fans. The C-Max is the wife's car - she doesn't commute and it's more of an around town/short trips car...we'll see what she wants to do after 6 months.

Yeah - in some situations, I like to shift to Neutral and coast, rather than feather the gas pedal to maintain speed...I guess I have done that for 40 years and I think it's still better. There is an area on the way to work - a gradual downgrade for about 2 miles. If I leave it in D, I have to give it some gas to keep going 50 MPH. If I shift to N, my speed will go up from 50 MPH (the speed limit), to almost 60 MPH (which most people are doing) and then start to drop before a known common speed trap as the hill flattens out, and then be around 50 MPH again as I approach a traffic light. That works in conventional cars, too, and probably saves even more than in a hybrid.

This can't hurt, but we are totally pleased already...we've been getting 46-49 MPG lately (on the in dash display) - we just passed the 1,000 mile mark. No hypermiling - just prudent driving, like eco-cruise and 65-67 MPH on the highway, don't use the AC unless needed - like not for 2 mile trips - and when it is needed on longer trips, not too cold...stuff like that. It's only a 2 liter engine propeling a 3,600+ (?) pound car, so if you try to drive it like it's a V-6, it'll perform OK, but it's going to suck the gas.

Thanks, but looked and did not see anything

This continues to happen - sometimes more than once per day. I can always go back in and put the guide lines back on, but they won't stay on. I really don't mind too much, but it's a big deal for the wife...and it's her car! Before I ask the dealer, has anyone heard of a solution?

"The dealer will not warranty them, because they are a trim piece." What is that about??? If it's defective in design or workmanship, it's warranteed. If you abused it and broke it, then that is different

I like the black

That's a good idea!

Yes - I agree with that. Probably not really an issue in Nebraska, but in the hilly areas, I think there is a lot of wasted regen opportunity. Any hills will result in lower MPG, on any car, but at least the hybrids recapture some of the stored potential energy, and the PHEVs capture even more. Our decision for the Hybrid and not Energi was based on the greater cargo carrying capability. Our other car (my car) is a Buick LaCrosse - a mild hybrid, but with a smallish trunk due to space taken by the battery and associated electronics...it holds 2 suitcases and carry on or two, and that's it. As a result, we wanted the C-Max with the most cargo space, but if our other car was a minivan or full size SUV or truck, then we definitely would have chosen the Energi - there's just not that much difference in net cost I think one huge advantage is the size of the Energi battery where under the right terrain, will capture more charge than the regular cmax...for example the Sherwin grade from Toms Place to Bishop which is a 8+ long grade. Maxine is full Batts not even 1/4 of the grade, what a waste. ..

If these grill opening covers, etc. have a meaningful effect on fuel economy, what seems to be the consensus of why Ford didn't make the car that way in the first place? Mostly off subject, but we were on a road trip to CA recently - saw a lot of C-Maxes (and Priuses) - especially in SOCAL. Also saw a Tesla Type S being parked and hooked up to a charging station at the entrance to Muir Woods (just North of San Francisco). Chatted with the owner for 10-15 minutes - he loves it. he showed us the retracting door handles - that was neat. Not sure how much effect it has on aero drag, but it sure looks cool!

I see some C-Maxes around the Phoenix area, but we just got back from a road trip in Cali and they're more prevalent there - especially Southern Cal. Also saw tons of Priuses there

Just under 1,000 miles on our C-Max, but for my other car and on past cars, I have usually jacked up the front with a floor jack on the front most crossmember, put in some jackstands, then use another floor jack under each lower control arm on the rear, one side at a time. Why do I not use the same floor jack on the rear as the front - because I am lazy...and because I have 2 floor jacks :happy feet: . I also have the luxury of an air compressor and an impact wrench (use for removal only!) and a clicker torque wrench. I just rotated the tires on my 2012 LaCrosse on Monday, and it was a fair amount of work, even with all those conveniences...I wouldn't even attempt it without all the tools - better to pay someone else...or just leave them where they are until they wear out. Costco (and I'm sure lots of other places) offers free tire rotations on tires purchased there.

Yeah - that happened to my wife one time - the car was in the garage when I came home, with the lights on (since it is otherwise dark in there), and the avg mileage had gone down some, so all I can figure is she left the car "on", and as soon as the battery level went down, the engine would start and charge the batter for the next cycle. Now, she makes sure she see "Thanks for driving a hybrid" before she leaves the car

Well - there are those who never learn their lesson LOL. Seriously, though - I think it's much worse to underpay, and not get what you want or need, than to overpay. For example, did you ever buy a tool or a TV or a stereo or a kitchen appliance or whatever...and you weren't happy with it? You basically wasted all your money! In your case, you got a car you're happy with - just paid a little too much. We all think we got a good deal when we buy a car - otherwise, we would do it. Who knows what a really good deal is? I think the only way to tell is when the seller isn't happy they made the sale - then you know you did well. As long as they're smiling, you could have done better.

When we were shopping, we came across a used SEL 303A with pano roof and 8K miles for 29K...so yes, I think you did overpay, but it happens to all of us at some point - don't brood over it - just consider it a life's lesson - maybe you learned something that will save you from making an even bigger mistake in the future, like on a house or a future car

Oh - I thought maybe it was what a friend of mine originally from Chicago described as the state bird of Illinois - he says it comes out at dusk - the mosquito