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We just got back from our first road trip in the C-Max. By *road trip*, i mean anything over 100 miles, and this one was 239 or so each way. I filled up the tank Friday after work at a station about 1 mile from our house and zeroed everything out. We left about 8:20 Saturday morning......Jerry, Asia and I........with a full cooler, 1 main piece of luggage each, a small extra bag for me, a bag of goodies for the grandkid, and I think that's about it. Temps were in the 40s to start. We drove about 3 miles to get on the xpressway and charge the batts. I was driving. Got up to 68 w/ a 3/4 battery and set the ECO-cruise. I drove all but about the last 10 miles. We were on freeways the whole way, really nice ones, I might add, not Michigan roads. 24 is brand new and there was next-to-no traffic. No construction. No nuttin' but us and the road. We had the climate control set on defrost and recirc. It was Ohio, so the speed limit was 65. I set the NAV for our daughter's address before we left. At about mile 65 or so it told us to make a left turn onto a non-existent road. Then, suddenly we were, according to the NAV screen, in the middle of a field somewhere near Chicago, when, in fact, we were SW of Toledo, OH. (I have pix, which I will post later). Lost Part 1 by JellyBean439, on Flickr Luckily we knew where we *really* were, reset everything, and continued on for another ......not really sure how many miles, but I can check if anyone is interested. We got to another point that we remembered from a previous trip, on old HWY 24, which had recently been redone. Our daughter told us after her last trip that *there was no more construction on that part* so we drove happily on. Jerry kept saying, * But I see the highway over there, and there are cars going both ways.* We kept driving happily on, listening to the NAV..... we even passed an entrance to 24, but kept on according to the NAV.....until the road dead-ended. We turned around and went back to the entrance we had seen and got on 24, only to be told to *make a U-turn* over and over until the NAV finally caught up with were we were. I played with the speed, seeing the mpg go down at 69, back up at 68. We arrived at our daughter, SIL, and granddaughter's home in Carmel, IN with 239 miles on the tank and an average MPG of 38.2, 18.4 EV, using 6.25 gal. of gas. The car sat from Saturday afternoon until today about noon. I reset Trip 2 to record the trip home separately. Jerry started the drive and after getting up to speed with a 3/4 batt, set the ECO-cruise to 70. After the drive to get to the freeway, the average MPG at that point was 38.1. The car was loaded with even more stuff.........we were bringing things back for a friend of our daughter's who has a baby younger than our granddaughter. Jerry drove the first 100 or so mile. It was much warmer, and we set the AC at 71* Several times the NAV lost us completely (I have pix, which I will post later.) Several times, again, it told us to *make a U-turn* which we ignored, because, thankfully, we knew where we were. I drove the second half of the return trip, also at 70mph. Lost Part 2 by JellyBean439, on Flickr Finally, after watching the arrow depicting us wander aimlessly in a field, I cancelled the destination. The rest of the drive was uneventful. We made a short side trip to pick up dinner and arrived home 248 miles on the return trip, 42.5 mpg @ 70 mph, 5.82 gal used. Return from Indy by JellyBean439, on Flickr The total round trip was 487 with 43.4 ev, 40.3 mpg and 12.8 gal. Indy Roundtrip by JellyBean439, on Flickr Right now, I'm in the *red zone* with 20 or so miles left to the tank according to the car computer. I have 13 miles to make 500. My trip to work tomorrow is about 20 miles. I will pass at least 3 gas stations on the way. What do y'all think I should do? Go for it or chicken out? Inquiring minds want to know. I'll check in tomorrow morning. I'm going to bed now :>)

Well the testing results are in and at 70mph I see a net gain of 3mpg at range of temps from 45-70 degrees F. This also seems to carry down to 40mph or so. The covers are not air tight(80-90%) and are easy to install. I used Velcro squares to attach Covers to Grill, it makes it easy to install and remove. The Covers are made of strong Polycarboneate Plastic that won't shatter and can take fair amount of abuse. They are hardly noticeable unless you look hard.The plan is to remove bottom Cover when temps get into the 70's degrees hwy driving. Remove middle Cover and put New Cover with cut out for radiator opening when in 80's hwy driving. IMPORTANT NOTE: radiator fan comes on when Water Temps reach 215 degrees F and thermosat opens around 195 degrees F. If there were enough orders for the Covers I could see a price around $50, maybe lower if in the volume was in the hundreds. I'm looking for someone to try out the Covers to see if they get the same results. Will have a picture shortly.

I've got over 4,000 miles on my car and it still hasn't gone into EV+. I suspect that since my car was driven a few hundred miles from a dealer in another state when I got it that might have something to do with it? In any case, if someone could give me a hint as to how I can get it to go into EV+ I would appreciate it! ;-)

I have been away from the forum for a couple of weeks. The week of New Year's I was sick with bronchitis. The week after that, I had to go to Florida to help move my parents who had sold their house. I got back on Friday the 11th. Well, Saturday the 12th proved to be a beautiful and VERY warm day for January. It got to 69* here in the middle of Indiana in the middle of January. Those days don't go un-appreciated. So in my travels during that day, the WORST I averaged in mpg was 56!!!! I had no HVAC on and I had my window down. I had 1400 miles on the car and initially I was thinking that the break in period made a huge difference. No, it was the weather because the next day we were back in the 30's and have been in the 20-30* range all week and my mileage has gone back down. It's still not terrible but this week there are a couple of days that they are predicting below zero temps over night and highs in the teens during the day. I will be looking forward to spring even more now!

My last fillup was 536.5mi GPS corrected ,11.9gal., 45.1MPG, 50%city and 50Deg.F average temp. Post what kind of improvement you think you have gained.

I have talked to about 10 Ford dealers and only one sales mgr. was aware of the problem. It is amazing that they don't read auto news stories to keep abreast of current competition, recalls and reviews. It appears that not that many people are complaining about it.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/best-worst-fuel-economy/index.htm Sorry if you have seen this list already. It is from January, but I only stumbled on it today. The Energi did not make the list at all. The Max did, but with their own MPG figures, as with all the cars they mentioned. The Volt was also there but I didn't see the PIP. Not sure why Chevy got better representation than the Energi, which is more efficient than the Volt in both EV (albeit for about half the range) and gas (for about twice the range) or PIP, which is more efficient as a hybrid than the others. I guess they never got their hands on the Energi and PIP.

Hello everyone, For all of you MPG fiends that have iPhones, a fuel tracking app with full Fuelly.com integration is on the way (1-2 weeks). See the screenshots below. http://imgur.com/a/FOCXr#0

I have gone 608.6mi on 12.87gal, 47.3MPG, has anyone gone farther?

A few members agree that our odometers are off by aprox. 1.5% or about .5MPG. We should adjust Fuelly, right. If you haven't done it yet check odometer with GPS. BTW FFH looks to be off by 2%.

Hello everyone, For all of you MPG fiends that have iPhones, a fuel tracking app with full Fuelly.com integration is on the way (1-2 weeks). See the screenshots below. http://imgur.com/a/FOCXr#0

MPG Grill Cover prices are going up soon. They're $50 now but only a few sets left at that price. Each cover set is custom made so I'm losing money at $50ea so the price is going up to $100per set plus S&H We are using PayPal for payment. My email: paul@star-instruments.com Any questions email me. Thanks

Well the testing results are in and at 70mph I see a net gain of 3mpg at range of temps from 45-70 degrees F. This also seems to carry down to 40mph or so. The covers are not air tight(80-90%) and are easy to install. I used Velcro squares to attach Covers to Grill, it makes it easy to install and remove. The Covers are made of strong Polycarboneate Plastic that won't shatter and can take fair amount of abuse. They are hardly noticeable unless you look hard.The plan is to remove bottom Cover when temps get into the 70's degrees hwy driving. Remove middle Cover and put New Cover with cut out for radiator opening when in 80's hwy driving. IMPORTANT NOTE: radiator fan comes on when Water Temps reach 215 degrees F and thermosat opens around 195 degrees F. If there were enough orders for the Covers I could see a price around $50, maybe lower if in the volume was in the hundreds. I'm looking for someone to try out the Covers to see if they get the same results. Will have a picture shortly.

Hi, fellow C-MAX owners! Yesterday I put in my order for an Ice Storm SEL with Charcoal interior and 302A goodies. Ice Storm (nice color name!) must be pretty popular as after much looking we had to order one to get what we wanted in that color. This is only the second US car I have owned, and it's very encouraging to see such a nice car produced nationally again. Sad to see that Ford has been rated second from the bottom of the reliability list by Consumer Reports, but happy to see that the SYNC and MyFord interface is one of the big reasons for that. As an aged software architect I don't think I'll have any problem with it, and it's nice to note that Ford has continually updated it for existing owners: next update Dec 10 and next year for some of us. Interesting to see how variable the MPG achieved is. Some reviews said that the longer-life batteries that can participate up to over 62 MPG did a lot to bump up the EPA rating in their tests and 47 MPG would be pretty hard to get in real life. But some others got pretty respectable MPG in their tests. I'm not going to be working to get 47; I'll just drive and expect that the car will take care of being pretty frugal. I have driven a VW Jetta TDI wagon for a while, and measured an actual 47 MPG highway average on a trip from Connecticut to California, and a normal around town rate of 36 MPG (I record mileage and MPG at every fillup and have done so for about 40 years!). I guess if the C-MAX comes close to that I'll be happy. Sorry to lose a bit of cargo space compared to the VW, glad to get more and nicer rear seat room. A big reason for choosing the C-MAX was the very nice interior and comfortable seating; leather is unavailable in the VW Sportwagen and not optional in our view. The active noise cancellation is brilliant and makes a noticeable difference on the road. BTW, some comments here about leather are wrong in my experience. Hot in the sun, harder to keep nice? We got leather because we had to back in 1982 but were surprised that leather heats up much less than vinyl or plastic in the sun, and it resists scratching, tears, and stains a lot better too, as our two rambunctious boys demonstrated. We would have paid to install leather at an upholstery shop if we had bought the VW. No comparison, in my view. To cloth, the big difference is staining and sweat absorption (with smell coming later). You do have to maintain leather, but you are talking once or twice a year. The 0-60 time for the C-MAX is given as about 8.8 seconds, much quicker than my first sports car, a Triumph TR3. Times have changed! The car feels very capable on the road too though I won't be seeking out twisty mountain roads! I'm looking forward to delivery in what? February? Jerry Mouton

I along with many others have had some frustration with the lack of meeting the EPA MPG for the C-Max. I've been trying all sorts of different techniques for achieving better mileage. I had a breakthrough this afternoon. The 2 techniques I've decided are required to get the EPA mileage. Pulse and Glide The trick to increasing mileage as much as possible is to be in EV mode. I was attempting to stay in EV mode as I was accelerating from stops or slow traffic by babying the gas pedal. What I've discovered is if you accelerate to your desired speed quickly (hopefully the speed limit :)) and then totally let up on the gas EV will kick in. Immediately after EV kicks in resume pushing on the gas peddle being careful not to engage the gas engine again. I then glide as long as I can in EV mode. I repeat this process whenever necessary. Brake Early and Long The brake system does a good job of recharging the battery. The trick here is to use it as often as possible. I have been breaking much earlier, steadier, and for as long of a time as I could. Results Before I was at best getting just about 40 MPG. Using the new technique I drove to the dealership from my house this afternoon in mixed traffic (hills, freeway and stop lights). I was easily keeping up with the traffic. I actually was accelerating to the speed limit faster than those behind me. I think the CVT allows for some pretty quick takeoffs. I averaged over 50 MPG for the 26 mile trip. I then had two small trips to pick up some pies for a church social tonight, stopped at church to drop them off, and then came back home. For the small trips (about 10 miles total) I was 47 - 50 MPG. I am going to track now for the next week and will report back. The great thing is Ford has produced an interface that allows me to see what is happening under the hood and that trains me to drive more efficiently. The capability is there in the car I just need to learn how to take advantage of it. There are other challenges I see coming. For one living in Minnesota means the gas engine will need to kick in just to keep the car warm. This will undoubtedly impact mileage. Also snow packed slippery roads won't help. I am glad we've had a few warm days and I was able to easily make the EPA estimates with proper driving techniques. I am feeling much better about the car and driving in the right lane. Nick

A team of drivers from the media got an outstanding 60 mpg in a first drive "hyper-mile" competition with other media drive teams driving the new 2013 C-Max Hybrid this week. Ford Motor Co. has been introducing the new 2013 C-Max Hybrid to media this week in Los Angeles. As part of the introduction, journalists were invited to team up and see how fuel efficiently they could drive the C-Max Hybrid in a test drive from West Hollywood to near Malibu. View slideshow: 2013 Ford C-Max EPA rated at 47 mpg: first drive gets 60 mpg The approximately 50 mile hyper-mile route covered all types of Los Angeles area road and traffic that one might expect to experience in everyday driving of the 2013 C-Max Hybrid. http://www.examiner.com/article/2013-ford-c-max-epa-rated-at-47-mpg-first-drive-gets-60-mpg

Please be aware that the Ford C-MAX has a component break in period before you an accurately determine your fuel mileage. According to page 196 of the C-MAX's owners's manual states "Do not measure fuel economy during the first 1000 miles (1600 kilometers) of driving (this is your engine’s break-in period); a more accurate measurement is obtained after 2000 miles–3000 miles (3200 kilometers–4800 kilometers). Also, fuel expense, frequency of fill-ups or fuel gauge readings are not accurate ways to measure fuel economy." You can learn more by downloading the owner's manual here.

Ford C-MAX Energi Tops All Utility and Compact Vehicles with EPA-Rated 620-Mile Range; Triples Prius Plug-in’s Electric Range Ford C-MAX Energi has the most range of any utility or compact vehicle by achieving an EPA-rated 620-mile range on a single tank and a single charge, taking customers 80 miles further than the Toyota Prius plug-in C-MAX Energi achieves up to 21 miles in all-electric range – more than triple the Prius plug-in hybrid’s six-mile all-electric range – with a 108-MPGe EPA city rating C-MAX Energi addresses trends of more Americans “super commuting” longer distances and increased congestion; electric-only operation in stop-and-go traffic is estimated to waste 1.9 billion gallons of gasoline annually Ford C-Max Energi Forum – America’s most efficient utility vehicle – Ford’s new 108-MPGe C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid – also has the most range of any utility or compact vehicle with a 620-mile overall driving range as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency. This means C-MAX Energi customers could drive from Detroit to New York City, San Francisco to Las Vegas, or even Portland, Ore., to Twin Falls, Idaho, through the combined use of the power stored in the vehicle’s advanced lithium-ion battery and one tank of gasoline. The Toyota Prius plug-in trails the C-MAX Energi by 80 miles at 540 miles of overall range, and the Chevrolet Volt comes in third at 380 miles. “C-MAX Energi is America’s most efficient utility vehicle, a great symbol of how Ford gives customers the power to choose leading fuel-efficiency across our lineup with gas prices spiraling upwards of $5 a gallon in some parts of the country,” says John Davis, C-MAX chief engineer. “The C-MAX Energi’s leading range also means customers can spend more time on the road and more money on their priorities instead of at the gas pump.” C-MAX Energi achieves up to 21 miles in all-electric mode, meaning at least one leg of the average work commute – reportedly 20 miles each way – could be completed each day on electric battery charge only, allowing customers to save gas as they face traffic congestion in their commute. The Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid offers up to six miles in all-electric range, meaning C-MAX Energi can travel three times more distance than the Prius plug-in hybrid before first engine start. A study by the United States Department of the Treasury estimates congestion consumed an extra 1.9 billion gallons of fuel in 2011, approximately 5 percent of all gasoline used. “The C-MAX Energi is the first plug-in hybrid to combine significant electric only range with great overall range on a tank of gas,” says Davis. “We expect many C-MAX Energi customers will commute largely on electricity, yet will still have the range, space and flexibility to take a long road trip without stopping every few hours.” Debuting this fall with a 108 MPGe city EPA rating and for $29,995 after a federal tax credit, the C-MAX Energi is Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle and part of the company’s first dedicated line of hybrids. Drivers can handle the roads with power and style as well. Offering 195 horsepower with a fully charged battery, the new C-MAX Energi has 60 more horsepower than the Prius plug-in hybrid and boasts class-exclusive technologies such as hands-free liftgate and active park assist. With the growing trend of commuters spending more time on the roads, the C-MAX Energi’s combination of fuel efficient highway driving and electric-powered city driving is more important than ever. A recent study from New York University’s Rudin School of Transportation shows today’s commuters are on the road longer than ever before, and the number of people who commute more than 90 miles to work has doubled over the past 10 years. With a 108 MPGe city rating and 92 MPGe on the highway, C-MAX Energi gives customers leading fuel efficiency throughout their commute. Power of choice C-MAX Energi figures prominently in Ford’s rollout of electrified vehicles. Ford’s other electrified vehicles include: Focus Electric: Production began late 2011; America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe city and 105 MPGe combined; 6 MPGe better than the Nissan Leaf C-MAX Hybrid delivers EPA-certified 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway ratings – 7 mpg better than the Toyota Prius v on the highway – for a 47 mpg combined rating All-new Fusion Hybrid is America’s most fuel-efficient sedan after being certified by the EPA to deliver 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway, 47 mpg combined. This beats the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg highway, 4 mpg city Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of this year; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world with more than 100 MPGe Built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., the all-new C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid begins arriving this fall at EV Certified Ford dealers in 19 markets, followed by nationwide rollout in all 50 states in early 2013.

Ford C-MAX Hybrid Aims for 47 MPG to Beat Prius v as Most Fuel-Efficient, Affordable Hybrid Utility Vehicle in America Ford C-MAX Hybrid projected to achieve 47 mpg city, at least 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v with more performance and technology – all at a $1,300-lower base price C-MAX Hybrid is Ford’s first entry in the largest hybrid segment and is expected to attract a large percentage of conquest and mainstream buyers with the segment’s lowest payback period of two years compared with leading small crossovers C-MAX Hybrid will launch this fall as part of Ford’s power of choice strategy to deliver leading fuel economy across its lineup while tripling electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013 FORD C-Max Forum – Ford’s new C-MAX Hybrid soon will make a big statement in the largest hybrid segment with projected leading fuel economy of 47 mpg city – beating the Toyota Prius v by 3 mpg, plus a $1,300-lower base price. The segment for small hybrids such as the C-MAX Hybrid and Prius accounts for 65 percent of all hybrid sales. Ford expects about half of C-MAX buyers to be conquest customers trading in competitive models. Ford has simultaneously increased hybrid efficiency and performance while reducing cost. The result is an expected payback period of two years for the hybrid technology premium compared with leading small crossovers. This is about half of the four-year period Ford research shows could trigger more mainstream hybrid sales. “The C-MAX Hybrid builds on Ford’s 20 years of hybrid innovation and fuel-efficient offerings to take on Prius v with better city fuel economy at 47 mpg and at better value – a great chance for us to shake up the hybrid market,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. “C-MAX Hybrid delivers 3 mpg more than Prius v with 50 more horsepower and exclusive technologies such as our hands-free liftgate – and the $1,300-lower base price means the payback period will be the smallest in the segment.” Ford research highlights other ways in which hybrids could become more mainstream. The gap in average income between hybrid and conventional vehicle buyers has decreased by half – from about $30,000 to $15,000 – in the past few years. Maximum efficiency, technology and value The C-MAX Hybrid is expected to be America’s most affordable hybrid utility vehicle with a base price of $25,995, including destination and delivery, which is $1,300 lower than Toyota Prius v. C-MAX Hybrid is part of Ford’s first dedicated line of hybrid vehicles and currently available for order at select dealerships. The projected 47 mpg city and 44 mpg highway ratings to be delivered by C-MAX Hybrid beat the fuel economy of Toyota Prius v with its 44 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. The vehicle also can be driven 500-plus miles with total system horsepower of 188 compared with total system horsepower of 134 from Toyota Prius v and Prius. The power of C-MAX Hybrid stems from the combination of a gasoline engine and a battery-driven electric motor. When powered by gasoline, the C-MAX Hybrid uses the all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine – powerful and fuel efficient and among the most advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains Ford has ever offered. More details about the C-MAX powertrain can be found in this press release. C-MAX Hybrid also offers class-exclusive technologies such as the available hands-free liftgate, optional active park assist and SmartGauge® with EcoGuide, along with the ability to deliver higher speeds in electric mode than Toyota Prius v. The latest-generation SmartGauge with EcoGuide is designed to help drivers get the most from the C-MAX Hybrid, providing information such as instantaneous fuel economy to help them more closely monitor how their driving behavior affects the vehicle’s efficiency. A new Brake Coach feature helps drivers optimize their use of the braking system so that driving range can be enhanced through proper braking techniques. Redesigned imagery of green leaves shows overall driving efficiency – as drivers improve their efficient driving, they are rewarded with more leaves. Active lifestyle The C-MAX Hybrid offers room for five people and plenty of cargo – making it perfect for the owner with an active lifestyle. The vehicle has a high roofline (63.9 inches) offering ample interior space and flexibility. C-MAX Hybrid offers 99.7 cubic feet of passenger space compared with 97 cubic feet in Prius v. The spacious C-MAX Hybrid also provides greater headroom in both front and rear seats than Prius v (41/39.4 inches vs. 39.6/38.6 inches). For cargo, C-MAX Hybrid has 60/40 split-fold rear seats. The seats easily fold flat with 52.6 cubic feet of space behind the first row and 24.5 cubic feet behind the second row. Quality choices C-MAX Hybrid benefits from 20 years of research and innovation behind the software and hardware technology it offers and has helped Ford develop a portfolio of nearly 500 patents in the area of hybrid technology. Also, Ford’s hybrid taxi fleet logged more than 80 million miles in California during the past decade – more than quadruple the number of miles logged by Toyota’s Prius lineup. Yet, among the nearly 43 million battery cells Ford has tested or seen put to work in customer vehicles, only five issues have been documented. C-MAX Hybrid is being produced at Ford’s Wayne, Mich.-based Michigan Assembly Plant alongside Focus, Focus Electric and Focus ST. More information about MAP can be found online here. C-MAX Hybrid is part of Ford’s strategy to give customers the power of choice for vehicles with leading fuel efficiency across all powertrain technologies. C-MAX Hybrid is one of five electrified vehicles Ford plans to produce in North America in 2012. The other vehicles include: • Focus Electric: Production began late 2011; America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe; charge time in four hours with the available 240-volt charging station, nearly half the time as Nissan Leaf [/b] • C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid: Coming this fall; better electric-mode MPGe than Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and better overall range than any plug-in hybrid • All-new Fusion Hybrid: Coming this fall; 47 mpg expected to beat Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg highway • Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of 2012; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world