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It's been in the 100s every day in Austin, and my gas mileage is suffering. I'm down to 32mpg average, and on some trips I only get 25mpg! I know part of it is due to the AC having to work so hard, but is it also related to the temperature of the battery? Is available battery capacity reduced when it's hot? The temperature inside the car reaches 140F even with windows cracked, so even after being parked all day the battery is already hot. Maybe these cars would have benefited from automatically running the fan when parked like the solar Prius models do

Unfortunately, my new C-Max is sitting out in the driveway until we can sell a really nice table that is hogging up the garage. In south Florida, the sun is brutal... even in spring. I tried to find a windshield screen to fit on the inside to reflect the sun and heat and preserve the dash and interior. Any found in an automotive supply store or dept. store like Walmart were too small. The windshield on our cars is much bigger than it may appear. So, looked online and the cost was ridiculous... like $50 incl. shipping! So I got creative and made one that fits perfect and reflects the heat and sun! Here is how I did it: Went to Lowe's and bought a roll of 48" x 25' Reflectix Insulation for about $40. (Yeah, I know it is nearly the amount for an online, ready made one, but I am making a similar shade for our 2000 Grand Caravan out of the same roll that likewise has a huge windshield). First, unroll the insulation on the EXTERIOR of the windshield and cut off an over-sized piece of insulation. Have it draping over the A-pillars; you can (and will) trim it down. Better to cut off too much, than too little... you can trim it, but cannot add to it! Trim it to fit the outside windshield. Then place the sheet inside the car and press against the windshield. Carefully cut to fit, making sure to cut a slit from the top, just above the rear view mirror, and down past it to slip it over the mirror. The mirror will help to hold it up, along with the visors. It can even be left wide enough to cover the small windows in front of the A pillar, if you choose. If you like, apply duct tape to the cut edges to give a more finished look (I didn't bother). With any leftover insulation (it is like bubble wrap with foil on the outside), we will use it for packaging/shipping (I have an Etsy store) or use it as insulation or protective wrapping as needed around the house. Turned out nice... but did a few trials before we got this figured out that did not turn out so great... but oh well... perseverance prevails!!! :happy feet:

Exactly how does the dual zone heat system work? I want to figure out the most efficient setting when no one else is in the car and I'm using recirculate. Should the passenger side be turned down low or does that mix outside air to get the lower temperature? Have driven the car a lot more this winter and when in town, there is precious little engine heat available. One post showed that there are stepper motors controlling doors - one for each side. Anybody know what air flows they switch between? Outside cold, outside through heater core, inside recirculate, inside through heater core or what? And is any of the temperature control done by changing the water flow though the core? (I suppose you could ask the same type questions for A/C but not this time of year!)