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I purchased my second c max. I have been disappoinmted in the mielage as it is lexx than my 2015. Also the battery charge is quite different as well. I have checked with my dealer who reports I am the only person commenting on this. Has anyone else reported these items.

I currently drive a 2014 Chevy Spark and am getting really irritated by ongoing driveability problems (hesitation, lurching at slow speed, RPM's revving high between 35 - 45 MPH with no change in performance) and a really weak a/c system. Problems on this car appear to relate to outdoor temperature, as driving in the fall/winter was much better. I drive a lot (avg. 2,000/month). Chevy dealerships service in my area are all pretty lousy, though I am trying another one this week to fix ongoing and new problem with possibly suspension. It only has 22,000 miles. So... considering taking the $$$ hit and going with a C-Max hybrid (not Engeri). I live in south Florida where much of the year is hot and humid. I've read that mileage suffers with the C-Max in cold weather. How does it fare in HOT weather (like 90 degrees plus)? How much does using the a/c affect MPG? Any other issues with the car in hot, humid weather? Trying to decide if it's the "right" vehicle for me? I drive a mix of city and suburban roads with some highway (about 3x month on I-75 at about 60 - 73 mph). Car is often kept outside in sun and heat. ALSO... anyone with the panoramic roof... how effective is the shade at keeping out heat during day? I love a convertible, like a sunroof, but think the pan. roof may be a good compromise in allowing views of starry nights and during cloudy, rainy days without getting wet or outrageous wind noise experienced in an open sunroof. Anyone in Florida or similar climate with this type of roof.... comments? Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Is your Ford C-MAX delivering the kind of fuel mileage that you expected?

My MPG's have gone up about 2MPG with the addition of NAPA oil pan heater. I plugin at home and at work and I'm averaging 51-52mpg with temps around low 30's. With speeds in the 40-55mph. I currently also have Grill Covers,GasPods and wheel covers on MADMAX. Those with block heaters really got it made by adding Oil Pan Heater, because you can maybe get to the magic 128*F WT and be able to go into EV mode quickly and save more gas. :) Paul

What might cause a sudden decrease in mpg? Was getting 48 and now 39. Does A/C have a major mileage effect? It now very warm in AZ. zharry

I LOVE MY NEW C-MAX! I have owned nothing but Toyotas for the past 30 years. I even bought Toyotas for my kids and for my mother. But my husband and I are now thrilled that I bought a FORD C-MAX in March 2013. I am a retired engineer and do exhaustive analysis before purchases - my husband is also a engineer and scrutinizing as well. When I needed a new car, I wanted to be environmentally responsible as well as a better supporter of American manufacturing. I started some research in November before the C-MAX really was on the market. I looked at hybrids of all kinds. My highest priorities were mpg - had to be greater than 35 and had to have enough horsepower to get up my 14-degree grade on the mountain road where I live here in Portland, Oregon. I finally test drove a PRIUS V and found the driver area so confining that I kept bumping my elbow and that there was not enough horsepower for me to get up my hill each day, especially in winter. Then I test drove the C-MAX and it was no contest! As far as electronics, both cars have lots of wonderful features - I can post later about the specific ones that make the C-MAX such a wonderful experience to drive (and such a wonderfully comfortable experience for the passenger - tall men who get it my car are thrilled by the headroom). I have driven the car for about 2500 miles and I even have enough confidence in its power that I had U-HAUL install a class-2 hitch for my small trailer - the C-MAX hauls this without the slightest hesitation. The only thing that I have to adapt to is the fact that the C-MAX turning radius is not as good as my Toyotas. My last car was a Toyota Sienna, a hefty minivan. Its funny, when I go to Costco and load up, my C-MAX seems to hold a huge load - I don't miss my Sienna size at al! And lots of people stop me to admire my car - I have an Ice Storm exterior with black leather interior - model SEL. Most people say that they didn't know that this car existed. Anyway, just thought that I'd share my complete satisfaction with others who can appreciate. I keep mentionig Toyota in this post on because it was the closest competition - but as I've stated, I am happy with my choice of the FORD C-MAX and each time I drive this car is a real pleasure. I am attaching a picture of my car for the aesthetics and also a picture of the hitch because there has been lots of discussion about that - it does work! Hope this helps someone.

Here is an explanation of what it took to get 875.3 actual miles as verified by Garmin GPS. Smart Gauge is off by 1.4% which comes out to about a .5mpg improvement. From what I have heard from other C-Max owners, this appears to be a common problem. BTW I didn't run out of gas and might have made 900mi with the remaining gas in the tank! First: Fortunately a business trip to Deltona, FL gave me the golden opportunity to plan the ultimate fuel economy test trip!Second: My goal was 900 mi. on a tank.Third: I calculated 45mph as the average speed needed to accomplish 900 mi.Fourth: Realistically, you can't drive on Interstates because it's not safe to travel between 40-45mph. In planning my route I used MapQuest and GoogleMaps trip planning to avoid Interstate highways. By using State highways I was able to save 40 mi. each way and typically the speed limit is 55mph. With less traffic I was able to drive 40-55mph.Fifth: P&G (Pulse & Glide) is the strategy for max mpg, no ECO Cruise. You need to watch your Miles To Empty (MTE) to make sure you are going to make it. I started with Pulse to55-60mph and Glide to 45mph. Halfway through the trip I could see it was going to be close so I slowed down to 40mph and easily made it. Here is a list of MODs and explanation: Grill Covers minimize heat loss from ICE and improve aerodynamics to improve MPGs. Top off with Non Ethanol gas improves MPGs 1+ but is not cost effective for regular use, $4/gal vs $3.19/gal. GasPods improve aerodynamics, not sure how much yet. 45psi in tires. Covered Fog Lamps with clear carpet tape. ScanGauge keeps track of Coolant Temps, Instant MPG, Air Intake Temps and RPMs. Garmin GPS keeps track of actual miles traveled, average speed and route. It is advantageous to compare the routes between two GPSs; many times they do not use the same route! I also recommend MapQuest or GoogleMaps to plan the trip, print out directions and compare to GPS routing. Drafting is problematic on back roads because it is hard to find a suitable drafting partner. Truckers tend to drive 65mph in 55mph speed zones and that is just too fast and stressful to achieve optimum MPGs. Weather is important for good MPGs and I was lucky with winds light and variable and 63-84 degree temps so didn't use the AC. I had an EV of 66% and high 90%s for brake scores. Here is my Lifetime Score as of October 2, 2013 and it keeps going up!

I'm wondering - would a block heater improve my mileage enough to warrant using the home electric to run it? It was cold today, and I noticed that it affected my mileage quite a bit. I kept the heater off for the shorter trips, but the ICE still kicked in on startup - I presume to get things under the hood heated up. I'd also love a plug-in option to get the cabin heated before getting in, like on the Energi. As it is, I'm thinking about running a small plug-in space heater in the hatch which I could connect an hour before I leave, and adding a block heater. Canada can get cold. But then again, would the hit to my electric bill be any more efficient? I'm thinking possibly not...

Greetings! I have had my C Max for 16 days and I am thrilled by the car. Today I registered on fuelly and posted my first mileage. I let the pump shut off automatically and did not try to top up. I expected 44.6 based on the car's computer so maybe i did not fill the tank to the top. Even if you subtract a few MPG, it is still impressive at 46.8mpg

I have a new C-Max and am in love with this car. Have been very disciplined and have been getting the promised MPG numbers or even higher. My one concern is with the low MPG scores I get after idling (yesterday, sat for 20 minutes with sleeping baby with AC running MPG score was 25). Idling means no load on engine and should have a higher score just like when coasting when MPG gauge goes up to 60+. Also, drove across a parking lot the other day in EV mode only and MPG score was 19. (No gas used at all) Now, when I drive longer distances, 20 miles mixing city/highway, I have gotten scores between 45 and 55 mpg on these trips so I couldn't be happier. I am just worried that the low scores are hurting my Lifetime Summary when they should be higher and helping. Anyone have any experience with this and have an explanation as to why the on-board computer would tell you you got 19 mpg's but used 0.0 gallons? Same deal with the no load idling? Thanks in advance!

Just got a new C-MAX... Had a 2006 Prius and drove it into the ground (155K+) - never a problem until the end, at which point had one issue, and a Toyota dealer I couldn't trust. Had a real-life average of about 49.5 MPG over the life of the car. Love the cars, hate the dealers... anyway, now a Ford guy again :-) On the Prius it was a good technique to "feather" the throttle in certain conditions. You could just barely press the gas and it would let you "coast" freely, no drag for braking, no acceleration by either the gas or electric. Handy down a hill in traffic, or whatever. Did it often. Is there such a trick in the C-MAX? I seem to always either be charging the battery (braking) down a hill, or using the battery or gas (accelerating) - can't you coast this thing? :-) Thanks for any advice.

Check the prevailing winds before you go out on a drive. Last night I had about an hour drive to a meeting. I was looking at the wind to figure out what it would do for my mileage. I don't like being surprised by results so this helps me to temper my expectations. Now if only I could figure out a way to always drive with the wind at my back... ;)

Well I started out my last tank when the temp was 78F. I was getting stellar mileage The above was from a round trip just after filling up but it was not to last :sad: The last couple of days winter decided to return Argh. Temps dropped to mid 40's and so did my MPG. Last I looked it was down to 45.8 MPG for the tank. I really am looking forward to getting some warm weather and sunny days! I am not sure how I will cope with winter mileage next year... First gotta get into the Summer. Thanks for listening to my whining! Now if Ford would just come out with 3.5.1, whoops that's a rant for another thread ;) !

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 was surprised to see that the dashboard numbers aren't always right. I took a trip to my brothers house. The actual mileage is 255 and when I gassed up, it took 5.5 gallons packed and I started out packed. Now if you do the math that's 46.3 mpg. The dashboard said 42.3. So do the math!!!

Today driving in to work I worked really hard to keep my battery SOC high. There are some really long level stretches of road near the end that is perfect for EV mode. I have found that keeping the battery charging is sometimes very difficult. It is a fine line between charging the battery and discharging it when the electrical motor assists the ICE. Has anyone figured out an easy way to stay in charging status? I suspect it will be a continual balancing of pedal and acceleration/deceleration. I did manage to get the battery to full (one of the first times I have seen that) and was in EV just over 3 miles near the end of my ride. Thanks for any feedback.

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!

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

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

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.

Ford C-MAX Energi Delivers Industry’s Top Electric-Only Speed Among Plug-In Hybrids at the Touch of a Button All-new Ford C-MAX Energi delivers the top electric-only speed of any plug-in hybrid – 85 mph – more than 20 mph higher than Toyota Prius plug-in; unique EV mode button allows customers to deliver electric power on-demand C-MAX Energi – Ford’s first plug-in hybrid – also tops Prius plug-in in overall range (550 miles versus 540 miles), more than triple the electric-only range (20-plus miles versus six miles) 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 Energi Forum – At the touch of a button, Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid drivers can enjoy the industry’s top electric-only speed among all plug-in hybrid vehicles – 85 mph. Topping the Toyota Prius plug-in’s top EV-only speed by more than 20 mph, the all-new, five-passenger Ford C-MAX Energi can easily keep pace with the flow of traffic, even when the EV mode button is engaged and the gasoline engine is off. “We understand customers place a high value on the zero-emission electrified driving experience,” said Ford Vice President of Powertrain Engineering Joe Bakaj. “This inspired our engineering team to equip the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid with a button that enables drivers to choose an electric-only driving mode.” With a fully charged battery, C-MAX Energi is rated at 195 horsepower, versus 188 horsepower for Toyota Prius. C-MAX Energi’s EV mode range is 20-plus miles – more than triple Toyota’s plug-in and well within the one-way commute range of many American motorists. C-MAX Energi – Ford’s first plug-in hybrid – also tops Prius plug-in in overall range (550 miles versus 540 miles). Three EV modes The EV mode button – conveniently mounted in the center stack – allows a driver to switch vehicle operation between three modes. Drivers can opt for electric-only driving without gasoline engine power, normal hybrid mode where the powertrain melds electric and gasoline engine power as appropriate, or a battery-saving mode that reserves the pack power for later use. For an image of the EV mode button, click here. When plug-in power is available, drivers can change modes with each press of the EV mode button. The mode currently selected is displayed in the driver’s left instrument cluster screen. EV: Auto “In EV: Auto mode, the vehicle automatically takes advantage of plug-in charge,” said Kevin Layden, Ford director of Electrification Programs and Engineering. “When the charge is depleted, C-MAX Energi operates as a full hybrid.” The powertrain computer automatically selects the appropriate blend of battery usage and engine usage based on demand and the state of battery charge. EV: Now In EV: Now mode, the vehicle operates in EV mode using plug-in power. The gasoline engine will not operate unless an override setting is selected or certain conditions are present such as the accelerator pedal being fully depressed and the driver enabling the gas engine. EV: Now also activates a special Manage EV screen to monitor functionality. To achieve the EV range estimate shown on the corresponding gauge, drivers are given coaching cues to maximize EV mode. Additionally, use of climate power and energy gauges will further help drivers manage vehicle energy use. EV: Later The EV: Later setting saves plug-in power for later use, like transitioning from highway to lower-speed residential neighborhood use. C-MAX Energi operates in normal hybrid mode, using both gas engine and electric motor. Plug-in power is reserved until the driver switches to the EV: Now or EV: Auto setting. “C-MAX Energi uses technology in new ways to provide customers smart choices in maximizing their energy usage based on where and how they drive their vehicles,” Bakaj said. 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 Earns 47 City, 47 Highway, 47 Combined – an EPA Rating Hat Trick; Beats Toyota Prius v by up to 7 MPG All-new 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid delivers EPA-certified 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway ratings – 7 mpg better than Toyota Prius v on the highway – for a 47 mpg combined rating Ford’s first hybrid to achieve equal city and highway ratings, the versatile C-MAX Hybrid also is expected to offer 15 class-exclusive features such as the available hands-free liftgate C-MAX Hybrid launches 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 Hybrid Forum – Ford Motor Company once again raises the hybrid fuel-economy bar with the all-new Ford C-MAX Hybrid, which is now officially EPA-certified at 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined – beating Toyota Prius v by up to 7 mpg. The certification is significant because it makes C-MAX Hybrid the first hybrid vehicle to offer 47 mpg across the board. Also, hybrids traditionally have been more economical in city driving than on the highway, unlike conventional vehicles. C-MAX Hybrid, however, returns the same fuel economy whether driving cross-country or across the city – stemming mostly from a growing list of Ford innovations that have helped the vehicle to deliver an impressive list of metrics, such as a top speed of up to 62 mph in EV mode. “The all-new C-MAX Hybrid is a great symbol of how Ford has transformed into a fuel-economy and technology leader with 47 mpg across the board and a highway rating 7 mpg better than Toyota Prius v,” said Ford Vice President of Powertrain Engineering Joe Bakaj. “We’ve done this with innovation – represented by nearly 500 hybrid patents – while driving costs down 30 percent so we can bring these fuel-saving vehicles to more customers.” Among the Ford innovations helping C-MAX Hybrid drivers enjoy maximum fuel economy are the patented SmartGauge® with EcoGuide that coaches for top fuel efficiency by providing growing green leaves in the gauge cluster as a reward for economical driving; and ECO Cruise, a feature that helps optimize powertrain elements for convenient yet economical highway travel. City equals highway Hybrid vehicle drivers traditionally saw superior fuel-economy figures in city driving, so loyalists maximized their fuel economy through regenerative braking in stop-and-go traffic. But now, higher-speed innovations have caught up on efficiency. “City, highway and everywhere in between, C-MAX Hybrid is EPA-certified at 47 mpg,” Bakaj said. “It’s a win-win-win.” 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 currently available for order at select dealerships. More information about C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi can be found here. Press releases, videos, photos and other material related to Ford’s electrified vehicles can be found here. Ford C-Max Energi Forum Ford C-Max Hybrid Forum