Jump to content

Just Joined and a bit Uneasy


daytonarich
 Share

Recommended Posts

My 2013 CMAX Energi is on order and the dealer is saying I should get it in a couple of weeks.  I am a bit concerned with the very negative MPG reported in the Feb Consumer Reports magazine.  They are calling the 35 city/38 hwy/37 overall the "largest discrepancy we've seen between our overall-MPG results and those published by the EPA..."  (Ford is claiming 47/47/47.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome aboard.  As the reports on mpg are concerned they are all over the place.  There are members here that side with the reports you saw and then there are others that have documented mpg higher than the 47/47/47 Fords advertises.  Our C MAX Hybrid is due to arrive the 2nd of Feb and I have decided to wait and learn how to drive it then make up my own mind.  Not all that concerned myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The average on the site seems to be between 34 to 40. I try to keep it at 65mph on the freeway and the speed limit to speed limit +5mph in the city and average about 40mpg. In some trips I exceed 47 while others I'm below. Cold weather will definitely lower numbers but that's something that happens to all hybrids not just the CMax.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You read incorrectly.   Consumer Reports has not tested the Energi.  Also, the Energi is not rated at 47/47/47.

 

CR did their best to sensationalize the C-Max mpgs when in fact the largest discrepancy in mpgs that CR ever tested was for the Prius.   CR had to change their tune after being confronted and has since admitted that mileage for hybrids in general varies greatly based on drivers, temperature, speed, etc.

 

Here are examples of non Energi C-Max mpg performance

 

sml_gallery_92_24_45486.jpg

 

FE_Detail_Collage_1.jpg

Edited by Maximus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome! Hope you car arrives on its due date :).

 

I have a cmax on order. Waiting on the window sticker. I originally looked at the car due to the mpg. Awwesooome! After driving it I fell in love with the room, style, handling, safety features, gadgets etc. For me, the mpg are higher than my current vehicle and I am ready to downsize. Not meeting the advertised mpg is not enough to sway me away. Too many other pluses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 (Ford is claiming 47/47/47.)

For the Energi, the EPA gave it a rating of 44/41/43 after you empty the battery and go into regular hybrid mode. And as best I can tell, mine is getting pretty close to that. The problem (and it's a good problem to have) is that I always start a long drive with ~20 miles of electric range, so my 41mpg drive might look like 48mpg. My last tank of fuel gave me 66mpg, and higher numbers aren't far away. It's all a question of your driving pattern, but most people who order the Energi know what their pattern is and how well the Energi will fit it.

 

Yea, the Hybrid isn't meeting expectations, and CR made a big todo about it. But my opinion is that it's mostly a flaw in the EPA tests, somewhat a flaw in Ford optimizing for those tests, and partly a problem with consumers not understanding what 'your mileage may vary' means. Honestly, if the Hybrid gets ~40 instead of 47, it's still in the 'Excellent' category, just not in the 'Spectacular' category.

 

If you really want phenominal mpg at any cost, I strongly recommend an electric motorcycle/scooter, I'm getting ~300mpg on mine.Yea, 300. Really. But there's a price to be paid for that type of efficiency, and that price is mostly in safety and comfort, especially when it's raining in the winter. And then there's issues of range and cargo, etc. The C-Max is a compromise, but it's a good balance of comfort and efficiency and I'm happy I have it now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 2013 CMAX Energi is on order and the dealer is saying I should get it in a couple of weeks.  I am a bit concerned with the very negative MPG reported in the Feb Consumer Reports magazine.  They are calling the 35 city/38 hwy/37 overall the "largest discrepancy we've seen between our overall-MPG results and those published by the EPA..."  (Ford is claiming 47/47/47.)

I'm regularly getting in the 50'sMPG now so you can get 47MPG especially in the summer. I did 71mi round trip so no tall wind or elevation advantage and got 52MPG and outside temp 50deg.F. It all comes down to how you drive the car and outside temp. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just picked mine up and have only driven it a few times so far. My mileage stands at around 42. I learned right away that it really depends on how I drive it. I can spend significant periods in EV mode at 45-60 MPH just by glancing at the Empower display now and then. One trip to the airport including a long stretch of 65 MPH highway and I got about 37 MPG. On the next trip I made a point to stay at 60 MPH and notived the car in EV mode a lot. On that leg I got 44.

 

It's important to note, too, that Consumer Reports is by no means an accurate source. They've frequently recorded significant mileage discrepancies in other hybrids, particularly Toyota products. But they have never seen fit to go public and issue a press release about a specific car or brand before. Their "city" test revealed a 19 MPG deficit when they tested the Toyota Prius C, but they never said boo about that. It doesn't pass the smell test.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 2013 CMAX Energi is on order and the dealer is saying I should get it in a couple of weeks.  I am a bit concerned with the very negative MPG reported in the Feb Consumer Reports magazine.  They are calling the 35 city/38 hwy/37 overall the "largest discrepancy we've seen between our overall-MPG results and those published by the EPA..."  (Ford is claiming 47/47/47.)

 

Since you have an Energi, also try:

 

http://www.fordcmaxenergiforum.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey welcome to the forum - yeah, don't sweat it...the Energi will be a killer of a car, you'l appreciate it and beat all of us regular CMax drivers in MPG for sure. 

 

As you have not got the car out yet, take some time to go thru some of the threads here especially the Fuel Mileage sections and you'll pick up why the CR reports, imo, are biased (as some posters have already pointed out earlier).

 

Relax, and enjoy reading about your new car and wait till you drive her  :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...