Improve the CMax? Your thoughts...

[HotPotato]

Phil, I think a bunch of people, including myself, have written the same post.  I wanted a loaded equivalent of the 303A but without leather.  They need to come up with some regional packages (like factory tint, no leather, etc.) for places where it gets hot, or whatever would be a big seller in that area.

 

With SEL owners wishing they could have cloth and SE owners wishing they could have leather, maybe some of us could do a seat swap?...

Edited December 15, 2013 by HotPotato

[ScubaDadMiami]

With SEL owners wishing they could have cloth and SE owners wishing they could have leather, maybe some of us could do a seat swap?...

No seat heaters, no electric seat.  There's more to it than just the material.

[chrisl]

No seat heaters, no electric seat.  There's more to it than just the material.

 

You can get the seat heaters in the cloth seats with the Winter Package.  I'd have offered to trade mine a few weeks ago, but I've started to like the heaters. And there's no electric actuators for moving them around.

[Bill-N]

C-Max needs a dome light over the cargo area (see "Interior" sub-forum).

Edited January 3, 2014 by Bill-N

[ScubaDadMiami]

Today, as I was driving around in the bad weather of late, I was wondering why the programing of the rear wipe only allows autowiper function when in reverse .  (That is correct, isn't it?)  Especially with this liftgate that loves to suck in anything in the trailing end of the car, this needs a change.

[Spitinuri]

I love my C-Max but a few things would make it a little better.

 

1). The center console could be redesigned. It needs to be longer and have more utility to it. Maybe a shelf inside for coins.... Etc. How about opening from either the left or right side?

 

2). Make remote start a standard feature.

 

3). Heated steering wheel.

 

4). Flatten the trunk hatch area without sacrificing battery

 

5). I get leaves under the hood in the fall. They tend to hide in the hinge area.

 

6) wiper fluid freezes too easily in lines while remainder in well is unfrozen

 

7). Make trunk area 2 inches wider near the seats.

[DaveofDurham]

I love my C-Max but a few things would make it a little better.

 

1). The center console could be redesigned. It needs to be longer and have more utility to it. Maybe a shelf inside for coins.... Etc. How about opening from either the left or right side?

 

2). Make remote start a standard feature.

 

3). Heated steering wheel.

 

4). Flatten the trunk hatch area without sacrificing battery

 

5). I get leaves under the hood in the fall. They tend to hide in the hinge area.

 

6) wiper fluid freezes too easily in lines while remainder in well is unfrozen

 

7). Make trunk area 2 inches wider near the seats.

 

Spitinuri -

 

Thanks for moving/reposting your excellent suggestions to this thread.

 

I have posted on #5 in this thread and in another thread titled tree debris

- and there are other related threads such as Windshield Snow Shield for Leaf/Pine Needle Protection  and

Cottonwood seeds, leaves and small insects

 

This is an even bigger problem in the Spring when small stuff (e.g., seed pods) are falling from trees.  The debris that acumulates in the hinge pocket can cover up the small drain slot and result in a pool of rain water in the hinge pocket area - and it's a pain in the neck to clean this stuff out because it is such a tight space.

[Spitinuri]

I just thought of another improvement.

 

How about a tighter turning radius? 

[Bill-N]

I have another suggestion; there should be closing-handles on both sides of the liftgate.

[MacGyver]

A way to manually open the hatch in case of battery failure

 

It should tell you when the A/C is on if the temp outside is LOWER than what you set the A/C at.

 

Don't count time parked with car switched fully on for power or heat/A/C against lifetime mpg, or have dual readouts to show both...

 

For pete's sake, put an instant digital readout including tenths in the dash!

 

make the speed limit notification 4x as big as it is now.

 

make the steering wheel 4 arrow+OK buttons work with the center touchscreen

 

I got a million of em

[Alex Sams]

Interior lights over the doors like in the front seat with the panoramic roof.

 

When I first got in the car, I thought this was the most intelligent thing I'd seen in a car in a long time. Why have we always put lights in the center? Your body creates a shadow when you're looking for something. With lights over by the sides (provided both are on), the shadows are nearly non-existent. This interior lighting arrangement should be installed in all the cars not just the panoramic roof vehicles. It would be nice to have it over the rear seat also. 

[Bill-N]

I'd like the 3-blink momentary lane change function to be owner configurable, i.e. make it blink 4 times; or 5 or whatever number of times I prefer.  Apparently three blinks is some sort of default, but I would think that more than three would be acceptable.

[Bill-N]

Another thing:  I'd like to be able to unlock the rear hatch from the inside, while the car is running, without having to put it into Park.  Simplifies picking up folks at airports.

[DaveofDurham]

Another thing:  I'd like to be able to unlock the rear hatch from the inside, while the car is running, without having to put it into Park.  Simplifies picking up folks at airports.

Whether or not it was required for opening the hatch, I would put the car in park if someone were loading or unloading luggage or getting in or out of the vehicle.

[rjam]

Get rid of the creaking noise from the drivers door!!

[Adrian_L]

Get rid of the creaking noise from the drivers door!!

 

Lithium grease, mon ami. 

[bro1999]

A way to disable the kick sensor for the hatch.

[shinytop]

Tighten the turning circle!

[RobMax]

Tighten the turning circle!

 

This all day long. I thought my 97 Saturn SL1 was bad till I did a u-turn in Max. I love the tight, responsive steering and feel, but the turning radius is pretty bad for any new car.

[vmmvmmm]

My Chevy Suburban has a smaller turning circle than my C-Max.  (I'm not sure if that's actually the case, but I could swear it is)

[kaptnk228]

We are new C-Max SEL owners (used 2013 20k miles), less than one week.  So far a small trip last night with some hwy and city 49.5 MPG and small trip this am 47 mpg.

 

1. Improve passenger seat to raise or lower (wife is 5'?).  Lumbar controls and electric controls for both front seats would be good idea as we have this in our 1999 Jimmy Envoy.

 

2. Like the power massage in the new Lincoln (Detroit show 2014).  Still awaiting for new software upgrade and repairs to gps, rear pass door handle does not work and can't get high beam to stay on.

 

Do like all of the screens but having problem deleting mykey (push the okay button but nothing happens.)  I am sure LED's will be in new cars.  It sure is quiet and I normally can't easily tell if the engine is on.

 

3. Include a CAR JACK AND WRENCH TO TIGHTEN LUG NUTS.  If the lug nuts come loose, then your fingers are not good enough to tighten them until you get home.  I will store my bar wrench and socket for now.  I will need to get a scissor 1 1/2 ton jack from Wally Mart.

 

Will add more recommendations when we think about them.

Edited October 18, 2014 by kaptnk228

[PJFW8]

all wheel drive option!

[Smiling Jack]

A (perhaps momentary) switch to temporarily connect the HV battery pack to the 12-v system via the DC-DC converter, so that the whole system can start up (and the HV battery can begin to charge the 12-v battery).

 

Not being able to start the car because the 12-v battery does not have enough vlotage to close a stupid relay, while all the time we're sitting there with enough electric power to light up a foootball field, is just dumb.

[Adrian_L]

A (perhaps momentary) switch to temporarily connect the HV battery pack to the 12-v system via the DC-DC converter, so that the whole system can start up (and the HV battery can begin to charge the 12-v battery).

 

Not being able to start the car because the 12-v battery does not have enough vlotage to close a stupid relay, while all the time we're sitting there with enough electric power to light up a foootball field, is just dumb.

 

Fantastic idea.  I think it was suggested before and one of the electronic-savvy members shot it down for some reason. 

[kaptnk228]

So far our C-Max has been living longer at the dealer than in our driveway.  We are now members of the C-Max Dead battery club. - Battery and Charger system failed with no warning displayed.

 

MUST ADD TO INSTRUMENT PANEL ON LEFT SIDE:

 

12. V system voltage GAUGE display.  I have to buy a volt meter so that I can monitor this critical detail when the battery charger system fails.  I am getting a $3 meter from Amazon to plug into the 12 V socket.  

 

Coolant Temperature gauge is REQUIRED.  No problems yet but if we drive in Las Vegas I would like to see how the system is working.

 

Currently the C-Max battery alarm only works when the battery voltage fall to 12 V or the battery is about to die in 10 seconds.