Fresh out of College new guy wanting to buy C-MAX!

[dkashlee]

Hi Everyone!

 

About to go test drive next month!

 

 

I'm over here in Socal, where the weather is quite stable not too hot or cold. I want the C-Max because its versatile, I save gas, has enough power for commuting, roomy, I am a wagon lover, and I have an active lifestyle (snowboarding, biking, hiking etc.). 

 

My current car is a Nissan Cube, I'm giving that to my mother as she loves it and doesn't want a new car. Now that I just graduated from College, securing a job I'm going for the C-MAX

 

Not too worried about it not meeting the 47MPG as long as it gets at least mid 30s to 45mpg ill be happy 

 

 

 

 

 

I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT AN AMERICAN CAR BEFORE, so this is a BIG STEP FOR ME and my family might freak out that I'm buying a FORD because they believe in the Found On Road Dead stigma!

 

Purchase Criteria

 

C-MAX Base with the options: 

 

-White Color (not sure if i should pay the $$ for that White tri-coat?)

 

-Panoramic Moon Roof (really want this , still need to research worried about it leaking in the rain)

 

-interior light kit

 

 

 

 

What I am not sure about

 

-MY TOUCH Audio System looks very Skeptical to me, so I might stay with the base audio or if I can get the Sony navi system on the Base model that would be great

 

 

 

 

 

Any suggestions? All comments and criticisms :happy feet:welcome  :rockon:

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RachelnLa]

Congrats on graduating! What kinda work will you be doing?

 

Sounds like you have done your research and the cmax works for you.

 

Read the board to learn lots of stuff and make great friends. Which cmax is totally up to you! Let us know what you decide on. I have the SEL fully loaded. It was my splurge to myself. Love it!

[wab]

Tell your family the C-Max isn't really a USA car although it is now assembled here, Europe has had them for years.

 

wab

[wamba2000]

Haven't seen many reports of the roof leaking, as it is fixed in place, not openable ( is that a word?)

For your location and activities, I think the C-Max will work out fine.  Fun to drive, handles well and quiet.

I am two months into ownership, have about 1200 miles so far and am still on my second fill-up!  Avg 40.0 mpg

[C-MaxSea]

It's a great car dk!  Do as much test driving as you can, and keep an open mind on options.  Good luck on your purchase!  Nick

[dkashlee]

Hi Everyone

 

Thank you for the support!

 

I am a hospitality management major but since job search is quite tough and I have temporary family obligation to stay in Socal, I'm taking a job with the government for Assessors Office. Not a bad gig but I'm still young so I will explore different routes and see where it takes me! Unless you guys have a wonderful opportunity in your neck of the woods I'll come over haha!

 

Anyways once I get my C-MAx I'll be sharing my experiences. 

 

Cheers

 

-Dk

[SnowStorm]

We debated the tri-coat for a LOOOONG time and decided to go for it due to the stark whiteness of oxford (dealer called it "truck white"). We also thought it would not ding as much. People here are careless with their car doors and runaway shopping carts (we're in a hilly community). Also, we got the roof! I am really excited about it since it will let in more light on a gloomy day, can see tops of tall buildings in a single pane (superman?), and it's great for mountain, Blue Ridge parkway driving, etc. Our baby will be born mid-April. Hope this helps.

[RachelnLa]

Wow! Congrats on both babies.

[hmatthews102]

I would normally never pay extra for paint, but I did get the white platinum on this car.  I purchased a vehicle that had already been ordered by the dealer and was close to being built.  I could have taken either a gray or a silver one that came into the dealer a couple of days before mine, and not paid the extra money for the paint, but I decided I really liked the look of the color, so I waited a little longer to get it.  I really like the color and think it was worth the extra cash over the plain white.  I once had an Impala wagon that was plain white.  My wife always called it the Kelvinator.  You will have no trouble getting the mileage you are looking for.  Enjoy the car.  We all do.

[roninsd]

Snowstorm, enjoy the anticipation!

[Jus-A-CMax]

The White Platinum is AWESOME if I say so myself  ;)

 

Congratz to the OP and the new car buyer Snowstorm...so how about if you guys take the lead and notch up some stats to the mountains  :drool:

[C-MAXER]

We purchased the first 09 Cube our local dealership had.  It was a loaded Red SL which is a tad darker than the Ruby Red of the max.   Overall, we both loved the little cube and its Cubic Hair (shag carpet on the dash) but the mpg; especially highway in windy conditions, was poor for its size due to the box design.  It got traded for a Prius when my wife got a new job requiring a long commute.   The cubicle had the best turning radius of any car we've owned whereas the 'max is wide for its size.  Other than initial costs, that's the only pro for the cube that I can think of.  The 'max has way more room, power, features, and mpg.  You'll love it.

[Riddley]

Suggestions for prospective C-Max owners:

1. Try driving both the Base and SEL models. Some people have reported that the seats feel different in the different trims.  Not sure there is much to it, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.
2. If you have a COSTCO membership, see if you can find a dealer that lists the CMAX at Costco Auto club pricing. This will save you a lot of money and hassle. You shouldn't have to pay MSRP. In my region, the C-MAX wasn't listed on the Costco sheet, yet two different dealers were willing to sell me a C-MAX for the Costco price.  
3. Regarding the Panoramic moon roof: there is almost no chance that it will leak. As has been mentioned, it is not openable - which would be the most likely source of a possible leak. And - manufactures have been putting moon roofs in vehicles for 20 years now, and by now problems are extremely rare. For example, I have a year 2001 Ford truck with a moon roof that is openable. And I have never had a leak in 12 years of use.   
4. Regarding possible delays: I was looking for a model with the panoramic roof in a specific color. I didn't find the vehicle on any dealer lot in my region. I asked the dealer to check for vehicles with my color and the roof in production. One was located that was just completed at the factory (and not yet sold). I bought that one. It saved me at least 6 weeks of waiting (over ordering a new one from scratch).  
5. Most dealers will try to sell you lots of extras at closing (like paint protectants - example: Xzillion, extended warrantees, etc. You do not need any of that. I added up the list of extras I was offered at closing and it would have added more than $3000 to the final cost. No thanks. Save your money.
6. Ask your dealer if they would be willing to give you a 24 hour test drive. I was surprised to see some C-MAX owners who mentioned that they did that. It was a good idea. I would have liked to have done that.

[Riddley]

Two more items for dkashlee:

• You live in SoCal?  Ask your dealer to include window tinting. THe C-MAX doesn't come with privacy glass, even as a factory option. A number of C-MAX owners from the southern regions have mentioned that dealers in the sunny regions often add tint to vehicles as a rule. If possible, make sure the tint offered is quality (like 3M or similar/better).  
• Fuel Economy: you live in a warmer climate, so I wouldn't worry too much about the MPG question. Discrepancies reported in fuel economy often have to do with the time it takes for vehicles to warm up - especially for the batteries to warm up. If your vehicle is already warm, and you are a prudent driver (not a lead foot), you should enjoy better fuel economy by default (compared to folks living in, say, Alaska or Minnesota).  

[Riddley]

 

Two more items for dkashlee:

• You live in SoCal?  Ask your dealer to include window tinting. THe C-MAX doesn't come with privacy glass, even as a factory option. A number of C-MAX owners from the southern regions have mentioned that dealers in the sunny regions often add tint to vehicles as a rule. If possible, make sure the tint offered is quality (like 3M or similar/better).  
• Fuel Economy: you live in a warmer climate, so I wouldn't worry too much about the MPG question. Discrepancies reported in fuel economy often have to do with the time it takes for vehicles to warm up - especially for the batteries to warm up. If your vehicle is already warm, and you are a prudent driver (not a lead foot), you should enjoy better fuel economy by default (compared to folks living in, say, Alaska or Minnesota).  

• I don't know why I forgot to mention this, but for dkashlee and any other college student or recent graduate, don't forget the Ford $500 college student bonus cash. Details here: http://www.ford.com/forddrivesu/

[mtb9153]

I wouldn't worry about the roof window leaking.  I've had mine since September and absolutely no problems.  Even with repeated car washings.  If the original factory seal is any good to begin with, it isn't going to leak.

[SnowStorm]

I agree with Riddley to check both SE and SEL for seats.  We did, and I thought there was a bit of difference in overall feel.  I preferred the feel of the SEL and they have more adjustments including lumbar and that's always nice.  In the end though, we went with the base SE as we didn't want to pay for SEL which included stuff we didn't care about.  The back-up plan is to have the seats recovered in leather (about $1000 locally) if there is any issue, and have the shape adjusted then.  I have a back that complains if the seat shape isn't right.  I doubt there is going to be a problem though.

 

Also, my wife and I both preferred the center dash layout on the SE.  That little "shelf" was perfect for our GPS.  A lot of this stuff just comes down to personal prefference but its hard to sort it all out on short test drives.