With what you know, would you buy your C Max today (again)

[catsailor]

I thought this maybe an interesting poll. I really bought my C Max due to the ergonomics of how I sat in the car, I drive alot for a living as a salesman and I did NOT want a compact car where I sit so low to the ground, ie: a Civic, Focus or Prius. When the C Max came around and I got to sit in it I was sold.

 

I get good gas mileage but not what I thought I'd get and that is on Ford BUT I have reconciled that +40-44 mpg is not that shabby. I have not wanted to drive this car over the 62 mph threshold on the hwy since I know driving at +65 will only shorten my time to destination by 10 minutes or so per hour driving.

 

FYI my lifetime now comes close to +8000 miles and 41.2 mpg to date lifetime.  I register on fuelly as Road Warrior where my tanks are always topped off. Great car and wish the debate would not be focused on 47/47/47 but Ford made that claim and not a very good car is mired in this debate.

Edited March 24, 2013 by catsailor

[RachelnLa]

Yes I would buy it again and again and again.

 

Like you, I love the seating. I am short. I like to ride up high. My legs are short and most seats are too long. My legs bend right at the edge of the seat. Nice. I like the firm seats too.

 

The steering/handling is Wonderful. Hubby commented my Tahoe bounced all over the road. I never realized it until I bought the cmax.

 

Size. I wanted to downsize but didn't want a small car. I did want better gas mileage. My Tahoe got 17 in town and 22 on the hwy. anything better than that was a winner for me. But I really hated giving up my roominess feeling. Don't have to with the cmax. My SIL rode in the back seat and kept commenting how much leg room she had. It's just me so I don't need a huge vehicle. I can zip around town but I still feel like I am in my big Tahoe.

 

Gas. Even if I never saw 47 mpg, (I have seen 48!) getting in the upper 30s and low 40s for such a powerful car with all these gadgets and room and heck, it's just so fun to drive, I would have purchased it.

 

Looks. It looks small when you walk up to it. When you slide in its really big. Getting in and out was another deal breaker for me. I just turn and slide out. No climbing or falling in or out.

 

 

Options. I feel like I am in a luxury car. I got mine loaded. A splurge for me. I am so happy I did. My husband teases me and says I am a tad obsessed with my car. I agree. But I do love my car. Dad and I talk often about our cars. We end each convo with "I just love my lil car."

 

We test drove lots of cars and the cmax won!

[asb]

I've recently been looking inside a few other cars such as the new Fiat and the Honda Fit.  I can't imagine sitting in one of those and being comfortable.  Talk about a tight fit!  I have gotten 50 mpg in my Cmax, but I find that my normal range is 43 - 48.  I just started entering info into Fuelly.

 

For a zippy car with lots of power and comfort, and rather decent gas mileage considering the size, I love this car and would buy another one.  My only regret is that I couldn't get all the features I wanted due to not wanting leather seats.  I gave up a lot because of that.

[CassidyB]

I would buy the car again...MINUS the MFT/SYNC.. Resetting my clock almost weekly is getting old.. Sometimes music will automatically start streaming from my iPhone.. When I disconnect from a call, my radio turns on. I never use the radio. Plus the radar portion of the Sirius Travel Link for weather is incomplete.. A perfect square area to include where I live never shows precipitation. According to Sirius, it's an issue with my car not them.. Fords answer..."Wait for a software update".

 

I love the seating position... Hands free liftgate is awesome..

 

I can hit upper 40s..low 50s MPG when I want to... Rumor has it, the car is fun to drive at 85-90MPH.. I'm not advocating breaking the speed limit..

 

Soo..yes I would buy it again...

[zhackwyatt]

Absolutely yes. I love the car.

 

Again with the mileage, for the umpteenth time, it's the EPA test, not Ford making the numbers.

[boilermax]

Yes, we would. My wife was looking for a replacement for her 8 year old PT Cruiser. The C-Max is not quite as versatile, but it is reasonable.

 

Being an engineer, I knew better than to believe the 47-47-47 mpg rating. The Prius V is lighter and has less horsepower yet is rated at lower mpg. Basic physics say the C-Max has to be lower than the Prius. That being said, we told each other we'd be happy with 40+ mpg. To date we're averaging about 42 mpg for the first 2000 miles. And those are winter miles.

 

As others have said, we like the seating position, as well as the great headroom. The rear seat isn't as comfortable, but there are only two of us most times.

 

We bought a bare bones SE model with NO options. Reviews we'd read told us to steer clear of the MFT, so we did. My wife HATES leather seats, so that ruled out the SEL model.

[Tom]

As a person of few words: YES

[Adair]

Emphatically YES! I would buy my C-MAX again!  :wub2: 

 

At the risk of jinxing myself, I've only had 1 tiny problem, that turned out to be part of the learning curve (earbud, Droid, SYNC issue). :headscratch: 

 

I love the ride, the quiet, the technology, the gas mileage (which is increasing weekly).

 

I love all the new stuff I'm learning while learning about my car.

[Laurel]

I love my SEL, but would I buy it again?  My answer is going to be no.  I base this on a great unease about why they are not selling many or promoting them in Canada.  It makes me feel very edgy knowing that my C-Max is the only one ever sold by my dealership.  I am due for Tip's first servicing in May and I feel nervous about that thinking if my C-Max is the only one sold "what the heck will they have in the way of experience in dealing with any issues that come up?".  Something seems amiss to me over this lack of promoting them.  I fully expected to see some C-Max's on the road--have yet to see one.  It is the best car I've ever had, but if I had it to do over I would wait and see what the heck is going on with this issue of them not being sold or promoted here.  Did I buy an Edsel?  Makes me wonder.  There is a big International Auto Show coming up next week and other companies are promoting and advertising, but nothing on the C-Max.

 

At first I thought maybe Canada isn't going to be a big market due to much of the country having low winter temperatures, but I live on the West Coast with moderate climate and the Prius is a big seller.  I hope someone from Ford Canada reads this and has some answers.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Laurel

[rtshinn]

I would say definitely - NO.

 

The car's Navigation system is a total bust, and a major failure. The software otherwise is buggy and slow.

 

As for the car itself, I like the ride, etc. I would have given that a yes, except that the mpg at expressway speeds is a major disappointment compared to my Camry Hybrid which could get 40mpg at 80mph. My X-way trips in the Energi are getting little over 30 mpg. I do think that will improve as the weather warms up (I hope).

 

Having said all that, I may consider trading up to the Fusion Energi but I learned a hard lesson as an early adopter and will wait to see what other user's experience is for that car.

 

Sad to say, this has not been a happy experience for me switching back to buying a new car from an American car company.

[C-MaxSea]

Definitely, absol....ly, emphat...ly Yes!  Forget about the EPA ratings already.  It is a very good car with great gas mileage!  Ease of entry, ride, features................ - fab.  We are still just getting acquanted with ours, but love the smooth, seemingly effortless and quiet mobility.  Prius, no thank you!!! Yes there are a dozen tweaks Ford can make to improve it, but for now it has no competition - and it can only get better (solar panel sunroof, better battery, collapsing side mirrors.......................).  Nick

 

Hang in there Laurel.  My wife & I will be up there in a couple weeks and will drive by.  Sure sympathize with your situation there, makes no sense.  Seattle is being flooded with them at the dealers, and now on the streets.  That is an overstatement, of course, but I understand your concren of being the 'only one' the mechanics touch - but then again, maybe that will mean gold carpet treatment. (We were considering an import of a Mercedes B200 from Vanc. when we discovered the C-Max - so glad we did not get the B200, the first eurobox to make it across the pond)

Edited March 25, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[JulieB]

Yes. We didn't expect 47MPG out in the real world. Our previous car got 18MPG, so this is a big improvement.

 

I also love the handling (except for that danged turning radius) and the roomy interior. One reason we call it TARDIS is that it does seem bigger on the inside. And that - or some varation on it - is often the first comment people make when they get into the car. They can't believe something that size has so much room inside. 

 

Of course, I'm preaching to the choir, so I'll shut up. ;-)

[jmckinley]

I don't think so.  I'm not happy with my mileage (Consistently 35mpg, every tank for 5000 miles) even though I am driving painfully conservatively.  For the extra weight and the extra money, this car is not worth it.  

 

And that's not even getting into the worthless NAV system and the mysterious battery problems.

 

Should have bought a CRV.

[RachelnLa]

I wonder what has changed? My nav is spot on.

[Adair]

I wonder what has changed? My nav is spot on.

I think because yours was built in this calendar year it came with the update already installed. You *probably* have 3.5.1 and the rest of us, who got ours in the fall, have 3.1.1.

 

For whatever reason, I'm glad yours works well. You waited too long for your car to have problems with it :>)

 

I seldom have reason to use the navigation, but after hearing of so many who have problems, I'm starting to use it on places I know....just to check. So far it's been fine.

 

I just called my dealership about the upgrade. He's gonna check and call me back. I'll report what I find out.

[darrelld]

I would definately buy again, primarily my wifes car and she loves it. We took my Passat for a drive to dinner over the weekend and she commented about my noisey interior in comparison to her C-Max. :)

 

In colder weather our MPG's run about the same as the Jetta TDI we traded but the C-Max burns fuel costing 10% less. In warmer weather she can easily hit the mid 40's per tank driving the same route that her Jetta TDI would avg mid 30's.

[joe]

Yes, we'd buy it knowing what we know today.  We bought the C-Max to replace a mini-van (which got around 15 mpg).  With the back seats folded down, we have close to the carry capacity of a mini-van.  The car drives great and is comfortable.  Easy to get in and out. Love the technology.  The only glitch has been the NAV but that should be fixed Thursday with the TSB fix.  Mpg has been slowly climbing up.  On short drives around town, I can get any where from 25 mpg (cold start on a cold day) to the high 50s and low 60s mpg.  It all depends on if the car is warmed up or not.  Interstate 70+ mph gets 37-39 mpg.  The mini-van only got 20 mpg at interstate speeds.

 

My wife loves the car more than I do, and I like it a lot.

[wamba2000]

After 2+ months of driving/commuting, I would also give a resounding YES!  I traded a Santa Fe that got 20 mpg in for the C-Max.  The ride is quieter, the comfort and headroom is better ( helps when you are 6'6") and my lifetime mileage just ticked up to 41.0 over the weekend. 

 

It does have some quirks, like the screen does not come on, though the radio is on and working, and the phone connected.  I think it is a MS thing, had to re-boot internally or something.

 

Everyone that has ridden with me is amazed at the space and comfort, along with the rich content.  This car is a winner, if people can get past the 47mpg issue.  I can live with 41.0 no problem.

[Jbtbga]

Short answer - YES.  love the car

[roninsd]

Definitely (but maybe adding the auto liftgate).

[Jus-A-CMax]

Nope, next time  I'll buy a Prius and blow the MPGs there - 600 miles on a Prius with a 11.5 gallon tank...there I said it.... :runaway:

[Adair]

Nope, next time  I'll buy a Prius and blow the MPGs there - 600 miles on a Prius with a 11.5 gallon tank...there I said it.... :runaway:

You're pulling our leg, right?

[RachelnLa]

Jus! You have a live one on the end of your line. Hahahaha.

[LizM]

Yes, yes, yes!

[Adair]

Nope, next time  I'll buy a Prius and blow the MPGs there - 600 miles on a Prius with a 11.5 gallon tank...there I said it.... :runaway:

 

 

Jus! You have a live one on the end of your line. Hahahaha.

Wait! It's not April 1 yet!!! No fair!