I know it's only going to get better!

[C-Maxgo]

 If it gets too hit and you are really serious about mpg, simply use the flow through method but roll the driver side window down completely and stick your arm out so that air flows through your shirts arm hole. lol For serious hypermiling only.

 

 

lol, oh that was funny!

[F8L]

I didn't ever consider a Prius since I would not buy a Toyota, so I didn't bother to test drive a Prius.  Perhaps a Prius can out-mgp a C-Max, but can a Prius get up and go if you get into the throttle like the C-Max will?  It's nice to drive a hybrid that has good performance if you want to get into it a bit.  I ask because I've never driven a Prius and don't how how they will perform if you get on the throttle a bit.

 

Update:  I just read on another thread that the Prius has 54 less Horsepower than a C-Max.  I would think 54 less HP would make for some rather spleeny performance at best, and be a downright sloth at worst.

A vehicle purchase is a very personal choice. Those looking for Max Efficiency would lean toward the Prius and live with lackluster performance which is what I did. Those who are not willing to make such sacrifices would look at a CMAX. I looked at the CMAX when it came time to trade in my older Prius but after living in the 55+mpg range I couldn't stomach dropping down into the higher 30s or low 40s. Throttle response just doesn't interest me as much now as it did in my racing days. :) Still, the Prius has enough power to get out of the way and to merge without issues. Years of drag racing has left me jaded such that anything short of a 12sec car is not exciting to accelerate in anyway.

 

So yes, a Prius, any Prius, will easily trounce the CMAX in fuel economy at any speed BUT is it as fun to drive? That is up to the driver. For you, and the majority of the world, I doubt it would be. For me it is because I would cringe at the lower fuel economy. :)

 

Given your criteria I think you made a great choice. You also have a much richer interior which I am admittedly jealous of. ;)

[MikeB]

Just a note for the coming summer heat: our batteries are cooled with cabin air. So don't be too stingy about using your A/C when it gets really hot out.

 

If you're managing to stay cool only by sticking your arm out the window, then think about the poor batteries who are sitting nowhere near a window, but still working hard to keep you moving fast.

 

Also remember that aerodynamics are more important when moving fast. At highway speeds, it's probably more efficient to run the A/C than to have the windows down.

 

I'm sure I'll be running the A/C regularly in the coming summer, but I'll probably keep the temp set moderately high.

[F8L]

Just a note for the coming summer heat: our batteries are cooled with cabin air. So don't be too stingy about using your A/C when it gets really hot out.

 

If you're managing to stay cool only by sticking your arm out the window, then think about the poor batteries who are sitting nowhere near a window, but still working hard to keep you moving fast.

 

Also remember that aerodynamics are more important when moving fast. At highway speeds, it's probably more efficient to run the A/C than to have the windows down.

 

I'm sure I'll be running the A/C regularly in the coming summer, but I'll probably keep the temp set moderately high.

It would be interesting to test this idea in a CMAX. In a Prius it is more efficient to roll the window down, even at highway speed as the A/C can pull 1,500-1,800 watts of power to cool the cabin down initially then 300-600watts to maintain temps. That's quite a bit of power. It translates into a 7-10mpg loss for the first 10min or more while the cabin tries to cool. I've monitored this quite a bit on a Scangauge and Torque app. Conversely, rolling down a window has almost no detectable effect. I'd be very interested to see how it works on the CMAX.

 

We temps are over 95F, battery temps do tend to rise above comfortable levels and I agree that the A/C should be used. No sense in prematurely killing your battery just to save a tiny bit of fuel. :)

[C-MAXER]

A vehicle purchase is a very perso. I looked at the CMAX when it came time to trade in my older Prius but after living in the 55+mpg range I couldn't stomach dropping down into the higher 30s or low 40s. 

 

But as an accomplished efficiency driver, you'd pull big FE numbers with the CMax too.  I think the lower numbers reflect winter temps and, more importantly, a large contingent of first time hybrid owners who haven't learned the ropes yet.    As you well know, Prius chat forum members came up with a questionnaire for new owner complaints about low mpg's so maybe we should do one too!  LOL   ;)

 

 

 

We temps are over 95F, battery temps do tend to rise above comfortable levels and I agree that the A/C should be used. No sense in prematurely killing your battery just to save a tiny bit of fuel. :)

 

One cool feature (pun intended):  one can roll all four windows down with a long press of the unlock button on the remote.  That will remove a lot of pent up BTU's in the cabin and combined with driving a few blocks before rolling them up will lessen the cool down load on the a/c.  

[wab]

But as an accomplished efficiency driver, you'd pull big FE numbers with the CMax too.  I think the lower numbers reflect winter temps and, more importantly, a large contingent of first time hybrid owners who haven't learned the ropes yet.    As you well know, Prius chat forum members came up with a questionnaire for new owner complaints about low mpg's so maybe we should do one too!  LOL   ;)

 

 

One cool feature (pun intended):  one can roll all four windows down with a long press of the unlock button on the remote.  That will remove a lot of pent up BTU's in the cabin and combined with driving a few blocks before rolling them up will lessen the cool down load on the a/c.  

 

And up, Ford is finally catching up :drop:  with the rest of the world.

[Jus-A-CMax]

FWIW, just returned from a long journey down south of over 3,500 miles with the Hybrid carrying a total of about 700 lbs. (don't forget:  maximum for passengers and cargo is 825!).  Reported mpg was 37.8.  I drove mostly as I would have a non-hybrid and did not hypermile other than a few instances where slowdowns were inevitable, and used ECO Cruise almost all the time.  Temps ranged from 20s to 80s and I used air and heat to maintain comfort, though no extremes.  Along one ideal stretch of several miles in Florida's panhandle (flat, smooth and sheltered by tall trees on both sides) I recorded about 37.5 mpg at a steady 70 mph.  That seems quite decent to me given the speed and cargo I was carrying.  EV is not really part of the picture at those speeds and long fast drives will lower the mpgs.   I've found it's the non-freeway at lower speeds that really pushes up the mpgs.

     High point was about a 30 mile drive entering and crossing Houston on one of its many freeways in heavy traffic where I achieved 48 mpg (50-60 mph).  Low point was leaving Houston over much the same route in a heavy downpour (45-50mph) where the average was only 30.  Surfing is not the C-MAX's forte.

     It seems obvious to me that given identical situations any of the Prii will out-mpg the Max, but that is only one of many criteria we all must weigh in the decision to purchase.

     The MAX served us very well on the trip and I'm quite pleased with it.  Built on 2-7-13 it has the 3.5.1 version and the lady in the dashboard kept us on our planned routes and side trips with no errors through the 14 states we visited.

     Prior to the trip did over 30 miles on one of Detroit's freeways in temps slightly above freezing and scored 52 mpg, so it seems not only YMMV, but YMMV greatly.

Jaz - that sounds almost like my Mammoth trips, fully loaded and all. At 3,500 odo..imo, your engine is just starting to break-in and will continue to improve past 10,000. I am starting to see an leveling post 10,000 in my Mammoth stats.

 

One thing I would suggest - take a look at this: I HAVE FOUND THE ILLUSIVE MPG SWEET SPOT thread started by the Gen. Not sure if you have seen it or not but it's a great, great tip for everyone and its easy to do. It will dance the instant MPGs between 40 and 60 and speeds > 65 mph on the flats, utilzing an almost full battery and eco-cruise - EVEN at load!!! Its the same as my manual ICE High MPG. I use both, depending on road and terrain.

 

Ha...I wished I had the 3.5.1....*sigh*

Edited April 15, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[F8L]

But as an accomplished efficiency driver, you'd pull big FE numbers with the CMax too.  I think the lower numbers reflect winter temps and, more importantly, a large contingent of first time hybrid owners who haven't learned the ropes yet.    As you well know, Prius chat forum members came up with a questionnaire for new owner complaints about low mpg's so maybe we should do one too!  LOL   ;)

 

Aye, I considered that. Some of the former Prius owners were also getting "really low" numbers in the new car where they had no trouble getting EPA in their old cars. Still, I know there is a learning curve. I also think that Ford will adjust programming to reduce highway EV use and increase efficiency.

 

I think the FE questionnaire is a great idea. It helps weed out those who are truly seeking help and those who just want to complain. :)

 

One cool feature (pun intended):  one can roll all four windows down with a long press of the unlock button on the remote.  That will remove a lot of pent up BTU's in the cabin and combined with driving a few blocks before rolling them up will lessen the cool down load on the a/c.  

That definitely helps but you still have to contend with heat seat of interior materials and the 20F+ temp differential between inside and outside temps. Maybe the CMAX AC system is more efficient and this will not be such a big deal. Watching the 7-10mpg drop in my Prius was gut wrenching for the 10+minutes it too for the AC compressor to wind down. I'm sure you've seen my YouTube video of the drop. lol

 

I'd be happy to post my thread on reducing the hit of AC on mpg if you think it would help. I'd need your help with the CMAX specific though.