Potential C-MAX owner..

[cepwin]

I have an almost 10 year old Subaru Forester that it's time to replace.    I'm very seriously looking at  the C-MAX which got my attention from their clever ads.   Right now the only other car I'm considering is a Subaru that is very similar to my current car.

 

Anyway, I took it for a test drive this morning and was impressed.  It seems to ride very well  and has better fit and finish on the interior than the other car I'm considering.  the only thing I'd have to get used to is the brakes seem to grab a lot quicker than my current car.  I do like the gas mileage which is considerably better than the other car. I will say I could probably be comfortable driving either car.

 

But here are my questions.  

 

First,  how does this car perform in winter driving?   My current car has four wheel drive and the C-MAX is front wheel.   The concern here (and this is my biggest concern) is it's going to perform a lot worse on snowy or icy roads then I'm used to.   I'm in Northern VA so we don't get a huge amount of snow/ice but we get some and from my development to the main road is often not cleared well.  Experiences??

 

Second, reliability.   Aside from having to replace tires and brake maintenance my car has been totally reliable....how have people found the reliability?  Probably hard to know exactly as it's so new on the market.

 

Has anyone come over to the C-MAX from a Forester??? If so, what are your thoughts??

 

Thanks!

[StoBro2]

I live halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. We get our fair share of snow and ice around here.

 

The C-Max is a fairly heavy front drive car and the weight of the battery pack being down low and toward the rear kinda helps to keep the front/rear weight distribution reasonable. Many front wheel drive vehicles are very nose heavy. Also, despite the height of the car, the center of gravity is reasonable as well. So handling overall is pretty good, which helps in winter as well as the rest of the year. The brakes can feel touchy at first, but I've gotten used to them.

 

If you want to maximize your winter confidence, I suggest you get yourself a set of dedicated winter tires, preferably mounted to their own set of wheels for quick swapping without potentially damaging the tires and/or wheels by remounting. I have Michelin X-ice XI3 205/60-R16 tires on their own rims that I used this part winter. I never had any problems getting where I needed to go. Using winter tires that are narrower than the OEM size will allow them to bite down into snow instead of floating over the top of it.

 

By the way, nice dog! Rescued racing Greyhound?

[cepwin]

Thanks StoBro!   Good information!   Yes, that's my Edie.....she is indeed a Rescued racer (well...she never quite made it to the track...too submissive.)   She's 12 1/2 half now with medical issues so I'm just trying to enjoy what time we have left together.   I'm not sure if I could practically do a second set of wheels for winter (I'm in a townhouse without a garage) so I'd probably look into a good set of all weather tires.   I would think though it's very important in the upper midwest where your are. 

[fotomoto]

I came from another hybrid and even I initially found the brakes grabby but now i never give them a second thought. Why? Break in, retraining muscle memory and the brake coach. It's a non-issue.

[Riddley]

Everyone that drives my car for the first time comments on the "touchy brakes". But as all owners will attest, it just takes a little getting used to, then it becomes normal.  I do like the idea that I have brakes that will stop the car on a dime if necessary. :) 

 

More often then not I find myself trying to prolong regen as long as possible (to get a better brake score0 and I end up creeping up on the car in front of me too far/fast. It is something I'm working on improving. 

[raymond963]

We had a snow storm here a few weeks ago on a Sunday. When I went to work that day, at about 3:00PM, the parking lot was clean and dry. A couple hours later, it was snowing and blowing pretty hard and everything was covered. When I left to go home, there was about 10 inches of snow on the car and drifts in front and behind. Like a fool, I decided to make an attempt at the 48 mile drive home, which is 32 miles interstate and the rest two-lane country roads and city streets. The car pulled right out of the parking space, perhaps because the wheels were sitting on dry pavement at the start.

 

 

 

It took me over 2 hours and the roads were horrendous! Frozen washboard ice/snow, not plowed within the last two hours, only one lane open on the  interstate, semis driving like it's a sunny California day, etc. My maximum speed for the entire trip was 45 MPH, which was later on plowed section of the interstate and only briefly, but mostly did 25-35 MPH.

 

I never once felt that the car was sliding or losing control in any way or that I was going to get stuck. My other vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler with a lifted suspension and 12"W X 33"H mud/snow tires and my C-Max really impressed me with its handling during that trip.

 

BTW, my wife says I'm an idiot...

[BigRed]

Yeah, When I test drove it I found the brakes super grabby but I was used to my 12yo car's brake pedal that had 2" of travel before the brakes would engage.

 

After the first week of driving it I have adapted, plus I think the brake pads wore in a bit and there is a bit more travel in the pedal before friction brakes kick in. Either that or I have just found the sweet spot between regn and friction brakes.

[armoredsaint]

;)

 

[cepwin]

Thanks for the input!!! LOL Armoredsaint :)  That's quite a story Raymond....very helpful.  BigRed...one thing I mentioned on your thread that impresses me is the variety of folks it fits....from your 6'7" to my 4'6".   It does say a lot on the time they put into the interior.  From what you and Riddly said it seems what I experienced was normal and as with anything...if I get the car I'll be used to it very shortly.

[asb]

I lived in Vermont for two years/winters.  At the time, I drove a Ford minivan.  For the entire time I was there, there were only two days when I road to work with someone who had a Subaru, and one day when I said there was no way I was driving my car down the hill I lived on.  So, from my personal experience with front wheel drive, I think you'll be fine with good snow tires.

 

However, do know that your gas mileage will go down with the cold weather.  The batteries are not as efficient in the cold.

[cepwin]

Thanks asb.  Yes,   I'm well aware of the battery efficiency going down in the cold.  Yeah, we don't get it as bad as you do in Vermont ... we maybe get a handful of snowy days a year.

[BobJustBob]

cepwin,

 

I live in southeast Pennsylvania.  We had a somewhat mild winter this year, but the C-Max did fine in the half-dozen snowfalls we had (nothing over 4").  As others have mentioned, the big battery pack in the rear of the vehicle seems to even out the weight distribution, and as long as you take it easy, the C-Max handles the snow just fine.  If I lived in a state like Michigan or Minnesota which gets severe winter weather, I would consider getting snow tires for the winter, but the OEM tires performed well in the snow we experienced this year in PA.  My only complaint about winter weather and the C-Max is the way the windshield wipers recede down into the deep cowling at the base of the windshield.  This area is so deep that it is easy for the snow and ice to become packed in there.  Therefore, it is very important to dig all the snow out of this area to ensure the wipers operate normally.  Its just a minor annoyance.

[mtb9153]

cepwin,

 

I live in southeast Pennsylvania.  We had a somewhat mild winter this year, but the C-Max did fine in the half-dozen snowfalls we had (nothing over 4").  As others have mentioned, the big battery pack in the rear of the vehicle seems to even out the weight distribution, and as long as you take it easy, the C-Max handles the snow just fine.  If I lived in a state like Michigan or Minnesota which gets severe winter weather, I would consider getting snow tires for the winter, but the OEM tires performed well in the snow we experienced this year in PA.  My only complaint about winter weather and the C-Max is the way the windshield wipers recede down into the deep cowling at the base of the windshield.  This area is so deep that it is easy for the snow and ice to become packed in there.  Therefore, it is very important to dig all the snow out of this area to ensure the wipers operate normally.  Its just a minor annoyance.

Or leave the wipers pointing up in the air over night like Jus-A-CMax does on is ski trips to Mammoth Mountain.  Then I assume is it much easier to scoop out the snow before using the wipers.  Can't say for sure since we have no chance of snow here in the bay area of northern California.

[cepwin]

Thanks Bob and mtb for the info!  Yes, a lot of people around here (including myself) do point the wipers up when we're expecting snow..probably more important on the cmax

[mbedit]

I'm in Northern VA so we don't get a huge amount of snow/ice but we get some and from my development to the main road is often not cleared well.  Experiences??

 

I drove my C-max through that Spring snow storm you had up in VA. I had to drive up to Lynchberg.

 

The car handled the snow and ice w/o any issues. I saw other people (many others) in the ditch, and the traffic had slowed down, but I grew up in Northern MN, so I know how to drive on snow and ice and was actually passing people becuase they were driving so slow.

 

I was impressed w/how it handled the snow/ice. Its not an all wheel drive, but it handled just fine.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Or leave the wipers pointing up in the air over night like Jus-A-CMax does on is ski trips to Mammoth Mountain.  Then I assume is it much easier to scoop out the snow before using the wipers.  Can't say for sure since we have no chance of snow here in the bay area of northern California.

Thanks mtb for the reminder :)

 

Thanks Bob and mtb for the info! Yes, a lot of people around here (including myself) do point the wipers up when we're expecting snow..probably more important on the cmax

Click on my Mammoth link, I think its the 1st Mammoth thread, or the 2nd one for the manual pg #. Easy to do and restore.

 

Edit: pg 291 under maintenance

Edited May 5, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Red Twin]

I live halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. We get our fair share of snow and ice around here.

 

The C-Max is a fairly heavy front drive car and the weight of the battery pack being down low and toward the rear kinda helps to keep the front/rear weight distribution reasonable. Many front wheel drive vehicles are very nose heavy. Also, despite the height of the car, the center of gravity is reasonable as well. So handling overall is pretty good, which helps in winter as well as the rest of the year. The brakes can feel touchy at first, but I've gotten used to them.

 

If you want to maximize your winter confidence, I suggest you get yourself a set of dedicated winter tires, preferably mounted to their own set of wheels for quick swapping without potentially damaging the tires and/or wheels by remounting. I have Michelin X-ice XI3 205/60-R16 tires on their own rims that I used this part winter. I never had any problems getting where I needed to go. Using winter tires that are narrower than the OEM size will allow them to bite down into snow instead of floating over the top of it.

 

By the way, nice dog! Rescued racing Greyhound?

Thanks for the great info StoBro, I have saved the info for my Max with The Tire Rack and will put the Tire Set on order in early Oct.  I will store my Summer Tires with my Wife's tires.  Hmmm  Two sets will really take a bite out of my workshop.

 

Oh Well, Safety Counts.