Rental C Max's

[jmckinley]

I've been in Honolulu and then Maui the past week and I notice rental C Max's are all over both places.  That's kind of interesting since I can't imagine why the big rental guys would want a complicated, over priced car which takes a little education just for Joe Undershirt to get it started. Certainly they are not worried about fuel economy since the customer buys the fuel.

 

My guess is that Ford is giving Hertz, etc really good deals on C Max just to pump up the sales figures.  That is a common sales gimmick that has been used for decades when the need arises to improve sales figures on a given model.

[salsaguy]

i know gas is very expensive in Hawaii, even more than here in So California.

I'm sure they love having a hybrid to cruise around the island. plus HI is all about the laid back life and lots of earth conscience tree huggers there for sure :)

just wish they would get some rental cmaxes near me.

[jmckinley]

By the way, I forgot this little tidbit. My rental car in Maui is a previous generation Focus with 38,000 miles on it.  Smells like a locker room and, unlike my C Max, it is averaging over 40 mpg in mostly city driving with the AC on full blast.

 

I'm so happy I paid almost $30K for a 4,000 pound car that gets 35 mpg and has a teeny, tiny, itty bitty 12 V battery that dies if you leave the radio on more than 15 minutes.

[salsaguy]

someone not a happy camper. perhaps you need some lessons from Jus or Recumpense on better ways to improve.

must be colder in your area as the cmax seems to be made for Warmer states

[fotomoto]

By the way, I forgot this little tidbit. My rental car in Maui is a previous generation Focus with 38,000 miles on it.  Smells like a locker room and, unlike my C Max, it is averaging over 40 mpg in mostly city driving with the AC on full blast.

 

Interesting since that car is only rated at 25 mpg city, 28 combined.  That's quite an improvement.   :headscratch:

[har]

I'd like to chime in... 1200 miles on our CMAX and MPG of 37.... Looking forward to better MPG's BTW live in Florida.

[HotPotato]

Doesn't seem like they'd be putting them in rental fleets to boost sales numbers -- given that many buyers have to wait weeks or even months to get their car, demand seems plenty healthy vs supply. More likely they're putting them out there so people can have the experience of driving one and say "ooh, I want."

 

If you are unhappy with your purchase, have you considered putting it up for sale on this site? Someone waiting for theirs to arrive eventually might prefer to buy yours now. 

 

I've been in Honolulu and then Maui the past week and I notice rental C Max's are all over both places.  That's kind of interesting since I can't imagine why the big rental guys would want a complicated, over priced car which takes a little education just for Joe Undershirt to get it started. Certainly they are not worried about fuel economy since the customer buys the fuel.

 

My guess is that Ford is giving Hertz, etc really good deals on C Max just to pump up the sales figures.  That is a common sales gimmick that has been used for decades when the need arises to improve sales figures on a given model.

[jmckinley]

I'm unhappy with my purchase but I doubt it would be worth it to sell and take the big hit.  Would take 200 years to recoup my loss with a higher mpg car.

 

Newer cars are clearly getting significantly better mileage, but Ford is not admitting any changes, nor offering to help us early adopters with upgraded software or whatever is different with the later build dates.

 

Happy to sell mine to anyone who might be interested. White SEL, 8,000 miles, no sunroof, Nav system, premium radio.  Set up for towing with Roadmaster baseplate.  Price negotiable but I won't give it away.

[jmckinley]

Re the cooler climate remark  

This winter in Ohio I got 35 mpg.  

Spent Feb and March in south Texas, 35 mpg.

Late Spring in Ohio, 35 mpg.

Summer in Ohio, 35 mpg.

 

And it's not my driving.  I'm babying this POS so much my wife is complaining that it takes forever to get anywhere. 

[Jus-A-CMax]

 

By the way, I forgot this little tidbit. My rental car in Maui is a previous generation Focus with 38,000 miles on it. Smells like a locker room and, unlike my C Max, it is averaging over 40 mpg in mostly city driving with the AC on full blast.

Interesting since that car is only rated at 25 mpg city, 28 combined.  That's quite an improvement.   :headscratch:

I have to agree, I had a Focus rental for 3 days while they worked on my GPS replacement (see my thread on the biplane) and I checked the MPGs on it for freeway and surface street - for freeway, it was impressive 36MPGs but as soon as I swtiched to the surface streets with some hills/start-stop traffice and did my comparable shoots, it too a big hit and end up like 28-29MPGs. About the same as my 98 Camry 4 cylinder. However, it shines on the freeway for sure. No way did I see 40MPG in that car and it was at least 2 yrs old and I did not have the AC on.

 

JMC - maybe stop babying the CMax and do the opposite (if u havent done this already).  If you accelerate too slow you burn a ton of gas as well based on my experience and FE driving is not for everyone. Good luck with it...

Edited June 16, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[homestead]

Re the cooler climate remark  

This winter in Ohio I got 35 mpg.  

Spent Feb and March in south Texas, 35 mpg.

Late Spring in Ohio, 35 mpg.

Summer in Ohio, 35 mpg.

 

And it's not my driving.  I'm babying this POS so much my wife is complaining that it takes forever to get anywhere. 

That is terrible gas mileage.  Almost sounds like it is stuck in ICE mode all the time, (pumping gas even when the engine is off).

What does your Ford dealer say about the mpg? 

[salsaguy]

in FL you must need to run the A/C alot due to higher temps and humidity. if so that will kill your mpg quest.

do you use any driving techniques to improve your mpgs? do you keep filling your gas tank after the pump has clicked off?

 

I'd like to chime in... 1200 miles on our CMAX and MPG of 37.... Looking forward to better MPG's BTW live in Florida

[erwhitham]

Excuse the repetition, but after owning 2 Priuses and now a CMax in unpredictable Illinois, my 40+ tanks are rare. Winter mpg's on all three cars ranged 30 or below. My last tank with spring arriving (??) was a whopping 41. I'm a happy camper. Hybrids are so variable and I've learned to appreciate other attributes. Loved the Priuses but no doubt the ride of the CMax is much smoother. Every passenger and driver of my new car comment on its superiority in this area. One day, under optimal conditions, I'll hit that 47 mpg, but if I don't, no matter. Just my two cents worth.

[ScubaDadMiami]

in FL you must need to run the A/C alot due to higher temps and humidity. if so that will kill your mpg quest.

The A/C issue really depends on how you set it.

 

We have had plenty of 90+F days here, in the three weeks that I have had my C-MAX.  I am still averaging above 46MPG, with mostly city driving.

 

I keep the A/C set to 73F, recirculate, and I do not use the Auto setting.  (The manual says that, on the Auto setting, once the A/C reaches the set temperature, it will turn off recirculate.  Cooling outside air requires more power to keep the interior cool than using the already cooled air that is in the cabin.)  I will start off with the fan on speed number 4, and then I drop it to number 3, once it feels cool enough.

 

The other day, when reaching for something or other, I managed to accidentally hit the temperature adjustment knob, lowering the set temperature to 71F.  I didn't notice until I was almost home from my usual route.  The day before, I had gotten above 54+MPG on this route, with the temperature set to 73.  At 71, I was only getting about 45.  So, there seems to be a perfect balance point where you will stay cool with good FE, and a big drop off in FE if you go below that.

 

I consider myself an air conditioner-aholic, but 73 seems to keep me comfortable in the C-MAX.  BTW, I leave my car out in the sun during the peak heat of the day.  The only things I have done to help with the heat are:  selection of Oxford White for the exterior, light color for the seats, window tinting, and I close the shade on the panoramic roof while parked.  When I approach my car, I use the fob to open the windows.  (I had also used auto start with cooling, but I really don't find it so necessary.)  As I pull away, I close the front windows, and then I close the back once the first breeze flushes out the hottest air from inside the cabin.

[salsaguy]

sounds good Scuba.i would have done the exact same things if i was in your shoes.

[Tdefny]

I concur with Jus'- try the opposite of what you are doing now and see if your mileage improves. When I try really hard, I get about 43 MPG in my Energi when not using plug-in power. My wife used it the other day on her first long trip and used up the battery right away. She then filled up on cheap Jersey gas and reset the odo. The car reported 50 MPG on her trip back.