2013 Ford C-Max vs. 2013 Toyota Prius v Comparison Test

[HannahWCU]

I have not read it yet, just saw it online.

 

http://www.autoguide.com/car-comparisons/2013-ford-cmax-vs-2013-toyota-prius-v-comparison-test-2688.html

[ScubaDadMiami]

Though I am sure that we would disagree with some of the findings, it seems pretty balanced, and it says lots of positives about the C-MAX.

[BIG ROCCO]

Yeah - pretty fair all around - they even reported a realistic 44 MPG for the C-Max

[HannahWCU]

Yes, I finished reading it at lunch. I thought it was a pretty fair assessment of the Cmax. And 44 mpg was pretty good too.

[salsaguy]

thanks for the video link Hannah. it's very good to see a more recent test drive/review with better mpg for the cmax since most of the early reviewers were done in Oct/Nov 2012 with the bad cold weather hurting its mileage.i wonder what all those cmax haters who said it couldn't get more than 30 mpg will say now.

glad they were objective. both do offer good and bad things so it's up to the driver to pick.

if you're gonna live inside of a car for a good part of each day, for about 5-7 years of your life, you better pick the car that is more comfortable and upscale with tech and features (c-max) than the other out there. in a few years i can see how a buyer would regret getting a prius if they had been in a c-max for any amount of time for a test.

[Jus-A-CMax]

thanks for the video link Hannah. it's very good to see a more recent test drive/review with better mpg for the cmax since most of the early reviewers were done in Oct/Nov 2012 with the bad cold weather hurting its mileage.i wonder what all those cmax haters who said it couldn't get more than 30 mpg will say now.

glad they were objective. both do offer good and bad things so it's up to the driver to pick.

if you're gonna live inside of a car for a good part of each day, for about 5-7 years of your life, you better pick the car that is more comfortable and upscale with tech and features (c-max) than the other out there. in a few years i can see how a buyer would regret getting a prius if they had been in a c-max for any amount of time for a test.

salsaguy...dude you're overdue for your CMax, get moving. 425 posts for a dude who still to press "Start"...lol ;)

 

The only way to get 30MPG is to drive up hill for 5 miles when the temps is like 30F and use ICE all the way and zero EV. Like going from Mammoth Town to Mammoth Main Lodge. I know, I got that MPG before and if its tough for me, it worse for others (think I posted that somewhere, may be in one of mtb's treads).

 

IMO, those lawsuit people are idiots who don't deserve a CMax. The Prii is perfect for them, cause these people are CLUELESS as to what to do with the power. They need to press a button for permission to use power :hysterical:

 

Like giving a tea-tottler a beer when they can't handle alcohol. Ugh.

Edited June 22, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[fotomoto]

Having owned a Gen3 prius I will disagree on one aspect they compared:

 

"The one area the C-Max, or any other hybrid for that matter, cannot come close to touching the Prius in is the brakes. Toyota has a lot of experience with regenerative braking and it shows. The v has seamless brakes that behave very close to a conventional brake setup. The Ford on the other hand suffers from non-linear, jerky braking."

 

I think this is wrong, wrong, wrong.  I find the CMax braking is better all around and doesn't suffer from what some Prius owners consider a safety issue while braking over sharp bumps when the system clumsily switches from regen to ABS.  Never a thread here about that.  

 

Otherwise I also give them a thumbs up overall.  I really appreciate the realistic mpg reports.  Maybe these guys actually understand hybrids.  :rockon:

[salsaguy]

Jus, yes i know but remember the Cmax will be for my wife not me as I already have my 2012 Passat. the hold up is that my wife (cutie75) has been out of work for over a year now, and a good chunk of that to take care of me while i was out on medical leave last year (almost 3 months in the hospital). she has been interviewing a lot but still waiting on the offers to come in. when she gets the job we can then think about the purchase of the CMax. not many dealers will let you buy a car without a job. having 2 car loans at the same time is a big negative, but she is due for a new car for sure. in fact she was supposed to get the new car before i did but when my last 2004.5 Passat for rear ended by a semi truck and for totaled out (not the reason for me being in the hospital), i had to replace it and so hence how i got the Passat before she got her new car. CMax soon but yes not soon enough. can't wait.

 

salsaguy...dude you're overdue for your CMax, get moving. 425 posts for a dude who still to press "Start"...lol ;)

[Jus-A-CMax]

Whoops...didn't realize that, thanks for sharing, will say a prayer for you & family. For a while there I thought you were ready to buy when you were discussing costco/aaa pricing. No worries and all the best, she'll find one. If a moron like me can find one , your wife definitely can.. ;)

[salsaguy]

no worries Jus. yeah we will use costco or AAA when it's time. this also makes it harder to get a test drive since we aren't ready to buy yet but still want to test it out on the road, but dealers are less likely to just let you drive it "for fun" (in their eyes) when you aren't a buyer in the next month. and since we can't find any CMaxes for rent.....

hope the 2014s have most of the bugs tweaked out by the time we get one.wish they had some differences but looks like nothing will change, at least on paper but I'm sure there will be changes not mentioned but done to fix some issues esp after that JD Power report.

Edited June 23, 2013 by salsaguy

[Jus-A-CMax]

Done, dup hidden.

 

If people base their car/product buying solely on JD report, they need to live in a bubble wrap world. Plus whos to say that there is no lemon just cause the company/car is top #5. No guarantee whatsoever. 2014 sounds like no change but yeah, I too suspect the software will be different, there is no way that these new cars are getting such great mileage at such an early age and given my car is SoCal where the temps have been much warmer and constant (you know this), I am insulated from the cold weather debacle and there was NO WAY in hell I was seeing those numbers with my Oct2012 built CMax and doing 600 mile tanks with the 1st or 2nd tank. No freaking way. Nonetheless, thats good news for the new car owners...and I am still lucky to get the MPGs I am getting, more thru driving skill/breakin than relying on software.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[obob]

Done, dup hidden.

 

If people base their car/product buying solely on JD report, they need to live in a bubble wrap world. Plus whos to say that there is no lemon just cause the company/car is top #5. No guarantee whatsoever. 2014 sounds like no change but yeah, I too suspect the software will be different, there is no way that these new cars are getting such great mileage at such an early age and given my car is SoCal where the temps have been much warmer and constant (you know this), I am insulated from the cold weather debacle and there was NO WAY in hell I was seeing those numbers with my Oct2012 built CMax and doing 600 mile tanks with the 1st or 2nd tank. No freaking way. Nonetheless, thats good news for the new car owners...and I am still lucky to get the MPGs I am getting, more thru driving skill/breakin than relying on software.

 

When bought my car I kind of assumed Ford would offer an upgrade to the software that effects mileage, but now I am thinking that will not happen because of the cost to them, not just the cost of the upgrade but handling the side effects of the upgrade whether real or imaginary.

[Jus-A-CMax]

When bought my car I kind of assumed Ford would offer an upgrade to the software that effects mileage, but now I am thinking that will not happen because of the cost to them, not just the cost of the upgrade but handling the side effects of the upgrade whether real or imaginary.

I am inclining to agree with you. They can do this as unlike MFT, we have no way of finding the versioning of the engine software unless someone here haxor the chips/roms. I wish they would release it but can't expect them to...however, those poor MPGs reports in the last quarter of 2012 would certainly have add tremendous pressure, forced them to re-evaluate their algorithms and take a hard look at it. Don't forget Ford Motor Company, thru their RDA Group agents, organized the CMax Irvine Pow-Wow in Feb 2013 where they would have downloaded a whole bunch of data from all the CMaxs including mine and also did test drives with the owners...everyone except me as I was too busy talking/yapping with all their departments/engineers and completely missed it. By the way, at that time, I was very proud to show them the 600 mile tank at that time...everyone was blown away. Yah!

 

A thought....Hey scangauge guys - anything you might see?

[salsaguy]

so they downloaded post data from your car not just that days test drive with the engineers? Did they say they were doing that?  how long can that data be stored in the car? i know it can store a few minor bits/bytes for trouble  codes but not weeks worth of full blown engine data. surely it can't hold too many days worth of engine performance without some sort of HDD drive. RAM/ROM only holds a little and usually resets at power down

but yes I'm sure they used those events to make tweaks to 2014 or beyond models.

Edited June 23, 2013 by salsaguy

[Jus-A-CMax]

so they downloaded post data from your car not just that days test drive with the engineers? Did they say they were doing that?  how long can that data be stored in the car? i know it can store a few minor bits/bytes for trouble  codes but not weeks worth of full blown engine data. surely it can't hold too many days worth of engine performance without some sort of HDD drive. RAM/ROM only holds a little and usually resets at power down

but yes I'm sure they used those events to make tweaks to 2014 or beyond models.

They did, plug it in and the other physical measurements, tire pressure as well. Its cool, we(I) wanted them to have it anyway. We know know, at the bare minimum, the engineering mode the CMax has and thats got some telling stats (if I recall correctly). It was cool and there was a lot of questions asking what did you think about and I gave them a lot of my suggestions and opinion.

[Noah Harbinger]

Having owned a Gen3 prius I will disagree on one aspect they compared:

 

"The one area the C-Max, or any other hybrid for that matter, cannot come close to touching the Prius in is the brakes. Toyota has a lot of experience with regenerative braking and it shows. The v has seamless brakes that behave very close to a conventional brake setup. The Ford on the other hand suffers from non-linear, jerky braking."

 

I think this is wrong, wrong, wrong.  I find the CMax braking is better all around and doesn't suffer from what some Prius owners consider a safety issue while braking over sharp bumps when the system clumsily switches from regen to ABS.  Never a thread here about that.  

 

Otherwise I also give them a thumbs up overall.  I really appreciate the realistic mpg reports.  Maybe these guys actually understand hybrids.  :rockon:

 

Didn't read the rest of the article, but I totally agree with the segment you quoted - at low speed, the brakes are super touchy, and the motor doesn't cut in linearly. Parallel parking is just a pain. I dread having to do it in a narrow spot on a steep street in SF (there's a friend there I visit). 

[Jmonty]

i probably should have test drove a prius v but i wasn't shopping for a hybrid when i found my cmax.  just something that was good for my family and  that drove well.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Jmonty

[homestead]

i probably should have test drove a prius v but i wasn't shopping for a hybrid when i found my cmax.  just something that was good for my family and  that drove well.

 

I test drove the prius V, you got the right car IMO.

[Jus-A-CMax]

I test drove the prius V, you got the right car IMO.

May be I should testing drive the Vee too. I did drive a 2010 hatch though.  What if I liked it? Will Adair and RachelinLA save me? Hmmh this would make a good hybrid geared "Twilight Zone" episode  :stirpot:

[PapaJ]

You know what's funny -- here is a technology-rich, quiet & solid 3,600 lb minivan that will scoot 0-60 in under 8 seconds and still returns 40+ miles per gallon -- these are phenomenal metrics yet some people (jealous Prius owners perhaps?) are going out of their way to hate it.

 

Also I happen to think the C-Max is a good-looking ride in its own way.

 

Comments?

[Jus-A-CMax]

You know what's funny -- here is a technology-rich, quiet & solid 3,600 lb minivan that will scoot 0-60 in under 8 seconds and still returns 40+ miles per gallon -- these are phenomenal metrics yet some people (jealous Prius owners perhaps?) are going out of their way to hate it.

 

Also I happen to think the C-Max is a good-looking ride in its own way.

 

Comments?

 

Its like going to a School/Prom....

 

We're the new kids on the block....how dare Ford come into a market DOMINATED by the Toyotas and show up the Prii!!!!

 

Plus in their eyes, the new C-Max kid is not cool.

 

Not cool at all.

 

Cause we're: TOO FAT (300+ lbs and poorer co-eff), wearing the wrong shoes (17" wheels), dittzy in the brain (MFT issues, aggressive re-gen and aggressive power), we should not even be in this school because the thought is that the parent LIED or RIGGED  the entrance exam (EPA/Consumer Report Poor MPG).

 

Lets face, this kid totally lack the Haute Couture at their Hybrid Prom. No pedigree whatsoever.

 

My 2c

Edited June 29, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Tdefny]

You know what's funny -- here is a technology-rich, quiet & solid 3,600 lb minivan that will scoot 0-60 in under 8 seconds and still returns 40+ miles per gallon -- these are phenomenal metrics yet some people (jealous Prius owners perhaps?) are going out of their way to hate it.

 

Also I happen to think the C-Max is a good-looking ride in its own way.

 

Comments?

Why do people keep referring to the Max as a minivan? It is more cofortable than a regular car because you sit upright and way more practical than an SUV, but there is nothing about our version that says minivan. The analogy may hold for the extended version in England but you sure wouldn't want to ride in the back seat of that. Calling this car a minivan sets up all sorts of connotations and expectations, that are not true and mostly work against it.

 

What it is is a great car. It is slightly bigger than my early Prius on the outside, but basically the same dimensions and seating posture on the inside except for width. I think Ford got that part right and Toyota got it wrong when they changed the shape (and dimensions of the passenger space) of the car to make it look more like a science fair project than a production vehicle. That is a primary reason why I did not buy another Prius, although I might have if it had the body of the first generation mixed with all the modern technology, etc.. The Max looks, feels, and drives like a real car, despite the extra weight. Unfortunately, people in the press often don't think for themselves and just echo what the other guys say. Then the consumers think even less and just buy what the press says to buy.

[C-MaxSea]

Nicely said PapaJ.  (I prefer to refer to it as a hatchback (hate the term minivan, just don't think it fits, but that is just me perhaps)).

 

Great analogy Jus.  Sad to think that even cars are victims of political correctness. nick

Edited June 29, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[Tdefny]

In time, the real word on the C-Max will get around and they will increase in market share. I think a lot of people automatically go to Toyota because it is a safe choice and then they miss something excellent that they didn't even think about.

[salsaguy]

reminds me of that awesome Audi commercial where the dad throws his son the keys to his Audi and said have fun tonight, and the son drives to his prom stag (alone) and he walks in and swiftly walks to the queen of the prom who is dancing with the prom king and he takes her and gives her a very hot and heavy kiss on the lips and then we see him running away and then back in the car we see him with a big black shiner/black eye (from the prom king/boyfriend punching him) but he has the BIGGEST smile/grin on his face like he conquered the world (which he did).  he had big ball$/guts for once in his life. :0

the cmax did just that to the Prius.did the unexpected and didn't care what others said or thought and even got a black eye [EPA mpg controversy] but do what. the/it rocks.

 

 

:wub2:  :rockon:

Its like going to a School/Prom....

 

We're the new kids on the block....how dare Ford come into a market DOMINATED by the Toyotas and show up the Prii!!!!

 

Plus in their eyes, the new C-Max kid is not cool.

 

Not cool at all.

 

Cause we're: TOO FAT (300+ lbs and poorer co-eff), wearing the wrong shoes (17" wheels), dittzy in the brain (MFT issues, aggressive re-gen and aggressive power), we should not even be in this school because the thought is that the parent LIED or RIGGED  the entrance exam (EPA/Consumer Report Poor MPG).

 

Lets face, this kid totally lack the Haute Couture at their Hybrid Prom. No pedigree whatsoever.

 

My 2c

Edited June 30, 2013 by salsaguy