My first year with my CMax Hybrid.

[HannahWCU]

I just past my one year anniversary with my CMax.  I was thinking I might share a few of my thoughts of my one year with my CMax.

 

Stats:

2013 Candy Blue CMax Hybrid SE (with equipment group 203A)

Miles driven: 27,000

Overall MPG (calculated): 43.3

EV driven: 10,000

Brake score: 97%

$/mi: $0.076

Scheduled Dealer Visits: 3

Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 0 (all recalls completed during routine oil changes at 5k, 10k, and 20k)

Times left stranded: 1 (my fault, left the lights on overnight)

 

First let me get this out of the way:

Fuel economy – In my previous vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Neon, I was able to average 38mpg, in mostly highway driving, (vs. 32mpg EPA highway rating) in 18 months of tracking mpg.  So when I first saw the CMax rated at 47, I figured 50 was not out of the question. Even after reading of all the problems in achieving 47 I still thought 45-47 was obtainable based on my previous driving experiences.  After one year my average is just over 43mpg. Is 43 MPG bad?  No, not at all.  And actually, I have come to appreciate the tradeoff of some MPG for a quiet, solid feeling vehicle with plenty of room and power when you need it. But overall, MPG is still somewhat of a disappointment.

 

On to my review:

Things I like:

·         MPG – I know I said I was disappointed, but for what the car is, 43 MPG is pretty good. My record on one tank is 705 miles on 13.937 gallons (indicated on pump), for 50.6mpg. But if I just drive it, I average one fill-up per week traveling 430+ miles on 10 gallons of gas.

·         Space – I am 6’3” and over 300 pounds. This car has PLENTY of space.  Front and back.

·         Comfort – My butt can last longer than my bladder!!!

·         Quiet – The combination of the Hybrid drivetrain and sound deadening really makes this a quiet car.

·         Looks – I have gotten quite a few compliments on the looks of my car.  From people of all ages.

·         My Ford Touch – How can I list MFT as something that I like????  Well, I guess I am lucky and a bit of a techy.  I really have had none of the problem most people have with the system.  My Nav has worked fine since day one (built Oct. 2012).  I think I have had 2 reboots while driving and none since the newest update.  Granted, I don’t use the voice activated feature much.  But overall, I like the system.

 

 

Things I don’t like:

I really cannot think of anything I really dislike about my CMax.  The daylight sensor is annoying.  On my drives home, I drive into the sun, and the nav screen will switch back and forth between daylight (white background) and nighttime (black background) several times as I drive in and out of shadows.  And having it in the dealer for the recalls and MFT updates was annoying at times, but mostly because I HATE dealers and do not trust them for a minute. But that is part of being an early adopter (IMHO).

 

Final thoughts:

Would I have bought it in the first place had I know I would only get 43MPG? Probably.  Like I said, I am a big guy and it is hard to find a car with good space in them anymore. Would I buy one again knowing what I know now?  YES!  Would I get any different options/model?  Maybe.  I think I would like the seat warmers (they would have helped on that 4 degree morning we had the other day).  Overall, the Cmax is a nice quiet, roomy, people hauler.  It has power when I need it and with the back seat folded down, I can also haul quite a bit of stuff.

Edited January 22, 2014 by HannahWCU

[hybridbear]

First let me get this out of the way:

Fuel economy – In my previous vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Neon, I was able to average 38mpg, in mostly highway driving, (vs. 32mpg EPA highway rating) in 18 months of tracking mpg.  So when I first saw the CMax rated at 47, I figured 50 was not out of the question. Even after reading of all the problems in achieving 47 I still thought 45-47 was obtainable based on my previous driving experiences.  After one year my average is just over 43mpg. Is 43 MPG bad?  No, not at all.  And actually, I have come to appreciate the tradeoff of some MPG for a quiet, solid feeling vehicle with plenty of room and power when you need it. But overall, MPG is still somewhat of a disappointment.

I think this is an excellent write up. I feel the same way. In every previous car I easily beat the EPA estimates in the summer and usually got right around the EPA estimates in the winter. One year of driving the black FFH put us at 45.2 MPG including 9000 miles of road trips at freeway speeds. If I exclude the road trips and only look at our normal driving then we got 46.6 MPG in one year of mostly (~80%) city driving. The 9000 miles of road trips were 43.9 MPG. I am a bit disappointed by the road trip MPG because I would have liked to have seen 45+ MPG on road trips. Our 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid (which was replaced by the FFH) would get 40 MPG on road trips. I am also a little disappointed because I had hoped to average more than 47 MPG year-round, but that's still amazing for a mid-size sedan with more power than most 4-cyl mid-size sedans on the market.

Edited January 21, 2014 by hybridbear

[ptjones]

I'm assuming you don't have grill covers so if you wanted to improve mpg's by about 2mpg you could make some to get you to around 45mpg. Good write up. :)

 

Paul

[wamba2000]

HannahWCU, very nice recap!

 

my Cmax just finished a year of ownership 2 weeks ago.  A lot less in miles (7800) but a lifetime of 43.6 mpg with just under 50% being on EV mode.  Mostly a City used car, so no mileage issues as some highway drivers have mentioned.  Braking efficiency is 94% - driving in city traffic and getting cut off/lights changes makes it harder to control.

 

As far as service, I had only one item besides the drivability and software upgrades:  had a bolt that was cross-threaded on install at the factory, which was causing a rattles in the rear.  Dealer found and fixed it in 1 visit.  Had one oil change.

 

I have been truly amazed at how well the car is made and stays squeak and rattle free.  Did some highway driving and it can keep up, but will never be a demon- maybe won't get tickets that way.

 

I am 6'6"  240 lbs and love the seating position and legroom, for such a small vehicle.

 

Looking forward to many miles!

[Laurel]

I learned something new from HannahWCU!  Daytime sensor for the navigation screen.  I must be a real doze as I have never noticed that.

[C-MaxSea]

Very nice write-up Hannah & Hybridbear.  Interesting how expectations flavor our experiences (from movies to cars...........).  After researching (Nov/Dec 2012) our purchase in January 2013, I fully expected 38 - 40 mpg's.  When we had our first fill-ups exceed 40 mpg we were thrilled.  With Summer, and easily getting 45 to 50, we were ecstatic.  (With health issues and work issues, we have very low miles; and we generally drive our C-Max on longer outings which favor better results.)  Now in our mild winter climate (30 to 45 F) and getting 40-45+ mpg, we remain ecstatic - the old expectations exceeded thing.  We have no doubt that we can meet or exceed the new (creepo EPA) numbers any day of the week, the only exception being severe weather.

 

nick

 

(also ecstatic with 'stealth mode' polluting the air only half of the time)

Edited January 21, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[HannahWCU]

I'm assuming you don't have grill covers so if you wanted to improve mpg's by about 2mpg you could make some to get you to around 45mpg. Good write up. :)

 

Paul

 

No grill covers yet.  I made some for my Neon.  They really helped with the cold weather warm-ups.  I wanted to go my first year without any mods (although I do run 44 psi in the tires). My driving is mostly highway (22 of my 27 mile one way commute).  I will be looking to make some in the near future.  I am toying with the way I want to mount them.  I zip-tied the ones on the Neon, but want to go with something a little better looking.  Thinking of magnets.  I also am trying to figure out how much of an opening I want.  I will get there before spring I am sure.

[HannahWCU]

HannahWCU, very nice recap!

 

my Cmax just finished a year of ownership 2 weeks ago.  A lot less in miles (7800) but a lifetime of 43.6 mpg with just under 50% being on EV mode.  Mostly a City used car, so no mileage issues as some highway drivers have mentioned.  Braking efficiency is 94% - driving in city traffic and getting cut off/lights changes makes it harder to control.

 

 

I am lucky on my brake score (97%) as most of my driving is highway.  I guess considering its only rated at 40 MPG Highway, I am doing pretty good to get over 43. Especially considering I am only in EV ~35% of the time.  I updated my stats with my EV miles and Brake Score.

[ptjones]

No grill covers yet.  I made some for my Neon.  They really helped with the cold weather warm-ups.  I wanted to go my first year without any mods (although I do run 44 psi in the tires). My driving is mostly highway (22 of my 27 mile one way commute).  I will be looking to make some in the near future.  I am toying with the way I want to mount them.  I zip-tied the ones on the Neon, but want to go with something a little better looking.  Thinking of magnets.  I also am trying to figure out how much of an opening I want.  I will get there before spring I am sure.

You didn't run out of gas when you filled up with 13.937gal.? You had to be on fumes literally! :)

 

Paul

[HannahWCU]

I think they lied about the 13.5 gallon tank.   :redcard:

Edited January 22, 2014 by HannahWCU

[salsaguy]

You forgot to mention what trim level you have (SE or SEL) and what option package you have (201, 202, 203, 301, 302, 303) since its not shown in your signature at the left.

 

Nice to hear you like it after a great year.

I guess.I can understand feeling a little UNDERwhelmed coming from a car that did great 38+ mpg.

For many coming from a car doing anywhere from 16 to 26 avg mpg, I would think it would be a MUCH bigger satisfaction level.

Continued success to you. Keep us updated with your experiences and max stories.

 

 

I just past my one year anniversary with my CMax.  I was thinking I might share a few of my thoughts of my one year with my CMax.

 

Stats:

Miles driven: 27,000

Overall MPG (calculated): 43.3

EV driven: 10,000

Brake score: 97%

$/mi: $0.076

Scheduled Dealer Visits: 3

Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 0 (all recalls completed during routine oil changes at 5k, 10k, and 20k)

Times left stranded: 1 (my fault, left the lights on overnight)

 

First let me get this out of the way:

Fuel economy – In my previous vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Neon, I was able to average 38mpg, in mostly highway driving, (vs. 32mpg EPA highway rating) in 18 months of tracking mpg.  So when I first saw the CMax rated at 47, I figured 50 was not out of the question. Even after reading of all the problems in achieving 47 I still thought 45-47 was obtainable based on my previous driving experiences.  After one year my average is just over 43mpg. Is 43 MPG bad?  No, not at all.  And actually, I have come to appreciate the tradeoff of some MPG for a quiet, solid feeling vehicle with plenty of room and power when you need it. But overall, MPG is still somewhat of a disappointment.

 

On to my review:

Things I like:

·         MPG – I know I said I was disappointed, but for what the car is, 43 MPG is pretty good. My record on one tank is 705 miles on 13.937 gallons (indicated on pump), for 50.6mpg. But if I just drive it, I average one fill-up per week traveling 430+ miles on 10 gallons of gas.

·         Space – I am 6’3” and over 300 pounds. This car has PLENTY of space.  Front and back.

·         Comfort – My butt can last longer than my bladder!!!

·         Quiet – The combination of the Hybrid drivetrain and sound deadening really makes this a quiet car.

·         Looks – I have gotten quite a few compliments on the looks of my car.  From people of all ages.

·         My Ford Touch – How can I list MFT as something that I like????  Well, I guess I am lucky and a bit of a techy.  I really have had none of the problem most people have with the system.  My Nav has worked fine since day one (built Oct. 2012).  I think I have had 2 reboots while driving and none since the newest update.  Granted, I don’t use the voice activated feature much.  But overall, I like the system.

 

 

 

[HannahWCU]

Its in my signature BUT I forgot you don't see that when viewing from a mobile device. I have updated the original post:

 

2013 Candy Blue CMax Hybrid SE (with equipment group 203A)

 

You forgot to mention what trim level you have (SE or SEL) and what option package you have (201, 202, 203, 301, 302, 303) since its not shown in your signature at the left.

 

Nice to hear you like it after a great year.

I guess.I can understand feeling a little UNDERwhelmed coming from a car that did great 38+ mpg.

For many coming from a car doing anywhere from 16 to 26 avg mpg, I would think it would be a MUCH bigger satisfaction level.

Continued success to you. Keep us updated with your experiences and max stories.

[mlsstl]

I'm rather late to this thread, but for those above who get 43 mpg on the highway, I'd be curious to hear at what speed you typically drive. I'm in the "thinking about one of these" mode. Only about 20% to 25% of my driving is highway, but I'd like to have a realistic expectation. I'm typically a 70 to 75 mph driver, but not much of a "zoomer".

[HPRifleman]

I'm rather late to this thread, but for those above who get 43 mpg on the highway, I'd be curious to hear at what speed you typically drive. I'm in the "thinking about one of these" mode. Only about 20% to 25% of my driving is highway, but I'd like to have a realistic expectation. I'm typically a 70 to 75 mph driver, but not much of a "zoomer".

 

I just made a two-way highway trip today. On the interstate for 43 miles each way. Tempertures were 50's in the morning and 60's this afternoon. Speeds were mostly 60-65MPH. Mileage was 48-50MPG in the morning and about 45MPG in the afternoon.

 

Because of the increased traffic in the afternoon it was harder to keep a constant speed as traffic was merging from the right and sometimes I had to speed up or slow down to accomodate. This made it difficult to keep the ICE engaged and the battery charged. When letting off the accelerator the ICE turned off and the car went into electric and started discharging the battery.

 

My results may or may not be typical but I would expect to see mileage in the lower 40's at 70-75MPH speeds.

[Recumpence]

I see 42 to 46mpg when driving 75mph. In town I see 55 to 57 mpg easily.

 

Matt

[ptjones]

Made about 100mi. on Highways around Atlanta yesterday speeds of 80-55mph( speed limits don't mean anything here) and averaged 51mpg. My average on this tank was 55.6mpg before the trip. :) 

 

Paul

[ScubaDadMiami]

With the Air Conditioner on and set to 73F, I probably only get about 40 mpg at 75 mph. I've never driven for any substantial time without the Air running while at this kind of speed; I can't comment on that.

[Noah Harbinger]

The daylight sensor is annoying.  On my drives home, I drive into the sun, and the nav screen will switch back and forth between daylight (white background) and nighttime (black background) several times as I drive in and out of shadows.

 

From the manual, you can turn it off or play with the threshold at which it switches between day and night:

 

Display

You can adjust the touchscreen display through the touchscreen or by pressing the voice button on your steering wheel controls and when prompted, say, “Display settings”.

Press the Settings icon > Display, then select from the following:

(....)

Mode allows you to set the screen to a certain brightness or have the system automatically change based on the outside light level.

• If you select AUTO or NIGHT, you have the options of turning the

display’s Auto Dim feature on or off and changing the Auto Dim Manual Offset feature.

 

[salsaguy]

Hmmm. I use my 7" Kindle Fire HDX to usually read this forum sometimes my wife's laptop. Didn't know it omits stuff.I guess for the space/size of screen.

Its in my signature BUT I forgot you don't see that when viewing from a mobile device. I have updated the original post:

 

2013 Candy Blue CMax Hybrid SE (with equipment group 203A)

[Noah Harbinger]

Hmmm. I use my 7" Kindle Fire HDX to usually read this forum sometimes my wife's laptop. Didn't know it omits stuff.I guess for the space/size of screen.

 

It's also a setting users can customize. I know on the mothership, BOF, I disabled signatures because some peoples' were getting ridiculously long.