MY CMAX is a lemon

[plus 3 golfer]

Larry, welcome. As you have probably read many members have had the "dead battery" issue.  

 

It's hard to believe 3 batteries were defective.  So, there's a problem Ford can't find and now they presume a grounding issue.  Sounds to me like a runaround for not doing the buyback. Why did they say no to the lemon buyback? Is it because Ford says there's only one occurrence related to a suspected bad ground?  

 

Do you have to waive your rights to pursue a lemon issue or any warranty rights in the future if you accept the money?  Ask the dealer for a trade-in price on a new car (even a new C-Max) and see what trade-in value you'll get. Remind them that the car is still covered under the B2B warranty.   Then, I'd sign the paperwork to accept the $8k and trade it.  I might even consider taking the $8k and trading it for a different brand.

[Adrian_L]

I was contemplating buying a c-max but not after reading this thread. I drove a 2009 Honda Fit off the the lot 11/2008 and have never been back except to buy a battery. I can't imagine the cost of making multiple trips to a Ford dealer to have the problems  noted above fixed when the warranty expires. I'm out. Good luck to C-Max owners

 

One thread and you are "out"??   With all due respect, that's ridiculous.  You can go an any car forum (Honda, Audi, BMW.....you name it) and read horror stories.   You have to take everything on forums with a big grain of salt.

[Larry Ickes]

Larry, welcome. As you have probably read many members have had the "dead battery" issue.  

 

It's hard to believe 3 batteries were defective.  So, there's a problem Ford can't find and now they presume a grounding issue.  Sounds to me like a runaround for not doing the buyback. Why did they say no to the lemon buyback? Is it because Ford says there's only one occurrence related to a suspected bad ground?  

 

Do you have to waive your rights to pursue a lemon issue or any warranty rights in the future if you accept the money?  Ask the dealer for a trade-in price on a new car (even a new C-Max) and see what trade-in value you'll get. Remind them that the car is still covered under the B2B warranty.   Then, I'd sign the paperwork to accept the $8k and trade it.  I might even consider taking the $8k and trading it for a different brand.

yea, if I accept the 8,000 then all future claims are waived... there was no explanation as to why they would not buy it back, they just offered the $3500, then within 2 days it was more than doubled... I love the car or should I say the mileage... but I go out to the garage in the morning and open the door just to decide if I am going to do anything that day... that really stinks... I would have even accepted a replacement c-max, but that was also not mentioned... and it has been almost 3 weeks now since we have heard anything from Ford. 

[ptjones]

yea, if I accept the 8,000 then all future claims are waived... there was no explanation as to why they would not buy it back, they just offered the $3500, then within 2 days it was more than doubled... I love the car or should I say the mileage... but I go out to the garage in the morning and open the door just to decide if I am going to do anything that day... that really stinks... I would have even accepted a replacement c-max, but that was also not mentioned... and it has been almost 3 weeks now since we have heard anything from Ford. 

I would PM Ashley, our Ford Rep. and get her on the case. Make 3 more posts and you will be able to PM her. I hope you have a jumper battery. IMO :)

 

Paul

[Cosmo234]

I understand your claims but as a CMax owner who has not experienced them with my SEL, I don't agree with your claims.  But I'd just like to say that the 47/47/47 mpg claim is not false.  It can be done, I do it all the time.  You just have to be willing to work at it using the right techniques of braking and acceleration.  These cars are not like normal cars they require special driving to deliver the mileage claims by Ford and the EPA.  If Ford is guilty of anything it would be of not letting owners know at the time of purchase that special driving techniques would be required to achieve the 47/47 mpg.  Bottom line is it is a fact that they will deliver 47mpg each and everyday and even more.  I've seen 50 to 60 mpg on my car and no battery issues.  Sorry for your problems with your CMax.  It is easy for me to say I think you should hang in there and give this remarkable car another chance.  Sure I've had some issues with mine but nothing which would make me want to give it up.  I've been tracking my gas mileage since April 2013 on www.fuelly.com.  These are the facts...

 

• 50 Fuel-Ups
• 81.7 Best MPG
• 24,536 Miles Tracked
• ^$0.088 Cost/Mile

In that time it has cost me ^$187.73 to run Maxus in less than a year.  I used to spent that much in a little more than two tanks of gas with my regular gas burning SUV.  I love my CMax and would buy another for my wife if I could afford another car payment.  My last tank of gas yesterday (3/8/14) before that was on 2/14/14, almost a month.  I can live with that.

You have to teach me how to drive (my C-max). Best I can do is 43mpg. :)

[Cmax lover]

What is a lemon, anyway?  I think it's a very trouble prone car which has problems that, to date, have not been fixable, or are fixed and then reoccur/reappear.

 

Based on the original post, is that example of a C-Max a lemon, or representative of what we should expect of a C-Max or what we should expect of Ford?

 

We've only gone 8,000 miles in 10 months, but have only needed to return to the dealer for the updates - never for a problem or repair.  Our lifetime MPG is around 45 MPG, with a lot of it highway driving...sure, less than the EPA #s, but who believes that nonsense anyway?

When was your car manufactured?

[Lance Merlees Gundersen]

"These cars are not like normal cars they require special driving to deliver the mileage claims by Ford and the EPA."  

 

I think the issue here, MTB, is that one expects the car to achieve at or near the rated gas mileage under reasonably normal driving conditions and not through a bunch of tips and tricks that turn the vehicle into an eccentric hobbyists dream come true.  It is fair to point out that those friends of mine with Prii treat their cars like crap.  One even uses it to haul produce from farmer auctions for the local co-op.  They all massively outperform the C-Max in MPG in all weather and all terrain conditions without a bunch of hokey tire over inflation, time wasting pulse and glide techniques and brain-surgery-like mental concentration making sure one's foot is providing an exactingly perfect pressure on the pedal to balance energy in/energy out on the battery.

 

It's enough to make a person break into a cold sweat.

 

Having said that, I very much enjoy the car.  I bought it at roughly 16,000 miles used and just went over 23,500 miles on the way to work tonight.  My to-work driving (10 miles back roads and 40 miles 65 mph highway) is hovering between 37-40 mpg without getting too anal on all the tips and tricks.  My mixed city/country driving (the one time that ever occurred) was 41-43.  I have no credible experience emptying a whole tank in city-only driving to be able to tell if mileage gets even better in that condition.  Certainly, like most other people, I have individual trip averages that can approach 80 or 90 mpg, but I don't think my 1 mile each way run to the grocery store and back is properly representative of my normal driving.

 

If I remember correctly, MTB you and Jus live in California.  Scubadad lives in Florida.  Scubadad probably has the absolute best environment because Florida is one big pancake.  You and Jus might have a lot of hills, but there is a relative same-ness to your atmospheric temperature that doesn't exist in upstate NY.  I NEVER expect to see the kind of mileage you guys achieve, and I am unwilling to devote more hours to my already 2 hours per day commute in order to achieve elusive legendary gas mileage figures.  I am content with the 37 to 41 mpg because it is already more than twice what I was achieving with my 2013 Ford Escape Titanium.

 

Unlike the horror stories Wendelina and others have written about here, I have not had any major engine or battery difficulties.  I did have a neighbor back into the left side of the car and it was off to the dealer for repair for a month because of that.  The dealership, Brown's Ford in Johnstown, NY, did a superb repair job, including replacing the driver door completely.

 

I can't help but wonder how much of the problem some people are experiencing is dealer driven.  My dealership (managed by a childhood friend of mine) is always on top of issues.  Others, from what some of you are telling us, are a bit less so.

 

I certainly hope the original poster, Wendelina, finds satisfaction.  If I were her (him?) I would consider a new Ford dealership right away.

[RockwallRick]

Hey now, Florida is NOT all one big pancake!! lol Where I live there are plenty of hills! My Wife effectively tripled her mileage with the C-Max and she hasn't changed her driving habits at all. She gets about

43 mpg on average. I manage to get 46 mpg on average using some of the so called tricks. I refer to it as "common sense" driving.

Edited August 9, 2014 by RockwallRick

[Kelleytoons]

Yeah, I have just such a thread here.  There are folks who can drive with common sense, and those who cannot (like my wife, bless her).  For the latter you will get improved mileage in any hybrid, but even in a Prius you won't get fantastic mileage (my wife drove a Prius for a week and got the same sort of 39 mpg that folks get here by not driving "correctly").

 

But anyone who thinks the OP is still here or this thread is viable in any way shape or form needs a reality check -- this really should be closed off, or archived, as the last meaningful posts were in March and in internet time that means the dark ages.  Nearly all the folks who complained here posted less than twice (some only once) and have gone off to either get satisfaction or not as the case might be.

 

I also think this -- while it "appears" as if the C-Max may have more issues than most vehicles, it's really hard to tell from any such forum.  If all you ever visited was hospitals you'd think there were no healthy people anywhere in the world.  People, as a rule, don't come to forums like these because all is well and they just want to say how great things are.  They have issues, major or minor, that they'd like help with.  And clearly early adopters of ANY technology are going to face problems and situations that folks who buy down the road in that process won't (I can't tell you how many folks I helped on the Apple forums who were SURE there would never be another iPhone after all the problems with the first model that came out.  Hmmm, how did that work out?)

Edited August 9, 2014 by Kelleytoons

[kostby]

 

… But anyone who thinks the OP is still here or this thread is viable in any way shape or form needs a reality check -- this really should be closed off, or archived, as the last meaningful posts were in March and in internet time that means the dark ages.  Nearly all the folks who complained here posted less than twice (some only once) and have gone off to either get satisfaction or not as the case might be...

 

+1

Edited August 9, 2014 by kostby

[drdiesel1]

The best part is.......... The OP wasn't the actual poster of the thread. It was her spouse using her account :drop: 

[mtcmax]

Not everyone who listed here was a one lister. My apologies for listing the outcome in the wrong thread.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Nah, leave this thread - some great inputs and let folks call it as they see it. I already made it clear the OP is a One Post Wonder. Like someone who farts in a room and then proceeds to leave and everyone goes, "yeah, it does smell here...but I have air freshner". You can't stop posters from doing this...so if everyone wants this thread to die, then :rtfm:  stop posting.

 

Now, thats jus my 2c and I enjoy DRIVING my -currently - 63MPG lemon at 358 miles on the odo for this tank. A true, true lemon for sure  :stirpot:

 

oh, that true work & play driving. No loops, special back-seat-removal-make-the-car-light or hold up traffic driving either (this is LA, they will KILL you).

 

On that note...its time to.... :flyaway: outta this thread.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Jus-A-CMax

[Singoffpitch]

I want to start with saying how much I LOVE my C-Max (her name is Bernie) before saying anything else. I love how it drives like a sports car with such great get-up-and-go, I love how much I can cram in the back with the fold-down seats after downsizing from an Explorer. I love how well I can see without blind spots and I just really enjoy driving my car. Although not what I expected, the mpg is still pretty good! That being said, it makes me really nervous that I've had so many big issues in the 12 months I've had my car. My car has been in for major repairs 7 times, plus all the recalls. The first service visit for non-recall malfunctions was on the 6th day I had the car. The roof recall news release was the day after I bought my car. Three different times, repairs have resulted in several days without my car. I have the extended warranty until 125,000 miles plus every add-on warranty, care option, premier level upgrades, caviar served during tow truck rides, and the tire warranty that includes champagne being poured for me if I have a flat. I commute 150 miles per day, plus any incidental driving, and I've had my car 12 months and have accrued 39,000 miles already. I'm scared of what happens when my warranty runs out and the car isn't brand new anymore, but 3 years old and other stuff starts failing if so many things have malfunctioned while it was new. I bought a brand new car so I didn't have to worry about having a car break down all the time. This was toted to get 47 mpg on hwy and city. My commute is 77 miles each way of 2-lane highway with 55 mph speed limit. The entire drive is flat and straight. It was like the C-Max was made for my commute and I'd be guaranteed to get 47 mpg! But that's not what happened. I've had more repairs and problems with this car than all my previous old high-mileage cars combined (and they changed the 47 mpg rating after I bought my car). My most recent repair for the restraint control module that malfunctioned 1 month after it was fixed in a recall repair would have cost $700 just for the replacement module, not including service. It was under warranty, but it won't be in another year or two and I'm getting more and more concerned with each malfunction. That broken module disabled my air bags, my traction control, my 911 Assist, and caused a high-voltage powertrain error. Not exactly something I could ignore if I couldn't afford to fix it the next time. Last time, it was a leaky air conditioner test port valve that left me without a car for a couple days. The navigation and sync system (I call her Dashboard Lady) used to stop working all the time and had to be uninstalled/reinstalled/upgraded/replaced a few times, the steering wheel controls & voice control stopped working and had to be repaired, and the radio stations would not change another time and had to be serviced. For months, the navigation froze or would lose the location more often than it worked until they were finally able to get it to work consistently with the most recent software upgrade. My canister purge valve in the fuel tank has had to be replaced ($250 part if out of warranty, not including work) right after I got the car, just to name a few things. It seems like it's constantly something. I don't mention all the little things to the service guys, like the power lift gate that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't or how the driver's seat clicks and slides front to back like it doesn't stay locked in place. My aunt bought the same car a month before I did, has half the miles on hers, and has had even more problems than I have. She even had the seat heater coils burn through the seat upholstery. Doesn't anyone else get nervous about what happens at 125,000 miles when we're on our own for paying for all these little and big things? Even while under warranty, we make payments on a car we can't drive during warranty or recall work and likely pay for a rental and pay for gas for much lower mileage (16 mpg in my most recent rental last week driving 1600 miles while without my C-Max 7 days) and we're just out all that money while our cars with great mileage sit in a service bay. I know it's a new car in its first model year so there will be minor glitches and recalls, but I paid for a new car. I didn't get a reduced price for a beta version with a disclosure of kinks or possibility of different mileage than what it was supposed to have when purchased. I bought a car with 47 mpg and have put 39,000 miles on it. I've already surpassed the cost difference of that reimbursement check from Ford for only getting 42 mpg. I drive my hybrid well, too, so it's not that I don't know how to drive it. I get 53-57 mpg in the summer without A/C and 43-47 mpg with A/C, but only got in the 20s in the bitter cold winter and in the 30s when I run the heat. It wasn't disclosed that the car only got 47 mpg if you live in a climate where it is 75 degrees and sunny every day. I love my car so much that I have kept justifying each repair and each recall and keep saying, 'it's the first year and they'll get all the kinks out with recalls,' but this last malfunction that disabled all my safety features and left me stranded without a car in the middle of a 1600-mile drive across several states for a conference might have pushed me over the edge. I ended up in tears in the middle of the dealership where I bought my car (3 hours from my house) after hours on a weekend because Ford's 24/7 roadside care said the dealer had to help me and the dealer said the 1-800 number for 24/7 roadside had to help me and nobody would give me a loaner car and mine wasn't driveable. The sales associate who sold me my car ended up giving me a dealer car (2014 Ford Explorer) that was the only thing he could find with navigation for my trip. It only got 16 mpg on a 1600 mile trip and cost me over twice as much as I had planned for the trip. It took 7 days to get my car fixed this time. I'm seriously considering pursuing lemon law for my beloved car. Honestly, I just want another C-Max, but not so filled with glitches. If only Ford's warranty lasted more than 125,000 miles, I wouldn't worry. Or if I could trade in my glitchy beta version for a glitchless new version in a year or two... Sorry, I went way off-topic. I'll stop rambling now.

[plus 3 golfer]

I want to start with saying how much I LOVE my C-Max (her name is Bernie) before saying anything else. I love how it drives like a sports car with such great get-up-and-go, I love how much I can cram in the back with the fold-down seats after downsizing from an Explorer. I love how well I can see without blind spots and I just really enjoy driving my car.  The C-Max is a great driving car.

 

Although not what I expected, the mpg is still pretty good! That being said, it makes me really nervous that I've had so many big issues in the 12 months I've had my car. My car has been in for major repairs 7 times, plus all the recalls. The first service visit for non-recall malfunctions was on the 6th day I had the car. The roof recall news release was the day after I bought my car. Three different times, repairs have resulted in several days without my car. I have the extended warranty until 125,000 miles plus every add-on warranty, care option, premier level upgrades, caviar served during tow truck rides, and the tire warranty that includes champagne being poured for me if I have a flat.

 

I commute 150 miles per day, plus any incidental driving, and I've had my car 12 months and have accrued 39,000 miles already. I'm scared of what happens when my warranty runs out and the car isn't brand new anymore, but 3 years old and other stuff starts failing if so many things have malfunctioned while it was new. I bought a brand new car so I didn't have to worry about having a car break down all the time. This was toted to get 47 mpg on hwy and city. My commute is 77 miles each way of 2-lane highway with 55 mph speed limit. The entire drive is flat and straight. It was like the C-Max was made for my commute and I'd be guaranteed to get 47 mpg! But that's not what happened. I've had more repairs and problems with this car than all my previous old high-mileage cars combined (and they changed the 47 mpg rating after I bought my car).  One must do due diligence when buying a car.  By early 2013 virtually all reviewers of the C-Max questioned the EPA ratings of the C-Max.  By mid 2013, JDPowers IQS survey said this about the C-Max.  "The C-Max had 222 manufacturing flubs or design flaws per 100 vehicles in the survey, nearly twice the industry average of 113". I'm not trying to let Ford off the hook but there were certainly reports of "issues" with the C-Max.  Now having said this, I haven't had any issues but for the recalls in nearly 30 k miles..

 

My most recent repair for the restraint control module that malfunctioned 1 month after it was fixed in a recall repair would have cost $700 just for the replacement module, not including service. It was under warranty, but it won't be in another year or two and I'm getting more and more concerned with each malfunction. That broken module disabled my air bags, my traction control, my 911 Assist, and caused a high-voltage powertrain error. Not exactly something I could ignore if I couldn't afford to fix it the next time. Last time, it was a leaky air conditioner test port valve that left me without a car for a couple days. The navigation and sync system (I call her Dashboard Lady) used to stop working all the time and had to be uninstalled/reinstalled/upgraded/replaced a few times, the steering wheel controls & voice control stopped working and had to be repaired, and the radio stations would not change another time and had to be serviced. For months, the navigation froze or would lose the location more often than it worked until they were finally able to get it to work consistently with the most recent software upgrade. My canister purge valve in the fuel tank has had to be replaced ($250 part if out of warranty, not including work) right after I got the car, just to name a few things. It seems like it's constantly something. I don't mention all the little things to the service guys, like the power lift gate that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't or how the driver's seat clicks and slides front to back like it doesn't stay locked in place.   Apparently you got a C-Max that contributed heavily to the 222 defects / 100 vehicles noted in the 2013 JDPowers IQS.   The 2014 C-Max was the most improved vehicle in the 2014 JDPowers IQS. " The C-Max improves more than any other model in the 2014 IQS, with 110 PP100 fewer than in 2013."

 

My aunt bought the same car a month before I did, has half the miles on hers, and has had even more problems than I have. She even had the seat heater coils burn through the seat upholstery. Doesn't anyone else get nervous about what happens at 125,000 miles when we're on our own for paying for all these little and big things? Even while under warranty, we make payments on a car we can't drive during warranty or recall work and likely pay for a rental and pay for gas for much lower mileage (16 mpg in my most recent rental last week driving 1600 miles while without my C-Max 7 days) and we're just out all that money while our cars with great mileage sit in a service bay. I know it's a new car in its first model year so there will be minor glitches and recalls, but I paid for a new car. I didn't get a reduced price for a beta version with a disclosure of kinks or possibility of different mileage than what it was supposed to have when purchased.  

 

I bought a car with 47 mpg and have put 39,000 miles on it. I've already surpassed the cost difference of that reimbursement check from Ford for only getting 42 mpg. I drive my hybrid well, too, so it's not that I don't know how to drive it. I get 53-57 mpg in the summer without A/C and 43-47 mpg with A/C, but only got in the 20s in the bitter cold winter and in the 30s when I run the heat. It wasn't disclosed that the car only got 47 mpg if you live in a climate where it is 75 degrees and sunny every day.   I agree that AC and cold temperatures affect FE.   You need to realize though that the effect will be more dramatic in a high FE car than a low FE vehicle.  This is because the energy used for AC and heating will be about the same in any similar size vehicle.  But, because the total energy (fuel) used in a lower FE car is significantly higher than a higher FE vehicle, the hit in FE due to AC and heating will be significantly higher in the higher FE vehicle.  In essence, the AC and heating use of the C-Max will be a greater % of the energy used and hence affect FE to a greater extent than a low FE vehicle.  

 

One thing that you can do is to use grille covers.  Many have success using the foam pipe insulation to block air flow to the radiator.  This will give faster warm-up in the winter and also keep the engine at a more efficient operating temperature.  Your winter FE should improve.

 

I love my car so much that I have kept justifying each repair and each recall and keep saying, 'it's the first year and they'll get all the kinks out with recalls,' but this last malfunction that disabled all my safety features and left me stranded without a car in the middle of a 1600-mile drive across several states for a conference might have pushed me over the edge. I ended up in tears in the middle of the dealership where I bought my car (3 hours from my house) after hours on a weekend because Ford's 24/7 roadside care said the dealer had to help me and the dealer said the 1-800 number for 24/7 roadside had to help me and nobody would give me a loaner car and mine wasn't driveable. The sales associate who sold me my car ended up giving me a dealer car (2014 Ford Explorer) that was the only thing he could find with navigation for my trip. It only got 16 mpg on a 1600 mile trip and cost me over twice as much as I had planned for the trip. It took 7 days to get my car fixed this time.  Unfortunately, the Ford Limited New Car warranty does not provide for loaner vehicles.  You should bypass the dealer and go directly to Ford.   

 

I'm seriously considering pursuing lemon law for my beloved car. Honestly, I just want another C-Max, but not so filled with glitches. If only Ford's warranty lasted more than 125,000 miles, I wouldn't worry. Or if I could trade in my glitchy beta version for a glitchless new version in a year or two... Sorry, I went way off-topic. I'll stop rambling now.

Singoffpitch, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of breaking down your nearly 1200 word paragraph into several paragraphs for easier reading and commenting on.  My comments are in red above.  It's too bad that your car is so problematic.  I'd probably keep it until your extended warranty runs out.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[Singoffpitch]

Singoffpitch, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of breaking down your nearly 1200 word paragraph into several paragraphs for easier reading and commenting on. My comments are in red above. It's too bad that your car is so problematic. I'd probably keep it until your extended warranty runs out.

Singoffpitch, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of breaking down your nearly 1200 word paragraph into several paragraphs for easier reading and commenting on. My comments are in red above. It's too bad that your car is so problematic. I'd probably keep it until your extended warranty runs out.

Thanks - sorry, I'm long-winded! I would absolutely do that, but I did 5 years of financing, intending to keep it longer than that since it is a Ford and they usually last forever (being my father's daughter, I keep vehicles until the parts start falling off while driving down the road). Since I commute so many miles, my warranty will end long before I own the car. My car will have depreciated beyond being worth anything for trade-in, especially with all the issues with the early 2013 model and my high mileage, and I'll take a huge hit. I wish I would have waited for the 2014. My sister-in-law is an engineer for Ford and she raved about this new car so I ignored all the bad reviews online, assuming she would know if there were any major concerns, and the people saying they were having problems were just whiny. I've refrained from being one of them until this last issue. Now I'm joining the ranks of the whine (but not blasting Ford everywhere; I have a good history with Fords and realize I just have a new car model with a lot of kinks that still needed worked out.) If I pursue the Lemon Law, I would just want to replace it with a 2014 C-Max. I truly do love the car and I've always had good experiences with Ford.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Singoffpitch

[ScubaDadMiami]

That's a tough break. From the way it sounds, even I'd give thought to pursuing a Lemon Law claim. Maybe Ford can move you into a new C-MAX rather than monetary compensation.

[Adrian_L]

Sorry to hear the saga.  It does appear that you got the runt of the litter.

 

When I bought my C-max, I knew that I would be using it for 95% inner city driving.  This is where hybrids shine.  Given your (staggering) daily freeway commute, I can't help thinking that a diesel would suit you better, especially in winter.

[dmk2000]

 

 

  Given your (staggering) daily freeway commute, I can't help thinking that a diesel would suit you better, especially in winter.

That what I was thinking about as well.

[ptjones]

That what I was thinking about as well.

Most of my driving is HWY at 45.8mpg avg. plus the difference in the cost of diesel it still make sense to have CMAX Hybrid. IMHO :) 

 

Paul

[dmk2000]

Most of my driving is HWY at 45.8mpg avg. plus the difference in the cost of diesel it still make sense to have CMAX Hybrid. IMHO :)

 

Paul

Well, you are lucky to get these numbers. My wife only getting about 41,5 on freeway doing 65 mile per hour (still not complaining, and happy). I am afraid, that during winter time, she will not be that lucky. My buddy diesel seems to be immune from winter gas blend and lower temperatures. He gets constantly 50 or more miles per gallon on his WV diesel.  

[Kelleytoons]

Just based on this week's gas/diesel prices, your buddy isn't doing any better than Paul is doing (with nationwide averages at least gasoline is 90% the cost of diesel, so 50mpg diesel = 45mpg, gas).  Obviously YMMV by area (here in our local area it's WAY worse, with regular gas going at 3.18 right now and diesel at 3.85 gasoline is 80% the cost, so your wife would be getting better value at her mpg than your buddy).  But lower temps will be an issue with our hybrids, that's for sure (although for us here in Florida it will be to the good when we hit winter).

 

You might have your wife try going a *little* faster - supposedly there is a sweet spot of between 67 and 68 mph that gets the best gas mileage at freeway speeds (folks are reporting 45+ when they set ecocruise at that sweet spot).

Edited August 25, 2014 by Kelleytoons

[ArizonaEnergi]

Quoting diesel MPG without adjusting for the price difference vs. regular is a very common mistake. When I had a diesel it was less expensive than Regular - those were the salad days!

 

The same applies to cars like the Volt that require Premium, although the adjustment is much smaller.

[kostby]

That's not nearly as large a fuel cost difference as it seems.

 

Consider driving 500 miles at the current 60 cents-per-gallon diesel fuel price "penalty" in my area of the country (and at some stations in my area the cost difference is as high as 75 cents per gallon)...

 

$3.899 per gallon for diesel and getting 50mpg

vs

vs $3.299 for 87-octane 90%gas/10%ethanol blend and getting 41.5 mpg 

yields a whopping savings of 76.0 cents cheaper for the diesel, or .0015 per mile for the diesel

 

$38.99 for 10.00 gallons of diesel at $3.899/gallon assuming 50 mpg

$39.75 for 12.05 gallons of gas at $3.399/gallon assuming 41.5 mpg 

 

If your wife could just squeeze 1 more mile per gallon out of your hybrid,  a 2.5% increase in mpg, and average 42.5 mpg instead of 41.5 mpg,, she'd 'win':

$38.99 for 10.00 gallons of diesel at $3.899/gallon assuming 50 mpg

$38.81 for 11.765 gallons of gas at $3.399/gallon assuming 42.5 mpg is 18.0 cents cheaper for C-MAX hybrid, or .00036 per mile.

 

Certainly fuel cost is only one small part of the full cost-benefit equation. There's always initial vehicle cost, federal, state, and local taxes on purchase price, available financing and incentives, cost-to-insure, license tags, required maintenance costs, and depreciation, and eventually repairs.

Edited August 25, 2014 by kostby

[dmk2000]

I am agree with you that cost of fuel is only a part of overall cost of owning car. For VW diesels ,you also have to factor maintenance cost. quality of VW cars is not uniform, and can varies from car to car. As I said before, I do not complain about mileage of CMAX, I am very pleased about it. However, in a winter month (North East) I do expect to lose some m/g, as it been happening with other gas powered cars, where diesels do not take such a big hit. That said, I also think that new diesel technology (clean air) is actually make diesels over complected and force mileage penalties. In a long run, hybrid might win. If I thought otherwise, I would go for a diesel. But again, if someone spend good part of the year driving in a cold climate, diesel could be an option.

Edited August 25, 2014 by dmk2000