C-Max is on my short list - question for owners

[mlsstl]

I'll be trading cars here in the near future (coming on 10 good years with my Volvo S40 but its about time) and I test drove the C-Max today after going in to look at a Fusion.

 

Have to say I was very impressed -- I hadn't considered a hybrid until today. My neighbor has a Prius and I've been spectacularly unimpressed by that car and just assumed all hybrids were that dull.

 

The C-Max test drive took care of that impression, but I do have one question. How comfortable are the seats for long distance trips? My short trip today indicated the seats are good, but not great. (Of course, Volvo seats are among the best from any car maker.) However, the bigger thing I'm worried about is the width of the driver's well around the knee area. I tend to sit with my knees apart and noticed that my right knee was leaning against the console. The section that rises to the dash is much closer to the driver on the C-Max compared to my S40.

 

So, having said that, how comfortable are owners finding the seats & sitting position for long trips?

[SnowStorm]

After 30,000+ miles, many 500 mile round trips and one at 1400 miles we have had no problems.  We have the SE (cloth).  I liked the SEL seats better with leather, more adjustments and, to me, a bit more comfortable but we didn't want the other SEL stuff (or the price).  Unless you have already settled on an SEL, be sure to check out both.  I don't generally have back problems but certain seats will give me a back ache in no time.  Before buying the C-Max I looked at another brand - more of an SUV - not hybrid.  Sitting in the seat for a minute started my back hurting - otherwise a nice vehicle.  If you've been happy with the Volvo, you may like the SEL seats better.  We're all different so get as much seat time as possible.  I hadn't noticed the wheel well but I see what you mean.

 

In general we love the car.  I really like the performance and the way the drivetrain works - no gear shifting - the engine just speeds up as necessary.  Used to hate getting behind slow cars on two lane roads but not now!  It gives me an excuse to "floor it"! :shift:  I would buy the car for the "no shifting" feature even if it wasn't a hybrid.  But a lifetime mileage of 46.8 MPG makes the hybrid worth it. :)

[wab]

We made five 675 one way trips (11 hours) last year and plan that many this year.

I like the seating position better than our 08 MKX (traded for the cmax).

 

I plan to remove the dead pedal.

 

One thing you need to know,

anything above 70 mph will KILL your mpg, we get low to mid 30’s at 75.

Edited April 23, 2014 by wab

[plus 3 golfer]

IMO, the seats are very comfortable. I have the SEL. In Aug 2013 I drove back East (2040 miles one way) - 20 1/2 hours the first day and 10 hours the second day. I've made the trip about a dozen times in 4 different cars - 1995 C280, 2000 Passat, 2009 Jetta TDI, and the C-Max. Even though all the cars had power seats, I could adjust the C-Max seat to a higher position and thus get a more upright leg position with good thigh support without having to move the seat back as opposed to a lower seat height with legs more extended and seat farther back. For me it's more like sitting in a chair as opposed to reclining in a recliner and more comfortable for me.

 

With that position the side of my Lower right leg lays against the contour of the center console. In my other cars it seemed that my right knee would hit / rub against the center console. After a few hours, the knee rubbing became quite irritating. So I suggest trying a seat position such that the knees are naturally more upright. The C-Max has coniderably more head room than most cars. So raising the seat height should not present a headroom problem.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[ScubaDadMiami]

I am very picky about my seating in any car. So, don't take my hypercritical stance on things too seriously.  As a bit of background, I have made a 2,000+ mile trip in my C-MAX, and I will be doing a 4,000+ trip in June. So, long-range comfort is an issue for me in selecting a vehicle.

 

I test drove a base model C-MAX, and I found those seats uncomfortable. I tried an SEL (though I hate the leather), and it was much better. So, I purchased the SEL. Since purchase, I have added padded seat covers, and I even added some more padding to that. That works pretty well for me on long range drives. Like I said, I am picky about this.

 

Like you, I found that my right knee rests against the console. Honestly, it's not a problem. I wouldn't worry about that.

 

On the driver's side, there is that stupid dead pedal. That's where I have the problem. It sits in such a way that I have to do all kinds of things to finally settle in a position for the highway.

 

WAB, please remove that dead pedal, and post the step by step for people like me that are not brave enough to be the first to try it.

[mlsstl]

Thanks for the comments -- much appreciated. Any purchase is likely later this summer or early fall so I still have plenty of time to decide. Looks like some more test drives are in order. I'll also keep watching this forum to learn more about the car. Glad I stumbled across this!

Edited April 23, 2014 by mlsstl

[fotomoto]

I've done several long day trips ( 400-500 miles) and one long 3,000 mile trip and was comfortable on all of them.  I had a Prius who's seat gave me the worst upper back pain I've ever had from driving.  

 

I'd check around the St. Louis area for CMax rentals, get one for the weekend, and go on a trip!   :shift:

[S70Pilot]

mlsstl:  I am an owner of a Volvo S70 before and now driving a CMax Energi (thus the SEL package).   Not much question that the Volvo seats are among the best.   

 

Comments that I can make on the CMax seats after 1 month of ownership:

 

1)  Generally comfortable

2)  Wish the seats can go higher, it still have head room to raise the seats

3)  Wish the lumber support can be adjusted higher up my body (it is currently a bit too low for me)

4)  Brake pedal position is strange.  It is closer to you then you think

 

I got spoiled by the Volvo Seats (for 14 years) and that's why I get picky.  I am currently putting padding to the seats to adjust to my needs and now it is better

 

So if I have to rate, if the Volvo seats are 10 (baseline), the CMax seats I give 8,  VW Beetle (which I also own) I give 5,  Honda Civic (which I am in once while) I give 6.  My adjustable office chair maybe 11  :)

[cmax-nynj]

The seats are fine whether SE or SEL.  However, the telescopic steering wheel has limited range of motion and the pedal positions are not very good resulting in less than ideal driving position.  The stupid angular dash kills some knee room for the driver and I think the shifter wastes too much space in the middle.  I suggest you look further than just the seats themselves.

[fbov]

Another Volvo convert here, although nothing as new as you folks; I gave up a 940...

 

Back seats are not bad, but typical padded platforms more of a contour bench... Volv wins no-contest. Same with the back deck (945); boht have tie-downs, but the C-Max has no stop behind the seats.

 

Front seats are not as comfortable as Volvo's if you just rate the seat, but driving is an integrated pursuit; more than your butt matters. I'm happy after ~13K miles. C-Max driving position is much better than Volvo's, primarily because you can decouple your upper and lower body.

- set seat location, rake and height for correct pedal distance and leg comfort

- set seat back rake and lumbar for head and torso comfort

- move the instrument cluster and steering wheel so these controls are also comfortable.

 

Of course there's one benefit you won't notice for a few months... this is the best car I've ever driven in snow. Traction's never been the issue in winter driving with snow tires, it's visibility. This car has the best visibility in snow squalls of any car I've owned (since 1972, and mostly Volvos, even with Euro headlights). You sit high enough and the headlight cut-off is low and sharp enough that you see over the veil of illuminated snowflakes. The jury's still out on FWD vs. RWD... FWD gives you so few options!

 

The one complaint is that my wife has a hard time getting in the car due to seat height, but Marj has special issues that are at the root of this problem.

 

For reference, my favorite chair is an Adirondack chair of my own making...

 

Have fun,

Frank

[ScubaDadMiami]

I'd check around the St. Louis area for CMax rentals, get one for the weekend, and go on a trip!   :shift:

That's what I did. You get enough seat time to know by driving. I rented one for 24 hours. I paid about $100 due to the specialty car identification, but it was well worth it. As you can see, I bought after the test drive.

[mlsstl]

Good idea to see if I can dredge up a rental. Will have to check around when I get some time.

 

I did another short (6 mile) test drive over lunchtime today, this time in a SEL. Once again, the car's suspension is excellent and I like the steering and road handling - very well planted on choppy surfaces for a small car. Engine/transmission seemed a bit more vague this time around, but still not bad for a CVT. Brakes are still weird (due to the regeneration aspect) but believe that's just a matter of getting used to them.

 

This one had the power leather seats and they seemed a bit more comfortable than the ones in the SE, though I didn't spend a lot of time seeing if that was due to just adjustment differences. The right-knee-against-the-center console didn't seem near as annoying today. Must be the weather....

 

Hopped on an interstate this time and acceleration/merging power was more than adequate for me, though I didn't have a long enough drive to see what type of mileage I might realistically get. When I drive highways, I tend to be in the just-over 70 club, but almost never exceed 75.

 

What was interesting is I had my wife's Mini Clubman (w/stick shift) today, so got to compare them back-to-back. The C-Max is certainly a more button-down ride, but is still solid enough to qualify as a good drive. I have to remember that we're keeping the Mini so will always have that available if I need a fix.

 

It'll be interesting to see what I end up with here in a few months. I believe could be happy with any of the choices. While good MPGs are a nice benefit, the C-Max scores well in the driving zone, and for me, there is more that one way to accomplish that. Just a matter of figuring out which set of characteristics I'm willing to sacrifice for another set.

[ScubaDadMiami]

You'll be back!  Just wait and see! :)

[mlsstl]

My wife test drove the car today -- she's been aggressive with her new car test driving from when I first met her 40 years ago. Today showed she hasn't lost a beat. (She calms down for her every day driving.) I sat in the passenger seats for the whole ride. Anyway, after a lot of zooming around the city, she ended up with 29 mpg (she gets 30 to 31 city in her Mini and 40 on the highway), but was impressed with how solidly quiet the C-Max was and how well the steering and suspension performed, especially on some rougher pavements.

 

I did note today that the rear seats are a solid notch or two lower quality than the front seats - lower and not very well padded. I know I won't spend much time there, but the difference in quality suprised me a bit. The Fusion back seat, by comparison, is much closer in quality to the fronts.

 

The only thing that really bothered my wife was the rather odd "new car smell". It seemed different from everything else we've been in and she ended up with a headache from it. Ended up opening the windows, but her headache didn't disappear until 15 or 20 minutes after we got in my Volvo to go home. I would think time would take care of that issue.

 

We're probably still a month or two away from any purchase so I'm probably done with test drives for a while. Will have one more round through the choices when decision time finally arrives. It'll be interesting to see what I end up with.

 

 

[ptjones]

Was that a SE or SEL?  I'm not sure what the differences are but no one has complained about our SEL. :)

 

Paul

[mlsstl]

It was an SE today, though I don't recall the SEL I drove a few days ago smelling any different. Definitely a noticable odor that was a bit different from the other new car smell I've experienced in the past. I just chalk it up to the plastics and other materials used in the interior -- I suspect they've changed over the years. I'm not overly worried about it at this point. Kind of like painting a room -- very noticable right afterwards but it usually fades quickly with time.

[ptjones]

It was an SE today, though I don't recall the SEL I drove a few days ago smelling any different. Definitely a noticable odor that was a bit different from the other new car smell I've experienced in the past. I just chalk it up to the plastics and other materials used in the interior -- I suspect they've changed over the years. I'm not overly worried about it at this point. Kind of like painting a room -- very noticable right afterwards but it usually fades quickly with time.

I was referring to the back seats being comfortable.LOL :) :)

 

Paul

[mlsstl]

Sorry for the incorrect assumption. My opinion of the SEL's back seats is about the same as for the SE, except for the leather. Not saying that anyone will suffer in the back seat, but there does seem to be a drop-off in comfort compared to the front. Right after finishing the C-Max drive today, I checked out the seats in a Fusion SE. The back seats were much nicer.