banditb17 Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I guess my #1 problem was that I wasn't exactly LOOKING for this place. I stumbled upon it when googling the recall my C-Max is under and saw you guys talking about it.I actually have a million questions and theories swimming around in my head that I was going to try to formulate into an ask.reddit post that was going to get downvoted into oblivion and never seen by anyone with any sort of legitimate input. I have a feeling those questions may fare better here. I will try to get everything sorted out later after browsing around to see if my questions have already been answered and seeing how people react to certain questions. My background: I am 28 from Wisconsin. Married with a 9 month old (which means a big ass car seat with all the side impact protection you could ever want thanks to the wife's paranoia).I have a 25 mile commute to work which means I drive around 260-270 miles a week. Bought a USED 2013 C-Max Hybrid for around 18k. Had 5000 miles. It was one of only 2 used C-Maxes in the entire area and had the lowest mileage of the two. There were several new ones to choose from but sticker price started at around 26k. I feel like I got a good deal. This is the youngest car I have ever purchased. I am a Network Administrator who is a techy and a gamer. I find this personality has a direct influence on how I drive. I primarily drove a Toyota Rav4 before which got around 24MPG. I was never big into minmaxing (a gamer term) when it came to fuel consumption. I think you guys call it hypermiling. That all changed when I got my C-Max. Getting those instant results for MPG, brake coaching, etc really turned my driving habits on their head. My lifetime average shows 43.2MPG (reset when I purchased). I frequently get about 47MPG on my commutes, typically not below 44 unless it was a bad day. Because of this my lifetime average continues to creep higher.I run Empower on the left screen which has been invaluable in training my foot to stay in EV. HVAC is typically on because of the little one in the back. I take him to daycare every morning and pick him up on the way home. Looking forward to engaging in some discussions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbov Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 First, visit Ford's electronic technical information site http://www.etis.ford.com/home.do, enter your VIN and you'll learn a lot about your vehicle, including any outstanding recalls or retrofits. Then browse this site as you'll find everything from hypermiling to roof racks for bikes. Great variety, with just enough dissent (lemon law by-backs, battery issues, etc.) to keep us honest. It's not all sweetness and light! Have fun,Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banditb17 Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I found out about the recall by having my C-Max perform a vehicle health report, actually. That is a nifty feature, for sure. Never had my car talk to the internet before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent Bevil Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Welcome - you actually summed up my recent purchase too with your write up. The Empower screen has changed my habits and I have seen my mpg growing also. The tech screens and instant feedback made a huge influence on the purchase of the vehicle. Welcome to the C-max club! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adair Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I guess my #1 problem was that I wasn't exactly LOOKING for this place. I stumbled upon it when googling the recall my C-Max is under and saw you guys talking about it.I actually have a million questions and theories swimming around in my head that I was going to try to formulate into an ask.reddit post that was going to get downvoted into oblivion and never seen by anyone with any sort of legitimate input. I have a feeling those questions may fare better here. I will try to get everything sorted out later after browsing around to see if my questions have already been answered and seeing how people react to certain questions. My background: I am 28 from Wisconsin. Married with a 9 month old (which means a big ass car seat with all the side impact protection you could ever want thanks to the wife's paranoia).I have a 25 mile commute to work which means I drive around 260-270 miles a week. Bought a USED 2013 C-Max Hybrid for around 18k. Had 5000 miles. It was one of only 2 used C-Maxes in the entire area and had the lowest mileage of the two. There were several new ones to choose from but sticker price started at around 26k. I feel like I got a good deal. This is the youngest car I have ever purchased. I am a Network Administrator who is a techy and a gamer. I find this personality has a direct influence on how I drive. I primarily drove a Toyota Rav4 before which got around 24MPG. I was never big into minmaxing (a gamer term) when it came to fuel consumption. I think you guys call it hypermiling. That all changed when I got my C-Max. Getting those instant results for MPG, brake coaching, etc really turned my driving habits on their head. My lifetime average shows 43.2MPG (reset when I purchased). I frequently get about 47MPG on my commutes, typically not below 44 unless it was a bad day. Because of this my lifetime average continues to creep higher.I run Empower on the left screen which has been invaluable in training my foot to stay in EV. HVAC is typically on because of the little one in the back. I take him to daycare every morning and pick him up on the way home. Looking forward to engaging in some discussions! :clapping: Loved reading your post Bandit, and welcome to our (mostly) happy little C-MAX family! Sounds like you and your car are a perfect match! Have fun learning all the cool stuff it does. Some you may never use, some you'll wonder how you ever drove without! Tons of reading and even more helpful folks here. Glad to have you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordService Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 ... Bought a USED 2013 C-Max Hybrid for around 18k. Had 5000 miles. It was one of only 2 used C-Maxes in the entire area and had the lowest mileage of the two. There were several new ones to choose from but sticker price started at around 26k. I feel like I got a good deal. This is the youngest car I have ever purchased. ... banditb17, Welcome to the forum. I'm here to help out if you have any questions or concerns that aren't already addressed on the forum somewhere. Just let me know if you need me! Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbov Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 ...Never had my car talk to the internet before.You still haven't... Vehicle Health Reports are delived by phone, not internet. If you don't have a phone sync'ed to the car, you can't do a VHR. It it truly needed internet, I'd never get it set up right...Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Welcome aboard. It's a good forum. I love the empower screen--BUT..........don't be tempted to obsessively keep the car "in the blue". I found that you get better results by accelerating moderately from a stop (the gas engine will kick in) to your cruising speed. I'm getting 48 mpg average (after 3000 miles) and the best advice I can give is use your ECO cruise as much as you can. Even for 30 or 40 mph driving. AdrianVancouver Brent Bevil and C-MaxSea 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotPotato Posted July 3, 2014 Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 Welcome! You got a sweet deal vs new, on a car that will give you miles of smiles. Jus-A-CMax and DaveofDurham 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banditb17 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 You still haven't... Vehicle Health Reports are delived by phone, not internet. If you don't have a phone sync'ed to the car, you can't do a VHR. It it truly needed internet, I'd never get it set up right...FrankTrue true, but at some point it passes the info on to the website which I am totally down with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banditb17 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 I love the empower screen--BUT..........don't be tempted to obsessively keep the car "in the blue". I found that you get better results by accelerating moderately from a stop (the gas engine will kick in) to your cruising speed. I have actually started to do this lately because the EV just doesn't quite put out the juice that I am comfortable with for acceleration unless it is a downhill start. I find that an ICE start followed by a nice long EV coast seems to give me the best milage. I just got 51MPG on the way to work today and 48 on the way home. My wife is getting sick of me bragging. MomsHugs and C-MaxSea 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockwallRick Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 My Wife is tired of hearing about my 100% brake scores! She is proof that you can get at least 43 mpg out of the C-Max without even trying! :lol: Jus-A-CMax 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banditb17 Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 My wife has been improving. I saw my lifetime MPG went up by .1 during one of her longer trips. I had to give her kudos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus-A-CMax Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I have actually started to do this lately because the EV just doesn't quite put out the juice that I am comfortable with for acceleration unless it is a downhill start. I find that an ICE start followed by a nice long EV coast seems to give me the best milage. I just got 51MPG on the way to work today and 48 on the way home. My wife is getting sick of me bragging. EV from standstill to 10mph is keeping up with traffic, at least here in Los Angeles. However, if you can manage 15 mph (traffic allowing) and then kick in ICE to 35mph at 1.75 to 2 bar (rear traffic dependent). Try that. Even better if you can manage 20mph in EV from standstill - that is optimal. Jus' 2c ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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