Looking to purchase a used C Max

[jvillerot14]

Hey everyone. I've been lurking here for months and now it's almost time to start shopping for my new used car. I will be trading in my 2012 Chevy Cruze (worst car I've ever owned) and am looking for a 2013 Sel model. I own a DJ service so I'm looking for reliability and of course cargo space (I can fit everything in my Cruze but its tight.) Aside from the potential battery issues are there any other issues I should aware of?

 

Now for colors..what is the best color for hiding dirt lol? My current car is granite black and it is dirty by the time I leave my driveway and I hate it. I don't want a color I will have to wash every day.

 

I'm so excited and cannot wait until I have my max.

[fbov]

Welcome!

 

I find Ice Storm to be a very nice color for hiding both dirt and salt this time of year. It's also amazing how much stuff you can fit in one of these. If space is precious, you'll want to avoid the Energi plug-in, for it's space-stealing battery hump. 12V battery issues in SELs are rare, so we complain about other stuff. My service outlay in the first 30K miles has only been two oil changes, and all the recalls where at my convenience.

 

The only real concern from a reliability standpoint is the lack of a spare, as I've holed a sidewall and been stranded once already. Easy to fix, as long as a spare tire fits will your other gear..

 

HAve fun,

Frank

[fotomoto]

Light colors are best.  The absolute best color I've found is the light brown earth tone family with marketing names like champagne gold, desert sand, driftwood pearl, etc. but that color family isn't offered in the CMax.  My wife's metallic white does a much better job than my ruby red at hiding the day to day buildup of road grime.

 

Concur with Frank on the SEL's.  We've had three (long story) with zero issues over 60,000+ combined miles.  

[shinytop]

I have always thought the light colors were best.  But I got the Sterling Grey SEL and it always looks clean unless I have gone through a mud puddle.  

[C-MaxSea]

I will second Shinytop in saying that the Sterling Grey is quite good at hiding dirt.  Would not trade it, even though I like the other colors too.  (A quick clean of the rear window & windshield and it all looks clean again.)  Do your homework on buying, bargain hard, checkout the vehicle thoroughly, find a good dealer with a well trained service department, yadda, yadda, yadda.   Good luck.  Nick

[SPL Tech]

You just missed out on the time to buy. Dead winter is the best time to buy because sales are slow. That's the worst time for sales. On the other hand, tax season is the worst time to buy because people have extra cash and they want a new car for the spring.

That said, if you are willing to shop around for the best deal, wait until a great deal pops up, and you are willing to drive a ways to get the vehicle, there is no reason why you cant get one for $3k below KBB easy. I got a 2013 SEL with every option and only 27k miles for only $16k because I waited five months and then jumped on it the day I found the deal. I had to drive 1200 miles and fly 4500 miles to get it, but it was worth it as I saved $5k off KBB. I traded in my 5-year-old Jetta and ended up paying only $6500 out the door for it! $32k sticker price, less than 2 years old and only $6500 with my trade-in. You can do the same if you shop around hard and long.

Anyway, use Autotrader and Car Gurus. I ended up finding my car on Car Gurus, and that's probably the best site out there to find a good deal.

 

If you want the best deal possible you are going to have to give up color shopping and all that jazz and be willing to shop solely by best deal. I originally wanted an SE not an SEL, but it happened to be the SEL I found was such an amazing deal that it dident make sense to hold out for an SE since the SEL I was looking at it was even less than many SEs.

 

Last, I recommend using the website to find deals everywhere in the USA, not just your local area. If you are willing to travel, you can save an insane load of cash. By buying locally you are probably going to end up paying about $4k or more than you have to compared to if you were willing to drive to other states.

Edited January 30, 2015 by SPL Tech

[Kelleytoons]

Here in Florida Ice Storm is the absolute best color for hiding dirt -- have washed it exactly ONCE and it looks as new as the day we got it seven months ago (and you might have heard but we do get a bit of rain here now and then :>).

Edited January 30, 2015 by Kelleytoons

[JAZ]

Think I've washed my Ice Storm twice in the two years I've had it...

[markd]

I live in Indianapolis and we get a lot of road grime in the winter, but I still love my ice storm even though I have to wash it every couple of weeks. Buy an SEL.

[brbevil]

Love my Ruby Red 2013 SEL with Black interior.  Always looks shiny and new.  I bought mine with 26K on the clock and got a great deal.  Currently at 33K and no issues whatsoever.  I searched for a few weeks using auto trader and finally found one in the color and options (SEL) and panoramic roof that I wanted about 3 hours away.  Easy deal and I think I paid around 17K for it. Love the car, tech interior roominess etc.  Good luck with your search.

[Adrian_L]

There are a few 2013 SEL models with low mileage (10,000-15,000 miles) around my neck of the woods, going for about $10,000 less than I paid.  I drove the SE and the SEL and the choice was clear--I just had to have the SEL with all the goodies except parking assist.     

We haven't had a problem in nearly a year.  MPGs fall in the cold, but I can live with that.

[NavyRuss]

I bought my used 2013 CMAX SEL mid November.  I did quite a bit of research and there didn't seem to be as many people selling newer used CMAX vehicles compared to other conventional car models.  I shopped around on the internet with the planned on buying anyway I could find the best deal throughout the country and on shipping to me on the East Coast.  I also went searching the features of models using the VINs because the online dealers do not always post more info online than a generic statement.

 

At the time, I was looking closely at the West Coast as there seemed to be quite a few California used fleet vehicles in 2013 model year with about 27K miles and panorama sunroofs with Ford Sync My Touch with Navigation.  In the end, I found one close to home on the East Coast which had no panorama sunroof but had the park assist and only 20K miles.  When I showed up at the dealer, they were reluctant to show me the car, as it had not even been cleaned and was at the body shop for minor touch ups but I bought it after a 10 min look.  It had not been out on the lot and they had not even advertised the super high end electronic features in their internet posting with the park assist.  I was also glad I saved $1K to ship the vehicle from the West Coast and could simply drive it home after giving the dealer two days to prep it.

 

There are some fairly good priced commercial shippers out there and I think it may be a good deal buying the best priced CMAX in excellent condition wherever it is being offered around the country.  Interestingly, I had never given much thought to the CMAX name or model until I was at a Ford Fleet event last spring for my work and a Ford executive encouraged me to go for a ride with him.  The car's comfort built on an SUV chassis with high head clearance and leg room immediately caught my attention.  When it came time to buy a new car, I realized I much prefer a CMAX compared to a Mercedes, Lexus or other luxury vehicle.  I also love the "cockpit" feel I have for my 6 foot frame with my head nudged flush against the headrest when I drive.  I also think Ford receives a bad rap from the press when Ford Sync My Touch is criticized for being overly complicated.  It may be one thing if I get in a rental car and feel overwhelmed with the technology, but when I buy a car, I am willing to take a few hours to really understand the system and I am happy that I can accomplish everything by voice when I am driving down the road without having to press a button or look away from the highway.  And I love the audio system for my bluetooth phone.  I get in the car every morning and call my customers in Europe without missing a beat.

 

If you are in a winter region (even more so than I), then I wouldn't worry about the color.  I have a darker gray color but then I enrolled in a $29 monthly car wash plan and just drive the car through a couple times a week in winter to clean off the salt and dirt.  If you do that, then I'd just buy the color you like or the car that provides the best value and not worry about whether the color will hide the dirt.

Edited February 3, 2015 by NavyRuss