Daily driver

[Chase-max]

Trying to decide if this is a good commuter replacement for my focus. I drive about 30k miles a year. I’ve always steered clear of CVT transmissions so I’m detoured a little already. I know heat kills CVTS so no towing ( I have a truck for that) so a transmission fluid change every 30k miles is a cheap price of mind? Also what mpg are you seeing with 90% 60mph

 

TIA!

[plus 3 golfer]

LOL, the transmission is not a conventional CVT.  It's a planetary gear set with 2 electric motors but it does need a fluid change every 150 k miles.  Watch this video.  The hybrid transmission is covered by the unique hybrid components warranty for 8 years and 100 k miles.  

 

The C-Max Hybrid is one of the best cars I've owned especially on the highway.  How far is your commute?  At 60 mph cruising you should get in the mid 40s mpg minimum.  If you follow ptjones videos, you can likely get upper 40s.  Cold will kill your mpg especially until engine is warmed up - likely lower 40s.  Of course AC is summer is also a hit to mpg.     

[Chase-max]

Thank you for clarifying the CVT. My commute is about 105 round trip. How many miles do you have on your cmax

[plus 3 golfer]

112k miles. There are several things you can do to increase FE like adding grille covers for colder weather operation and running higher pressure in your tires. If you are into hypermiling, the C-Max is an ideal car because one can “control” to an extent the use of the gas engine and electric only operation to improve overall efficiency.

 

If I were buying a used C-Max, I’d get a lower mileage 2016 or late build 2015. Some 2013 and 2014 have had bearing issues in the transmission as indicated in the link below. Ford has not indicated when the issue might have been resolved. Ford has covered this under warranty for the early failures. Two members with over 100k miles recently replaced their bad transmission with used ones for $3-4K.

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/7599-hybrid-vs-hybrid-energi/?do=findComment&comment=72865

[fbov]

Continuously Variable Transmission once meant a continuous range of gear ratios were available... but this style CVT only uses two shafts, an input and output shaft. Their speed ratio will always be positive number greater than zero; if the input turns, the output turns. 

 

Our CVT has a third shaft, Charger, to use the TRW nomenclature. It allows an even wider range of input shaft (ICE) and output shaft (Tractor) speeds, since any single shaft can be stopped. The neat part is that it does all this without actually changing any gear ratios. All gears are in constant mesh, so speed ratios never change. It's the sun/ring/planet arrangement that's allowing two of the three shafts to run any speed, even backwards (reverse). 

 

The price is that Charger has to run from +10,000 RPM to -10,000 RPM. Neat thing about electricity is that it can generate the same polarity turning either way, or run with no load at all. Neat engineering. 

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/f0/cb/cb/8a9045b4dc5afb/US3732751.pdf

 

I would be driving a 2018 except I started looking too late last year. Avoid the tranny issues (which is the only reason I'm looking) and you have one very nice car. Bigger and more powerful than it's hybrid competition, it's a very flexible drive. If you want to play the "hybrid game" on 60 MPH roads, you can do very well. It works even better on 35 MPH roads, while mileage really tanks at 75 MPH. Speed matters. Cold matters (winter), but with a long, fast commute, you won't be sitting at a stop light wondering why the engine just started (you wanted heat, remember?). 

 

Have fun,

Frank

Edited July 25, 2019 by fbov

[Degrandbob]

I am planning on buying my 2017 Cmax Hybrid when the 3 year lease ends in one year....and am wondering if I still have the powertrain warranty...or do I lose it once the lease ends?

[plus 3 golfer]

AFAIK, all Ford warranties (3/36 B2B, 5/60 power train, and the 8/100 unique hybrid components) transfer to new owners.

[Degrandbob]

Continuously Variable Transmission once meant a continuous range of gear ratios were available... but this style CVT only uses two shafts, an input and output shaft. Their speed ratio will always be positive number greater than zero; if the input turns, the output turns. 

 

Our CVT has a third shaft, Charger, to use the TRW nomenclature. It allows an even wider range of input shaft (ICE) and output shaft (Tractor) speeds, since any single shaft can be stopped. The neat part is that it does all this without actually changing any gear ratios. All gears are in constant mesh, so speed ratios never change. It's the sun/ring/planet arrangement that's allowing two of the three shafts to run any speed, even backwards (reverse). 

 

The price is that Charger has to run from +10,000 RPM to -10,000 RPM. Neat thing about electricity is that it can generate the same polarity turning either way, or run with no load at all. Neat engineering. 

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/f0/cb/cb/8a9045b4dc5afb/US3732751.pdf

 

I would be driving a 2018 except I started looking too late last year. Avoid the tranny issues (which is the only reason I'm looking) and you have one very nice car. Bigger and more powerful than it's hybrid competition, it's a very flexible drive. If you want to play the "hybrid game" on 60 MPH roads, you can do very well. It works even better on 35 MPH roads, while mileage really tanks at 75 MPH. Speed matters. Cold matters (winter), but with a long, fast commute, you won't be sitting at a stop light wondering why the engine just started (you wanted heat, remember?). 

 

Have fun,

Frank

So, on average, how long does the hybrid battery usually last on the Cmax Hybrid before it needs replacing? Any idea on cost?

[plus 3 golfer]

So, on average, how long does the hybrid battery usually last on the Cmax Hybrid before it needs replacing? Any idea on cost?

I have no idea as I'm not aware of anyone that has had one replaced.  Ford has run tests which indicates several hundred thousand miles of useful life.  The HVB will likely "outlive" the car. :)  See link.

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/uploads/monthly_01_2018/post-167-0-38526400-1515341742.png

[fbov]

+1 

Members of this forum at high mileage report the chart is accurate. No loss in performance, so no reason to replace save for random failures. 

Have fun,

Frank 

[Degrandbob]

+1 

Members of this forum at high mileage report the chart is accurate. No loss in performance, so no reason to replace save for random failures. 

Have fun,

Frank

 

This forum is so helpful! Thanks for the hybrid battery info! I'm assuming the battery is liquid cooled!

[fbov]

This battery is air cooled; there's only 1L of coolant, and it's under the hood. The next gen hybrid drivetrain in the 2020 Escape has 10L of coolant on the electric side.

HAve fun,

Frank

[62Lincoln]

On 9/16/2019 at 4:12 AM, fbov said:

This battery is air cooled; there's only 1L of coolant, and it's under the hood. The next gen hybrid drivetrain in the 2020 Escape has 10L of coolant on the electric side.

HAve fun,

Frank

Good info, I hadn't read that elsewhere. Another upvote for considering the Escape Hybrid when the time comes for another vehicle.

[fbov]

And I think they use it... one thing I notice is the Escape comes back from low EV-Available more quickly than the C-Max. That implies a higher charge rate at low SOC, generating more heat, which a liquid cooling system can absorb.

 

BTW, per the manual, there's 5 qt.of coolant in "low temp" circuit, and 9.6 qt. in the "high temp" circuit, with a little more in each for the plug-in. 

 

HAve fun,

Frank