Ford C Max Energi

Report back the fuel economy for your first few tanks.

I was looking at the CMax last year as well but drove off with the PiP because the Energi model wasn't available. Then there was the whole ruckus about Ford misleading consumers with inflated fuel economy on their Fusion and CMax models. That fancy iPhone 5 caliber MyFord Sync lowered Ford's reliability survey. My boss is trying to lemon law his Fusion because of the numerous bugs he has including not being able to change the climate control until 3 minutes after the car started. On the flip side Toyota's Entune is absolute garbage and buggy as well. Luckily, it's only in charge of audio and NAV.

Due to the above, I'm happy I didn't get either the Fusion or the CMax Energi. Still this PiP is a terrible driver's car. I hope Ford does better in their sophomore year with PHEV.

 

I found the CMax so nice I got two (twins). First, I got the SEL hybrid last spring (42mpg lifetime, 18k miles) and a couple of weeks ago, an Energi as there are great deals on the final 2013's that were too good to pass up.

My wife really liked the comfort and power and was always coming up with reasons to drive it and you know where that leads. So, as a birthday/early Christmas present, she got it and I got an Energi (I do more city driving). Unintentionally, they are identical ruby reds with the 302a package.

If you are fine with Prius Gen II level fuel economy in hybrid mode but want more room, power, features, and comfort, you seriously owe it to yourself to test drive one.

 

you're comparing the wrong cars. did you drive a pip?

 

Cmax is too small for my needs. but i don't need a V either. liftback is just right.

 

I had a CMAX for a week to try out. Mileage was disappointing in cold Canadian weather. Agree it has some plus features compared to prius, but I still get back to reliability. Ford just does not stack up in my opinion.

 

I'm glad you are happy with your cars. So am I. We obviously value different things. And that is OK.

 

that's why there are so many choices!

 

Let's see if the C-max pushes 200k relatives trouble free. I'm gonna doubt that. It's a Ford after all.

 

I've only had one Toyota make it to 200k relatively trouble free. I doubt either C-Max or Prius can accomplish this feat.


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Seems to me to be pretty common here on Prius Chat.

 

I was really set on buying a C-Max, I joined the forums, had everything selected, then I drove one. The Energi, as expected was heavy, the first use of the brakes was alarming and turning felt like a raft. I tried making some U-turns on wide streets and ended up settling for 3 point turns. The real deal killer was the feel of the steering wheel, it didn't match the well-appointed look of the rest of the interior, it felt like plastic with sharp seams. The dual zone climate was nice though.

I came upon the Prius v completely by chance, it just wasn't in my radar. It's only driven ~200 miles a month, but I really enjoy those 200 miles.

 

I almost bought an Energi. I had the deal ready and was about to sign. But it had too many scratches in the plastic piano-finishes. The cargo space was bad. Then the sinker was when I found out the battery is $8,500 to replace, not counting installation. I also see very few of them on the road in FL and am concerned resale will be horrible. The dealer is overloaded with 2013 models in Dec 2013 and Ford has said 2014 will only be a 9-month run.

I did find the Energi plenty peppy and fun to drive. I just can't stand the shiny scratch-prone finishes. I did appreciate they didn't put fabric on the doors like the Prius V - the part I hate the most about the Prius V interior, other than lack of enough accessory and USB ports, which were liberal in the Ford. Ford even had a regular 110v outlet for the rear passengers.

 

I originally went with the cmax hybrid primarily due to the reduced cargo space but have found that the NRG handles our family of four weekly shopping trips just fine:




and can still swallow large items too. There's an outdoor cooker and LP bottle in there too.




Your comment on the battery price is meaningless as you won't pay for a battery replacement for at least 8 years or 10 if you live in a carb state. FUD on prius battery prices ($10k) have proven to be completely wrong.

 

The comment on battery price is not meaningless. If you keep your car 8 years and it goes bad at 8 years and 1 day, and needs a replacement, the estimated price today is $8500 for the battery + labor minus potentially a core fee for returning the old battery. The regular CMax battery is closer to the Prius pricing. Energi's battery is enormous and expensive. As dealers become wiser about hybrids, the battery cost and miles you've put on the vehicle will affect the trade-in value a lot more for an $8500 battery than a $2200 battery.

There's no spare tire or hidden space at all in CMax because it's all battery. Instead, you get a funnel (for the capless gas fill (which is a nice feature) and a can of fix-a-flat.

Cubic feet are cubic feet. Energi has less capacity than Prius V, a complaint in every review of it. I couldn't take my family on a long trip in the Energi if I want to still be able to see out my back window. For me, this was a mark on the negative column. Some may not care.

Again, I thought it was a fine car fun to drive with good power for a hybrid. You don't have to be offended I didn't choose to buy the car you did. I bought the one that I felt would have better resale and life for what I need it for.

The one good thing about the Energi is the dealer appeared a little desperate to move them. The deal I had, after the $3750 gov't rebate for a plug-in, put the Energi $750 less than the Prius V and it had a lot more features. They were knocking off right around $7,000 before gov't rebate.

 

Again, you speak with certainty that the price will remain the same 8-10 years down the road. Also, car companies have been known to pro-rate high dollar parts that are just out of warranty or simply good will replace them. BTDT

You're new here so you probably don't realize that FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) on battery prices has been used again the Prius (and priuschat members) for years. Gen I & II owners who are now experiencing battery failures have six courses of action: trade in vehicle for something else, sell a non-running vehicle, factory battery replacement in the $3-5k range (upper end by greedy dealers), buy a used battery from a salvage yard, swap in a "refurb" battery from the growing cottage industry, or repair the individual bad cells.

BTW, the current Energi tax credit is $4k and yes the year end clearance deals encouraged me into buying one. I added a hitch and cargo carrier to our other cmax hybrid so we have the extra capacity when we need it.



Enjoy your v, it's a great car.

 

I've seen more posts of people on Priuschat with troubles before 200k than those who've made it. I'm biased because I don't like Toyotas so I admit I could be purposely clicking on people with trouble than those who made it.


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