Ford C Max, Prius killer?

The key word in your sentence above is my. But, according to Consumer Reports (Oct '12), Ford's reliability is dropping like a rusty muffler!

 

You may note that a major reason for the reliability drop in that survey was the fusion was not included. Its tough to make the case that the fusion is unreliable based on the claim that CR says ford reliability drops when they don't include the fusion in reliability statistics. JD powers rates the fusion as one of the most reliable cars.

CR had a big drop in the ford explorer, mainly based on sync and the new transmission. The fusion hybrid and c-max use a new improved version of software on sync and myford touch, and do not use those transmissions.

 

We used to beat the tar out of Ford F-250 trucks at work. They hardly got any regular maintenance, just oil changes, air filter once in a while. Very reliable trucks.

 

They also said the following:

From the first sentence it tells you that new/redesigned models had more issues. The follow-on lists three models not included in the survey because of redesigns ... well what makes anyone think that there won't be issues with the newer versions? It seems like they have issues with new or redesigned models. They probably try and rush them to market without working all the kinks out, hence poor reliability!

 

I think C-Max hybrid is a car a lot of Americans would be willing to consider who otherwise wouldn't consider a Prius with its lower HP, smaller tires, wedge shape and futuristic interior. 39 MPG is a lot better than the 25 MPG they'd be getting in their Rav4 or other CUV. Fuelly is showing 39.x so far. That's about all one can expect with this vehicles's weight and HP.

Is C-Max a CUV type car and therefore the first hybrid CUV?

 

Did you read it?

They did not include any fusions. THey excluded them. The old ones, the new ones, etc. Dont guess something is unrelable just because consumer reports did not test it? That is a big error in logic.

The comment about the new designs were about the explorer, not the fusion which was untested by CR. It makes you wonder how misleading other CR tests are reported

 

I know exactly what you're saying. My point is that they don't have a good track record with new/redesigned models. Also, they ended up being next to last in the survey. How much higher do you think they would have been if those models were included?

I do think that it was a major faux pas not to include those models, since it would more accurately reflect the reliability of the company as a whole. It's not always what they tell you, it's also what they don't tell you!

 

CR misses some important details at times. For example -

They highly recommend most Bosch dishwashers yet never mention the racks are 2" shorter than all other brands. Smaller racks stink.
And the kicker, May 2008 Best and Worst suv, ... wagons edition, page 6, 'worst wagons and hatchbacks for TALL drivers - None' Seriously? 2nd Generation Prius is not among worst of any car for tall drivers? BS* They comment the 3rd gen Prius has awkward driving position but never mentioned that on 2nd gen.

* Maybe it's time to stop griping about this

 

Excellent point. See post above. CR has a bad habit of missing some important details and models in their reviews.

 

Much Much higher. They had big issues with the new transmission and software interface. Both of these are partially software related, and this is different on the escape and fusion. By removing the most reliable you get a badly biased sample. Its great for headlines but not so much for getting information out.

The new 1.6L eco-boost has had reliability problems, and a recall. We will see if the fix worked in time. The 2L ecoboost, 2L atkinson (hybrid), and 2.5L NA ICE do not seem to be reporting problems. A couple of the car mags mentioned that they still don't like sync and myford touch, but it is improved, and works better than toyota's entune. We shall see after anouther couple of years how that works out.

CR methodology on these reports leaves a lot to be desired. It would have been more helpful and factually accurate if they had focused on the problems with the explorer and fiesta, instead of releasing what I consider misleading information on the corporation. CR's actual research seems to indicate the new fusion and c-max will continue to be very reliable, but the headlines seem to paint all ford vehicles with one brush.

 

Majority of complaints were about the Myford touch! While I agree its a piece of donkey turd, that has nothing to do with reliability. The fact they have it in so many vehicles now, spreads the hatred to almost all the vehicles. First year models always have issues, some minor, some major, but usually get repaired and corrected quickly.

 

They are operating on the "rush to market" strategy. Then they worry about the "day two" issues. As long as they continue with that strategy it will affect their reliability ratings.

 

Can't argue that. They keep promising Applink for Pandora on the MFT, and 2 years or more later, still no applink. They keep saying they have a fix for the MFT Nav units on the way, haven't seen it yet. I wish the NAV could have come like it did in my 2010, plain, simple interface with Sync, which has not given me any trouble in my cars except for one reboot in my 2010 Sport before their last update.

 

This video is pretty easy to watch and a little funny. Only bummer is they don't measure actual fuel economy, not even what is showing on the FE gauges, then declare C-Max a winner based on EPA estimates.

 

Those are the kind of reviews that came out before the actual owners came out complaining about not getting EPA MPG. I think reviews like that could have informed/warned about the MPG.

 

The problem with the Ford C-Max is that its not a Toyota. What is the track record of the C-Max? Not one single lap!! And as for the Prius family? Lapped the competition. Nuff said.

I hope Ford and Chevy find the cure to their reliability issues... I'll stick to my Prius thank you.

 

Imitation is the best form of flattery. With the success of the Prius, you can't blame Ford.

I''m a proud owner of a Prius V but I was curious and went down to a Ford Dealer to check out the C Max. I have to admit, I was impressed. Ford has done a excellent job in trying to best the Prius. They also have made a very compelling argument with the competitive pricing and the added features. The car that I test drove was the SEL so it would be an apples to apples comparison with my version V Prius. The interior of the C Max was better than the Prius. They also had a multitude of added features such as dynamic cruise control (available on Prius is a very hefty upgrade) but also features not found on a Prius. Auto rear lift gate, side to side lane control, auto assist parking etc.. I believe overall Ford has provided a very competitive product and will certainly attract buyers. Driving the C Max you could tell right away the additional power the car had. it felt good and the steering felt more like a normal car. I don't believe the 47/47/47 claims but if it's close the fun to drive aspect could offset it. Competition is good, Toyota needs to react if they want to stay on top. As for me, I wouldn't have change my mind. I'm very happy with the Prius V, no buyers remorse. Unfortunately, I have long ago stop buying American made cars. I wish Ford well, they appear to have put together some very well designed cars. I hope they prove to have the long term quality they need to have to start luring customers like myself back.

 

Just out of curiosity, I am wondering if the ones experiencing poor fuel economy are having cooling issues. I think I found the root cause of the problems mine is having, fouled plugs, poor gas mileage, is due to it not getting hot enough. Even with the grills fully packed with ice and snow, it never got above 177*, and that was from heat soak. It averaged below 150* over a 30 mile trip.

If someone has a link to a credible document related to engine temps and fuel efficiency on the Hybrids, I would greatly appreciate it, I can use it to force Ford to find the cause of this cars issues.

 

Alanfujji - just a minor correction: the v Five with ATP does have parking assist. It actually works pretty well.

 

I went to a Ford Dealer this weekend to look at the CMAX and CMAX energi, which I'm considering alongside the Prius V.

When asked, the salesman had to think about it for a few minutes, then he directed me over to the only one they had, a CMAX hybrid.

When I asked if he had any of the Energi model, he responded, "No, this is a hybrid. You don't have to plug it in". I let it go.

The car was set off to one side, covered in dust and still had all the interior protective plastic covering it. He let us sit in it, but when we asked about a test drive, he said we'd have to come back another day as this one wasn't ready to drive yet.

I asked more questions about the Energi for which he had no answers. "We don't have any of those."

I've now done this same act with two other Ford dealers, one who had neither CMAX nor Energi on the lot, and one who told me I needed to make an appointment with the "CMAX salesperson".


When I posted this on Facebook, I got a reply from a woman from Ford, who directed me to their vehicle search tool, which she said would help me find a C-Max or Energi model at a dealer near me.

The tool indicated that I should go to the dealership that had the dusty C-Max and it said to talk to the salesperson who hadn't a clue about the CMAX.

I think I'm just going to go ahead and buy the Prius V. At least their dealers are well-stocked and their salesmen well-trained.