Comments on: Ford Touts 620-Mile Range For C-MAX Energi

By: Osvaldo Verduzco

Osvaldo Verduzco — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:56:12 +0000

My brother got the C-Max two weeks ago. His daily commute is 30 miles highway and he has not been able to get past 37MPG.

I own a Prius 2007. My commute is 8 miles in the city and in the summer I get 42 MPG. In the winter, I only get 37 MPG because the heater requires the engine to run more often. It is far off teh EPA rating of 60MPG/city. But I know EPA ratings asume optimal condituions so I epected this kind of results.

When I travel in the freway, and I do this often to visit my family, I get 51 MPG both in winter and in summer. Surprisingly, this does not change whether I do 55mph or 70mph all the way.

If the C-Max gets over 30MPG in the city, that is an improvement over non hybrid cars but for it not to achieve even 40MPG in the highway, it is a disappointment.

By: mike spallino

mike spallino — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:16:17 +0000

The MPG ratings are figured on 55 mph. Driving at 70 kills the mileage

By: R houser

R houser — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 22:29:17 +0000

I was loaned a c-max (not energi) for 24 hours. Driving at. Constant 70 mph both directions the instantanious mpg never exceeded 40 mpg and the total combined mpg averaged 36.8. Clearly the governent ratings are still total BS. The 620 miles will probably wil also be off Hythe same percentage. I doubt the energi will go more tha 15 real world miles on battery. Sorry but that’s how the gov. Works.

By: CharlesF

CharlesF — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:47:41 +0000

Van, I hope you are correct. The most I have driven in a day over the last 4 years is just under 500 miles. Using your math that would work out to 51 MPG. So for me the C-Max Energi would give me better than Prius MPG for my long trips and better than PIP for EV short trips. The only time that the Prius Liftback would be better is if the trip is over 565 miles without charging.

By: Van

Van — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:00:24 +0000

A possible solution to the issue that 43 MPG does not compute with 620 mile range, is the initial operation is not EV mode, but the hybrid charge depleting mode. Just as a pure guess for illustration, say in charge depleting mode, the Energi gets 55.5 MPG. Lets say the car burns half its fuel, i.e. 6.3 gallons in charging depleting mode, going (6.3 x 55.5 =) 350 miles. Then with its battery depleted, it shifts to charge sustaining mode, getting 43 MPG, and burns the other 6.3 gallons (6.3 x 43 =) 271 miles. The total range then is 271 + 350 or 621 miles.

Just a theory

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:03:33 +0000

I'll be trading in my 2004 Prius for a C-Max Energi for the following reasons:
1) My one-way commute is close to the Electric-only range, and I can plug in at work for free.
2) I prefer the hatchback over the Volt's less practical rear design.
3) Prius Plug-in's Electric-only range is too short.

I already get 50 MPG today during the work week, and then my mileage plumments during short distance weekend driving. My hope is my gasoline purchases will go down about 75%. Thus, over 10 years of ownership, it easily pays for itself when I add the Federal and State tax breaks. Reallly a no-brainer. My only concern is Ford's reliability history. I've been driving Toyotas for 20 years. A bit worried on that account, particularly since the 3 local Ford dealerships all get very poor reviews.

By: Greg G

Greg G — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:52:22 +0000

I am a Volt owner and tend to treat it more as an electric car with gas backup. 85% of my driving has been electricity and after 3mos of ownership I’m only halfway through the tank of gas I got from the dealer. This car sounds great but the 20 miles vs. 38 miles on electricity is a bummer. I often use most of or slightly exceed my electric range and need a few miles from the gas charger. It would be much more significant with this vehicle. It may be that the cost of fuel (electric and gas together) is the same or cheaper with this car but I like not using gas from a “reduce our dependence on oil” perspective.

By: Van

Van — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:49:17 +0000

Yes, several test drives reported on the internet, i.e. Road and Track and Car and Driver, say their new (not fully broken in yet) C-Max got in the 33 to 39 mile range. At the same time they indicate they operated it in higher performance modes, i.e. getting zero to 60 times way under 9 seconds. So if a person does use all the extra power, i.e. about 60 horses more than a Prius, they will not get even 43 MPG. On the other hand, one report say that over a tank of gas, about 540 miles, they got 44 MPG.

This points to yet another advantage of plug-in hybrids, less cold starts and low mileage short jaunts in stop and really go traffic.

By: c_harnett

c_harnett — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:42:29 +0000

MrEnergyCzar: "electric mode... .that's the most important variable...."

Not necessarily Suppose most of your trips are 20 miles or less and the rest are 100 miles or more... What's the calculus then? What are your actual objectives?

By: Jesse Rudavsky

Jesse Rudavsky — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:06:37 +0000

I just drove the c-max hybrid today and I am very dissapointed with the fuel economy. At 61 degrees and 65mph round trip, mile marker to mile marker, I only achieved 36mpg. My prius with 321k miles moments later on the same route under the same conditions achieved 50mpg. Also on the same route, I tested a 2012 Ford fusion hybrid with 12k miles and got 36mpg at 65mph. Ford may be in some hot water…My advice is test drive before you buy….