Ford C-Max

The Ford C-Max is a hybrid gas-electric car. The Energi version of this car is all electric.

History

The Ford C-Max came out in 2013. The Ford C-Max is intended to rival a number of electric and hybrid cars on the market.

Design

The Ford C-Max is essentially a tall wagon version of the Ford compact hatch; the major differences are under the hood.
The Ford C-Max uses a two liter Atkinson-Cycle gas engine with an electronically controlled CVT engine. The battery is charged by the gas engine and partially recharged by regenerative brakes. Unlike many hybrid cars, the Ford C-Max does have some cargo space and room for two adult passengers in the back seat. The cargo room is limited, though, because the lithium ion battery pack is in the bottom of the trunk.
There are two trim levels: SE and SEL. The SE trim level includes dual zone climate control, an adjustable driver seat, illuminated glove box, the Sync interface with Bluetooth connectivity, and a six speaker sound system. The SEL trim level adds heated seats, rear parking systems, the MyFord Touch interface, navigation system, rearview camera, and remote start. You can pay extra for an automatic parallel parking system and powered lift gate.

Performance

The Ford C-Max gets 42 miles per gallon in the city and 37 miles per gallon on the highway. The highway driving is actually lower than city driving, the inverse of the norm, because the electric battery is recharged partially by breaking, so stop and go driving actually improves its gas mileage.
The Energi version of the Ford C-Max adds a UPS batter to extend the electric only range but does not get more gas mileage out of the vehicle. The Ford C-Max takes around six hours to recharge the battery at 120 volts and 2 hours on a 240 volt connection.
The Ford C-Max does generate about fifty more horsepower than the Toyota Prius.
JD Power and Associates rated the 2015 version of the Ford C-Max above average in reliability. Consumer Reports rated the Ford C-Max all electric version as below average on reliability.
The 2015 Ford C-Max was given a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.


Price

The 2015 Ford C-Max cost around $24,000 new. With the SEL trim line and all the features, the price of a new one in 2015 approached $32,000. The all electric version the Energi is similarly priced.

Rivals

The major rivals to the Ford C-Max are the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt, Audi A3 e-tron, and Ford Focus Electric. Rival cars, hybrid or not, include the Volvo V60, Honda CR-Z, Lexus CT, and Subaru Outback. The Diesel powered Volkswagen Golf actually gets better gas mileage than the C-Max Hybrid.

Trivia

In 2014, there was a recall for the Ford C-Max for the restraint control module or RCM, essentially the controller for the airbags. For the 2013 model year, there was a recall for the seat backs not being properly welded to the seat frame. The 2013 Ford C-Max had a separate recall for insufficient crash protection and rear door locks not working properly when the child lock was engaged.
There is a Ford B-Max, but it is not an electric car nor a hybrid. That car is a mini-MPV.