2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid Test Drive

On-Sale Date: Fall 2012

Price: $25,995 to $32,280 (base SE to optioned SEL; includes $795 delivery)

Competitors: Toyota Prius V, Mazda5, Subaru Impreza 5-door

Powertrain: 2.0-liter I4 with electric hybrid; 188 hp total; CVT, FWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 47/47 mpg

What's New: Aimed squarely at the market-dominanting Toyota Prius, Ford's C-Max Hybrid brings a 50-hp advantage, more passenger room, and much higher fuel-economy ratings to the fight (the Toyota makes 40 mpg highway and 42 overall compared with the Ford's 47/47). It also undercuts the price of the comparable Prius V by $1300. By adapting its the European-market, Focus-based C-Max five-door hatchback, which was introduced in 2010 but not previously sold in America, Ford achieved a distinct body style?an important factor for hybrid buyers intent on making a statement?without engineering a unique platform.

Tech Tidbit: Ford builds its own lithium-ion battery packs in-house. More compact and potent than the nickel?metal hydride (NiMH) batteries in previous Ford hybrids (and still used by Toyota), the smaller pack leaves room for a 13.5-gallon gas tank (versus 11.9-gallon in the Prius V) and a 570-mile driving range without refueling. And that assumes a real-world 42.2 mpg; hypermilers no doubt will fill Internet discussions with boasts of driving more than 600 miles between stops.

Driving Character: The polished character of the Focus platform and the C-Max's significant power advantage over a Prius combine to form a hybrid you can live with, as we found on two-lane canyon roads east of Malibu, Calif. Because it's heavier and has a higher center of gravity than the Focus (despite the mass of the battery low and to the rear), the C-Max wouldn't be a driving enthusiast's first choice for fun. But the drone of the CVT at least provides appreciable acceleration even uphill. The electronic stability control lends a hand without being intrusive, and the standard 17-inch wheels with 225/50-R tires provide a sense of cornering grip far beyond what you'd expect for this segment.

Favorite Detail: Storage bins under the rear seats provide a place to stow the clutter of odds and ends kids tend to accumulate. This offsets (though only a little) the one comparison between the C-Max and Prius that tilts strongly Toyota's way: cargo capacity with the rear seat folded?52.6 cubic feet in C-Max versus 67.1 in Prius V.

Driver's Grievance: Althought the MyFordTouch infotainment system has improved with each generation, there's still a steep learning curve new owners will have to climb. This is more an issue for multidriver households than for the person who will drive it daily and settle into the settings that work best for him or her.

The Bottom Line: Even with gas prices on the uptick, it's hard to justify the extra buy-in cost of a hybrid. But the 47-mpg rating and sticker price advantage of the C-Max Hybrid make the argument stronger for the Ford than for the Toyota Prius V. Ford's goal here seems not to be convincing a lot of Prius loyalists to switch brands, but rather to claim a bigger share of a growing segment. And with the C-Max, the automaker is walking a clever line, appealing simultaneously to the make-a-statement eco-committed crowd seeking a distinctive-looking car and to the much larger number of customers who just want a good, fuel-efficient vehicle that goes beyond an ordinary Ford Focus.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/hybrid-electric/2013-ford-c-max-hybrid-12122917?src=rss

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