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Owners Reporting Lower EPA mpg for C-Max

8 messages,  Last post on Dec 22, 2012 at 12:57 PM

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#1 of 8 Owners Reporting Lower EPA mpg for C-Max by cshelley

Dec 07, 2012 (11:50 am)

ConsumerReports reported much lower mpg for the C-Max than the EPA 47 mpg (10 mpg less). Owners on Fuelly.com are also reporting lower mpg. ConsumerReports gave the Prius C 7 mpg less when they tested it. There's a lot of web articles on this topic. I've written about it at http://cmaxchat.com/?p=316. I'm interested in finding out experiences of C-Max Hybrid and Energi owners. There seems to be a lot of factors influencing this. Are there any analytical types out there that can add more substance? Please post your thoughts on the low mpg.

#2 of 8 Re: Owners Reporting Lower EPA mpg for C-Max [cshelley] by mick1

Dec 10, 2012 (1:23 pm)

Replying to: cshelley (Dec 07, 2012 11:50 am)
I drove 35 miles home the other night, mixed hwy and city, display said mpg was 45.9 for the trip. You must keep the car in EV mode for as long as possible and drive it in the manner for which it was designed. That probably means altering your driving style. By the way I have the car only one week with 400 break-in miles.

#3 of 8 Re: Owners Reporting Lower EPA mpg for C-Max [mick1] by bobw3

Dec 10, 2012 (5:48 pm)

Replying to: mick1 (Dec 10, 2012 1:23 pm)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=33010&id=31836
 
Shows 33 drivers for the C-Max getting 39.4 MPG average vs 17 drivers getting 42.5MPG for the Prius V.
 
It will probably take a year to get more accurate numbers, but the Prius has always received pretty good MPG in comparison to the EPA numbers.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=22016&id=26425
47.7MPG for a 2006 Gen II Prius (46mpg EPA) and 49.3MPG for a Gen III Prius (50mpg EPA) both with over a 100 vehicle sample size.

#4 of 8 Owner mileage... by bwayno1

Dec 13, 2012 (12:20 pm)

I have owned a C-Max for two months and have 2300mi. On it.
I bought it for two reasons, mileage and assembled in the U.S.
The adds present it as getting 47mpg city and highway.
No way... The best I have gotten is 36.
The electric EV software control is very erratic at any speed up to 62mph, not allowing
Enough electric motor time to increase mpg. I drive 70 percent on the highway at a normal
Here speed of 75mph. The average mpg readout on the dash is 2mpg over my calculated mpg.
The only solution I see possible is reprogram the software to increase EV time without running the battery's down or overheating them.
Maybe I should have bought a Prius...

#5 of 8 Re: Owner mileage... [bwayno1] by mick1

Dec 14, 2012 (11:15 am)

Replying to: bwayno1 (Dec 13, 2012 12:20 pm)
In New York City the highway speed limit is 50mph, and I go with the flow which is 60. Luckily keeping below 62 to keep in EV mode works for me, though I found just like you slowly accelerating and keeping in EV mode especially on the highway your right foot must apply the weight of a feather. And you can't stay in the left lane and pass cars driving like this.

#6 of 8 Looks more like 32 mpg by deltaromeo

Dec 21, 2012 (2:16 pm)

New C Max with average city driving now in the range of 32-33 mpg. I checked again at a local Ford dealer and the C Max window sticker in the show room still states 47 mpg. Shouldn't the EPA be looking into this?

#7 of 8 ridiculous mileage discrepancy by ddd13

Dec 22, 2012 (12:19 pm)

We have about 3000 miles, with moderate all around driving in metro Atlanta. Mileage is 36. Especially disappointed in highway mileage - over 63 yields less than an non-hybrid civic, and a number of other cars, and painfully close to a BMW!!! Back and forth to Birmingham last week at 70 - 75 mph, and could barely make 36 mpg. A Prius V will easily best that by 6 to 10 mph. In the south, there is no reasonable way to drive on rural freeways in the low 60's without being a safety hazard and 18 wheeler bait. The fact that the car stays out of EV mode until warmed up also means that short trips - say 2 to 5 miles - tend to yield poor mileage - other hybrids the opposite! WE have never been close to 47 on any length drive. It is a nice little car, but should not be purchased based on the mileage claim. I am shocked that Ford still advertises that it beats Prius V, and that the Edmunds review still touts its great mileage.

#8 of 8 36 mpg by mick1

Dec 22, 2012 (12:57 pm)

Ford should have openly disclosed speeds above 62mph will not use EV mode and will not get intended mileage, not buried in the owners manual which you read/not read AFTER you buy the car. Like you I find myself having to get out of the way of cars speeding and closing behind me in order to maintain EV mode. When you buy a fully electric car you know its limitations before the purchase. Most of my trips though do get mpg in the 40's, it's how you drive and for how long

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