When most Americans think of a hybrid, the Toyota Prius is probably the first image to pop in their head. Clearly not willing to let Toyota steal the fuel efficiency spotlight, several manufacturers have thrown their proverbial low-emission hat in the ring. Not to be out-punched by the introduction of the wagon-like Toyota Prius v, Ford has just made available a contender to go head-to-head with the family hauler — ladies and gents, let’s get to know the all-new Ford C-Max Hybrid.
The C-Max is no stranger to the tarmac as it has been selling in Europe for almost a decade. What makes the American model different is that it’s being offered solely as a hybrid vehicle, with a plug-in electric flavor available in a few months.
After spending some time with the car over varied city, highway and country terrain, five key observations stick out.
Observation #1: The C-Max Hybrid gets an astounding EPA-rated 47-mpg in the city and 47-mpg on the highway. Math has never been my strong suit, but I believe that’s 47-mpg combined city and highway. If you’re keeping score against the similarly sized Prius v, that’s 7-mpg better.
Observation #2: This puppy has pep. In the past, owning a family-friendly hybrid meant you had to sacrifice performance for better gas mileage. Not so with the satin-grilled C-Max. The combination of a 2-liter four-banger with an electric drive motor produces a respectable 188-horsepower. Pulling into traffic from highway onramps is confidence inspiring as the CVT finds the right amount of pull to get ahead of 18-wheelers barreling down on the port side. As fast as $25k hybrids go, you won’t be lapping Ayrton Senna’s ghost, but we got a responsible 11-second 0-60 time with three people in the car and some luggage.
Observation #3: Suspension is dialed in. It appears knowledge from the sporty suspension in the European spec C-Max has made its way across the pond, as the little gas sipper is a lot of fun to drive through corners. I never thought I’d be saying that about a family-friendly hybrid anytime soon, but Ford really has given the car some spirit with the independent multi-link rear suspension.
Observation #4: It’s got cred in the Looks Department. There are several attractive hybrids on the market right now (who wouldn’t want a Fisker Karma Hybrid?), but are cost prohibitive for most family budgets. In the price zone that the C-Max Hybrid competes within, there are a bevy of hideous rides — yes, I’m talking about you Honda Insight and Toyota Prius lineup. The Aston Martin-ish trapezoidal grill paired with the standard 17” aluminum alloy wheels looks downright hot — a word rarely used to describe the appearance of almost any family mobile. Maybe I’ve been reading too much poetry lately, but the design language of the C-Max Hybrid speaks to me emotionally. If I were to make it my own, the only thing I’d change would be a slight more window tinting to contrast with the 8 available body colors.
Observation #5: Loading up the car with strollers and diaper bags still leaves room for a grocery run. Let’s be honest, if you’re shopping the C-Max Hybrid, you probably have kids, dogs or a deep need to schlep around a bunch of gear often. If the 24.5-cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row of seats isn’t enough, drop down the 60/40 fold-flat row and the cargo capacity jumps to 52.6-cubic feet, thus swallowing most landscaping runs at the local Home Depot.
Observation #6: You get a lot of bells and whistles standard, but the really cool stuff will cost you extra. The list of standard features almost seems endless, but a couple that stand out are: second row in-floor storage, dual-zone climate control with rear seat ventilation ducts, and a 110-volt AC power outlet. If you pony up the cash, the package pricing goes as follows:
Winter Package ($795) — gives you heated side mirrors along with puddle lamps and integrated turn indicator lights.
Power Liftgate & Rear Parking Aid Package ($795) — gets you a magical liftgate that can be opened and closed by simply making a kicking motion under the back bumper, along with sensors that warn you if you are getting too close to another object.
Sync, MyFord Touch & Sirius Package ($455) — provides voice control, turn-by-turn navigation and SiriusXM satellite radio.
If you combine the two previously mentioned packages, the new package price comes out to $1,995, saving you $295.
The C-Max Hybrid is available in two trims — SE ($25,200) and SEL ($28, 200). Since there is only one hybrid engine/motor combination with this model, the biggest differences are the standard amenities inside the cabin. The SE affords you a helm and shift knob wrapped in leather, tilt/telescopic steering, power windows with express up/down function and a Smartguage® with EcoGuide — that cool, laptop-like looking screen which provides a bunch of fuel economy info with pretty little leaves that grow on a tree if you are driving super eco-conscious. Of course this is in tandem with other standard stuff like USB ports, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 player and cloth seating surfaces.
The SEL trim level adds heated front row seats, leather-trimmed surfaces, keyless entry (proximity fob) with pushbutton start, ambient lighting and Ford’s MyTouch infotainment system, among other niceties.
On the TFLcar.com recommendation scale of:
– Buy it
– Lease it
– Rent it
– Forget it
I recommend that you Buy it!
Ryan’s passion for automobiles began at age eight when his father brought home the quintessential sports car — a Guards Red, 1974 Porsche 911 Targa. Ever since, his free time has been consumed with following the latest developments of the automotive industry.
