2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid consumer reviews

The car is very cute and no nonsense yet can be equipped with many high line options not expected in such a small car. We looked at the new Ford Fusion Hybrid but found it to lack necessary head and leg room and the price too high for its large dimensions. The C-Max delivers in every area imaginable but falls way short of its advertised mileage claims, even when driving it as carefully as we have. The Ford garage insists that this issue is not unique to our otherwise charming little car. Yet they offered no solution to the problem. If not for merely 33-35 MPG on a good day, I would wholeheartedly recommend the C-Max. It is roomy, holds amply luggage in its trunk for a hybrid, has a high quality interior and is easy to park in tight spots. The car is better in every regard than the gasoline engine Ford Escort and Fiesta alternatives sold at the same dealership but one sours at paying a premium for hybrid technology and not reaping any of the rewards. Perhaps things will change in time. We look forward to reading the reviews of other C-Max owners here at cars.com in the coming year and see what options exists in about a year from now if mileage figures remain subpar.

Peppy, roomy, comfortable for daily 200 miles plus. And good gas mileage. Only averaging 38 mpg, but drive it hard. Very pleased with my purchase after 5,000 miles on the vehicle.

We've had our Ford C-MAX for nearly two months, and I love it more every day! It has features I never expected in a car at an affordable price. I was focused on the great mileage: 47 highway/47 city. Love the heated seats and shocked to have heated outside mirrors! The screen is easy to read whether it's for the Entertainment component, Sync, easy-to-use Climate Control or terrific Nav. I love being able to see the coming steps of the trip if I choose. C-MAX is my favorite car ever! I'm proud to show the many amazing features like the "kick open" hatchback with kick-to-close or button to close. There was obviously a lot of thought given to come up with a car that's made for the owner from the mirrors with blind-spot "mini" to 2-level glovebox with a pen holder on the door of the glovebox!

It's been decades since I've owned a Ford. What a difference a generation makes. I've owned and rented a lot of different cars since owning a Ford, and I mean to say, this C-Max looks, feels and drives like the best of the Europeans and the Japanese. You can see, hear and feel the quality of the vehicle just by shutting the doors! It would take me forever to type out every little detail of the strengths this vehicle is possessed with, but the list of shortcomings is small and nothing major. I'm not a fan of leather, so I went with the fabric seats. There's no option to have power seats when you choose fabric over leather. The other let-down comes about when I drive fast on the freeway. I'm a lead-foot. That's not to say that I go from zero to 60 like a drag-racer (I'm actually very slow and patient going from zero to 60 and above, because I don't like being hard on the drive-train), but once I get one the open freeway, I like to let it rip - once I get the speed up. I often like to go 85 mph (here in CA, it's actually very difficult getting a speeding ticket). I found that when you're doing more than 70 MPH or so, the MPG goes down. If you want to get 40+ MPG on the freeway, stay below 70. If you're a lead-foot like me, you'll have to settle for 32-33 MPG on the open freeway. As for everything else, this vehicle has all the modern stuff you could ask for. Everything out the door for this purchase was $34k. Ten years ago, that same $34k got you a low-tech gas guzzler with so-so handling and performance. If this vehicle had tinted windows on the rear sides, a power seat with the cloth interior and a little bit better MPG at 70+ MPH, I would have given this vehicle 5 stars across the board. I'm giving the "Reliability" rating a "complimentary" 5 only because I (nor anyone else in the U.S.) has owned this car for very long, but I'll bet my right arm that the easy-to-see and feel quality is not just a facade. I realize that even if I bought a Mercedes for $100k, I still won't have everything exactly how I want it. I'm fussy and picky about the cars I own, and if you're half as fussy and picky as I am and don't want to pay a king's ransom for a new set of wheels, you'll be very happy with the C-Max.