This week we got to try out the 2017 Ford C-Max. This tall town car was definitely something I wouldn’t have picked out of a line up to test drive, but by good fortune, I got to commute with it for a whole week.
Exterior
The C-Max is a very boxy looking car, that doesn’t scream sporty, but more “Dear me, look at the time, I do believe its elevenses.” The car looks big, but it’s actually quite compact, it’s only pretty tall.
The trim that we got to try was the SE, so there weren’t any cool features to accentuate the look of the C-Max on the exterior. The White Gold is very luxe though and complement’s the non-sporty feel of the car.
I don’t mind that the C-Max looks a lot like it’s Fusion brother. I actually prefer the compactness of the C-Max to the Ford Fusion.
Interior
I think the 2017 Ford C-Max has the best lowest trim interiors I’ve ever seen a Ford car have. There aren’t overly sized plastic bits anywhere and the fake leather and metal trims around the dashboard are actually quite muted and mature. I’m still not a fan of the huge chunks of plastic on the steering wheel that controls the cruise control and no hands calling.
Apple Car Play is available in the C-Max which I love. However, I found the startup of Apple Car Play to be a little slow. Ford has this annoying quirk of the audio not stopping when you turn off the car, and only stops when you open the door. This makes listening to your iPhone or iPod extremely annoying when you unplug before opening the car door. The audio reverts to terrible radio music until you quickly fling open the door in agony. Why can’t the audio stop when the car is fully off?
The dashboard has a nice physical speedometer flanked by 2 LCD screens that show you how you’re driving and how much battery you have left. Although this trim did not have leather seats, the cloth seats were pretty serviceable. The gear shift also felt really good to use.
Since the car is tall, you don’t need to bend down as much getting into the vehicle, which was actually pretty nice. There is lots of leg and head room in the back for those who are tall.
One thing you will lose out on with the C-Max is the trunk space due to the battery.
Drive
The C-Max is an interesting half electric vehicle and half hybrid. The car on Auto EV mode stays in fully electric mode until the battery runs out of juice which I averaged about 25 km. Then it turns into a Hybrid car using a decently sized 2.0L 188hp engine.
My entire time commuting to and from work, I never used the gasoline engine which was great! The C-Max is perfect for those who use their car mostly for the commute. Driving efficiently and never using the gas engine was a fun challenge and something I loved striving for.
The C Max handles surprisingly well! Taking sharper turns, the car was a joy to drive. I actually prefer driving the C Max over the previously reviewed Ford Fusion. The car is small so compact spaces of parking was a breeze, also thanks to the rearview camera.
Final Thoughts
The C-Max is a great option for those who want to buy a cheaper hybrid and/or electric vehicle. If you use your car mostly to commute, this car will not need a lot of fill ups. Unlike other EVs though, you can take long trips without fearing the loss of power. The car is not a great sporty looker, but it handles a lot better than it looks and was a pleasure to drive.
Website: http://www.ford.ca/cars/cmax/
