2013 Ford C-Max Energi Plug-In Hybrid - Review - CAR and DRIVER

Contributing Editor Csaba Csere takes an in-depth and technical look into the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and how it fares against segment leaders like the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid on the latest episode of Car and Driver: Tested.
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CAR: Ford C-Max Energi
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA.
MAG EDITORS: Csaba Csere
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Hosted by the editors of Car and Driver magazine, this show puts the audience into the action on new-car reviews, comparison tests, auto-show coverage, and more. Our experts drive and test the latest models, attend automotive events around the world, and check out the latest in-vehicle technology like massaging seats and night-vision systems. Viewers will also have the opportunity to write in and extend the conversation.
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[@papaj9491]

C-Max is based on the Focus platform, not the Fiesta.

[@AmericanBusinessman422]

If they get the simple stuff like this wrong - can you trust them with any info?

[@robgindc1]

As a son of a Detroit dad, I've been an auto enthusiast all my life, and a C&D fan since childhood. I've read Csaba's name in print & mispronounced it until internet/social media allowed my to hear something VERY different from my version. I just watched all this to hear him say his name at the end, which gave my life. 🤣♥️🙏

[@jackinvancouver9193]

Small error. It is based on the 104" wheelbase Focus, not Fiesta.

[@duken4evr]

It is a pity this car never caught on for Ford. I own a '16 C-Max Energi and it is awesome. The plug in aspect it great for cars that are subject to short trips a lot. Going on a short trip? Turn on the car and it will complete it in EV mode. Going on a longer high speed trip? Toggle it to "EV Later" and operate it as a hybrid. I also own a diesel pickup, it is great to take the car instead for short trips and not subject the truck to a short trip, which is not great for any internal combustion engine, but doubly so for diesels. Although the car will go 85 MPH in electric mode, I would not recommend running it hard on the highway this way. The Max is a plug in hybrid with a small battery compared to a full EV. Sustained high draw/speeds put a big load on the battery and may shorten it's life. I keep the use of full EV mode to driving in town. My Max is averaging 90 MPG, as it does see a lot of in town driving. I typically refill the gas tank every 1,000 miles or so. That is amazing.

[@Scoinsoffaterocks]

duken4evr great car that flew under the radar. Not as efficient as a Volt, but looks a lot roomier inside, and IMO better looking than the 1st gen. Also, more usable space than the Fusion Energi.

[@samhoussem4515]

Does the transmission work well after 100k ??? Cuz ive heard that ford Cvt has a problem with the transmission a freind of mine has a ford focus with that problem

[@duken4evr]

@@samhoussem4515 The early C-Max had a bearing that went bad, many transmissions were replaced under warranty. The problem was not a design issue, but rather a quality control issue. Ford fixed it and 2015 and later transmissions have not had this problem. The "eCVT" in the C-max is nothing like a "CVT" in a gas car - they are completely different animals mechanically. eCVTs have proven to be extraordinarily reliable in the Prius and Camry hybrids. The Ford is a similar design, I believe the later ones should prove to be reliable as well. No problems to date with our '16 at all.

[@SuperKingslaw]

We have had our CMAX Energi since August 2013 and we LOVE IT! The best car we have ever owned. (and we have been long time Cadillac and Toyota owners). We drive it regularly to the mountains of WV on weekends and it regen brakes on the downhill sides of the mountains. It is a wonderful car, especially for big folks.

[@Aerostealth]

We have owned our 2015 for about two years and it is a great car. It is not perfect but no car is. Twenty miles of range is more significant then most people would think. We live just over 20 miles from town but still electric mode only driving accounts for around 60% of our driving. This is saving us a shit ton of gas and our EV miles are solar panel charged.

[@FlashGamer1Fable]

This reviewer is excellent. Give him a raise

[@jerrybarrax5618]

Excellent report Csaba! That was one of the most informative auto reviews I've ever seen. You really made maximum advantage of the audio-video format. I love the detailed video of the interior and the illustration of the charging process. Kudos!

[@cameltoast]

Grew up reading Car and Driver...this is the first time I've heard how to pronounce Csaba Csere's name...

[@Viper81766]

I only expected the best quality videos as Car and Driver magazine has always been extremely well laid out and professionally done. Happy new year C&D.

[@randomguy343BOSS]

Based off of these reviews, I think CARandDRIVER deserves way more recognition than what they're getting when it comes to KZbin. These are very well done.

[@0HOON0]

Your reviews are fantastic! Keep them coming Mr. Csere!

[@Shockz_BE]

Csaba you're my favorite reviewer. You talk about everything we need to know and personal opinions wich are fair towards any car you review =)

[@russael001]

One very minor nitpick about the charging - Leviton offers 2 chargers for the Ford vehicles - one which uses 32A at 220V (7kw) and a smaller one which charges at 16A at 220v (3.5kw). The Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi both have a 3.3kw onboard charger, so you CAN get the smaller charger and receive your 2.5 hour charge time. You can get the bigger one, but it doesn't charge faster (it's mainly for the Focus BEV). The 16A 220V charger is $750 from Leviton if you install it yourself.

[@therealboofighter]

i am warming up to your reviews. i like them more then when you first started. thank you for improving.

[@bobbiclinger7500]

Had ours for almost three years. Still love it. I hope that someone will make a replacement battery pack with a lot more range with the new battery technology.

[@TheDaftSmiley]

Fantastic review. Honestly. Excellent insight from Csaba and great visuals. Thank you!

[@SuperQuantumMechanic]

Another outstanding review from Csaba Csere. What a cool little car and an awesome daily driver.

[@hasanchoudhury5401]

Excellent Hybrid C Max-e has been a great experience for the last five years. Recharge in the garage. 12 gallons tank filling about once or twice a month. First 25 to 30 miles from the battery at the start of the day ! Excellent total gas mileage. Quite comfortable and efficient. No headaches. Rear view camera helpful. Efficient trunk for groceries and luggage. Low center of gravity because of the batteries on the floor makes it very stable for driving around. Very thankful for this vehicle.

[@krisinman9819]

I'm so glad I bought one of these (2014 model). Just an absolutely fantastic car.

[@JustinThorpe7]

Very well done review. It would be refreshing to see more like this.

[@hcAsicted]

great review Csaba!

[@mechdiff]

This is an extremely good review. Very comprehensive and informative.

[@The8BitGuy]

I have high hopes for this vehicle. We own a Leaf and a Volt because they were the only two plug-ins really available when we upgraded cars. This car is more affordable, while giving some of the EV experience. One thing I'd point out, though, is that the Volt has 100% acceleration power in either gas or electric mode. The C-Max has reduced power when driving as electric only. That's the only downside I see, which he pointed out in the video.

[@TransAtlanticEV]

I'm an EV nut yet have to commute 58 miles in each direction to get to work. Thus, this car was my only choice! I get to work in the morning using .7 gallons of gas when I have charged the battery up overnight! It is a fuel miser and very much electric locally.

[@jamesstein5952]

One of the better reviews. I'd like to see this gentlemen review more types of cars. I like the direction and ways he analysis this car.

[@waclosh]

give me more reviews from this guy, he knows what hes doing!

[@TulsaFordOK]

You can tell that this guy really knows his stuff! Great review!

[@Pz16]

great review, I am going to see the vehicle later today actually and this review helps describe everything I need to know!

[@passioncoaching]

i'm about to buy a used 2017 - i'm extra excited after this review. How are you getting along with your, Pz?

[@Pz16]

@@passioncoaching I really like it! The battery doesn't have much charge, can only go 20 miles but it's otherwise it gets about 38 in hybrid mode

[@anassuria2]

excellent review!

[@mikemurphy9026]

very comprehensive and informative review! thanks! i ordered mine in black with stone interior. may take another 6 weeks to arrive, but worth it...

[@TheCaptainFreedom]

Really great review.

[@aardvarkansaw]

I like all the display choices.

[@helensanderszzz]

Great job!

[@leonardoadolfo5483]

Great review and nice city.

[@King_TuTT]

nice review.

[@AbhiXxxxY]

A great review so far I ever saw on KZbin....I should commit I was forced to comment & say to you thanks for the review it was just great.

[@joaoamaral4815]

the c-max based on the focus platform not on the fiesta´s

[@KimLostCatFinder]

How is the ride comfort on rough road? Is it stiff and jarring at all?

[@marks.1425]

Yes, the Focus platform. And it is exactly how the video described it otherwise. I've had mine for a couple of years. I bought it for $13,000 when it had 16,000 miles. It now has 37,000 miles on it. I love it! Now for the negative. GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY! With all of the gadgets and what not in it, it's going to have trouble. The cruise control went out and it was the on off switch (covered by warranty). A year later, same thing. You have to realize that it has a 12 volt battery like every other car. Only it's hidden under the rear hatchback floor under plastic. That one is only a 3-5 year battery and cost $340 to replace by Ford. Somehow that caused the charging receptacle and it's ring light to fail. Both were covered under warranty, but still.... seriously? Overall the car is awesome to drive, but be careful in parking lots, because the car is almost silent and nobody can hear you coming. You add that with a quick burst of torque that you don't even notice, and you get going to fast. Overall I love the car. I just wish the quality was higher.

[@IAmTheirVoice]

Thx for this info. I am looking at purchasing as used 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid SE with 97K miles priced at $6800 from a Ford dealership. Is there anything I should know about its long term performance? Are there any red flags or known problem areas that should make me reconsider?

[@marks.1425]

@@IAmTheirVoice Mine has been doing great since we worked out the bugs. At 97k the battery might be a little weak. My Energi is showing loss of battery as normally I can go about 15 miles all electric when I used to get 18-19.

[@marks.1425]

The straight hybrid should give you 42 MPG. Not sure how that goes down when the battery gets weaker.

[@marks.1425]

Did you notice the AVG lifetime MPG in the video was 161.6? It's at the 4:56 mark. When I bought mine it had a lifetime AVG MPG of 198. I commute to another city, so now I'm seeing an average of 90 MPG lifetime and only 55 MPG over this winter. I only plug mine in at night.

[@IAmTheirVoice]

Great info!

[@lemonpaper]

This greenish series seems to have great visuals. Csaba is also a great presenter.

[@monkeyking822]

I love this guy

[@radbcc]

Quality review....

[@markhenderson123]

What was up with the Check engine light on when showing the instrument cluster?

[@HesteBremse]

Good Vid and Funny - "I never opened the trunk" combined with " I has a distinct smell". ;D

[@slabsides1]

Great reveiw. I love the Ford Focus electric. But this is a lot less money and can be used for road trips. This would be a great first car for either of my two sons in college.

[@flatblackstrat]

Gotta love Chubby Cheddar. Hes a great reviewer. Was good on autoline afterhours as well.

[@jimboburgess42069]

i used to own a civic hybrid, i would totally get this car, though I may go for the hybrid (no garage and more cargo space). I really enjoyed the music in this video though the most.

[@KathleenHelenLisson]

Thanks

[@ChadChristian]

Good looking car. I have owned the Volt for a year and a half and have over 60,000 miles on it. Best car I have ever owned.

[@Peichen01]

Other reviews mention the hybrid being quiet because of all the sound proofing. Is the plug-in louder because they removed proofing to reduce weight or are they the same?

[@GaryAKrause]

I just realized what my customers have said to me about the Ford products and why they bought my product. Very interesting; Ford has a lot to offer, I am impressed by everything but the battery range and weight ratio for the braking system. It appears the brake pads will need early replacement vs the traditional gasoline powered models.

[@thereglis]

wow-great review. i wonder though- are the years of back yard mechanics over (coming to a close).......

[@juschill7]

Enjoyed the video, it was just that the music was competing with his voice. It seemed as though the music was not background, but even with the speakers voice.

[@tigerbalm666]

If it's cheaper than the Prius, that's one nice car...and I'm not a Ford fan! 188 hp for such a small car surprised the heck out of me! That's huge!

[@health-vh8ce]

They should make an extended 3 row version to compete against the pacifica hybrid , it may add a couple hundred pounds but should still get similar MPG/range if you drive properly.

[@marks.1425]

I've been looking at that Pacifica. I love my C-max Energi, but If the Pacifica can go farther all-electric, it piques my interest.

[@snake0sena]

i like this presenter, good job

[@wrifraff]

Great review. My only issues with it are that the C-Max is built on the Focus platform, and the top speed you listed might be incorrect. In a standard C-Max hybrid, I've reached 117 MPH, which annoys me because it's faster than my F-150. The Energi may be different, but I thought I'd throw that in there. Also, what gas mileage did you achieve during testing? In the C-Max I've driven, the best I could get was 30.6 MPG, but I attributed that to the car having less than 500 miles on it.

[@turbalejo41]

a great review. thank you...I wish the back seat reclined!!!

[@bomtrady3133]

This vehicle is based on the Focus C platform, not the Fiesta B platform, which is noticeably smaller.

[@rekleif]

Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.[3] It encompasses seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Tata Group has operations in more than 80 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 80 nations. Revenue US$ 100.09 billion (2011-12

[@ImporTech]

In my opinion, probably the best Hybrid to date.

[@vetman544]

This particular submodel of the C-max and the B-max is based on the Fiesta. The standard C-max is based on the Focus.

[@gcavy1]

Nice review Csaba, it was good to hear you have many on the same observations as I did in my review of the C-Max hybrid. I wondered how the Energi compares with the standard C-Max, and also how it relates to the Volt. I'm posting a video response with my video in case viewers want to compare. (they can also go to my youtube channel!)

[@chaosdd1]

Good review, nice car, well done, Ford. The C-MAX is based on the Focus platform, though. It has virtually the same wheelbase, suspension set up and architecture.

[@chrgeorgeson]

Any idea when you might review the Ford Fusion Energy?

[@scootfd3s]

i like this guy.

[@johntaurus5399]

Been looking at them. With current incentives I can get one under $30K with the glass roof and a few other options. Not bad for a practical people mover that just happens to get incredible mileage.

[@fatboy19831]

There is the MX5, The Mustang, Chrysler 300,Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger. Of coarse the BRZ. All that can be had for under $30 US dollars here in America. In Europe you have the 1 series. Are 1 starts at 32k. The Smart Electric starts at 25k and it is RWD.

[@JanMichaelFranklin]

Great review. If it isn't a complete review like this, don't waste my time by posting it.

[@chekainc]

It's actually based off of the focuses platform.

[@cliffeck6104]

Best car I've ever owned. Stepped from Cadillac's into a C-Max. The C-Max fit and finish is as good if not better. The toys are incredible with every option available. The exterior looks great but it's small size is a fooler because the inside is made for big folks. The cost to operate is a welcome feature even when gas is cheap. It's also a performance feeling car, it gets off the spot QUICK and will pass on the highway with a real kick. Five stars from us. The only improvement they might address is road noise, you can hear a lot of tire sound.

[@jerrybarrax5618]

Yeah, that's always been one of my gripes about C/D reviews. They see the automotive spectrum from the other end. But, in Csaba's defense, $30k is not much more than what a loaded Accord or Buick Regal stickers for these days, so he has a valid point in this case.

[@cardenas333]

It's based on the Focus platform, like the Escape

[@hendo337]

I would love to see Csaba Csera test the Focus EV, I am getting pretty serious about leasing one because of the $11,750 incentives in my area until July 7th. From what I saw in the Edmunds review it's vastly superior to the Leaf and the only option(I live in GA so the Import EVs aren't for sale here) I have until I can afford a Tesla S (with any luck I will after 36-39 months with the Focus EV). THX

[@sydjaguar]

brilliant review. I like this almost academic explanation. prefer a diesel to all this.

[@jerrybarrax5618]

I was thinking the same thing. Were I still living in Lexington, KY, this would make sense. I could commute to work and back on pure electric and all my wife's shopping could be done the same way. No more $55.00 fill-ups. But in Texas, the land of deregulation, electricity is ungodly expensive. The increase in our electric bills from charging the car may well cost more than gasoline; especially at $3.25/gallon. No sale here.

[@johncarr123]

We had a 2013 and fit and finish was terrible. We just leased a 2016 version and they improved it 100% Improved in every area. Currently Ford is blowing them out at a $11 grand discount and a lease special for $260 a month with $500 down. Ends October 6th 2016

[@jeffegg2]

The charging current is not 30 amps, that is the rating of the charging unit breaker. the battery is 7.8kwh. 7800 / 2.5 = 3120W. 3120/240 = 13 amps.

[@TheDirtyGoatee]

Why was the check engine light on @5:10?

[@Fussinated]

Wow! Trolley buses are still running in San Francisco.

[@VillagePunk99]

You're right.

[@greycrx87]

on average how much would it be to charge it at night to get the 21 miles range every niht.

[@BurusutazuPersonal]

You guys should review the 2013/14 Ford Fiesta it looks promising. :D

[@jmcclelland85]

This car has raised my eyebrow towards plug in hybrid's. With the plug in feature I could drive to work all week and never use a drop of gas. Then on the weekends when i want to get out of town, I still will have a nearly full tank of gas. This is a real plus in my eyes. The only thing that is keeping me from buying is price. -$30K price tag. It should be affordable to the masses. I'll probably wait till the used models with about 30,000 miles show up at dealerships

[@juffurey]

i don't know about this car specifically, but a proper plug-in hybrid uses far less gas even without charge than a regular hybrid because the gasoline engine is purely for the purpose of charging the battery, not moving the car. and, most can connect to regular power jacks, and obviously takes longer to charge. i just don't think most people know anything about plug-ins yet, or even how regular hybrids function for that matter.

[@Joeteck]

However, you can't get the clean air pass for the HOV on Long Island. The Prius and Volt both can.

[@jeffegg2]

The braking is electric regeneration, so the pads are not used but very little. Up to 95% of the braking is reverse torque charging the battery.

[@mnypit]

These types of cars are for people that shop for cars in with the same thought process and passion that they use when shopping for a water heater or washer and dryer....

[@FrankBurnside]

It's not based on the fiesta. It shares the same platform as the focus...

[@cncfan]

Born and raised in Marin County

[@AlgerroMartinFReyes]

New Ford C-Max Energi, that is not good. That is my rivalry car. I'm not joking.

[@VAspeed3]

Nice review, and it sounded interesting (Fiesta with 188 HP) until I saw it weighs over 3800 pounds?? This 2600 pound subcompact has to carry around 1200 pounds of batteries. I guess i'm not ready for a hybrid.

[@randomguy343BOSS]

The magizine is more fact packed but this is more intresting

[@hendo337]

I does weigh 3800lbs, thats more than my '11 Mustang GT premium. So the 188hp isn't as impressive as you might believe. I wish the would let you access 100% of the I/C and Electric powerplants power for short periods. Imagine 141hp + 118hp 259hp for merging :) and still getting 40mpg+ once the charge runs out. I can't wait to see the second gen of all these vehicles will be like.

[@EdwardJamesVA]

He probably got a little less than you did, the Energi shaves off 4 mpg because of the 500+ percent bigger battery (1.4 versus 7.6). the 40+ mpg is achievable in the C-Max, but low temperatures affect the battery and going over 62 miles per hour turns on the gas motor regardless of juice capacity in the battery.

[@vetman544]

The standard C-max is based on the Focus, but this particular submodel is based on the Fiesta. The C-max Energi is smaller than the Focus. Go compare sizes.

[@juffurey]

ah, thanks very much.

[@kalargyi]

new car old guy, perfect

[@adamwe12]

You’ve mentioned it was based on the Fiesta 3 to 4 times which is misinformation. In which is not a good thing for Car & Driver which is such an established auto magazine. It is based on the FOCUS! It’s actually pretty noticeably obvious in appearance inside and out.