Ford to lower fuel economy rating on C-Max hybrid!

Sounds about right. The Ford C-MAX and the Prius v have very similar, roll-down coefficients.

Bob Wilson

 

I've always wondered why auto manufacturers inflate fuel economy numbers....don't they know that they will be caught by real world drivers? As for my Prius though....I'm actually meeting /getting better than EPA estimates (Approx 53 mpg overall) with normal, but non agressive driving.

SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 ? 2

 

Well it worked for Ford, they sold a lot of cars with that 47mpg B .S. Sometimes lying pays off.

 

They may of sold some up to this point and initially. BUT I'm sure they feel it's not worth it to them. The bad publicity, the upset owners, and the hit to Fords credibility- simply is not worth it. Automakers bank on their reputations and credibility so any hit is huge.

Honda is still trying to recover from the stories of the struggles with their recent hybrids.

I want success for Hybrids...so to hear this unfold in this manner is I think a loss for everyone.

 

I test drove the CMAX when I was shopping around and I did like it. The day I purchased the Prius I actually went back to drive it again and the original salesman I spoke with wasn't there and another sales man just blew me off, plus the pending lawsuit about the mpg, so I went less than a mile down the road and with the 0% rate on the Prius ended up purchasing it. The Outlander Sport I traded in was a very hard decision, loved that vehicle it would get 25mpg but driving 60+ miles round trip just to work was killing my wallet. If Mitsu ever makes the Outlander sport a Hybrid hate to say bye to the Prius.

 

Ford to Downgrade C-Max Hybrid's Fuel-Economy Claims - WSJ.com

It sounds like a good move, although ford was really slow on this one. 43mpg may still be too high to put on the sticker. I hope they change the advertisements, 43mpg is still more then the prius v, and would allow them to keep them, but... clean mpg rates it lower in the real world. The 43, would allow it to be closer to consumer reports than the prius c, but we all know consumer reports is way off.

We should know details soon. I am curious if car and driver was correct and the c-max used the mathematical formulas from the 2 cycle test to get better numbers than actually performing a 5 cycle test. The EPA has said ford tested following its rules for 47mpg, unlike hyundai/kia.

 

They do it because the test allows the to do it. Most people don't actually measure how much gas goes into cars, and correct distance with gps. Your prius trip computer, like many other cars lies to you telling you you are using less than you think.

 

Mitsu is coming out with Outlander PHEV next year (Volt like, not Prius like). Just not the "sport" version. That thing is flying off the showroom in Japan and Europe.

If Mitsu plays it right, they should have a winner here in the US too.

 

Breaking: @Ford will pay 32,000 owners for overstating mileage on 2013 C-Max hybrids -- $550 for purchasers and $325 for leasees

 

I am glad mitsubishi is bringing another choice.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV May Be Slightly Delayed For US, But Still Coming In 2014

The outlander phev is going to hit a much more competitive market in the US, than in Japan. In the US it will have to compete with the c-max energi, volt, and upcoming Tesla X. The c-max energi is likely its closest competitor. The outlander phev brings more cargo room, 4wd, and likely 4 more miles of EV range, but with a higher price and likely worse efficiency. Hopefully it will help expand the market. This may draw sales not only from escapes, rav4, and crv, but also lexus rxh and toyota hylander hybrids.

 

More information -
Ford lowers C-Max hybrid's mpg rating, offers rebates

I am expecting more will come out with this story as the EPA talks about possible revisions to their rules.

 

More information from forbes
Why Did Ford Wait So Long To Fix C-Max's MPG Rating? - Forbes

 

More power, worse drag coefficient, more weight, bigger frontal area, wider tires than a Prius v... I've said that something was up from the beginning. It was basically a recipe for getting worse mileage.

 

It's a shame they waited so long. Definately not on the scale of back when they burned to death their Ford Pinto customers . . . .
Ford Pinto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

. . . . but still a shame
I'm glad that Ford is getting their act together and owning up to their poor MPG estimates, when so many others already knew the MPG was in fact actually lower.
Auto manufacturers want to compete with Prius MGP's. Sad to say - they can't ... and it eats them up
.

 

high five's all around in the toyota inner sanctum.

 

How come? Ford is fixing a mistake, well a sleazy sales tactic. Hyundai fixed an illegal rating and sales were not hurt. It is late, but IMHO this will help sales of the c-max.

 

i have no idea how it will affect sales, but after 35 years in business, i know they're just happy to see someone else get slapped on the fanny.

 

Oh, schadenfreude. I just didn't understand.

 

Interesting, without the software update, it would be rated 41 MPG. To minimize the damage, EPA let it out after the 43 MPG update was rolled out.