Road Test: 2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid
Story and photos by John LeBlanc
Despite being available for almost a decade-and-a-half now, modern gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles still make up only a few percentage points of new vehicle sales in Canada. For instance, the best-selling hybrid in Canada last year was Toyota’s Prius family. But with just over 7,808 sold — or about 1/15 the number of the best-selling vehicle in the country, Ford’s full-size F-Series pickups — even the most modern hybrids are a niche in nature.
Still, automakers see the combination of electricity and fossil fuels as short-term, get-out-of-jail-free cards they can use against tougher government-mandated fuel economy regulations. And one of the biggest proponents of hybrids is the maker of all those trucks — America’s Ford. Since its 2004 Escape Hybrid, Ford has expanded its gas-electric fleet like no other domestic automaker, now offering a variety of traditional hybrids, plug-ins and pure electric vehicles, such as the 2014 C-Max Hybrid.
What’s a C-Max? Good question. The four-door, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact C-Max is based on the current Ford Focus platform. As a natural rival to the likes of the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo, the C-Max is one of those tall compact wagons that are incredibly popular with families in Europe, but not so much in Canada.
Before it went on sale here for 2013, gas-only C-Max models were planned to sell in North America. At some point, though, Ford canned the internal-combustion-only C-Max (gas and diesel versions sell in foreign markets), opting for a hybrid-only approach, citing the desire to match how Toyota sells its burgeoning Prius family.
Therefore, the $29,099 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) C-Max Hybrid’s obvious rival is the $29,100 Toyota Prius V hybrid. Both score similar Transport Canada fuel economy estimates; 4.6 L/100 km in the city and 5.3 on the highway for the Ford, 4.3 and 4.8, respectively, for the Toyota. Another not-so-obvious competitor is the $29,470 VolkswagenGolf TDI Wagon, with a turbodiesel rated at 6.7 L/100 km city and 4.6 on the highway with its six-speed manual gearbox.
In addition to the C-Max Hybrid, Ford also sells the $38,599 C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid in topline SEL trim only. The Energi has a 7.6 kilowatt-hours battery pack instead of the Hybrid’s 1.4 kW-h, allowing for electric-only-driving capability and a 5.0 L/100 km city and highway estimate.
My 2014 C-Max Hybrid SEL tester was the upgraded $31,799 SEL model, which mainly adds leather seating, satellite radio and the MyFord Touch interface to the Sync hands-free infotainment system as standard fare.
If you’re buying a C-Max Hybrid to keep an eye on fuel consumption, the small wagon presents a wealth of dynamic fuel economy info. Ford has created a full-colour screen in front of the driver. Via steering-wheel-mounted buttons, you can monitor various fuel and electric usage information, and there’s a growing vine indicator on the right side. The more leaves that “grow” (or in my case, the lack thereof), the more fuel you’ve saved.
However, like any hybrid, don’t expect your fuel economy to match what Transport Canada estimates. During my week of mainly urban driving, the C-Max’s trip computer indicated a respectable 7.1 L/100 km average — similar to what I’ve recorded in a Prius V.
When you’re not obsessing about the Ford hybrid’s fuel economy readouts, you’ll find it’s a very pleasant vehicle to drive — much more so than the Ford Escape compact crossover that outsells the C-Max 35 to one.
The C-Max and Prius V come exclusively with continuously variable automatic transmissions. But merging and passing traffic is a calmer affair in the Ford than in the Toyota; a vehicle that always feels strained in such circumstances. The Ford’s 2.0-litre gas four-cylinder engine and electric motor combine for a competitive 141 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque. But when loaded with people and their stuff, I would have preferred the additional 107 lb.-ft. of torque offered by the VW Golf diesel.
At highway speeds, the C-Max feels more stable and robust than the Prius V. Much of that subjective feeling is due to the Ford weighing 185 more kilograms than the 1,485 kg Prius V, and using wider tires. Despite the extra weight, the Ford hybrid wagon takes about nine seconds to go from rest to 100 km/h. That matches the VW and is about one second quicker than the Toyota hybrid wagon.
The C-Max Hybrid’s ergonomics are more intuitive than the Prius. The Ford also has a better driving position, with more supportive front seats than the Toyota. And the C-Max Hybrid’s conventional dash design is similar to its Ford siblings, highlighted by a traditional gear selector between the front seats, instead of the Prius’ quirky, dash-mounted joystick. I’m still not a fan of Ford’s Sync and MyTouch interfaces, but its interior build quality makes it feel like a more expensive vehicle than the Toyota.
As a mover of people, the C-Max Hybrid is wider and taller than the Prius V and Golf TDI Wagon, offering more room for passengers. However, because Ford’s lithium-ion battery pack sits under the floor of the rear cargo area, space behind the 60/40-split fold-down rear seats is limited to only 694 litres, whereas the Toyota and VW wagons offer 970 and 929, respectively.
Diesel wagon lovers will likely opt for the VW Golf TDI Wagon. But in the end, the 2014 C-Max Hybrid is a wonderfully practical wagon for Canadian families that can only afford one vehicle in their driveway. Its road manners, interior design, and fuel economy are relatively excellent compared to the typical small crossover. And the C-Max rides, steers and handles better than the appliance-like Prius V.
Was Ford’s decision to make its C-Max exclusively a hybrid the right choice? The jury’s still out on that. We can only imagine what a C-Max powered by one of the automaker’s excellent EcoBoost turbo-gas, or diesel engines would be like to own and drive.
WHAT I LIKED: Nice balance of ride and handling; comfortable and premium-feeling interior; solid family package.
WHAT I DIDN'T: Real-world fuel economy may disappoint; Ford’s Sync and MyTouch interfaces still stymie users.