Talk me into/out of this car!

July 30, 2018 11:57 PM

I've become enamored with the idea of buying a used Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. Tell me why I should/shouldn't!

The things I really like about this car:

1. It's a plug-in hybrid!
2. Its electric range is less than my two-way commute!
3. I frequently see 2015 lease-returns with < 40K miles for below $15K in my area (which is only a tiny bit above my price range but I can stretch)!
4. The battery is small enough that I can charge it overnight from a standard outlet instead of having to install a fast charger!
5. It seems like a perfect commuter car!

On the other hand...

1. The model has been discontinued this year... hard to get parts in the future?
2. How do batteries degrade over time? Will I have an expensive battery replacement in 4 years?
3. They don't have a super-great score on Consumer Reports :-(

I'm replacing a 1996 Civic Hatchback that is really on its last legs. I know it's unlikely to last THAT long but it'd be great to be able to get 10+ years out of it, knowing I'm going to be driving it only 10-15 miles per weekday.
I don't know anything about owning an electric/hybrid vehicle. What other questions do I need to ask (aside from accident history/carfax stuff)? Would you take this risk?

posted by rouftop to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)

I picked up a 2014 off-lease Ford Fusion Energi - the C-Max Energi's cousin - a few months back. Love it so far. It's got just enough EV power for two of my commutes, and so it spends the vast majority of its time in EV-only mode unless I take it out on the highway, when it just becomes a pretty efficient hybrid. I like how while most other EVs are strange, small cars or hulking, unaffordable luxury cars, the Fusion Energi is just a really nicely equipped almost completely normal sedan.

There's one big catch with these Energis, both the Fusion and the C-Max: Ford just plopped the EV battery in the trunk, and it's really quite big. These are not the cars to buy if trunk space is a serious concern. It's fine for a trip to the grocery store, but taking a group of people all with luggage to the airport is another story. If you're wondering why these off-lease Energis are so cheap, the trunk has a whole lot to do with it.

Despite being 4 years old, my EV battery has decent capacity. On the forums it looks like new cars are generlaly able to charge to 5.6kwh new in EV mode, and mine charges to 5.3kwh (all of them keep a little over a kwh in reserve for when the car switches to hybrid mode - the battery never actually gets depleted). That's pretty common depgradation, most EVs (even Tesla) lose around a percent of capacity each year of driving. I can still get ~20 miles out of it with any given charge, so if you're talking a max of 15 miles, you'll be fine for years.

The hybrid/battery warranty is 8 years / 100k - and they have to contractually support the 2019s for at least eight more years - so there will be service for these cars for many years despite the discontinuation of the line after 2019.

My only advice: see if they'll let you keep it overnight, give it a full charge in your garage with the included 120V cable, then drive it around in EV mode until it switches to hybrid mode so that you can see how the battery is in that specific car.
posted by eschatfische at 4:15 AM on July 31, 2018

My partner was considering one but as soon as he actually sat in one he hated it. (The passenger compartment setup feels more cramped than a Civic.) So see one in person to make sure you like it before talking yourself into it.
posted by metasarah at 5:04 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You could buy two cars for the price of one hybrid that would do both jobs. A used 2005 Jeep Liberty with 100,000 miles for about $5K, that would be your long distance/fun/tow vehicle, and a used 2015 Nissan Leaf (range of 100 miles) with 30,000 miles for about $8K, fully electric, a joy to ride.

Only one thing you mentioned doesn't make a ton of sense - no matter how big the battery of a car is, they'll all charge over 120V at the same speed. So, if you take a Leaf or the Ford or a Tesla on a 20 mile trip, then plug it in to 120V, it would all charge back up the same amount. But, the Tesla and Leaf could probably go a bit farther on an overnight 120V charge due to being more efficient overall.

I think in the next 4-5 years, we'll see the range on most electric cars double for the price. So, my actual recommendation is to buy a reliable cheap used gasoline car, and go electric when you can get a 200 mile range car for about $10K.
posted by bbqturtle at 5:16 AM on July 31, 2018

Take a look at a Volt as well. It is just a great car.
posted by rockindata at 6:58 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have a plug in hybrid that has a 22 mile battery.... in summer. In winter, it's more like 15. So you might want to check into owners' experiences with how much the Ford battery is reduced in winter, and whether that is within your commute mileage.
posted by Dashy at 9:01 AM on July 31, 2018

Best answer: My mom owns one of the earlier C-Maxs. It has been nothing but trouble from day one. Something is always wrong with it. Many times its the solenoids failing, but sometimes its stuff like the radio quits working for no reason. Ford has not been paticularly helpful either. The technicians just throw up their hands at each new problem. I would never buy one of these after seeing my Mom struggle with hers.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:53 PM on July 31, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks all. Decided to just get a used Leaf instead. We realized that we really only need one long-distance car, and 70-80 miles of range is plenty for the other one.
posted by rouftop at 12:57 PM on August 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

@rouftop - great! Hopefully you find one that's a good price. I found this resource invaluable when looking for ours!

https://insideevs.com/used-nissan-leaf-buying-guide/

It is dated to 2015 but still seems super knowledgeable!
posted by bbqturtle at 12:16 PM on September 10, 2018