Wondering if anyone on this board has checked out the Ford C-Max that is supposed to be sold in the US later this year. It is certainly smaller than the Odyssey (which is okay with me), but the reviews in the UK say it is fun to drive.
Ford C-Max
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The Mazda5 would most directly compete with the Ford C-Max. If you want an idea of what the C-Max will be like space wise go look inside a Mazda5. I debated getting a Mazda5 instead of an Odyssey for several reasons, but eventually decided we wanted the extra space of an Odyssey. The big advantage of a Mazda5 is the price.
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Mazda5 also comes in stickshift !
We debated it too, but with 6 people onboard there's no room left for stuff or luggage. Also the width, or lack thereof, is a bit of a turn-off for longer road trips. Having said that the 5 is a blast to drive.I miss the old MPV which was pretty right-sized AFAIC. They even came with AWD option.
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Mazda5 is my daily driver (stick-shiftMazda5 also comes in stickshift !
I miss the old MPV which was pretty right-sized AFAIC. They even came with AWD option.
). It is an awesome vehicle for the entry-level price, but yes, space-wise it is not a comparison with an Odyssey. I actually used to own 2 Mazda5s (one for wife, one for me :tongue, but I had to swap one for the Odyssey as soon as we knew our 3rd little one was on the way.My 1st Mazda5 (made in Japan with tons of Japanese parts) had a recall that took it out of action for 6 weeks at 1000 miles driven (parts being shipped from Japan?). In the meanwhile Mazda provided us with an equivalent vehicle, a brand new MPV (it was the last year of production). Very spacious, nice to drive, but no comparison I'm afraid... and more of a gas guzzler too
Anyway, back on topic, the Ford C-Max looks very good, yet I won't hold my breath until I see the US/Canadian spec, they are usually trimmed down from the European counterparts in features and driving enhancements to make them more competitive in price (just see the Mazda5 European spec itself)
Oh, and the 7th seat in the C-Max seems like a joke, I'm not unhappy that they took it away from the Mazda5s for North America. Also, the 3rd row is for short trips only (with no luggage). I've put a car seat a couple of times but I did not feel comfortable with one of my kids back there, including that buckling him up was a pain :dunno:
Blah Blah, blah, in summary, when I get to replace my Mazda5, I'll definitely look at it though. Sliding doors rock with kids. Bring it on stigma, I don't care
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People in the UK have a different opinion of what constitutes an acceptable vehicle. I just closed a window from this forum where dozens of people had complained about the fit and finish of the coin-holder-thingy. The c-max prolly doesn't even have a coin holder. It is a commercial/cargo vehicle, not a minivan. That said, I think it has a place in that application, and I hope Ford sells a bunch of them.
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Might be that you are confusing it with the Ford Transit Connect? The C-Max (Grand C-Max for Europe) is not destined as a commercial vehicle and the fit and finish looks better than other late Fords.
Oh, and that interior picture brings me another to another point. Manual Transmission has not been confirmed for the US/Canada bound C-Max
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Ha, ha, yes, I am a dum-dum, you are correct. Sorry for popping off. The C-Max, I do like a lot. I hope they bring a manual trans version here, but would bet my next paycheck that they will not.Might be that you are confusing it with the Ford Transit Connect? The C-Max (Grand C-Max for Europe) is not destined as a commercial vehicle and the fit and finish looks better than other late Fords.
Oh, and that interior picture brings me another to another point. Manual Transmission has not been confirmed for the US/Canada bound C-Max
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Actually the Transit Connect can come as a passenger van when ordered as XLT or XLT Premium:
2011 Ford Transit Connect Options | View Available Trim Levels | Ford.com
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Right, but it's not really what people around these parts would consider a passenger vehicle. I mean, if it has a coin holder, it's probably not felt lined. And it prolly doesn't even have the blue ambient lighting at all. And does the engine have over 250hp? Because if 0-60 takes over 8 seconds, it's far too slow.
I actually looked at those as a replacement for my Element. Seems versatile and interesting.
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Ah right, forgot you're in Houston. I was there. I think I saw a few of your compact cars on the 45 and 610Right, but it's not really what people around these parts would consider a passenger vehicle. I mean, if it has a coin holder, it's probably not felt lined. And it prolly doesn't even have the blue ambient lighting at all. And does the engine have over 250hp? Because if 0-60 takes over 8 seconds, it's far too slow.
I actually looked at those as a replacement for my Element. Seems versatile and interesting.
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I may know why
:Ford currently imports all of its Transit Connect models as passenger vehicles by including very specific items, e.g., rear windows, rear seats and rear seatbelts.The vehicles are exported from Turkey on cargo ships owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), arrive in Baltimore, and are converted back into light trucks at WWL's Vehicle Services Americas Inc. facility simply by replacing rear windows with metal panels and removing the rear seats and seatbelts. The removed parts are not shipped back to Turkey for reuse, but shredded and recycled in Ohio. The process exploits the loophole in the customs definition of a light truck: as cargo doesn't need seats with seat belts or rear windows, presence of those items automatically qualifies the vehicle as a passenger vehicle and exempts the vehicle from light truck status. The process costs Ford hundreds of dollars per van, but saves thousands in taxes.
Chicken tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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You may bet and win, check this out. The EcoBoost engine sounds interesting, but no MT it seems. Still Canada is up in the air though, but I also doubt it
The base C-Max features a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter DOHC iVCT four-cylinder engine, which is actually already on American roads under the hood of the Ford Fusion. In the C-Max, this engine will provide for 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque, and will come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission in a front-wheel drive configuration.
The premium offering comes in the form of the first application for Ford’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine in North America, good for 168 horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque while sipping normal 87 octane unleaded, but power boosts to 180 horsepower on premium fuel. Like the base engine, the EcoBoost comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and FWD.
Detroit: U.S.-spec Ford C-Max revealed [Video, Live images]
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Shoot, that is a GIRL truck.Ah right, forgot you're in Houston. I was there. I think I saw a few of your compact cars on the 45 and 610
Pickups are so dumb, unless you ACTUALLY need one.Astounding.I may know why
Ford currently imports all of its Transit Connect models as passenger vehicles by including very specific items,<snip>but shredded and recycled in Ohio.
Chicken tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Would be nice, but they don't usually get something we don't, do they? At least on smaller volume vehicles.You may bet and win, check this out. The EcoBoost engine sounds interesting, but no MT it seems. Still Canada is up in the air though, but I also doubt it
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It might depend, I wanted to get a Mazda5 Grand Touring with 5MT here in the US but it is/was not an option, so I had to settle for a Sport. They have an equivalent to the Grand Touring up there (with luxury package, leather, navigation, yara yara) and comes standard with 5MT... lucky bastards
. And by the way, it is now 6MT for the current model
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Really? I looked at Mazda5s too. Just about the only utility-ish vehicle out there with a MT. The Fit has one, but it's a little on the small side. Mazda5 is still on my list, for when the kids get out of here, and we replace the Ody. Or if something horrible were to happen to my Element.
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True MTs are a dying breed :frown:
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Yes, 6MT, the gear ratios actually make it an effective extra gear, which is nice I believe. the shape of the Fit is very similar, my 3yr old thought it was a Mazda5 once
, but on the Fit you don't fit if you know what I mean.And yes, sad. If you see ATs are now getting better MPGs than the MTs, plus they are getting more efficient and better performing (i.e. VW DSG) so no justification for a 3rd pedal anymore, 3 pedals are just being relegated to a very small consumer base
But anyway, the C-Max offers 6MT in Europe, same as the Mazda5 (and Diesel too)
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2012 Mazda5 Sport Manual - Short Take Road Test
The stick-shifted Mazda 5 tested here isn’t dripping in evil black paint, it’s not especially powerful, and it doesn’t turn asphalt into pudding with its tremendous power. We still feel justified in calling it Lord Vader’s van, though, so long as we’re speaking Dutch, in which vader simply means “father.” What we mean is that the Mazda 5 with a six-speed manual transmission is the ultimate dad van.
More Power, More Ratios, More Refinement
A manual transmission goes a long way to ease the sting of what is, simply put, a dorky family vehicle. Dorks and non-dorks alike will find much to appreciate about the 5, though. While the 2.5-liter four’s 157 hp and 163 lb-ft are something to brag about only to friends who are still piddling around in Lancia Appias, when paired with the six-speed manual transmission, they proved enough for an 8.3-second run to 60 mph. That’s a significant improvement of 0.7 second over the time we got with an autobox-equipped 5.
To get into a full-size van like the Dodge Grand Caravan, shoppers have to pony up at least another $5000 or so. For the money, they get more space, far more power, and more features. But you won’t find one thing on the options list for any other sliding-door vehicle in the U.S.—the 5’s manual transmission. Dads rejoice.
2012 Mazda 5 Manual Transmission Road Test. Car and Driver
YouTube - Save the Manuals!
The stick-shifted Mazda 5 tested here isn’t dripping in evil black paint, it’s not especially powerful, and it doesn’t turn asphalt into pudding with its tremendous power. We still feel justified in calling it Lord Vader’s van, though, so long as we’re speaking Dutch, in which vader simply means “father.” What we mean is that the Mazda 5 with a six-speed manual transmission is the ultimate dad van.
More Power, More Ratios, More Refinement
A manual transmission goes a long way to ease the sting of what is, simply put, a dorky family vehicle. Dorks and non-dorks alike will find much to appreciate about the 5, though. While the 2.5-liter four’s 157 hp and 163 lb-ft are something to brag about only to friends who are still piddling around in Lancia Appias, when paired with the six-speed manual transmission, they proved enough for an 8.3-second run to 60 mph. That’s a significant improvement of 0.7 second over the time we got with an autobox-equipped 5.
To get into a full-size van like the Dodge Grand Caravan, shoppers have to pony up at least another $5000 or so. For the money, they get more space, far more power, and more features. But you won’t find one thing on the options list for any other sliding-door vehicle in the U.S.—the 5’s manual transmission. Dads rejoice.
2012 Mazda 5 Manual Transmission Road Test. Car and Driver
YouTube - Save the Manuals!
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8.3 is fine with me. Can't believe they haven't bumped the hp on the engine, though.
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Ford C-Max Minivan Canceled for the US
Late last year, Ford said it would bring to market its first minivan since the mid-2000s in the form of the C-Max, a seven-seat van with some running gear in common with the 2012 Mazda 5.
That plan is now inoperative, says Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer, who confirms the three-row C-Max has been dropped from the North American product plan.
The minivan version may be off, but Schirmer says the two-row C-Max Hybrid and plug-in hybrids announced at the Detroit auto show are still planned for an introduction in 2012.
In fact, Schirmer says, Ford feels the move to drop the three-row van could boost the image of the incoming C-Max, since it now will be a hybrid-only product, with a unique body style, more in the vein of the Toyota Prius.
"This will be a real positive for the C-Max brand," he said.
The news comes as Ford is touting its future hybrid build capacity at a press conference in Dearbon, Michigan. By 2013, the company says it will be able to build 100,000 electrified vehicles each year.
As for future minivan product plans, Schirmer adds, "we never close the door" completely on bringing over the C-Max, but notes Ford's abundance of three-row utility vehicles, including the hot-selling 2011 Ford Explorer and the Ford Flex / Lincoln MKT duo.
The seven-seat C-Max will continue to be sold in Europe and other markets.
The Car Connection
Late last year, Ford said it would bring to market its first minivan since the mid-2000s in the form of the C-Max, a seven-seat van with some running gear in common with the 2012 Mazda 5.
That plan is now inoperative, says Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer, who confirms the three-row C-Max has been dropped from the North American product plan.
The minivan version may be off, but Schirmer says the two-row C-Max Hybrid and plug-in hybrids announced at the Detroit auto show are still planned for an introduction in 2012.
In fact, Schirmer says, Ford feels the move to drop the three-row van could boost the image of the incoming C-Max, since it now will be a hybrid-only product, with a unique body style, more in the vein of the Toyota Prius.
"This will be a real positive for the C-Max brand," he said.
The news comes as Ford is touting its future hybrid build capacity at a press conference in Dearbon, Michigan. By 2013, the company says it will be able to build 100,000 electrified vehicles each year.
As for future minivan product plans, Schirmer adds, "we never close the door" completely on bringing over the C-Max, but notes Ford's abundance of three-row utility vehicles, including the hot-selling 2011 Ford Explorer and the Ford Flex / Lincoln MKT duo.
The seven-seat C-Max will continue to be sold in Europe and other markets.
The Car Connection
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