WASHINGTON — When the word “hybrid” is in a car’s name, it usually means the car is boring to drive, even if it has excellent fuel economy. The Ford C-Max Hybrid does a pretty good job of being thrifty and fun.
Unlike some hybrids, the Ford’s body stands out without looking strange. You really have to pay attention to the badges on the car to know that it’s a hybrid model.
The C-Max Hybrid is a smallish wagon with seating for five and a $31,000 price tag for the top SEL trim level I drove.
If you don’t need all the options, you can snag a C-Max Hybrid for around $25,000. My tester was fitted with the 303A equipment group; for $3,000, you add a premium sound system with NAV. A power rear liftgate, where you move your foot under the rear bumper and it opens for you, works well.
There’s even a parking technology package included that will park the car for you, working the pedals and transmission while the car takes care of the rest.
The interior was a pleasant place with heated leather seats up front. The driver has 10-way power seats with lumbar controls. The rear seats are great for two adults and a third for shorter trips. There is great headroom and good leg room, just not as wide as you need for three to ride for a long time.
One sacrifice: The battery pack lives under the rear cargo floor, so you lose a bit of storage space with a higher rear floor height. I can’t fault the material quality throughout the cabin. It looks good and most of the materials have a nice feel to them. The Sync system with My Ford Touch seems to garner some complaints, and for 2016, a new version will appear.
But other than being a little slow sometimes, I didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it. Phone pairing is quick and easy. Let’s hope that doesn’t change.
Driving this C-Max Hybrid was a relief. Finally, there is a bit of life when it comes to handling. It’s not a sports car by any means, but it handles well for a tall wagon. Even the ride seems refined with a little more euro feel to it, not wallowing or extra soft, but just a slight hint of firmness.
This is a quiet cruiser that can be peppy when the gas engine and electric motor kick in, but you do notice that engine drone when at higher RPM’s and the CVT transmission keeps it there.
Most of the time, the car will happily run on electric power under modest speeds, even at highway speed sometimes. I spent about 140 miles in EV mode out of the 263 miles I drove and managed 41.1 mpg during the week. The more stop-and-go you do, the better the mpg; the C-Max Hybrid is rated 42 mpg city and 37 mpg highway.
The Ford C-Max Hybrid is a surprisingly fun alternative to the normal small crossovers or other hybrids on the market. With its fuel-efficient hybrid system, you won’t be stopping for gas very often. With the cheaper gas prices and end of the model year sell down, now might be the time to snag a deal on a hybrid.