Ford C-Max Outsells Toyota Prius V In First Full Month Of Sales

by Derek Kreindler

November 2nd, 2012 1:21 PM

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ford c max outsells toyota prius v in first full month of sales

The Ford C-Max’s first full month on sale was a fruitful one for the Blue Oval – the C-Max managed to beat its arch rival, the Toyota Prius V.

Toyota managed to move 2769 Prius V’s in October, compared to 3182 C-Max’s. According to AutoGuide, 25 percent of C-Max sales occurred in California.

#Ford #FordC-max #Hybrid #HybridCars #Toyota #ToyotaPrius #ToyotaPriusV

Derek Kreindler

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11 of 95 comments

APaGttH on Nov 02, 2012

And the Volt outsold the Prius V too. What? I'm sure bringing that up will make for some EX-cellent popcorn eating.

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- Jeoff on Nov 02, 2012
  
  Volt is hardly the small SUV/mini-van alternative that the V and C-Max are marketed as. I still want it to do well, but I really dont understand the packaging of the thing (4-seats) or the price.
  
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- Sunridge place on Nov 02, 2012
  
  @jeoff 'I really dont understand the packaging of the thing (4-seats)' Its because it has a massive T-shaped battery running right up the middle of it. 35 miles of electric driving range doesn't happen by magic.
  
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- Luke42 on Nov 02, 2012
  
  Apples, oranges, and popcorn -- yummy! :-) I've owned the 2nd-gen Prius, and driven the Prius V, the C-Max and the Volt. In terms of refinement, I'd probably order the list: Volt, C-Max, Prius, Prius V. The Prius V was the least refined of the lot, and is certainly at the bottom of the list. Choosing the best car from this list is certainly a #firstworldproblem, but the relative ordering is what it is. The roughly 1/3rd of Americans who buy new cars tend to be relatively affluent, so this kind of refinement matters.
  
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- Rudiger on Nov 03, 2012
  
  @Luke42 That's quite a perceptive observation on the question of hybrid refinement. Toyota, while still the quality leader, has taken something of a backward step in this area. The most recent versions of the Prius, while still reliable, take quite a drubbing on level of refinement in passenger comfort and driving dynamics. I think it was a TTAC review of the latest standard Prius which compared it to being in the movie 2001 (sitting in the Prius, one could envision hearing the line "Open the pod bay doors, HAL" was how it was put in the review).
  
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Carlson Fan on Nov 03, 2012

"And the Volt outsold the Prius V too" 2961 - a record month for the Volt. Really thought it would break 3K in October. The doctor out east that started GM Volt.com sold his Volt to buy a C-Max. Family of 5, wife drives a Leaf, easy to see why the 4 passenger Volt wasn't very practical for him.

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- Rudiger on Nov 03, 2012
  
  Yeah, that's where the C-Max and Prius V trump the Volt. The Volt can be used as a primary vehicle, but its use in that regard is only for small 'empty nest' type families. The family of the guy who started gm-volt.com simply outgrew his Volt. You just can't fit two adults and three kids into a Volt. If GM comes out with a 5-passenger, C-Max/Prius V-sized version of the Volt, he might go back to it. With that said, I think I'd still pass on the C-Max and go with a Prius variant if I were in the market for that size hybrid (at least for now). There have been a few reports that Ford's new EVs haven't been exactly glitch-free (or achieving the advertised, stellar mpg figures, either). Ford bought back at least one Focus Electric because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I suspect that, more than anything else, is why Ford is rolling out the C-Max slowly. It's really a beta-test at this point, and Ford doesn't want a bunch of buggy C-Maxes getting the car a bad reputation from the start. Unless you have the freakish, ingrained, OCD Toyota level of engineering and quality control, something as complicated as a state-of-the-art, modern hybrid is bound to have some start-up problems (hopefully, relatively minor). With the almost instantaneous disemination of information these days, I'm sure Ford realizes this and is ramping up C-Max production a lot more slowly than they might have done with a new model in the past.
  
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- Benders on Nov 03, 2012
  
  @rudiger You realize that this is a hybrid, not an electric, right? Ford has been selling hybrids since 2004.
  
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- Luke42 on Nov 03, 2012
  
  @Rudiger: I loved the Volt when I drove it, but I certainly agree that it's better suited to empty nesters than to young/growing families. I'm in young-family camp for the next 10 yeas or so. @Benders: The C-Max comes in two varieties: one functionally equivelent to the Prius, and the other is functionally equivalent to the Volt (but with about half the all-electric range). [Long analysis of which vehicle is better for which situation deleted]
  
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Conslaw on Nov 04, 2012

I got an indicated 40 MPG on a test-drive of the C-Max hybrid. Ford tries to market it as a CUV, but the cargo room is really more like that of a Toyota Matrix. Rear seats up, the C-Max doesn't have a lot more space than the regular Prius hatchback. (On the other hand, the C-Max is markedly quicker and roomier in the cabin than the Prius hatchback.) By the way, my local dealer just got its first C-Max Energi plug-in. They didn't even have their charging station yet. I was shocked at how little cargo room there is in the Energi. I would be surprised if you could get three grocery bags in there without blocking the view out the back.

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Mr Nosy on Nov 05, 2012

Without getting into like,details,but typing as a denizen of Lossangeles,I can say with full anecdotal authority that Toyota (Except for Prius) and Honda,have ceded control to other marques in markets that were solidly under their control for the past twenty years or so. Mazda Threes are what VW Jettas used to be,cars for people whose next car is a 3 series BMW (Unless CUV-itis kicks in.Oh Mazda has a model for that now.) Ford has bounced back more with the Fusion,more so than the new and slightly overpriced Focus. FIATs-not just for the gays (I'm just as surprised as you are.). Subarus,still taking SAAB trade-ins...Cadillac CTS,German car types want a change,or perhaps some bitter reminder.Oh,and Audi seems to garner/rook potential Acura,Lexus,& Infiniti owners by the baker's dozen.BTW/Etc,KIA & Hyundai.

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