High mpg family car (fusion)

scaredofdebt

I currently own a 1.6 diesel Ford CMax, cost to run is around 8.8p a mile in fuel (62 MPG), I do similar mileage to you, around 25-30k per annum.

The oil seals needed replacing soon after I bought it, the warranty company covered that less a £75 excess. Other than that no major issues so far, only had it 3 months but covered 10k miles to date.

It's a 54 plate with 135k on the clock, cost £1,300 to buy. If I'd read the threads on this forum I wouldn't have bought it, fingers crossed it will be OK for another year or two.

We did look at the Fusion but not so many of those around and they look ugly, not that the CMax is a thing of beauty!

This site would indicate the CMax is OK from a reliability point of view, but you cannot split the data by engine size/fuel type:

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability

Also no idea how big the sample size is. But the site indicates that the CMax is more reliable for example than a VW Golf.

BeenThroughItAll

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Also no idea how big the sample size is. But the site indicates that the CMax is more reliable for example than a VW Golf.

Erm... Golf is RI of 96, Focus C-Max is 104.


Lower is better on the RI scale, so the Golf is marginally better (average is 118, apparently).


Still, neither makes it into the top 100, which stops at an RI of 71.

Marktheshark

scaredofdebt wrote: »

I currently own a 1.6 diesel Ford CMax, cost to run is around 8.8p a mile in fuel (62 MPG), I do similar mileage to you, around 25-30k per annum.

The oil seals needed replacing soon after I bought it, the warranty company covered that less a £75 excess. Other than that no major issues so far, only had it 3 months but covered 10k miles to date.

It's a 54 plate with 135k on the clock, cost £1,300 to buy. If I'd read the threads on this forum I wouldn't have bought it, fingers crossed it will be OK for another year or two.



We did look at the Fusion but not so many of those around and they look ugly, not that the CMax is a thing of beauty!

This site would indicate the CMax is OK from a reliability point of view, but you cannot split the data by engine size/fuel type:

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability

Also no idea how big the sample size is. But the site indicates that the CMax is more reliable for example than a VW Golf.

If its got 135k on the same Engine I bet Ford would like to see that, it must be the first.
Usually 80-90k and it dies a great death from carbon build up.
Wonder if its had a new engine fitted.

AdrianC

Marktheshark wrote: »

If its got 135k on the same Engine I bet Ford would like to see that, it must be the first.
Usually 80-90k and it dies a great death from carbon build up.
Wonder if its had a new engine fitted.

Or maybe it's just had decent oil regularly...?

BeenThroughItAll

AdrianC wrote: »

Or maybe it's just had decent oil regularly...?

Never let the real world get in the way of the chip on one's shoulder...

scaredofdebt

Would the oil seals failing cause carbon build up if untreated?

CMax rates RI 60
Golf rates RI 96

The CMax is for '07 on so not applicable to mine, hadn't noticed the year dropdown, they don't have figures for older CMaxs.
The VW is for '04-'09 again, hadn't spotted the year dropdown and this is what the site defaults to.

BeenThroughItAll

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Would the oil seals failing cause carbon build up if untreated?

CMax rates RI 60
Golf rates RI 96

The CMax is for '07 on so not applicable to mine, hadn't noticed the year dropdown, they don't have figures for older CMaxs.
The VW is for '04-'09 again, hadn't spotted the year dropdown and this is what the site defaults to.

No, you have a Focus C-Max. It is listed, and the RIs are as I said above.

AdrianC

The C-Max was the same car from '03 to '10 - it just lost one word off the badge in '07 in a mild facelift.

BeenThroughItAll

AdrianC wrote: »

The C-Max was the same car from '03 to '10 - it just lost one word off the badge in '07 in a mild facelift.

Yes it was, but Warranty Direct show the post MY07 facelift separately - the one in question was a 54 plate, so fits under their 'Focus C-Max' selection; with a different RI number.


Now I'm not in any way supporting the veracity of Warranty Direct as a source, just reporting what their site says.

ben_m_g

A bit of an update...

I spent another weekend looking and test driving cars. I've looked at the note, fiesta, rio, focus, golf, c'eed, c max, aventis and megane. With time running out on the curtsey car, a choice had to be made quickly.

There has been a right mix of cars for the money, some with brakes so bad I felt unsafe test driving, missing history, ripped and burnt interior and some very neglected cars.

In the end I found a Renault megane 1.5 under budget with 60k on the clock.
I know it's not everyone's choice but for space, extras and with a 15 month warranty I was very happy with it.

Thanks to all that have helped on the thread.