Having driven the 2020 Ford Explorer a few times this year, although I liked it, I certainly didn’t love it. Truth be told the Hyundai Palisade did it so much better, and for less money. When I picked up the key fob for the Lincoln Aviator Reserve I was thinking it might be equal to the Palisade – but with an even bigger price bump than the Explorer. Two minutes behind the wheel and I knew right away my preconceptions were wrong, oh so wrong.
What happens when the Ford/Lincoln designers forget that they don’t work for BMW/Mercedes? They create vehicles like the 2020 Lincoln Corsair. I’m serious – this Corsair feels and drives just like a BMW/Mercedes. Remove the badges and no one would be able to tell the difference on the inside – especially if you blindfolded them and sat them in the front seats. Ford have really stepped up their game with the Lincoln lineup. No longer is it just a tiny bit more luxurious than the Ford equivalent – it’s a completely different vehicle! They share the platform, but that’s it – everything else is luxury dialed up to 11, but DO NOT call it a grandpa’s Lincoln with thoughts of floaty suspension and overly boosted power steering – those days are thankfully long gone.
Cold weather and winter driving conditions can reduce your fuel economy significantly. Fuel economy tests show that, in short-trip city driving, a conventional gasoline car’s gas mileage is about 12% lower at 20°F (6°C) than it would be at 77°F (25°C). It can drop as much as 22% for very short trips (3 to 4 miles). The effect on hybrid vehicles is worse. Their fuel economy can drop about 31% to 34% under winter conditions. These conclusions are based on an analysis by Oak Ridge National Laboratory comparing EPA Federal Test Procedure (FTP) results for 600 conventional vehicles and 14 hybrids under “normal” temperatures (around 77°F / 25°C) and cold-weather conditions (20°F / 6°C).
The All-New C-MAX is a great looking little city runabout that’s sure to stand out in a crowd. With the world striving to go green, manufacturers are forever trying to find a way to make vehicles more fuel-efficient. Each manufacturer has their own take on how to save the planet – for some it’s hydrogen, for others it’s diesel, hybrid, electric or combinations thereof. The C-MAX is a different animal – it straddles the realm between and EV and a hybrid. Its forté is that you can plug it in and run on electric-only for short trips around town – where the majority of pollutants are emitted in stop-and-go traffic. Unlike other EVs it has a real motor to extend its range, making the C-MAX far more desirable than your standard EV or hybrid.
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