Ford claims that the car will do over 20 miles in electric only mode, but you apparently ONLY get that range if all of the electronics, heaters, lights, air conditioners, radio, bluetooth, and other accessories are OFF. Real world range for typical users is only about 9 miles. Real world mileage in hybrid mode is 39-40 MPG.
The car isn't bad, but the real world benefits are fairly small once you factor in the fact that the Energi comes at a steep price premium over the standard CMAX, and that you are losing most of your trunk space for batteries and such (for a car its size, and one that is being marketed to young families, it has remarkably little cargo capacity).
If you want a plugin hybrid, the Volt and the plug in Prius are both better cars. The Prius will give you the same electric only range and better hybrid mileage for less money. The Volt will give you substantially better electric range and comparable hybrid mileage for only slightly more money, and it comes with a usable trunk that you can actually fit groceries and a stroller into.
Both of the Energi owners I spoke with had a long list of complaints about their cars and recommended that I not buy one. It was an unfortunate thing to hear, because on the surface it looks like a good car (and I'm sure it is, for some people).
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