Apart from minor tweaks to the transmission and body aerodynamics to improve fuel efficiency, the Ford C-Max Energi continues essentially unchanged for 2014.

Plug-in hybrids occupy a sliver of a market niche between standard hybrid cars and full electric vehicles. With their larger-capacity battery packs, plug-ins typically allow you to drive somewhere between 10 and 40 miles (depending on which one you get) purely on electric power before switching over to normal hybrid operation. Within this tiny segment, the five-passenger 2014 Ford C-Max Energi wagon has plenty of good points in its favor and only a few against it.

As with the C-Max Hybrid, the Energi employs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric motor. The Energi, however, has a larger lithium-ion battery pack, and that allows owners to drive up to 19 miles (and at speeds up to 85 mph) solely on electric power. For many people, this could be enough to run errands or commute to work without ever switching over to gas. And fully recharging the Ford C-Max Energi on a 240-volt system takes just a few hours.

On longer drives, the C-Max Energi switches over to standard hybrid mode using both gas and electric power. In our testing of a 2013 model, we had little difficulty eking out 40 mpg in this mode. Ford says it has made a few tweaks to the 2014 C-Max Energi to boost fuel economy, though its recently adjusted EPA combined rating is identical to last year's car at 38 mpg combined.

Beyond its meager appetite for fuel, the 2014 Ford C-Max Energi has much more to recommend it. The handsome cabin is tightly constructed, boasts high-quality materials and offers ample passenger space. There are also plenty of available high-tech conveniences available including automated parallel parking assist and a power liftgate that's operated by swinging your foot under the rear bumper. Notably, the Energi also drives like a more expensive European car, with a comfortable ride, quiet cabin and responsive steering.

Still, we have to ding the C-Max Energi in a few areas. Price is one: This plug-in version of the C-Max runs nearly $5,000 more than a comparably equipped standard C-Max Hybrid. Then, there's its cargo capacity. The regular C-Max will never win a trophy for hauling capabilities, and the Energi fares even worse due to its larger and awkwardly placed battery pack. Lastly, the available MyFord Touch electronic interface can be frustrating and distracting to use. We suggest trying it out at the dealership before opting for this feature.