What's so great about the new fusion?

[krunchykrome]

So, whats so great about the new Fusion? I admit that it's a nice looking car, but any new car is relatively nice looking. I rode in a fully loaded Fusion over the weekend. It was nice inside, and the gauges looked neat....but why is everyone raving about this car? It wasn't any better feeling/looking than a new Camry or Accord. In fact, I'll still take a new Accord over the Fusion.

I was just expecting to be "wowed" based on everyone's opinions/reviews on this car.

 

[Demo24]

A)Looks are subjective to the person, but I find the updated Fusion to be far better looking than the Camry or Accord. Accord is also ridiculously big, and besides its size doesn't seem to offer anything special to the table.

B)Fusion comes in a wide variety of powertrain options. 4cyls, 6cyls, with FWD or AWD, as well as a hybrid version that exceeds anything else in the category

C)It is suppose to be fairly entertaining to drive.

 

[Vic Vega]

So, whats so great about the new Fusion? I admit that it's a nice looking car, but any new car is relatively nice looking. I rode in a fully loaded Fusion over the weekend. It was nice inside, and the gauges looked neat....but why is everyone raving about this car? It wasn't any better feeling/looking than a new Camry or Accord. In fact, I'll still take a new Accord over the Fusion.

I was just expecting to be "wowed" based on everyone's opinions/reviews on this car.

Most of the automotive community would disagree, placing it ahead of both those cars. Even the first gen model was said to be as good or better than the other two.

 

[Arkaign]

Yeah, new Fusion is definitely a class leader. Of particular note (beyond the great seats, engine choices other than the 3.0, etc) is the luxury-level NAV and audio system. I checked out a Fusion hybrid with what I assume to be the top level setup, and it was extremely impressive. I had just come from riding in a recent LS460 ('10?) and it was far superior to the Lexus nav/audio setup, no joke.

 

[Mide]

The ass of the Fusion looks like an old school Prelude...I always find that comforting to look at on the Freeway.

 

[Throckmorton]

The back looks horrible. WTF were they thinking? The front looks great though.

 

[yh125d]

I'll put it this way, I've owned two fusions, neither even the '10+, and I'm a big believer.

 

[alkemyst]

totally different car. I want my wife to at least drive a titanium hatchback. She is any american cars except Saturn. She has had her 2000 SL2 since near new and it's had only minor problems...biggest expenses have been tires.

Her two picks are GTI 4 door and the A3 4 door hatch...she's favoring the A3, but it's really a different class level.

 

[vi edit]

It's a very well sculpted car. Athletic/sporty without being too boy-racer. It's interior is very refined, it's reliability is excellent, it handles well and it's pricing (especially used) is a good value.

Not much to complain about. Ford did a great job with it.

 

[cyclistca]

It powers itself.

 

[Demo24]

The back looks horrible. WTF were they thinking? The front looks great though.

Actually I think the rear looks great, perhaps even a bit better than the front but overall very nice.


I've also heard the Fusion is really quiet inside, but I've never been in one to confirm. Hondas do seem to have a fair amount of road noise, which is irritating.

 

[Zap]

Not much to complain about. Ford did a great job with it.

Didn't Mazda help? I remember way back, hearing that the Fusion was loosely based on the Mazda 6 chassis.

 

[evident]

drove a mercury milan last year in key west and it was a pretty nice midsize sedan.

 

[vi edit]

Didn't Mazda help? I remember way back, hearing that the Fusion was loosely based on the Mazda 6 chassis.

It's got the roots of the MZ6 platform under it. But it's stretched quite a bit resulting in a larger interior and has a styling that has aged better than the 6 did.

 

[ShawnD1]

It was nice inside, and the gauges looked neat....but why is everyone raving about this car? It wasn't any better feeling/looking than a new Camry or Accord. In fact, I'll still take a new Accord over the Fusion.

You should buy this car because it's probably a lot easier to haggle over the price. American cars are worth nothing, so you can get several grand taken off the price if you do it right.

The guys at Honda (around here) are nice until you try negotiating. There's no negotiating. The Civic and the Accord both have waiting lists. You might get free stuff thrown in like weather mats and locking wheel nuts, but they won't budge on the price.

B)Fusion comes in a wide variety of powertrain options. 4cyls, 6cyls, with FWD or AWD, as well as a hybrid version that exceeds anything else in the category

Honda Accord has an AWD option if you get the insanely expensive model. The Toyota Venza is basically a Camry with AWD, but that too is expensive. The Ford is just a lot cheaper.

 

[ElFenix]

Didn't Mazda help? I remember way back, hearing that the Fusion was loosely based on the Mazda 6 chassis.

CD3 is mazda GG underneath. it's expected to be replaced with the EUCD2 when the fusion and mondeo lines merge in a couple years.

 

[Demo24]

Honda Accord has an AWD option if you get the insanely expensive model. The Toyota Venza is basically a Camry with AWD, but that too is expensive. The Ford is just a lot cheaper.

Lol wut, the Venza and Crosstour are hardly 'awd' variants. Sure they come in AWD. They also weigh more, are bigger vehicles in general, and much higher off the ground. Just because they may be based on the same platform hardly makes them the same vehicle.

 

[ballmode]

The 4 cylinder highway mpg on the fusion is worst in class

 

[Arkaign]

The 4 cylinder highway mpg on the fusion is worst in class

Eh?

http://jalopnik.com/5127389/ford-fusion-new-mid+size-fuel-economy-champ-bests-toyota-honda

Maybe you're thinking of the 2.3L in the '06-'09 models? That wasn't a great motor for a midsize, it had to try too hard to get the thing moving, leading to poor fuel economy.

In testing, they all seem to hover around the same exact real-world mpg, other than the strangely thirsty Altima 2.5S, which is much lower :

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...arison/malibu_fusion_accord_sonata_specs.html

 

[Doppel]

I was in one recently as a rental. It was decent, but all of these 4 cylinder gel so close together it's damn near splitting hairs identifying differences. I much preferred the 2011 Sonata, which I continue to tout as an impressive vehicle and it certainly did feel faster. Slightly better mileage than the Fusion, good bit more horsepower, and I assume has better standard features. Also is matched only by the 5 series for crash test results. I'd probably be driving one now but at this time Nissan is throwing their Altimas away so I got a V6 for under $23k new and it smokes the hell out of either of them

 

[Arkaign]

Yep, Sonata is definitely the other class leader. I think everything else in the range is notably lower than Fusion and Sonata. Sonata does have a couple of small deficiencies, but again no car is perfect. The looks are polarizing (subjective), and the NAV/Audio is not quite as feature-rich/nice, the resale value is still a weak spot (hopefully improving quickly, Hyundai deserves a better rep), etc.

Those VQ's do move Thumbs up on the V6 vs. that 2.5 which is just not a very fun motor.

 

[Doppel]

Yep, Sonata is definitely the other class leader. I think everything else in the range is notably lower than Fusion and Sonata. Sonata does have a couple of small deficiencies, but again no car is perfect. The looks are polarizing (subjective), and the NAV/Audio is not quite as feature-rich/nice, the resale value is still a weak spot (hopefully improving quickly, Hyundai deserves a better rep), etc.

Those VQ's do move Thumbs up on the V6 vs. that 2.5 which is just not a very fun motor.

Sonata is polarizing. Each time I see one I wonder if I should have gone that route after all, but my wife hates the look of them, so

 

[wirednuts]

new cars in general are well built. even the damn kia's are nice when new. just dont go past 30K miles because when you replace the wheel bearings youll notice youre basically riding on shopping cart hubs.

 

[ShawnD1]

Eh?

http://jalopnik.com/5127389/ford-fusion-new-mid+size-fuel-economy-champ-bests-toyota-honda

Maybe you're thinking of the 2.3L in the '06-'09 models? That wasn't a great motor for a midsize, it had to try too hard to get the thing moving, leading to poor fuel economy.

I will never understand why people say this, particularly old people. I've heard lots of old people say bigger engines get better mileage because the engine doesn't need to work as hard and can spin at a lower RPM, but this is consistently proven wrong year after year in every car that has ever been tested. For any car that has 2 engines available, the smaller engine that needs to work a lot harder always gets better mileage.
Here you mentioned 06-09 Fusions. I'm looking at 08 on fueleconomy.gov and it says the 4 cylinder was still about 10% better gas mileage than the V6 in that year, and it's like that for ever other year.

 

[EightySix Four]

I will never understand why people say this, particularly old people. I've heard lots of old people say bigger engines get better mileage because the engine doesn't need to work as hard and can spin at a lower RPM, but this is consistently proven wrong year after year in every car that has ever been tested. For any car that has 2 engines available, the smaller engine that needs to work a lot harder always gets better mileage.
Here you mentioned 06-09 Fusions. I'm looking at 08 on fueleconomy.gov and it says the 4 cylinder was still about 10% better gas mileage than the V6 in that year, and it's like that for ever other year.

In the EPA cycle, the smaller engines do better almost universally, in real world driving this is not necessarily the case. Real world driving requires a bit more performance sometimes than the EPA cycle (such as the on ramp to a freeway, passing, etc.) a 3.5L V6 may only need 35% throttle to get to speed in time while the 2.5L I4 is chugging along at 70%. This is also highly dependent on driving habits.

I have found I get better mileage with smaller motors to a specific point. Smaller than a 2.0L turbo (250-260hp) is just too sluggish and I end up getting worse and worse, but I am an aggressive driver.