Day-by-Day Review: 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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The last time I drove a Ford Fusion Hybrid was about two years ago, I managed to eek out 1,144km from the gas tank until the fuel well ran completely dry, which left me having to push it up hill to a gas station. Fun times! That worked out to an average of 5.4L/100km of the course of the drive, which is not bad at all considering the size of the car.

But two years is a long time these days, with advancements in technologies (direct injection, Lithium battery Hybrids and better aerodynamics). So, does the Fusion still impress in 2011? And can I once again suck the tank dry and achieve fuel economy better than the government rating?

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My tester is nearly fully loaded. It is not equipped with leather, but does have the navigation, moon roof and vision packages which add and upgraded stereo and parking sensors, rearview camera. The base price is currently $34,199 with a delivery allowance of $4,000, which makes this vehicle very appealing. My tester, though, adds another $4,600 in options, bringing the total (before discounts) to $38,799 (or $34,799 with discounts).

I also noted last time I drove the Fusion Hybrid how quiet the vehicle was; at the time it had to be one of the quietest I had driven. I didn’t actually pick up the vehicle today (it was ready for me in my driveway when I returned home) so I cannot yet comment.

I seem to be on a fuel economy kick in recent weeks, so I’ll be having some fun trying to eek every last kilometre out of this hybrid this week. My mostly highway commute may not be the most ideal playground for a hybrid, but I guess we’ll see!

2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $38,799

For more information on Ford and the Fusion Hybrid visit Ford Canada

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Some loyal readers have already mentioned that the interior of the Fusion looks a little dated, and I have to agree. But I also agree with the comments that despite that slightly dated look, it is very simple and utilitarian, which is a welcome change from the “bling” that the Asian brands that tend to focus on to keep things interesting.

The Fusion is old-school simple with new technology blended in. Ignoring the Hybrid system and extra readouts associated with it, the Fusion contains blind spot detection, a backup camera, and the Ford Sync system with navigation, which I quite like. I actually prefer this older, more straightforward system to the newest MyFord Touch setup that I tested last week in the Explorer.

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Passenger space is ample everywhere in the Fusion. The rear seats are comfortable with an excellent amount of head room. Front passengers are treated to very comfortable bucket seats as well, with a nice, meaty centre armrest. More of the materials are soft touch, especially where it counts (padded areas), and unlike most Fords, the upper door panels are even a softer-touch plastic.

Because this is a Hybrid, the batteries do take up space that would otherwise be part of the trunk, and you also lose out in folding rear seats because of this. This is not unusual in the segment, though, as all hybrid sedans suffer from this problem.

Different from a standard Fusion are the interactive gauges that display various bits of information and can bet set up in numerous different configurations. These gauges include a digital tachometer, a visual display to inform the driver if they are driving in EV mode or if power is being delivered by the engine, and current and average fuel economy. Personally, I really enjoy seeing the power distribution and battery level indicator, which also informs when one is charging or discharging the battery. With this information available, the driver is capable of tuning his or her driving style to achieve optimal results.

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The Fusion Hybrid is as quiet as I remember it being two years ago. In fact, it is not just quiet — it is “Fusion quiet.” Perhaps that makes no sense when talking about the car, but let’s just say that it is so quiet I actually turn off the radio on the highway just to listen to how little noise there actually is. It is almost impossible to fathom that a vehicle in the mid-sized car category, at just over $30,000, can be this quiet. Road noise is non-existent, wind noise zero and engine noise indiscernible.

Even in the city it is very difficult to tell if the engine is running or if the vehicle is in EV mode. I have to constantly keep an eye on the information display in the centre cluster. When the drivetrain changes from electric drive to engine-propulsion, there is sometimes a slight “bump” similar to that of a vehicle shifting gears, but it is not significant, and forget about hearing the engine unless your foot is really into it.

The suspension is not your typical soft-and-floaty hybrid suspension, either. The Fusion Hybrid offers up a great compromise between comfort and sport with a suspension that gobbles up imperfections in the road but still transfers enough feel to the driver to feel engaged.

Visibility is excellent all around, and of course the blind-spot sensors help keep you safe when changing lanes, and the cross traffic alert makes reversing in a parking lot less stressful. When people ask me what mid-sized sedan they should buy, the Fusion always comes up in my list, and once again after a few days behind the wheel I want to keep this vehicle, which is a rare occurrence for me.

The Fusion Hybrid provides the near perfect balance between hybrid economy and a family sedan while offering enough feel to keep the drive fun and engaging even at “Hybrid” speeds, which for this Hybrid is up to 70km/h on electric power alone. Today, I was able to drive from Home Depot to Costco sans gasoline — a short jaunt, but a win nonetheless. So far my trips are averaging around 6.0L/100km!

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Turns out I didn’t really have time to empty the tank in the Fusion Hybrid this week. It would have just taken far too long, since it seems to go forever on one tank. I did travel about 400km, most of it highway travel, and would up just below 3/4 of a tank on the gauge.

I averaged a very respectable 6.3L/100km, and considering much of my highway driving was in the greater-than-100km/h range, that is impressive. Watching the Hybrid drive display on the large navigation screen shows that the electric motor is assisting even during high-speed highway motoring.

I kept coming back to the Fusion Hybrid’s quiet road manners as its key highlight and, of course, its fuel economy. This is one car that I would love to have in my stable; the only downside is the lack of 60/40 split folding rear seats, which can be a challenge for those hardware store trips.

*Rating out of 5: