CD Article: 2008 Ford Fusion SEL AWD

[CD_Editor]

Test Drive:


The Ford Fusion V6 offers a strong engine, smooth ride and roomy interior, says Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh, along with gimmicks like Sync and coloured cupholders - but it needs more attention to build quality, she says.

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Read the article | View the photos | All the Test Drives

[Thinking Out Loud]

"Overall, this is a solid car that, like such competitors as the Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Impala, does its job quietly and smoothly, without any fuss; it's never going to set the world on fire, but that's not its intention"

Wasn't it's ad campaign 'create a reaction'? 

Personally, I think the Fusion is a VERY nice vehicle.  As SE Sport would have been my ride if Mrs. TOL could drive a stick......$35,000 for a loaded one and AWD is a nice ride to the FWD SE V6 Camry....and that is MSRP!

[Greg B.]

I really wanted to like the Fusion when it came out but something about it just doesn't work for me and I can't quite put my finger on it. The lack of bright trim around the windows makes it look very dull in dark colors (the beltline strip on SEL models isn't enough) and the taillights are absolutely hideous -- they need to change that awful quasi-"Euro" look. But it's more than that... maybe it's just the Ford sameness to it that doesn't excite me.

[MKII]

This comment from Jil sums up the Fusion IMO "This is a good car that could be better".
Its a fault the runs thru Ford N.A. vehicle line-up, which I believe Mr.Mulally is addressing and hopefully be able to execute.

[stodge]

I test drove the I4 and thought it was quite "flat". There was no punch to it at all. Otherwise it's a nice looking car although rear visibility is poor and the turning circle is huge.

[PJungnitsch]

Seem to be great used buys, Toyota reliability with Kia resale.

I think if they would have hired the Mondeo stylist (instead of that 'Red, White, and Blue' guy) and changed nothing else about the car (well, maybe got someone from Mazda to design the interior) this would have been a huge hit for Ford.

[awdpath]

The Ford Fusion/Milan/MKZ ( the chassis is 12.7 % stiffer than the Mazda6) AWD ( hardware supplied by Dana Auto) comes with front and rear ABS/Traction Control braking differentials ( up to 62.5 mph) and capable of sending up to 100% of engine power to the rear axle. Most of the power goes to the rear axle on hard straightaway acceleration and/or cornering/turn accelerations regardless of traction until traction is lost ( One professional reviewer clocked identical 0-62.5 mph time and 1/4 mile speed against the Fusion FWD). The curb weight of the AWD V6 model is about 3577 lbs, about 200 lbs more than the FWD V6 model.  The  AdvanceTrac electronic stability control will be available as an option in the U.S for the 2009 CD3-2 platform based Fusion( maybe standard in Canada). Note that Ford may tune the 2009 Fusion AWD for better gas mileage which may effect how the AWD drives compare to the 07/08 AWD models. According to the NHTSA's "Static Stability Factor (SSF) which determines how top-heavy a vehicle is" the 2007/08/09 Ford Fusion/Milan/MKZ AWD is less top-heavy than any of the 2008/9 models listed below.

Acura TSX/TL/RL 4-DR, Audi S/A 4 (fwd/awd)4-DR, BMW 3/5  Series( i/xi) 4-DR, Cadillac CTS/STS/DTS ( fwd/awd) 4-DR , Infiniti G35/G37(fwd/awd) , Jaguar X-Type 4-DR, Lexus IS250/350(fwd/awd) 4-DR , MINI Cooper S , Mazda6 4/5-DR, Mercedes-Benz E-Class(fwd/awd) 4-DR, Saab 9-3(fwd/awd) 4-DR, Subaru Legacy/ Impreza 4-DR, Volkswagen Passat(fwd/awd) 4-DR, Volvo S60/S40(fwd/awd) 4-DR, Honda Accord 4/2-DR, Nissan Altima 2/4-DR

[gosteelerz]

I went to Orlando recently and had a midsize car booked through Dollar Rent-a-car who seemed to deal only in Chrysler.  I had horrible visions of driving a Seebring for the trip, but was relieved when I got handed Ford keys, which turned out to be a Fusion SE V6.  I gotta say, I really liked this car.  I don't know if mine was posessed or something but it felt ALOT faster then my Mazda3 even though they are supposed to be similar.  It was obvious that mine did not have traction control because I did an embarrasing long burnout pulling out onto a very busy road.  The handling was terrific even without the 17" wheels.  I pushed it pretty hard and did not encounter understeer during the entire trip.  The brake feel was perfect, but were not really tested.  I like the sound of most 6 cylinder motors and this was no exception.  The engine may not be a smooth as the Camccord but it was quiet when taking it easy or cruising.  I traveled 368 miles on 16.5 U.S. gallons which works out to be 10.5 L/100, about 160 miles was highway.  Considering how much a thrashing it got, that was very good fuel economy.  I also find this car to be quite handsome especially when not burdened with a front license plate.

The things I didn't like were mostly to do with the interior.  The dash looks a bit "Micky Mouse" to me which may be appropriate considering where I was.  On the plus side it did have a fair amount of soft-touch materials.  I wasn't too keen on the Mouse Fur seat material, my kids thought it felt strange.  The only other beef was the ability to confuse the tranny.  If you floor it, say up to 60 km/h then back off most of the way, the tranny takes a bit of time to choose a gear.  Also, if you halfway floor it at highway speeds, it's a little slow at downshifting.

Sorry about the long-winded post but I was looking for the right thread to rave about this car.  Oh yeah, one more thing, there were no rattles.

[mrthompson]

Thanks for sharing your first hand experience with the car. 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I went to Orlando recently and had a midsize car booked through Dollar Rent-a-car who seemed to deal only in Chrysler.  I had horrible visions of driving a Seebring for the trip, but was relieved when I got handed Ford keys, which turned out to be a Fusion SE V6.  I gotta say, I really liked this car.  I don't know if mine was posessed or something but it felt ALOT faster then my Mazda3 even though they are supposed to be similar.  It was obvious that mine did not have traction control because I did an embarrasing long burnout pulling out onto a very busy road.  The handling was terrific even without the 17" wheels.  I pushed it pretty hard and did not encounter understeer during the entire trip.  The brake feel was perfect, but were not really tested.  I like the sound of most 6 cylinder motors and this was no exception.  The engine may not be a smooth as the Camccord but it was quiet when taking it easy or cruising.  I traveled 368 miles on 16.5 U.S. gallons which works out to be 10.5 L/100, about 160 miles was highway.  Considering how much a thrashing it got, that was very good fuel economy.  I also find this car to be quite handsome especially when not burdened with a front license plate.

The things I didn't like were mostly to do with the interior.  The dash looks a bit "Micky Mouse" to me which may be appropriate considering where I was.  On the plus side it did have a fair amount of soft-touch materials.  I wasn't too keen on the Mouse Fur seat material, my kids thought it felt strange.  The only other beef was the ability to confuse the tranny.  If you floor it, say up to 60 km/h then back off most of the way, the tranny takes a bit of time to choose a gear.  Also, if you halfway floor it at highway speeds, it's a little slow at downshifting.

Sorry about the long-winded post but I was looking for the right thread to rave about this car.  Oh yeah, one more thing, there were no rattles.

  I've been using Hertz lately (change in company policy) and have had a number of Fusions as rentals, usually SEL V6s. Really, really nice car. The leather power seats solve the "mouse fur" issue and are very comfortable.

If they would have offered a wagon with 4 cylinder and manual transmission, it would have been my first pick. As it was, I did bring it up a number of times, but it's too difficult for Mrs_T to get the wheelchair in a conventional trunk, no matter how large.