What makes Ford different from Crysler and GM? Maybe picking the right partner? The Fusion is held up as a paragon of Domestic Midsized sedan quality. Its a Mazda Partnered platform. Maybe its a factor maybe its not?
Let's not get carried away. The Fusion is a mid-pack performer at best in that class. The 4-banger version gets consistently mediocre reviews and the V-6, while better, still trails the class leaders in many respects. I know when I was car-shopping recently that I looked long and hard at a number of Ford/Lincoln products and none of them impressed me much in terms of material quality or design. I suspect a lot of Ford's recent sales success is about not having to have gone thru bankruptcy proceedings and the resultant bad publicity, along with a strong inventory position since their plants were able to keep operating.
You did not read what I read:
"Domestic Midsized sedan
quality"
Name me another
domestic Midsized sedan that has scored as high on quality and reliability as the Fusion.
As for the Fusio itself. It sold well before the no bankruptcy thing. It provided good value. Lower price, good quality reliability. Good space and above average handeling. Yes engines did lag behind some competion. But as an overall package it was pretty good for the $
Malibu. And I even think the Sebring SEDAN scored high also, when it is judged apart from the convertible which is a nightmare.
having tried the 2010 fusion before going for the Malibu, I actually think it is an inferior car. The fit and finish, and material's quality is nowhere as good as the Chevy. I'm not saying it is bad, because it sure is better than the Accord or Camry, but there is a gap between the fusion and the Malibu.
The Ford is also better priced.. more in line with the Sonata.
The sebring has not scored well in anything to do with quality, performance or finish. The car is so poor that it's laughed out of every competition and regularly comes in a distant last. Sales are so weak that for a time Chrysler was offering a buy one get one free promotion on the vehicle in some places.
The fusion isn't a bad vehicle and it's true that it's reliability has been decent so far but in regards to overall package, it is still middle of the pack at best.
The new malibu is probably the best car to come from GM in the last three decades but even it hardly blows the competition away. The situation isn't helped of course by the course ecotec 4 cylinder that's offered. If Gm wants to regain any market share they have to build cars better than the next guy and over an extended period of time. So far they have done neither.
