Ford Fusion wins Motor Trend Car of The Year

[Greg B.]

A totally baffling choice. A minor facelift of a car that has been around for several years suddenly makes it COTY? It has a mediocre 4-banger powertrain choice, an unremarkable interior, and cleaned-up but totally pedestrian exterior design. Bizarre.

[safristi]

..don't BLOW a gasket there Greg B'have or nursey will have to restrain ya...........

[inco]

A totally baffling choice. A minor facelift of a car that has been around for several years suddenly makes it COTY? It has a mediocre 4-banger powertrain choice, an unremarkable interior, and cleaned-up but totally pedestrian exterior design. Bizarre.

Same thing happened in the AJAC awards though didn't it. Mazda 3 and Touareg walked away with honors in their segments.

Mazda was recognized for the many changes under the skin and the Touareg - TDI. On the outside the Touareg really hadn't changed at all.

With the Fusion, Fords renewed efforts to expand the line and the hybrid were prolly the scale tippers.

[safristi]

...."scale tippers"............................ ...................15%........................   ya just can't BRIBE good staff these days......

[Mitlov]

A totally baffling choice. A minor facelift of a car that has been around for several years suddenly makes it COTY? It has a mediocre 4-banger powertrain choice, an unremarkable interior, and cleaned-up but totally pedestrian exterior design. Bizarre.

Minor update?  They introduced three new powertrains (2.5L four, 3.5L six, hybrid).  The new interior, according to what I've read, is a dramatic step up in quality, not just a rearrangement-for-the-sake-of-rearrangement like you often see in a facelift.  This update isn't minor.  It's about as dramatic as you can get without having a whole new generation of car.

And how exactly is a new 175 horsepower four-cylinder with highly-competitive fuel economy ratings "mediocre"?

When the Civic won, I remember Motor Trend relying in part upon its broad appeal.  It offered something for those who wanted sportiness (the Si), an eco-car (Civic Hybrid), and good basic transportation (lower trim level Civics).  The same is true here.  The low-end Fusions are really good practical family sedans at a good price.  The Fusion Sport (with 263 horsepower and AWD to compliment the Fusion's excellent-for-the-segment handling) isn't a "sport sedan" like the 335i is a sport sedan, but I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find a better mass-market midsize family sedan with sporting pretensions out there.  And the Fusion Hybrid has outperformed the Camry Hybrid on the fuel economy front.

[vdk]

If Mazda's 2.5 scored lower than VW's 2.5 (as seen in AJAC testing) then it is mediocre.

[wing]

Panamera == fun .. I drove it, this cannot be disputed

[Juke1]

A totally baffling choice. A minor facelift of a car that has been around for several years suddenly makes it COTY? It has a mediocre 4-banger powertrain choice, an unremarkable interior, and cleaned-up but totally pedestrian exterior design. Bizarre.

Minor update?  They introduced three new powertrains (2.5L four, 3.5L six, hybrid).  The new interior, according to what I've read, is a dramatic step up in quality, not just a rearrangement-for-the-sake-of-rearrangement like you often see in a facelift.  This update isn't minor.  It's about as dramatic as you can get without having a whole new generation of car.

And how exactly is a new 175 horsepower four-cylinder with highly-competitive fuel economy ratings "mediocre"?

When the Civic won, I remember Motor Trend relying in part upon its broad appeal.  It offered something for those who wanted sportiness (the Si), an eco-car (Civic Hybrid), and good basic transportation (lower trim level Civics).  The same is true here.  The low-end Fusions are really good practical family sedans at a good price.  The Fusion Sport (with 263 horsepower and AWD to compliment the Fusion's excellent-for-the-segment handling) isn't a "sport sedan" like the 335i is a sport sedan, but I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find a better mass-market midsize family sedan with sporting pretensions out there.  And the Fusion Hybrid has outperformed the Camry Hybrid on the fuel economy front.

 

but I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find a better mass-market midsize family sedan with sporting pretensions out there.

ALTIMA 

Nothing against the Fusion, on the contrary.  Just taught I'd answer the question

[Greg B.]

Minor update?  They introduced three new powertrains (2.5L four, 3.5L six, hybrid).  The new interior, according to what I've read, is a dramatic step up in quality, not just a rearrangement-for-the-sake-of-rearrangement like you often see in a facelift.  This update isn't minor.  It's about as dramatic as you can get without having a whole new generation of car.

And how exactly is a new 175 horsepower four-cylinder with highly-competitive fuel economy ratings "mediocre"?

When the Civic won, I remember Motor Trend relying in part upon its broad appeal.  It offered something for those who wanted sportiness (the Si), an eco-car (Civic Hybrid), and good basic transportation (lower trim level Civics).  The same is true here.  The low-end Fusions are really good practical family sedans at a good price.  The Fusion Sport (with 263 horsepower and AWD to compliment the Fusion's excellent-for-the-segment handling) isn't a "sport sedan" like the 335i is a sport sedan, but I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find a better mass-market midsize family sedan with sporting pretensions out there.  And the Fusion Hybrid has outperformed the Camry Hybrid on the fuel economy front.

If they wanted to give COTY to the Fusion Hybrid or the Fusion Sport, fine. But the entire line? No way. Those two models, while perhaps worthy of note with such an award, make up a tiny minority of Fusion sales. The vast majority are totally unimpressive. I just shopped these cars. They are in no way anything special. The interior is barely competitive -- not as good as the Malibu or the Altima or the Accord. The 4-banger powertrain is decidedly mediocre -- I don't care what the shills at MT might say, it is not in any way notable. And of course, the vast majority of V-6 models sold are equipped with the underwhelming 3.0 engine, not the 3.5 that is only available in the Sport for big bucks. They grafted a new nose and tail on it, which is a definite improvement over the previous version and fixed the ugly taillights it used to have. But it still retains the same unattractive and cheap-looking black-painted-windowframe greenhouse, and Ford still can't trim out a car properly.

Perhaps since the COTY requires something "all-new" or close to it, this award is more symptomatic of the state of the industry this past year and the lack of new product introductions.
 

[rrocket]

Panamera == fun .. I drove it, this cannot be disputed

..and neither can the eye searing, horribly ugly looks.  One of the ugliest, if not THE ugliest cars on the market.

[safristi]

a new adverb to Canuck Driver post.................FANUGLY......................to wit....those so BLIND they cannot see...............

[blur911]

Panamera == fun .. I drove it, this cannot be disputed

..and neither can the eye searing, horribly ugly looks.  One of the ugliest, if not THE ugliest cars on the market.

You own an Echo sedan, also one of the ugliest cars on the market, does that also mean it wouldn't stop you from parking a Panamera in the driveway? That is, should you win the lotto.

[rrocket]

Panamera == fun .. I drove it, this cannot be disputed

..and neither can the eye searing, horribly ugly looks.  One of the ugliest, if not THE ugliest cars on the market.

You own an Echo sedan, also one of the ugliest cars on the market, does that also mean it wouldn't stop you from parking a Panamera in the driveway? That is, should you win the lotto.

I do find the Echo odd.  But I can overlook odd on a POS $12,000 car.  I cannot overlook the Panamera given that it's a Porsche....especially one that costs $100,000+.  WTF were those designers thinking?

[Jaeger]

The Panamera isn't even CLOSE to TL-ugly.  In fact, after seeing one in the wild, I don't think it's ugly at all.  Then again, I think Nigella Lawson is drop-dead gorgeous, so that might have something to do with it. 

Jaeger

[rrocket]

The Panamera isn't even CLOSE to TL-ugly.  In fact, after seeing one in the wild, I don't think it's ugly at all.  Then again, I think Nigella Lawson is drop-dead gorgeous, so that might have something to do with it. 

Jaeger

Well we disagree, which is fine.  The back end of the Panamera is one of the worst I've ever seen. Most reviewers also seem to agree.  Front is Porsche boring....back is just....awful.  Modern Pacer cues??   

[wing]

I don't know I thought it was horrible until I saw it in person, it is not bad in person at all the proportions work fine.

Once you sit in it you forget all about that anyways because the interior is sick!

[rrocket]

I don't know I thought it was horrible until I saw it in person, it is not bad in person at all the proportions work fine.

Once you sit in it you forget all about that anyways because the interior is sick!

I thought it was as bad in person...though I only saw it for a fleeting moment.  Reminds me of a Chrysler Crossfire butt a bit too.  YUCK!!!

And yes..the interior is very nice.  But not nice enough to make me forget how awful the exterior is.

[Giant Dwarf]

Perhaps if it had a giant, hideous supra-style wing on the back, it'd be more to your liking?

***

Aaaannyhoo, back on topic:

In response to the daily full-page ads I've seen in my local paper from GM for the past month proclaiming "May The Best Car Win", Ford placed an ad this week with the Fusion and the headline "The Best Car Just Won." 

[rrocket]

Perhaps if it had a giant, hideous supra-style wing on the back, it'd be more to your liking?

Not likely.  I was never a fan of the wing...but with 88lbs of downforce it was worth keeping.  The nice thing though...you could take the wing off if you tired of it.  Not much you can do with that rump on the Porsche.   

[EV Dan]

I can't take their COTY call seriously, in part because of the previous SUV of the year award, that went to Outback, the vehicle that could be called anything but an SUV, in NA meaning of the term. The new Forester would make a logical contender, but MT was likely inclined to "plug" the American made car which would otherwise not sold in desirable numbers.