PHOTO BY FORD
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $33,425
AS TESTED PRICE: $38,820
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; AWD, six-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 240 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 270 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,821 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 22/31/25 mpg(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)
OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY: 21 mpg
BASE PRICE: $33,425
AS TESTED PRICE: $38,820
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; AWD, six-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 240 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 270 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,821 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 22/31/25 mpg(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)
OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY: 21 mpg
BETTER THAN MORE POPULAR OPTIONS FROM JAPAN
Dang, you see a lot of these in the Metro Detroit area. At first I thought it was all Ford employees driving around, and I’m sure that’s part of it, but it turns out that Ford moved nearly 307,000 Fusions in the United States last year. Granted, that’s about 125K fewer than the number of Camrys sold, but still -- not bad, Ford! Looks like there’s still room in the market for a good, solid midsized sedan. And the Fusion is a very good, very solid midsized sedan.
PHOTO BY FORD
The big impression I got from the last Fusion I drove was that it was a mature car -- a grown-up car. It was quiet, solid, sensible and not totally boring, if not exactly a blast to throw around. Raucous it is not. But it is comfortable and its design seems to be holding up well.
This particular Fusion is an expensive one. It’s not quite double what a base car costs ($22,835, less any applicable incentives) but it’s basically as loaded a Fusion as you’re going to configure. It has the more powerful engine, but AWD is a significant contributor ($2,000) to that sticker as well. Outfitting a Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited in a vaguely similar fashion only gets you to $34,079. That may explain why Subaru isn’t having any trouble moving cars lately.
PHOTO BY FORD
Still, knock off that AWD, which no competitors besides Subaru (and Acura, though they’re technically a luxury brand) offer anyway, and you’ll be able to get a well-equipped Fusion for a price more or less in line with a Camry or an Accord. Though the Camry’s lines benefitted from a recent refresh, the Fusion’s still the best-looking of the bunch.
I don’t know what sort of marketing wizardy will attract folks who reflexively trade in their Japanese midsizer for another Japanese midsizer, but if that’s the market you’re in, the Fusion is worth careful consideration.
I don’t know what sort of marketing wizardy will attract folks who reflexively trade in their Japanese midsizer for another Japanese midsizer, but if that’s the market you’re in, the Fusion is worth careful consideration.
PHOTO BY FORD
Yeah, I just don’t understand how Toyota and Honda sell all those Camrys and Accords, because this Fusion not only looks better, but acts better.
The cabin of this Titanium is about as upscale as you can get in a Ford. The center console lives in a few of the Lincoln cars too, though I think it would look better in piano black, as opposed to matte. This one was all black inside, black leather, black trim, which upped the luxury quotient, at least in appearance. The seats are leather, and fall right in between sporty and luxurious. There’s a little bolster, which is fine considering the Fusion isn’t a corner carver. Sight lines are good and this has all the safety doodads you could want, including parking help, which works well, just not super quickly.
The cabin of this Titanium is about as upscale as you can get in a Ford. The center console lives in a few of the Lincoln cars too, though I think it would look better in piano black, as opposed to matte. This one was all black inside, black leather, black trim, which upped the luxury quotient, at least in appearance. The seats are leather, and fall right in between sporty and luxurious. There’s a little bolster, which is fine considering the Fusion isn’t a corner carver. Sight lines are good and this has all the safety doodads you could want, including parking help, which works well, just not super quickly.
PHOTO BY FORD
Steering and overall handling are way better than the Camry and Accord -- in my mind that means quicker, and more direct. Potholes are met with a muted thud in the cabin, and don’t upset the suspension too much. It’s definitely on the quieter side of the regular sedan market.
There’s more than enough power from the turbo four, and I don’t say that very often. It would be nice if Ford offered all of its engines in the Titanium trim, maybe knock a few bucks off that price. Knock off AWD like Graham said and you’d be in great price range. The six-speed automatic is plenty slick, but the paddle shifters are nearly pointless, they just suggest a gear change, rather than demand it.
PHOTO BY FORD
I like the Fusion a lot. I think buyers would be happy with a cheap version and I think they’d be happy with an expensive version like this one. I hope loyal Japanese buyers give it a shot before their next midsize sedan purchase.
PHOTO BY FORD
Options: Driver assist package including lane keeping system and blind spot indicators with cross traffic alert ($1,200); adaptive cruise control ($995); active assist park ($895); navigation system ($795); 19-inch stainless aluminum wheels ($695); heated/cooled driver and passenger seats ($395); ruby red tinted clearcoat ($395); rear inflatable seatbelts ($190); premium floor mats with trunk mat ($175); heated steering wheel ($150); (-$490) sync and sound discount
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