Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

driverdm

We all know that those Sonata numbers are boosted by high fleet sales. After you deduct that, I think the Fusion/Milan twins are on par. It may not be fair to add the Zephyr in there too.

I am glad for Ford. I still believe they need to pull out all the stops and bring products like GM is with the new Escalade or the Buick Enclave that there are no arguments as to them either being segment leading or in the top three.

Put the 250hp in the Fusion and add more accessories and it would be good. I think they need to keep tinkering with it in ways that people can see. An 18 inch rim accesorie, a lip spoiler, those types of things would be good. And for goodness sake, through a manu-shift in that car.

backy

What do per dealer sales indicate? How about how well a car is selling to the public. Take this example: Car A sold by BigMotors sells 400,000 across 2000 dealers. Car B sold by LittleAuto sells 225,000 across 1000 dealers. Which one was a better seller? I can make a good case that Car B is a better seller. Per-store sales are a major metric in the retail business. If sales overall go up but per-store sales are down, you will likely see the company's stock price go down, not up.

snakeweasel

outside of the individual dealers use days to turn are pretty much meaningless. The more inventory a dealer has the longer their inventory turnover is.

rparis

Any idea what the percent change was from last month or last year for the same time frame?

backy

Fulans were not available a year ago.

snakeweasel

Fulans were not available a year ago.

Nor are Fulans available now so we have a 0% sales increase. :P

backy

True, neither are Camcords available so I guess there was a 0% increase on those. :P :P

jimlockey

I think the Ford 500 is a better car than either.

snakeweasel

Oh I don't know, while it is a good car it just looks plain and uninspired. Plus there is no stick, the stick on the Milan I4 is fun to drive.

rparis

I was referring to the Accords and Camrys!

smithed

If the Fusion is based on the Mazda 6, maybe I should get a Mazda 6 and not its child.

snakeweasel

Why stop there, Just about every car has a basis on a car prior to it and the first car was basically a carriage with a motor on it. So why not just get a horse drawn wagon?

navigator89

rparis, if you're talking about Accords and Camry then here it is.
-----------------
Camry
-----------------
March 2005 - 38263
March 2006 - 38981
1.9% gain
-----------------
Accord
------------------
March 2005 - 33075
March 2006 - 29623
10.4% down
------------------

Overall however both are up. Honda by 1.6% and Toyota by 6.9%. Probably due to the new Civic and Rav4.

rparis

Thank you.
My 23 year old son just ordered a Milan thinking, for the money, it is a good deal as it is thousands less than the Camry and Accord. Reliability and resale, down the road will be interesting.
Fusion offers a 1000 matching amount of money if financed via Ford. The Milan offers $500. One would think the amounts would be the same. Maybe this is one of the reasons Fusion is outselling Milan.

savetheland

Camry was up probably because they sold it last month on big discounts. It was like an end of year sale. So you could buy basic new 2006 Camry for only 16.5K. Why Accord dropped so drastically is a very interesting question.

backy

Why did Accord sales drop? Fulan sales - up; Camry sales - up; Sonata sales - up. There are only so many buyers out there.

alpha01

I disagree with you. A much better measure is Days to Turn. If Car A has a quicker days to turn ratio, I'd call it the more highly desirable, better seller. Who cares which dealer is selling the cars, as long as inventory is lean, incentives are low, and customers are vying for the sale? Such is the case with any of the vehicles you'll find on the monthly WSJ Top Ten, for example....

~alpha

fordfaninbowie

10,600 miles on my Fusion V-6 SEL and I have my first problem. Last night when I went to start my car the SecuriLock system would not disengage and the car would not start. When the ignition key was in the 3 (RUN) position, the dashboard indicator light would blink rapidly. I tried locking and unlocking the car with the key fob a couple times. It still would not start. I had to have the car towed to my Ford Dealer. Anybody else have this problem?

BTW - It took 2 1/2 hours for the tow truck driver to come to my location after my first call to Ford's Roadside Assistance.

backy

I don't care which dealer is selling the cars. I do think that how many dealers are selling how many cars is significant. Days to Turn is also useful, but can be misleading. For instance, when a new model is released and they just start trickling in to dealers (e.g. Fusion and Milan last fall), the pent-up demand for the new model can be much higher than the limited supply. Days to Turn can be very low. But when supply catches up with demand, Days to Turn will increase. Does that mean the car is any less popular than it was before? No, it may actually be just as popular, and the dealers could be selling the cars in large numbers. But supply has better balanced demand so the cars will sit on the lot longer.

rparis

What is the SecuriLock sysem?

I just ordered a Milan.

How do you like your Fusion?

fordfaninbowie

What is the SecuriLock system?

When you lock your Ford with the key fob, it activates an alarm system that comes standard from Ford on the SEL, at least. If anybody tries to tamper with your car, the horn will sound and the lights will blink for 3 minutes. It is supposed to deactivate once you use the key fob to open the door.

How do you like your Fusion?

Except for this problem, I absolutely LOVE it. It is spacious, maneuvers well, and has a very solid feel to it. Rear interior lighting could be a little better and the visibility out of the rear window could be better, but I would not give up the trunk space.

rparis

How is the turning radius and overall mpg with which engine?
We ordered the six cylinder premier edition as we wanted specific options that the dealer did not have in stock.

fordfaninbowie

How is the turning radius and overall mpg with which engine?

The turning radius is satisfactory, but not as good as my Expedition. It may be because of the 17 inch wheels, but, again, it is OK, not a show stopper in my book.

I have the V-6, SEL, with every available option. I normally have two other passengers in the car driving back and forth to work. 50% highway (at 75 mph) and 50% city in Washington, DC stop an go traffic. Combined MPG ranges between 20 and 22 MPG. Only highway, I've gotten 27 to 30 MPG. Only city I gotten 17 to 19 MPG. Idling at stop lights kills the MPG.

rparis

Thank you! We are having an after market navigation system installed.

alpha01

"Days to Turn is also useful, but can be misleading. For instance, when a new model is released and they just start trickling in to dealers (e.g. Fusion and Milan last fall), the pent-up demand for the new model can be much higher than the limited supply. Days to Turn can be very low"

Agreed. But this is why the aforementioned WSJ list of top ten vehicles with shortest days to turn DOESNT include vehicles that have been on the market less than 90 days.

~alpha

savetheland

"The turning radius is satisfactory, but not as good as my Expedition."

Turning radius is bigger because it is a FWD car. If may be bigger also because of suspension design.

backy

Gee, that might be a first--both you and the WSJ agree with me!

nick0401

How long did it take for any of you to get your car? I ordered a Fusion in the end of January and it still hasn't come in yet. The dealer just keeps telling me any day now and that's been going on for a couple of weeks.

rparis

I believe the dealer can obtain the specific delivery date. Years ago when I ordered a Mercury my dealer could tell me the number of the train transport car; in other words specific information. I just ordered a Milan and was told the dealer will have a date for delivery about ten days after placing the order.

nick0401

The sales representative told me that he has the rail car number. I'm just really puzzled as to why it's taking this long.

johnclineii

One factor may be that the car is built in Mexico, not in, say, Michigan or Kentucky...

baggs32

FWIW, I ordered one of the first Escort ZX2s built in Hermosillo back in April of 1997 and it took roughly six weeks to get from there to Pittsburgh. It ended up being built on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) and the only bothersome problem I had with it in five years was the broken Sony trunk mounted CD changer. Took weeks to get another unit for some insane reason.

Given the day it was built on and the country it was built in I'm actually shocked at how well it was put together. I half expected to find a tequila bottle in the spare tire well. :P

mschmal

if you ordered a moon roof, that was a delayed option for some reason.

mark

akirby

The turning radius is 2.5 feet bigger than the Accord and Camry. Not sure why, but I do know Ford allows room for larger tires and for snow chains, or it could just be the platform design. But given the superb handling I don't think it's a bad tradeoff. You only notice it once in a while when pulling into a tight parking space.

nr9

Hi, does anyone know if the subwoofers in the audiophile system take up trunk space, and if so, how much?

akirby

Not very much - they look just like normal 6x8 speakers mounted underneath the rear deck. There is no enclosure or visible amp.

theman123

I've been doing some research on the Fusion/Milan. It seems that the I-4 2.3 engine. Get's better fuel economy with the 5-speed auto compared to the 5 speed MTX. First, is this even true. Also, are there any owners out there that say what the I-4 with ATX or MTX is averaging?
Thanks

akirby

Yes, it's true. The difference is the gearing between the auto and the manual. However, you'd have control over the manual and could potentially get better mileage based on your driving style.

The V6 auto mileage seems to be tracking very closely with the EPA numbers, at least in my experience (after the engine is broken in - around 5K miles).

jaylene_13

Im trying to search for a new car. So far I really liked the Mercury Milan. It's a tie between the Dodge charger, Mercury Milan, and Mitsubishi Galant. Does anyone know anything about any of these cars, mainly their reliability. It would be great to recieve some advice. Thanks, -Jaylene

backy

Reliability-wise, there is no contest: the Galant has a much better reliability record (see CR's reports for example) than the average Dodge or Ford. Unfortunately, the Charger and Milan are too new to have established their own reliability records.

But if it is reliability that is #1 for you, I am surprised that you are not looking at the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, which lead this class in reliability. You might even be able to get a great deal on one of the last remaining '06 Camrys. Or you could get a slightly-used Accord or Camry, with an extended warranty.

However, my advice is to not focus solely on reliability but on how the cars meet your other needs--how they drive, passenger and cargo room, economy, safety etc. Today's cars are overall much more reliable than their counterparts from 10 years ago. So even if the Milan is not as reliable as an Accord or Camry, it doesn't mean it will be in the shop all the time.

akirby

I'd believe JD Power's long term reliability before CR (they only survey their subscribers - hardly a scientific sample). And they say that Mitsubishi is way below average, along with Dodge, while Ford, Lincoln and Mercury are all above average. This chart is for problems in the first 3 years of ownership, so this is for 2002 models.

snakeweasel

Reliability-wise, there is no contest: the Galant has a much better reliability record (see CR's reports for example) than the average Dodge or Ford.

While I don't follow CR most others don't put Mitsubishi anywhere near that high. FWIW I never known anyone with one that wasn't being nickeled and dimed after 50K miles.

backy

But what does JD Power's VDS say specifically about the Galant, Milan, and Charger? Nothing.

The point about CR surveying only its membership always puzzled me. It's as if somehow the 800,000+ people that CR surveys each year get cars that are made differently than other people get.

akirby

No, it's about the kind of people that subscribe to CR and whether they represent a statistically valid sample of all car owners. They don't. JD Power does random samples and, assuming their sample size is large enough, provides a more valid survey. Anything other than a random sample just isn't valid.

samchinch

Mitsubishi is a nightmare when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

mz6greyghost

The Charger and Milan are indeed too new for reliability studies, and Mitsubishi as a whole isn't good AT ALL. A co-worker dumped his three-year-old Galant simply because he was sick and tired of going to the dealer once a month for repairs, warranty or otherwise. My neighbors daughter is leasing an Eclipse, and it's left her stranded THREE different times in four months, refusing to start. The dealer can't find a solution, despite having the car for a total of two weeks.

Again, it's not a "scientific" reliability survey, but it's more than enough for me to stay away from Mitsu. Besides, who knows if they'll even be in the U.S. market in five years...

The Charger is a classic rear-wheel drive sedan. Overall, it's not too bad. If you opt for the "Hemi", be prepared to use your gas card a lot! The V6 models are more frugal, but am I the only person that's bothered by the rear bumper of the Charger? It has cut-outs for the exhaust on both sides, even though the V6 models have only ONE exhaust outlet. Great job, Dodge! I personally don't like the interior (too cheap for the price), but again, tastes vary.

My wife is the next new-car buyer in the house, and both she and I like the Milan. The styling looks good, both the 4-cyl and V6 are smooth, the interior materials are good-looking, and fit and finish in two different test-drive cars was excellent.

Whatever you decide, test-drive as much as possible, even taking one overnight if possible. Make sure that it fits your specific needs, as well as your budget. Most importantly, make sure the car makes you smile behind the wheel.

backy

I agree that it is not a valid sampling technique--for an opinion poll. But since CR's survey gathers information about actual experience with vehicles, I don't see the problem. I see the large numbers of responses in CR's survey to be an advantage, based on what they are trying to do.

akirby

This pretty much explains the problems with CRs survey. Read the entire article - especially the last few sections.

Problems with CR Reliability Ratings

dino001

So when the CR does not accept any endorsements and does not let use their results in any advertising happens to consistently like some brands, they are biased, but when a guy who has a financial interest in promoting certain brands, put long, inconsistent and self-contradictory "explanation" of things, it is "fair"? Please...

backy

What I see in the article is mostly a number of issues that are true in general about surveys (e.g. responses are voluntary, relatively low response rates) and issues that the article admits have already been corrected. The one issue that I agree is a flaw in CR's survey is that it calls for a judgement on the part of the responder as to what a "serious" problem is. If the question was asked more objectively, that would make the survey better.

So as with anything else, the survey needs to be taken with a grain of salt and as only one data point in a car-buying decision. Which is what I do. I don't tend to buy the cars that are at the top of CR's lists. But I find their reports of value.

I actually expect CR to give a positive report on the Fulan. They will probably ding it for safety issues, depending on how soon they review it. As for reliability--we'll have to see.

P.S. The author of the web site obviously did not like the fact that CR called the interior of the DC vans "plasticky"--which it is, IMO.