Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

explorerx4 · June 2008

a lot of that dash does looks the same as the current fusion. that does not mean it is all bad. the ip cluster is different, the upper vents are changed, along with the shift and the controls below the nav screen.
i just went over to the chevy dealer to look at some malibu's. the 2 tone interiior is over rated. the door panels are all plastic, unlike the fusion which has cloth inserts. the chrome in hte malibu interior looks like what it is, plactic plated chrome.
the buttons on the steering wheel of the malibu are rediculously small. impala is much better. fusion is better for functionality, although the buttons seem kind of cheap.
a nice 4cyl/4 speed auto malibu lists for over 24k. as mentioned previously, a fusion is about 3k less.

fusionfan06 · June 2008

I'd have to agree. When I went to the New York Auto show in April, I sat in a couple of Malibus. IMHO, the interior was certainly good looking, but I felt that the two tone color scheme didn't work. The psuedo aluminum one however, was great.

Obviously this 2010 Fusion is one equipped with the nav. I'm curious to see one without it.

I remember reading an article about the Ford Escape regarding the 2009 model. They state that not only is the truck getting the new 2.5 liter like the Fusion, but a revised version of the 3.0 24v v6. Does anyone know if the Fusion will also get this upgrade?

I hope they improve the fuel economy too, especially considering that the Sonata and Malibu get 32 now!

-Ed

explorerx4 · June 2008

nav is available on the current model fusion. you can probably see pictures of it on the ford website. i think the fusion is going to get the PIP 3.0, like the escape.
to me, the 6 speed auto is the biggest improvement and is already available in the fusion.
i don't hang my hat on epa numbers. usually i can beat them, sometimes by a lot.

akirby · June 2008

The Nav screen for the 2010 model is new - has 4 times the resolution of the current screen and is clearly larger. Should be similar to the new MKS.

It gets the same 2.5L I4 including a hybrid and the PIP 3.0L making 240 hp with better FE than the current 221 hp 3.0L.

The 2.5L I4 models get 6 speed manual and autos to replace the current 5 speeds.

skibry1 · June 2008

I'm looking forward to another model with the beloved leftleg flexor! I didn't even
consider the malibu 'cause the lack of one single feature.

baggs32 · June 2008

The pic below is of the non-nav center stack in the new Flex. Since the center stack in those Fusion spy shots and the center stack of the nav equipped Flex are identical (save for the bezels and trim), I think this is what we'll be seeing in the Fusion as well.

Here's the Fusion spy shot:

Here's a larger Fusion spy shot pic so you can see the detail better and compare it to the pic from the Flex. Note that the buttons and knobs are all identical in the nav equipped versions.

Link to pic.

Here's the nav equipped Flex.

igozoomzoom · July 2008

I'm very curious about which engines will be offered on the 2010 Ford Fusion (and Mercury Milan if it's still around). The current 2.3L I-4 will be replaced by the same 2.5L being introduced in the 2009 Mazda6. But what about the V6? It seems unlikely that the V6 from the Mazda6 will also make it to the Fusion. Currently, the only Ford using that 3.7L V6 is the Lincoln MKS. It would also make the Fusion more powerful than the larger/pricier Taurus.

Does anyone have any insight into this? I have read speculation that a 3.0L based on the 3.5L is in the works, but nothing concrete.

akirby · July 2008

How many times do we have to go over this? It gets a modified 3.0L with 240 hp and better fuel mileage than the current 221 hp 3.0L. There might be a limited number of 3.5L versions but that's unclear. It also gets the 2.5L Hybrid.

explorerx4 · July 2008

about 4 months ago, i trade my 04 focus for a fusion. i also have an explorer. one of the reasons(justifications) was that for 4 people we had to take the explorer on trips. so i decided to give up some every day gas mileage for better than the explorer on trips. i also was looking for a car that was awd and i could fit in the back seat(don't fit in the back of a focus). originally, i thought i would be getting a small suv.
when i started there was about 3k miles on the car.
the trip was 4 people from central ct to western pa and back. lots of hills, highest point 2250 ft above sea level. we ran the a/c about 75% of the time and averaged 26 mpg. the explorer would have averaged about 18.
i sat in the back for a couple 3 hours stints. there was enough head room and plenty of leg room for me(over 6ft).
even when my wife was driving 80, there wasn't much wind or road noise and my mother seated next to me in the back, had no clue we were going that speed.
anyways, i think it worked out pretty well and will only get better.

thegraduate · July 2008

Help me remember, ex, I4 or V6? I want to say V6...

explorerx4 · July 2008

you are correct. it's the ubiquitous 3.0. you can't get awd with the 4cyl.

savetheland · August 2008

Autoblog published 2010 Milan and Funsion spy photos

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/spy-shots-2010-mercury-milan-is-up-next/

ponggod · August 2008

Correctly or not, I have the impression that the Mercury line is supposed to be slightly more upscale/polished/whatever than their Ford counterparts. But are there any specifics when comparing the Fusion and the Milan that would support this notion?

- Robert -

akirby · August 2008

Not really. You might find one or two features but for the most part they're identical with only cosmetic differences. Mercury has been that way for several years.

The future plan for Mercury is to sell smaller premium vehicles while Lincoln focuses on larger premium vehicles.

The Mercury Sable is gone after next year along with the Mountaineer and there are no Mercury versions of the new Flex e.g.

urnews · August 2008

The Mercury Sable is gone after next year along with the Mountaineer and there are no Mercury versions of the new Flex e.g.

Doesn't sound like Mercury will have very much to offer. Still wouldn't be surprised to see Ford discontinue the brand altogether. These are touch times and things are only going to get tougher for the next few years. Boz

akirby · August 2008

Remember they're bringing over some of the European brands and I'm sure some of those will end up as Mercury's.

With the shift towards fuel economy it will now be viable to offer premium versions of smaller cars (B and C size) that would not have worked before.

You should check out the 2010 Fusion I4 - best in class fuel economy for both the regular and hybrid version, according to Ford.

blumstein · August 2008

Their are two factors stopping Ford from shutting down Merc:
1- GM paid out $1B to shut down Olds. It ain't cheap to shut down a car line.
2- Who will sell Lincolns if Merc is out? Dealers won't put up with Lincolns only and Ford may not want to move the line to Ford dealers.

Paul

akirby · August 2008

Ford is actively combining Ford and Lincoln/Mercury dealers (and shutting down others). They've shut down or combined over 500 since 2006 and 150 this year alone. As long as the combined dealers are good I don't see a big problem. They can still have a separate area or building for Lincoln but business wise it doesn't force them to sink or swim on L/M sales alone.

It will also help that Lincoln and Mercury will no longer be rebadged Fords.

savetheland · August 2008

At Hayward Ford they have separate showroom for Lincoln-Mercury. And buy the way I found it much better than former standalone LM dealirship on the same street.

At Fremont Ford I did not see that LM is separated from Ford. But Mazda has both separate showroom (in same building) and separate service adviser.

scape2 · September 2008

is going to be a very hot seller. I figure more peopel will go with the 4cyl over the 3.0. This beings that the 2.5 is going to be putting out about 175-180HP and get better MPG than the present 2.3 4cyl engine. Ford is finally headed in the right direction when it comes to engines. Even the new updated/re-worked 3.0 is going to put out about 240HP and still get better MPG than the present 3.0. :sick: Well, guess I can look forward to a trade-up in about 3 years..

scape2 · September 2008

After much research and after about 35,000 trouble free miles on my 06 Fusion SEL V6, I bought some Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Positions. 2nd place for tires were the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, 3rd were the Yokohama Advan S4 tires.
Noticed right away less road noise, car feels more confident in the turns. Took the Fusion into some mountains for some twisties and there was a definite difference. Sure wish I could get back into the sedan forums, after reading what some are posting, I don't deserve to be banished for life. Guess if your a Ford fan and question the Honda/Toyota fans, its a no, no.

orangelebaron · October 2008

if you bring up the shortcomings of a Prius on the Prius board, you're called a troll by the fan-boy man!

BTW, what highway mileage are 4cyl auto Fusion/Milan owners averaging here?
I have a 2000 5cyl Volvo that can average 33 mpg on a long mostly flat highway trip.... so I laugh when I see small new cars rated at only about 30 mpg hwy.

baggs32 · October 2008

BTW, what highway mileage are 4cyl auto Fusion/Milan owners averaging here?
I have a 2000 5cyl Volvo that can average 33 mpg on a long mostly flat highway trip.... so I laugh when I see small new cars rated at only about 30 mpg hwy.

Final EPA mileage has not been released for the 2010 Fusion yet but Ford is claiming at least 33 highway for the 2.5L I4 in that one. I think that's a 4 or 5 mpg improvement over the current 2.3L PLUS more power. Not as much as the I5 in your Volvo but still a big step in the right direction and it is class leading (or will be) or very close to it. You can also get the 2010 Hybrid Fusion which gets at least 38 mpg city. Highway is something like 33 or 34 IIRC. Plus you can run on batteries up to 47 or 48 mph which is definitely class leading as is the city mpg for a hybrid. The next closest is the Camry hybrid at 33 city.

My numbers may be off by a bit as I'm going off of memory and you can read most of it here.

white6 · November 2008

The ratings are primarily for comparison purposes, and are not necessarily accurate. Too many variables to consider to say a car will get x-miles per gallon. According to the govt website fueleconomy.gov, the best mileage ratings (converted to the current measurement system) I could find for a 2000 5-cylinder Volvo was 19 city 26 highway. Conclusively, that would mean that a new, 2009 car rated at 26 mpg highway would achieve mileage approximately equal to your Volvo when driven by the same person in the same conditions. Ergo, a new car rated at 30 mpg should, under the same conditions and techniques, achieve better mileage than your Volvo.

FWIW, I had a 1991 Ford Thunderbird 5.0 V8 that got 32 mpg on a drive from OKC to Dallas...

donl1 · November 2008

I have a 07 Premier with the automatic and get between 29 and 31 if it's mostly highway driving...with an average speed between 50 and 60 as displayed by the DIC. I have seen better on just highway driving but the city mileage beats it down before I would gas it up.

mtnman1 · November 2008

I know this is strictly a Fusion/Milan thread, but if anyone out there owns a Explorer or Mountaineer could you please go to the Explorer/Mountaineer 2005 and earlier thread. Looking for some input on a problem that has just recently arisen with my Mountaineer. Not many people are visiting the thread anymore so I thought I might try to get some attention this way. Thanks much.

pmpowell1 · November 2008

I recently purchased a 2009 Mercury Milan, and I find the headrests really uncomfortable. Does anyone know if I can replace them with some from a different vehicle that will fit properly. I tried turning them around, but that doesn't work either. I love the car, but am seriously thinking of trading my new car in because it is so uncomfortable.

keithm1 · November 2008

Odd, I never had a problem with mine. I really don't use headrests that often. They're really made to help prevent whiplash in a collision.Actually, I traded my '06 Milan for a new Sable. The head rests are a little larger & cradle you head a bit better.

mtnman1 · November 2008

Was checking my CR Online subscription and saw that they had there list of most Reliable/Least Reliable. They listed 6 Family Sedans and the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan where two of them for most Reliable. Also CR said Ford as a brand is now equal to the Japanese Automakers. Too bad so many people can't see through their bias to try out Ford vehicles instead of blindly buying Japanese brands and nothing else. I absolutely love my new Fusion SEL V6.

drmurdoc · November 2008

How much under invoice can I expect to get a new 09 Milan? Can some of you post the deals you have gotten? Please be specfic to what the rebate was and what you actually paid out the door. Thanks!

waygrabow · November 2008

Look at Edmunds for invoice pricing and rebates. Generally you can buy the car for invoice minus incentives/rebates plus a dealer handling fee without any hassle. The dealer handling can possibly be negotiated also; current incentives are excellent, especially for an 08.

akirby · November 2008

Don't expect the same huge deals you got in the past - Ford is cutting production rather than putting tons of cash on the hood to move cars people don't want. Don't worry about the rebates when you negotiate since those come from the factory and are fixed. Somewhere between invoice and invoice +$500 should be easy. You might do below invoice (pre-rebates) if you're willing to take something the dealer hasn't been able to sell.

mtnman1 · November 2008

I just purchased a 2009 Fusion SEL V6 with the rear spoiler, moon & Tune package, rear sensing, and all weather floor mats. MSRP was $26,715 paid $24,447. Invoice was $24,443. There are various options as far as rebates. You can get $3500 cash back if you use Ford Credit, $2500 cash back and the market rate, or $1000 back and 0%. Not sure if the 0% was for a 36 month loan only. I took the $3500 and financed through Ford for 36 months. I put down $12,000 on the car and even though the rate through Ford was high my total cash output was less this way. I'm planning on re-financing at a lower rate because there is no prepayment penalty with Ford. Now granted Mercury's deals may be different.

scape2 · November 2008

I have come across many people who refuse to believe a Ford has any quality in it at all. I link them to the cache of sites I have and they quickly change thier minds. Its all an education/perception issue. The media has beat it into peoples heads over the last 10-15 years it is going to take time to bring people around. I own a 2006 SEL V6 loaded with every option and it has been a solid car. About 37,000 squeak free, problem free miles. :shades:

scape2 · November 2008

is out on the net.. Google it!

thegraduate · November 2008

I'm pretty impressed with Bridgestone's offerings these days. For the money, they're better than comparable Michelin products... in my opinion anyway. I'll be replacing the Michelins that are on my ~~Accord~~

when they wear out (still have plenty of life left at 42k) with the Potenza G009 or G019. I have them on my old '96, and it actually handles better in the wet than my 2006!

thegraduate · November 2008

With time, that perception is changing. I truly believe that Ford is the strongest of the Big Three, and has the best chance of maintaining a decent image in America of the three.

BTW Scape, I thought you'd be interested to know that my folks finally bought a new car in June to go along with their Civic. Just like the one below. They told me it was the best thing I've ever talked them into.

mitchflorida · November 2008

Your head should never be touching the headrests. It is only if you are in an accident to protect your neck from whiplash.

scape2 · November 2008

http://jalopnik.com/5099338/2010-ford-fusion-mercury-milan-lincoln-mkz-design-di- ssected

Pretty cool how Ford has improved the Fusion/Milan

I am sure everyone has heard how the Fusion/Milan are now rated very high in safety! Ford/Volvo have 16 vehicles with safety awards! Ford is listening to consumers.. :shades:

rik4 · November 2008

anyone see the 2010 mercury chesire cat edition ,,,, milan... the grille is a real turnoff. i know they are into cats but this chesire cat grille is too much. i would not want to pay the dentist to clean those teeth.hehehehe.

thegraduate · November 2008

They took one thing they had going for them and cartoonified it...

A question... has anyone seen the NON-Hybrid gauges?

akirby · November 2008

What did they "cartoonify"?

thegraduate · November 2008

What did they "cartoonify"?

The front-end design. Just my thoughts; I always rather liked the front-end of the Fusion and the Milan. Now they seem so over-styled, not as good looking as they once were.

akirby · November 2008

I think they're much more aggressive and look much better (the Fusion at least). At least it will get noticed.

baggs32 · November 2008

Remember that grad drives two Accords, and neither are the new style, before you comment on his taste in auto styling.

baggs32 · November 2008

A question... has anyone seen the NON-Hybrid gauges? I believe the Milan's are identical.

thegraduate · November 2008

Thanks for posting this... exactly what I was looking for!

thegraduate · November 2008

Ha!
:P
Actually, exterior style isn't typically high on my list. If it is conservative (as my cars are), then fine. If it draws attention to itself, let it be positive. I don't have a problem with the cars fundamentally, I just don't care for the more *ahem* easily-noticed front-end on either one.

Better than the Avenger and Sebring though, for sure!

baggs32 · November 2008

Some pics of the new Fusion gauges show a small LCD display under the PRNDL readouts which I would imagine are for the gear numbers 1 through 6 when in manual mode. However I have not confirmed this anywhere and have not seen a pic of the gauges while the car was started either.

You've seen the hybrid's gauges right? I think it was you whom I was conversing with about those on the midsize thread, no?

thegraduate · November 2008

Yeah, saw those - that's why I wanted to see some standard-car gauges. Still not a fan of the leaves (in either Honda or Ford), but hey, I don't know - I just drive here.

Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

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