Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

1…99100102104105…111

Comments

  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    If you like the excess power, go for it. The I4s are so good these days I can't see ever needing a V6 in a car under 3,500 lbs.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Need it? No. But here in the Land o'Plenty, if you can have more than you need, you deserve it. Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

    By the way, the poor are poor because they are morally inferior. God loves the rich.

    Over & out.

    /sarcasm
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Ha!

    Yep, that's it. Just "Ha!"

    :)
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Glad you enjoyed it, grad.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,672
    over the weekend to drive a 2010 Fusion. I forget the trim level, but it had the V-6. This was at the Ford Nationals in Carlisle PA. Now this was just driving around in a closed test course set up in a parking lot, so I wasn't able to really get a feel for how the car would go on any type of long distance. Still, for the few minutes I was in the car, I liked it a lot.

    Is the 2010 Fusion the same size inside as the previous models? I was under the impression that it was really just a facelift and improved drivetrain/interior, but I swear the 2010 felt a little roomier inside. Maybe they gave the front seat more fore/aft travel, a steeper recline, or something like that?

    I normally like bigger cars, and my current daily driver is a 2000 Intrepid base model. I could definitely see a Fusion being a decent replacement for it, when/if the time comes. Naturally I'd want to check it out more in-depth, but I like what I've seen so far. FWIW, I never had a problem with the interior of the previous Fusion. It wasn't mind-dazzling, but it wasn't cheap either. It seemed decent for the price point. But with the new one, I really liked the way the gauge display was set up. It had an expensive look to it, and even seemed a bit futuristic!

    From what little experience I've had with it so far, I like it better than the Malibu/Aura. And compared to the Stratus/Sebring, it's no comparison. I've always been a long-time Mopar fan, but they haven't really built anything that's grabbed me in awhile now, plus they seem to have been really cost-cutting on their interiors. I do like the Charger/300 in spite of the interiors, but want to try something a bit more economical.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Have you seen the new Taurus? It's bigger and even better than the 2010 Fusion.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,672
    Yeah, I've seen the Taurus before at auto shows. They had one or two at this show, but you couldn't drive it. It's definitely a good looking car, and I dare say about as sexy looking as a Taurus has ever been!
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,293
    thanks for posting over here.
    ford has stepped up their game across several of their vehicles.
    we have an '04 escape with 200 hp duratec 3.0 v6 and 4 speed trans which has averaged 19.2 mpg over 74k miles. it is not a quiet vehicle to drive.
    my 07 fusion awd with a 221 hp duratec 3.0 v6 and 6 speed trans has averaged 22 mpg over 15k miles.
    my wife is now driving an 09 escape with a 240 hp duratec 3.0 v6 with 6 speed trans.
    after about 2k miles it is averaging 22.5 mpg. much quieter, also.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I took a look at 2010 Fusion Sport and SEL models this weekend, both AWD. Very nice cars. Haven't seen much from Ford in a long time that impressed me, but this is a great car. The Platinum white is a very nice color too. I'd probably go with the SEL myself, but certainly see a lot to like in the sport. I'm curious to see how they do real-world mpg.
  • carqnacarqna Member Posts: 1
    Hey all. Test drove Fusions this weekend, and we were really impressed. Kind of fell in love with the Sport. I was wondering though, since it has a different engine than the other Fusions, what we could expect as far as reliability goes? Is the engine in the Sport used anywhere else?

    Looked at the Fusion because of its high reliability marks, and just am wondering whether we'd be negating that by going with the different engine.

    Thanks for your thoughts!
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    The 3.0 Duratec has been around for a very long time, solid engine. The 2.5 is just the 2.3 that has been bored out some and the exhaust/intake changed if I remember reading. The only really "new" engine is the 3.5. My guess there is no real data yet since this engine has only been around for about a year in other vehicles. Get on the net and find out if any TSB's or issues have popped up. The internet is a great place to find real information from real consumers.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    The 3.5L V6 in the Fusion Sport is also used in the Flex, the Edge, and the 2008-09 Taurus, as well as the Lincoln MKZ and MKX. It's based on the Duratec 30, which is the 3.0L V6 used as an option in other Fusions. While the 3.5 version has been available for only two years, the Duratec 30 was first offered as an optional upgrade on the Taurus way back in 1996. So it's a pretty good bet.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Just a bit of (probably useless to you) anecdotal evidence, but my parents who have an '08 Taurus talk about the engine in the Taurus all the time (only Sync is talked about more); the smooth torque and the seamless transmission. Given, they have less than 15,000 miles on the car, which they bought last June, but haven't had any recalls or TSB performed on the car... something that couldn't be said of the other car in their garage, a 2007 Honda which has been afflicted with suspension problems that have them on the third set of tires in two years.

    I drive an Accord myself, and love it, but if something happened to it, a Fusion would be high on my list based on Ford's recent showings of reliability and engineering advancements, very possibly the 3.5. :)
  • alman08alman08 Member Posts: 282
    yesterday I saw a new black Fusion on the road, and I noticed that chrome piece and the center brake light was ridiculously huge and unnecessary on the trunk lid. And that brake light seemed like an after thought. Just my opinion.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Could one of you answer this question on the Nav unit in the 2010 Fusion. When looking for a place to eat can I click on the POI's and chose restuarants or whatever they call it and then chose type of food or ALL and will it then start giving out a list of places to eat from the nearest to you to farther away or do I also need to know the name of the eating place?
    Also can you use the Nav unit as in making changes etc. while the vehicle is moving or is it like GM and require you to stop first?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    You must stop to enter a destination but you can do everything else while moving. You can call up previously saved addresses from the address book.

    As for restaurants - you can actually just say "I'm hungry" and get a list of restaurants. I believe you can also limit it by the type of restaruant with voice commands as well.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Thanks for the answer
  • petras2petras2 Member Posts: 104
    I considering a fusion "s" purchase, (like the wheels more than the ones on the se). I don't know if the base radio that comes with it is "satellite ready"..has anyone had a dealer install a satellite receiver to their base "s" model?
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    I was at the dealership having my transmission fluid changed and decided to walk the lot. Came across a 2010 Fusion Hybrid in black. As I was going over the car a sales person came over of course. I told him right away I was having my 06 Fusion serviced and was just curious. He offered a test drive of the Hybrid. I jumped at the chance. Wow, This car was very quiet, very solid, very well engineered. I could not feel when the engine or the electric engine was on, the only way was the dash readout. The interior fit/finish was superb. If I were in the market, this car would easily be at the top of my list for a replacement of my 06 Fusion. This car is going to be in very high demand.
  • kev22kev22 Member Posts: 2
    Hi =)

    I am planning to buy either a Fusion I-4 SEL fully loaded or a Milan I-4 Premier fully load (both without navigation). Fusion comes out to approx. $26,500 and Milan to approx $27,000. Therefore I am asking, regardless of price, which car is better?

    I have done research and the engines, specs, features, and dimensions are the exact same to precise detail (length, width, etc.), but besides for the looks I cannot find any differences between these cars (virtually). I checked out the fusion at several dealerships and its a very well designed car but I am just curious to whether the Milan is any better being that Mercury is supposed to be a more luxury associated brand. In addition, does anyone who has test drove both cars in I-4 version notice any difference between ride quality of either cars (same engine), just curious...though I'll probably find out myself in a couple of days.

    If someone could help me out with a comment it would be greatly appreciated.

    Also just curious of which car (with same features and all) everyone else thinks is better. The 2010 Fusion or 2010 Milan?
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    They are built on the same assembley line by the same people and the only difference is in the inside trim and the front end pieces like grill etc. and the rear end tail light treatment. For all reasons they should be the same as far as quality etc. Only reason for picking one over the other would be price ((deal if different dealer, dealer service) and which model you like the best.
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    Between the Fusion and Milan, I'd consider the Milan to have a slightly more luxury feel and style, and IIRC, option packages are arranged differently between them, but basically, that's it.

    Unfortunately, this leads to one of the fundamental problems of Mercury: struggling for it's own identity between the bread-and-butter Ford division, and the upscale Lincoln division. IMO, they should have taken a few models from the Euro line and sold them as Mercury-branded cars from Day One. I'd sure be interested in the Mondeo or the European Focus, and I'm sure that others would be as well.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    You might also consider resale value. I haven't done the math but I was thinking a few years ago the Mercury versions took a bigger hit at resale time. If you can't come up with a real distinguishing difference....I don't see any reason to pay $500 extra and then lose that plus more at trade-in time.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I'd sure be interested in the Mondeo or the European Focus, and I'm sure that others would be as well.

    But that's exactly what they're doing for Ford. The Euro focus is already on it's way and the next gen Fusion and Mondeo will be built on the same global platform. The Euro Fiesta is also coming next year with few changes from the Euro version. You don't need a U.S. and Euro Focus, Fiesta or Fusion/Mondeo - that's too expensive and unnecessary.

    Mercury will either die a slow death or it will get unique vehicles not sold by Ford or Lincoln. And that won't be decided for a few more years. Depends on how quickly they get Ford first and then Lincoln back on their feet and how the market trends.
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    But that's exactly what they're doing for Ford. The Euro focus is already on it's way and the next gen Fusion and Mondeo will be built on the same global platform. The Euro Fiesta is also coming next year with few changes from the Euro version. You don't need a U.S. and Euro Focus, Fiesta or Fusion/Mondeo - that's too expensive and unnecessary.

    I'm aware of the future products, but my issue is why Ford didn't do this 5+ years ago, to at least establish an identity that Mercury has not had for longer than that. I also agree on the platform sharing, something that Ford should have done years ago as well.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Ford has been talking about dumping Mercury for what ten years or so even at one point Lincoln too or instead so until they finally decide if Mercury says for the long haul I don't think you will see anything happen. Now that GM is downsizing maybe Mercury will finally become its own brand. Me personally I think the Fusion is head or heals better looking then the Milan. The Milan looks bland and boring where the Fusion in the front looks more like a baby CTS/STS.
  • kev22kev22 Member Posts: 2
    Thank You for the information and feedback

    This clears up any anxiety I had of choosing one car over the other, and I will most likely go with the fusion as my next car.

    Thank You again, much appreciated =)
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    why Ford didn't do this 5+ years ago

    Actually they did it in 1985. It was called the Merkur Scorpio. Massive failure.

    5 years ago Mulally wasn't running the company - THAT is the difference. And he's not trying to just import European vehicles - that won't work. Using global platforms to reduce costs will allow Mercury to have unique vehicles that are different than Ford but can be sold at a profit even at low volumes.

    For the past 15-20 years Mercury has simply been a way to give Lincoln dealers more high volume ford products to sell. That won't be the case going forward.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    I had Taurus but chose Mercury Sable as the replacement because it had more upscale look and better interior materials. If not Mercury I would buy something other than Ford because I did not like Ford's mundane design at all.

    But now Ford get upscale with new Taurus. Mercury Sable is squeezed out by Taurus and MKS. But I think Ford makes mistake by devaluing Lincoln further. MKS should be new Mercury Sable and should cost less and Lincoln should be designed as a real luxury car, like RWD and not based on Taurus.

    I mean they spent fortunes on Jaguar and LR, so whats the problem? They can spend billions on Jaguar that does not sell and now that Jaguar is not there anymore they cannot design competitivee Lincoln? Do they have pride in own history and heritage or they are ready to waste money on brand that happens to be European and temporary owned but if it is original American brand it is simply has to die?
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    why Ford didn't do this 5+ years ago

    Actually they did it in 1985. It was called the Merkur Scorpio. Massive failure.

    Actually, it was the '60s Ford Cortina, then the 60's-70's Mercury Capri, then the 70's-80 Fiesta, then the "world car Escort," then the Mekur XR4ti (which could spank a BMW 318 of the same era), then the previously mentioned Merkur Scorpio. That was followed by better attempts like the ConTique (which was a failure from a commercial standpoint, but the 24v V6 with a good 5 speed was a great ride), leading up to the Focus.

    Now it looks like the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion/Mondeo are coming and the 2 vans. Oh and in Europe they have the psuedo-wagon-sport-utility things (c-class or s-class or something). Maybe we will get a minivan out of it.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    MKS should be new Mercury Sable and should cost less and Lincoln should be designed as a real luxury car, like RWD and not based on Taurus.

    We've explained this over and over but somehow you just don't get it.

    Ford's first priority is to fix Ford - Lincoln and Mercury are on the back burner. Once the Fiesta, Transit Connect, Euro Focus and Unibody explorer are here (2010/2011) THEN Ford can focus it's LIMITED resources on Lincoln which most likely WILL include a new top of the line RWD platform. If you look at what they did with the Taurus it should be obvious that they will take Lincoln even further upmarket. But you want them to do it overnight and that just can't happen.

    I mean they spent fortunes on Jaguar and LR, so whats the problem? They can spend billions on Jaguar that does not sell and now that Jaguar is not there anymore they cannot design competitivee Lincoln?

    That is precisely the reason they can't do it right now - they wasted all that money on Euro brands in the past. Mulally was smart to dump them - now all of the money can be spent on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury - in that order.

    You seem to think that Ford has unlimited funds and everything they do or don't do is simply an executive decision. Ford has to pick and choose where to spend money right now and a new high end platform for Lincoln is not top of the list.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Nice history there.

    I continue to wonder why do Ford and others think the "world car" idea is going to work now, when it has not before?

    I don't know about the current version, but in 2006 when I test drove them I thought there were some differences in the ride felt and steering between the Fusion and Milan. I also felt the seats felt a bit different from each other. A (very) few reviews also noted some differences in ride and handling as I did, but most said they were identical.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    The Fusion came standard with 16" wheels--the Milan Premier I drove last summer had 17s. Maybe that was the difference.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I continue to wonder why do Ford and others think the "world car" idea is going to work now, when it has not before?

    Because it's not the same concept. In the past vehicles were designed in Europe and then modified for the U.S. or vice versa. Now the vehicles are being designed jointly with all markets in mind and local modifications are made where necessary (e.g. having small diesel and 4 cyl petrol engines in Europe and hybrids/V6s in the states). This will work perfectly as long as they don't have to compromise the design too much. And it will greatly reduce costs. There is no reason to have a Euro and U.S. Focus on different platforms.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Where are the engine and tranny made for the Fusion Hybrid?
  • trucker49trucker49 Member Posts: 18
    In a review of the first generation Milan/Fusion a few years ago it was noted the Milan had a little more insulation and was a tad quieter. I like the seats in the Milan better. While I know they are built on the same line I wouldn't doubt there are slight differences....the Lincoln MKZ comes down the same line too and for 10k more I can't believe the differences are just cosmetic.
  • trucker49trucker49 Member Posts: 18
    Ford did mention last fall they were thinking about doing away with the Mercury line after the next model cycle and I noticed they only have 2 models available for '10 soooo a more upscale Ford and the revamped Lincoln line makes sense. No need really for Mercury although I do like em better.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Your description sounds an awful lot like this:

    ...a "world car," a vehicle that can be made and sold globally with only small concessions to local tastes.
    ...Ford has given it another try, committing an eye-popping $6 billion to develop compact sedans it can sell anywhere. The results, known elsewhere as the Mondeo, are the Ford Contour and the Mercury Mystique.

    http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/30/automobiles/behind-the-wheel-1995-ford-contour- -a-small-world-car-after-all.html
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    I think the orginal posters question was if one or the other car had better quality and I'm the one who answered that they both are built by the same people on the same assembley line. Of course the cosmetics could be different between models but the quality should be the same. They only give the person on the line so many seconds to do his/her job. They don't say this is a Lincoln you get an extra 30 sec. to complete the work. For example whether a Ford/Merc/Lincoln the bucket seat is bolted to the floor with 4 bolts so the person gets the same amount of time to install the seat no matter which car it is or maybe even a little less on the Lincoln because I'm guessing with all the power there could be more harnesses to connect. But the next car may be a manual seat with no harnesses so he makes up for the extra time on the Lincoln with the cheaper seat in the Ford.
  • trucker49trucker49 Member Posts: 18
    Yes, I agree, quality would be the same. I was just saying there are differences probably that just arent' cosmetic....like more insulation here or there perhaps in the engine compartment (inner hood blanket) to make one quieter then the other. Especially with the Lincoln.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    For what a Lincoln costs there had better be alot of cosmetics included :blush:
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116

    ...a "world car," a vehicle that can be made and sold globally with only small concessions to local tastes.
    ...Ford has given it another try, committing an eye-popping $6 billion to develop compact sedans it can sell anywhere. The results, known elsewhere as the Mondeo, are the Ford Contour and the Mercury Mystique.

    The ConTique suffered from poor marketing and a half-baked flubbed launch. The car was over-budget although it was designed almost solely for the bottom line. That said, the 95-97 Contour/Mystique were expensive small to mid-size cars. It costs about the same as a Taurus, but had a much more upscale interior and much better driving dynamics.

    Everyone was expecting a low budget Tempo replacement like the Chrysler K-car and they got a 15-20k sport sedan. Unfortunately, that sport sedan had Lucas electronics and a plastic water-pump (although BMW 3-series had the same issue). I would never have bought a Tempo or an Escort, but the Contour with its 24v V6, a manual transmission, and great handling (oh and those bolstered leather seats) got me. Unfortunately, they didn't follow it up with anything.

    I think the Fusion SE 4 cyl/6 speed manual is likely to be my next ride, especially if I can't find a clean MazdaSpeed6 GT.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    But meanwhile the Mondeo was successful in Europe. The world car became a europe only car because they could not design a car that appealed to both markets. I guess the Fiesta will be the first test to see if things are different today.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    But meanwhile the Mondeo was successful in Europe. The world car became a Europe only car because they could not design a car that appealed to both markets.

    Yup, very true. There is also the issue of price-point. Ford is a semi-premium brand in Europe in terms of what they charge for vehicles. The Mondeo is a very pricey piece of automotive hardware, with a relatively small diesel engine.

    I guess the Fiesta will be the first test to see if things are different today.

    I think the Transit Connect will be first, but that is more of a specialty vehicle for urban delivery places. Its like a Scion xB but with payload. Then the Fiesta and then the next Fusion.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    All car prices are high in Europe, In the UK the Mondeo starts at L18,000, Accord starts at about L20,000, Toyota Avensis (which I am guessing is equivalent to a Camry) starts at L16,000.

    I have a kid waiting to try out a Fiesta, but if the de-europeanize it (in terms of handling and suspension) too much for the US, he will be disapointed. I don't how far they can go before he would pay the premium to get a Golf, instead. OTOH, I don't know how european they can keep it and still sell well in the US.

    I may be tempted to consider going to the Fusion if/when they offer a DSG type transmission (power shift is Ford's term, I believe) and if one of my kids would be interested in buying my Mazda6. I went to an automatic in my current car, but would, I think, like to have the best of both worlds with that type of trans...though I have yet to drive one.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    2 things make it more likely to be successful now. U.S. taste is far closer to Europeans now than 10-20 years ago. They're now willing to buy premium small vehicles - not the case even 5 years ago. And Ford is much better organized and managed to be able to design a world vehicle. There isn't that much difference between the U.S. and Euro Focus - it was mis-management that allowed that to happen. First the Fiesta, then the Fusion and Focus. It will happen and it will work this time.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Where is the evidence that Americans will buy premium small vehicles in volume? The only thing I know is Americans will buy small cars, when gas prices get high enough. We still expect these small cars to be cheap.

    I'm not expecting Ford to be trying to sell premium small cars. The Fiesta in the UK starts about L4000 below the Focus, which is about L3500 below the Mondeo. I'd expect a similar price structure in the US. If the Fusion starts about $18,000 and the Focus about $15,000, I'd expect the Fiesta to start about $11-12K.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Jeffyscott, the MSRP for the base 2010 Fusion S is 19,995 including destination. The 2009 Focus S is 16,215, again including destination, and it's really a strippo model--no ABS, rollup windows, manual locks.

    Based on that, I'd be surprised to see the Fiesta come in much under $14k. In other words, it's aimed more nearly at the Fit than at the Versa or the Aveo.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116

    I may be tempted to consider going to the Fusion if/when they offer a DSG type transmission (power shift is Ford's term, I believe) and if one of my kids would be interested in buying my Mazda6. I went to an automatic in my current car, but would, I think, like to have the best of both worlds with that type of trans...though I have yet to drive one.

    I think the Fiesta is getting the DSG first. We will see I guess. I am digging for the press release...
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116

    Where is the evidence that Americans will buy premium small vehicles in volume? The only thing I know is Americans will buy small cars, when gas prices get high enough. We still expect these small cars to be cheap

    I would say Mazda, Subaru, and Mini can all counter that.

    I'd expect the Fiesta to start about $11-12K.

    So again we have the "why can't we have the European version?" with the answer being "because we won't pay for it."
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles