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v6/autos in the same vehicle weigh more up front and are more likely to have torque steer. many fwd auto's have torque management to help out with those issues.
had to drive back to farmington to pick up my next door neighbor to go to the red sox game. we took the fusion to the riverside 'T' stop, so the trip was about 30 miles further in each direction.
my friend who drives a saab and a bmw 3 series, at one point remarked, this car is really smooth.
later he said this car is really comfortable and i have plenty of head and leg room.
he even offered to drive.
the reason i drove was that he hurt his left knee, and both his cars are sticks.
i have to admit as much as i like my explorer, the fusion was an easier drive, although i wish the steering had a little more weight to it.
Milan - 2,929
Combined - 22,715
Accord - 22,597
Camry - 31,325
I wonder how many of those Fulans were 2009s with closeout pricing, vs. the 2010s.
Prices are getting pretty aggressive on Camrys also. A couple of local dealers are advertising 2009 LEs at just over $18k--pretty low advertised price for a Camry. My local Honda dealers never advertise prices (just lease deals), so I can't compare directly to what is being offered on Camrys and Fulans. Closeout prices on 2009 Fusions start at under $14k though. Those must be getting thin on the lots by now.
However Ford also announced that their incentive spending for May was actually LESS than April while sales increased 20% month to month.
Motor Trend had the Accord besting the Fusion. However if you read the article it was purely based on the projected resale value?? Even though the Fusion costs less upfront?? I also like the comment on the .3 second advantage the Accord holds. They had to redline the Accord in order to achieve the .3 second advantage over an automatic Fusion!! Looks like Ford had got it right and buyers are taking notice.
I also saw a blurb on the net from an auto analyst that it may not be out of reach that Ford could move into the number 1 spot for domestic auto sales in the next 5 years! With the new product like the Fusion/Milan/MKZ/Focus/Fiesta and new Taurus in the gates.
Ford is retooling a plant for the new Focus and will hire up to 2,000 Americans. Good press.
According to Edmunds TCO (True Cost To Own) the Fusion SEL's Cost Per Mile is $0.51. The Accord EX-L's Cost Per Mile is $0.48. Variance in projected depreciation is why those numbers are identical. The Accord EX-L is projected to be worth 54% of its original value at 5-years vs. the Fusion SEL I4, which is projected to be worth 45% of its original value.
The Fusion is projected to depreciate 23% in the first year. The Accord's first year depreciation is only 11%. The safest bet, if you plan to trade in a year or two, will be the Accord. If you plan to drive the car for beyond 5-years, the differences in residual value become a moot point.
One of the few complaints I have about the 2010 Fusion, like the guys at MT, is the auto shifter. Not the transmission itself, but the lack of manual driver control. I'm not a fan of the trendy 'manu-matic' shifters with a separate manual gate for up/down shift. The Honda shifter has four gear selections- D, D3, 2 and 1. This allows the driver to hold the car in 3rd, 2nd or 1st when needed (engine braking, handy when driving down steep gradesm, etc). Another useful feature- if the gear shift lever is in the '2' position, the car will start out in 2nd gear (useful in slippery conditions to avoid wheelspin).
The Fusion simply has D and L. What exactly is 'L' and which of the 5 lower gears does it select??? Thankfully, V6 Fusions have a manual shift gate for 2010.
While the Fusion's shifter irks me, the Accord isn't flawless. I've owned Hondas for 17 of the last 20 years and the '08 Accord center control panel is the antithesis of Honda's legendary ergononic, intuitive interior design! :confuse: It's a deal breaker for me! The Fusion interior is much easier to live with (and to look at).
The Fusion also has a few items on the options list that the Accord can't match. For example, the SEL offers the phenomenal 390-watt 12-speaker Sony Sound System. The EX-L has a lesser 270-watt 7-speaker setup (and regular EX models only have a 160-watt 6-speaker).
The SEL also has the option of 18" Alloy Wheels (both cars have 17" standard). As with the stereo, it's nice to have a choice here. FYI- these are the same sharp 18" alloys used on the '09 Fusion Sport Appearance Package and Blue Suede Package.
I have seen the 2010 Fusion, and the first thing I noticed, the dash did not have anything that would be a distraction on a dark stormy night. Personally I wish the 2010 had come out last year when I got my Camry Hybrid, I find it much more comfortable to sit in and ergonomically much nicer than the Camry.
It's still an automatic mode, but it holds the RPM around 4,000 thereby providing engine braking. It will upshift from 1st or 2nd gear if necessary but will maintain high RPM. In the Edge and MKX there are some additional features with an Overdrive lockout switch in addition to the L position - not sure if that made it to the 2010s.
I had heard Ford went to the D-L setup for the CVT transmission which was subsequently cancelled. I've never had to take my 06 Fusion out of D anyway although I would prefer to have more direct control available. My previous car was a 2000 Lincoln LS which was the first use of SelectShift in a F/L/M product and having that direct control over the gear selection is great, whether you're using it for sporty driving in the twisties or for starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear or forcing a downshift for passing early, etc. It's not a replacement for a manual but it is certainly the most control over an automatic.
FWIW our new Flex has those additional features. Basically you get two levels of hill descent control when you hit the O/D button on the shifter. You get a less aggressive mode in "D" and a more aggressive mode in "L". I've used it twice on dry roads while going down a couple of long, winding, and very steep roads. It worked pretty well for the most part once I figured out how to work it. You still have to keep your speed down for it to shift to a lower gear and apply the engine braking. Having gear options is still the best way to go, whether with a manumatic or the actual gears, but this should work for most folks too.
I don't know if the Fusion got this either but you can get the SelectShift in the Sport model.
Well, it won't be Mazda. The 6 was brand new for 2009, so it will be a long time before we see a new design. And the Mazda6 simply won't be able to reach the sales volumes of the Accord or Fulan. The Sonata, OTOH, is being redesigned for the 2011 MY, due out here next year. We already know it will be more of a coupe-ish style ala the CC and will offer a hybrid version. Next out of the gates, though, will be the new, larger Legacy. But Subaru won't be able to compete in volume with the likes of Honda or Toyota either. Then there's the U.S.-built replacement for the Passat coming on the heels of the Legacy and Sonata.
One new mid-sizer you forgot is the all-new Suzuki sedan, due in a year or two, which appears to be their first serious entry in this class.
Yes, lots of great choices in this class, with "more to come" as they say on The Tonight Show.
"We are one of New Englands Largest Hyundai Dealership and have the best selection available! The hardest part here won't be finding a car, it will be narrowing it down to just one!
All of our clients who purchase new vehicles get a Free 20 year Powertrain Warranty, Free Loaner Vehicles with Service, as well as Free Inspection Stickers for LIFE!
We understand you can buy your New Hyundai from anyone, but we want to seperate ourselves and give you FIRST class service and FIRST class satisfaction."
How about that lifetime power train warranty that Chrysler has? make twenty years seem short.
Of course it is not really free, it is just rolled into the price of the vehicles...if they were not giving this stuff away, they would be able to charge less for the cars they sell. Also the free loaner will lead to increased business for their service department.
A dealer in my area offers a free used car with every new vehicle purchase. Of course, I don't believe the used vehicle is really free.
My guess is you could buy such an extended warranty (with the same restrictions) for a few hundred dollars, so the dealer just takes that out of their normal discount. Same with "lifetime" warranties.
If the average buyer only keeps their vehicle for 5 or 6 years then it's really a moot point. They just build the average extra cost into the prices.
Sounds good...BUT all service work had to be done at their dealership, otherwise the "goodies" were void. And their service requirements were more demanding than that of Hyundai. Every 3,000 miles you had to change your oil with them (maybe they'd make an exception for a long road trip vacation-like CT to FL). Their service packages A,B,C,D & E (mileage dependent) could get pretty pricey.
Plus, they were high priced for buying a new car. In April, '05 the best they could do was split the difference of MSRP & invoice for $550 off MSRP on the Sonata. The $1500 (at the time) rebate would also apply. However, they would then add in an advertising fee of $500...even showed me an invoice with adv. fee printed on it--in bold face type. Dealer fee to be added was $399. The price would have been in excess of MSRP before taxes and registration. I paid $1800 less elsewhere.
A buddy bought an '07 Azera Limited w/ Ultimate Pkg at Town Hyundai in NJ for $3,000 less than the CT dealer wanted for a left over '06 Azera w/out Ultimate Pkg. in June, '07. So, all that free stuff certainly did have a price tag.
Who wants to drive a Chrysler forever anyway? I imagine there would be a rather high rate of owners doing themselves in if they were stuck driving a Chrysler forever! :shades:
It's kind of funny I think that you can buy a used car (i.e. a certified used car) that has more manufacturer warranty than a new car. I nearly jumped on a one-year-old certified Sonata a couple months ago, as it had four years of bumper-to-bumper warranty and nine years of powertrain warranty. But I got a certified Rabbit instead, and it has 4 years of bumper-to-bumper warranty (vs. 3 years on a new VW).
That's why I bought a 2007 Accord LX V6 a few months back. A 2009 Accord has 3/36 bumper-to-bumper and 5/60 powertrain coverage. My '07 had 22k miles on it and is covered bumper-to-bumper for another 24 months (4yrs from original date sold) and 26k miles (48k from new). The powertrain warranty coverage is 7/100 from new, which is five years and 78k miles.
Not funny at all. You can buy a new car with the same extended warranty. For a certified used car the selling dealer is paying for the extended warranty and including it in the cost of the car. No different than any other added accessory.
A brand-new 2010 Legacy is about to be released: First Drive, and not a single word or opinion about it here?
Will be interesting to see if this new, larger Legacy with a back seat suitable for adult passengers can grab more than a miniscule portion of the mid-sized market, in which it is an afterthought. I mean, Toyota sells about twice as many Camrys in the US in a month as Subaru sells vehicles. :sick: