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Comments
Agree. When I bought my mazda6 I did not think much of it...I could take it or leave it. Then I realized there was no button, so now I prefer the gated style...not that the lack of one would be a deal-breaker.
Any other objective comments?
I do spend time "feeling and touching" all of the interior materials when I'm shopping and checking out a new car, but the look matters most. I just don't like the 1995 Dodge Neon Interior plastic look of the Ford picture you provided. (note the designs are different but it looks like the same plastic material).
The Fusion seems to be a good Ford car from what I have read, but the comment from the owner who has one that gets less than 16 mpg in the city is pretty disappointing in my book. I don't think I could live with a car that got that low of mileage.
andre3, I wonder why you and I both prefer Honda's interior... :P That's exactly the way I shop for a car or checking out one at the carshow.
I just don't think it's fair that someone like us being criticized for having higher standard about the interior than the average buyers.
I guess if it had a H on the steering wheel it would be perfect.
I might be the owner you are thinking of Poncho167, and our 2007 SEL AWD V6 Fusion only gets 14.8 in all-city driving. The revised EPA estimate for this power train is only 17 mpg city and 24 highway.
Since 95 percent of our driving is in-city, we should have bought an I4, manual or automatic. We don't "need" the all-wheel drive either but it sure does improve the handling.
"City" mileage will vary a lot. This is because the type of driving that is called "city" varies a lot. For example CR routinely measures well below the EPA numbers because they do a very severe city driving test. CR typically measures about 13-15 mpg city, for these midsize sedans with V6.
EPA test of AWD Fusion is now at 17 mpg. Without AWD the V6 is at 18 mpg, which is exactly the same as the Accord. The Fusion AWD costs you about 1 mpg city and 2 highway, I think this is a pretty typical AWD penalty.
Can't find any without the wood. I can't say I like any of the wood either. Although the light colored wood in my dad's Zephyr is quite fetching. I much prefer the aluminum (yes it's real) in my Mustang or the shiny black carbon fiber treatment in our Explorer. But then again, both have the radio "brick" that no one likes.
Yeah thats what I was thinking. I would like the CF trim more than the wood, or a flat aluminum look maybe. I don't think there is anything about that dash that looks cheap though. Although this particular configuration doesn't appeal to me, I like how Ford continues to reinvent the corporate instrument cluster to tailor it for each vehicle where they use it.
while the styling of the ford flex interior is not my cup of tea, i find it rather ignorant to be criticizing the interior to be full of cheap plastics when you really can't tell from one photo.
i can see why honda is so popular, but it gets kind of annoying when fans of a certain type of vehicle seem to think they are something special because they can see "high quality" that apparently average consumers cant.
bottom line - to each their own.
my two cents, as always...
-thene :sick:
I never used to care for wood trim (imatation or not) years ago, but now I see it on many cars and sort of like it.
The Ford oval is not to appealing anymore, or ever was, sorry to say. I have heard that younger buyers are not to thrilled with it either.
I could do without the cup holders, I don't believe food or drinks belong in a car.
Good post Jeffy. In retrospect, we should have bought an SEL I4 Fusion but this $27,105 MSRP baby was on the lot, in stock and had everything that we wanted on it.
The difference between 14.8 mpg and 17 mpg is about $252 a year, based on 10,000 miles driven, our average, with gasoline at $3 a gallon.
With the exception of the poor gasoline mileage, our Fusion is an exceptionally fine mid-size sedan. We enjoy it.
I'm not surprised by your report on each rig's engines and their sounds at idle. The Optima's engine must have some sound similarities to my Sportage 4X4's. There were times sitting in the Sportage at idle that I truly did not know if my motor was running or not, it purred so quietly.
Do report more review news on driving the Fusion, indeed, OK?
I think this comment from targettuning sums some things up nicely.
"Since I have only had the Fusion a day or so I will form other opinions I am sure and I'll let you know. But for now here is one. The Optima is a car where I was sure I was doing about 70 mph only to find I was doing 80 whereas the Fusion is one where I was sure I was doing about 70 mph only to find I was doing 60."
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Different stroke for different people...
Obviously you can't touch and feel the plastic in a photograph. The photos more recently posted look like graphics and computer generated images moreso than photos, and make the interior look much better. I don't like light grey plastics, lighter gray tends to look cheaper in my eyes.
The main thing that comes to mind now is, who at Ford let Volvo design the interior. :P That interior is VERY VOLVO, Volvoish, Volvoesque!
Volvo's have decent to good interiors, nothing wrong with that, but seems to be a copy of it.
You hit the nail on the head with that one! Just look at the new S80 and XC70 and you'll see the same interior with a few minor differences.
Compared to current Ford themes like the radio brick and plain buttons and knobs I'd say the Volvo look is a very good thing.
I guess its a good sign for Ford and GM they are getting talked about so much.
(i don't really know why there's no altima talk - i do see a ton of them here in central CT)
-thene :P
1. plastics on door interior panels scratch with a "mean look". Ours is criss crossed with fingernail scrapes and scratches gotten (sp?) while groping for the door pull which is unfortunately surrounded with the most fragile "waffle" pattern plastic you could imagine.
2. Our car has 9K miles and the driver seat bolster has the pattern on the cloth fabric wearing off...going-going-soon to be gone in a 3 X 2 inch patch where our "butts" contact it on entry and exit.
High quality? nope,don't think so. Our 1995 Stratus seat fabric is not worn @ 187K miles..but it does have a cigarette ash melt mark.
I'll bet you $1,000 your Honda's tranny lasts longer then that, with regular care and maintenance.
Whoever compared the Ford's interior to Audi's just insulted Audi tremendously. Even Volvo's don't quite stand up to Audi's interior, I found Volvo's nice but too "minimalist" in design.
I'll bet you $1,000 your Honda's tranny lasts longer then that, with regular care and maintenance.
Actually, not so much. Over in the 90-93 Accord repair forums, one of the failures is a "flashing S" which requires a new TCU, and there were a few transmission rebuilds. I don't see this as a negative, of of these cars are on their 2nd or 3rd life, but no different than the Stratus.
I believe the Sebring's sales are 70% fleet/rental, which kinda means Chrysler's folding this hand.
There are a lot of vehicles in this category that aren't listed at the top. There is only room to list nine.
As far as I'm concerned, any vehicle in this class is on topic here.
I feel this interior layout works great for a vehicle such as the Flex, it has a sort of "mature elegance" to it. Fit and finish looks awsome and i like the substantial looking front seats and ice blue gauges. Im hoping the 09 fusion takes a different design direction, while utilizing some of the Flex's theme. Give it a more modern, edgy, and high tech apearance to match it's exterior.
Yet the Accord doesn't have stability control unless you get the V6. Maybe the article should have mentioned that. Oops.
The point is, it was the only car in this segment good enough to make the top 10. Also the only one on the list under $30k.
If I were going on a road trip, I'd take a roomier, less expensive sedan with more standard safety equipment and a smoother ride, e.g. Sonata, before the Accord. Or a minivan like the Odyssey or Sienna if I had more than 4-5 people. If I were renting a car for a road trip, the Accord would be far down my list--cars like the Avalon, Azera, and Lucerne are all more capable highway cruisers IMO.
I don't think the models they were referring to were under $30k (Odyssey EX, for example).
If I were going on a road trip, I'd take a roomier, less expensive sedan with more standard safety equipment and a smoother ride, e.g. Sonata, before the Accord.
The (buoyant) ride of the Sonata would probably make me sea-sick after a while.
Or a minivan like the Odyssey or Sienna if I had more than 4-5 people.
Duh, I guess so.
The point is, it was the only car in this segment good enough to make the top 10. Also the only one on the list under $30k.
But the mazda6 is the only car in this segment to get the Editor's Most Wanted Under $25K by Edmunds whose editors seem to know quite a bit more about cars than the writers at consumer reports who have to test pop tarts and laundry detergent and then test cars when they have some spare time. I also think the editors and writers of Edmunds will tend to be more likely to enjoy driving and would be impressed by cars that are both comfortable when you want it, and engaging when the mood and opportunity arises which is why they chose the mazda6 over all the other cars in this segment. And the fact that it outbrakes the Accord by an average of over 10 feet according to major car mags is just a added bonus when it comes to safety. Of course it's nice to get all these things while saving an extra few thousand dollars too...
Actually, both the Avalon and Odyssey EX start under $30k MSRP. The Sienna XLE is just over $30k but under $30k after deducting the available-to-everyone $1500 rebate. The Accord EX V6 lists at $28k so there isn't much difference between all those choices, including the CTS. Some on the list were a lot more than $30k of course. Who wouldn't want to take an A6 or 5 Series or Infiniti M on a road trip?? Earth to CR: how about a reality check for people who don't have $40k, or even nearly $30k, to spend on a car for the family vacation?
That is the top 10. You can get a V6 EX Accord for $25k easy. Not so, for the other 9. If you can't swing $25k for the V6 Accord, you will have to settle for something in the top 15-20.
Please define what you mean about it not being "fair." How is your standard higher than others? All these mid-size cars have different interiors and just like exteriors, beauty is subjective. They're all good, it's just a matter of preference.
I'm sorry to be a bit off topic but it irks me to see people continually saying "that's not fair".
and it all depends on what your definition of "is" is :P
sounds like you're splitting hairs there buddy, the differences in your comments are minimal. it's hard to look at pictures to get a real good feel for things, particularly the quality of materials. pictures are good at giving an idea of design and flow, but lighting can be manipulated so things are highlighted that really aren't in real life. ain't nothing like the real thing...
but all in all, add me to the list of people who think that the Accord has one of the nices interiors in this class. I did get a chance to sit in the Aura though, and I was very impressed. in fact I'd say that it would come a pretty close second...never thought I'd say that about a Saturn!
personally, I'm glad the gap between the all too common camcords and the rest of the pack is closing... more competition will bring the best out to all our benefit. the trick will be getting consumers to have an open mind when considering more than the usual suspects.
I've driven my '05 Sonata over 1300 miles from south Florida to CT in two days (just me in the car). It was comfortable and certainly not "floaty." Drove it 40 miles each way to a golf course yesterday with 2 other guys, and our golf bags and other golf equipment in the trunk. Again, it drove and rode beautifully. My brother has an '07 Sonata and has taken a few round-trips of 300 to 400 miles. With 3 adults in the car and a few hundred pounds of stuff in the trunk (he's a serious amateur astronomer), he raves about the ride and handling after every trip.
Sonata had a bit more body lean, but still I had more confidence in corners than the Altima which just felt top-heavy and bloated to me. Really, the Accord and Sonata are about equal in terms of feel with the edge for taughtness and balance going to the Accord by a small margin.
P.S. the Stratus transmission has an internal failure that placed it into "2nd gear limp home mode" but still has 2nd and reverse so not a totally destroyed transmission but one with "issues" as is P.C. these days
But! I have rented several different mid-size models and I have extended family members that own an Accord, Sonata and Camry. Having rented a Grand Prix, Altima, Optima and 6 that pretty much covers the ball-game with the exception of the very competent Fusion and Aura.
I was impressed with the powertrain and competent handling of the Sonata. Listen, I need a car not a (NAS)car or (Formula 1)car. I do want something that gives me bang-for-the-buck more than I need a badge that some need to escalate their image because their self-image is based on material possession and peoples perception of them. All of these vehicles had appeal.
Dads Accord: 70,000 miles. Issues: one electrical issue
Mom's Sonata: 40,000 miles. Issues: nil
Bro's Camry: 50,000 miles Issues: nil
There wasn't one rental I didn't like. The Altima and Grand Prix were the best handling cars with the Grand Prix being the winner but having poor fuel mileage in the 2.5.
The best all-round car I have rented in this class was the Altima. It was just a good handling, good riding and enjoyable car. Would I buy it, no! Why: I'm not convinced of parent company Renault and Father Ghosn's approach to quality. It has gone down since I owned 2nd and 3rd Gen. Maximas
If I were buying a mid-size car, I would buy the Hyundai Sonata Limited. I had a an 07 Limited last week with gorgeous black leather interior and loaded. I was told I could buy one for $21-22k with rebates and discounts. Go drive anything out there for $21k and you wont get anything like Hyundai offers in the Sonata. See for yourself.