That is not a factory sponsored plan - the dealer is doing this on their own. And IF you manage to get anywhere close to the A plan price I guarantee they're keeping the rebates, and charging doc fees.
I just drove home in my new 2006 Fusion SEL V6. Tungsten w/medium light stone interior and every option. The med. light stone interior in the SE has grey carbon fiber around the radio and dash trim. The SEL has the black trim just like the charcoal - looks fantastic. Got it for X plan ($24,413) minus $1000 rebate ($500 ford credit) plus tax and title. Best part was the drive home I got 24 mpg, compared to 16 in my LS. I'll post pictures later.
Congrats to you! Keep us posted. Is this an add to the family fleet, or did it replace something? If so, what? Why did you buy one? Why did you choose the Fusion?
Thanks! It replaced the LS which was 6 yrs old showing some wear. The wife didn't like driving the LS (don't get me started on that one) and the kids didn't like riding in it, plus I was only getting about 16 mpg in daily commuting.
I had thought about getting an Accord or something similar last year, then I saw the Fusion and Milan at the auto show and liked them. I was determined to get a Mustang GT convertible but they're still expensive and wouldn't get much better mileage than the LS. Plus I was hesitant about driving it every day being a convertible w/manual. So I decided to get the Fusion now as a daily driver and get the mustang in another 2-3 years. Best of both worlds! Plus my daughter can learn to drive in the Fusion and by that time (5-6 yrs) I might just give it to her. I love it when a plan comes together.....
I liked the Fusion styling better than the Milan (inside and out) and I just didn't care much for the Zephyr or the $4K premium.
Akirby, please no Hannibal references. Congrats on your purchase. Sounds like the Fusion will fit in perfectly with your plan. Have you had the opportunity to compare the Fusion's road manners to an Accord?
This may have been answered before, but what % of the Fusion is made in the USA. I'd be a lot more excited about the car if it was assembled in the USA and not out of country like it is.
Has anyone test driven a Zephyr back-to-back with a competitor (G35, TL, 325)? If so, how do the driving dynamics stand up? It would be interesting to find out if the Edmunds writers will still adore the Zephyr after blasting out a sub-6 second 0-60 in a G35 6MT or straightening a twisty road in an E90 3-series.
If you ask me, Ford is in an even better position than Honda and Toyota because the Fords come in three flavors. Honda and Toyota only give you 2 flavors.
Ford goes even better because you get lots of choices about the look of your interior even within the same cars. Fusion has 3 interior colors and 4 dash treatments.
When you say flavors, are you referring to trim levels? If so Honda actually offers VP, LX, LX SE and EX on the Accord, Toyota has STD, LE, XLE and SE. That's four each, although I think the Fusion's three are just fine.
I do like the Fusion offering three interior colors and an option other than woodgrain on SEL models. I particularly love black interior and it looks great on the SEL with the piano black trim. They also offer the black interior with every exterior color. I like having options.
I think he is referring to models, not trim levels, meaning that the 3 "flavors" are the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr, while Toyota gives you Camry/ES330, and Honda gives Accord/TL.
four flavors Mazda6/Fusion/Milan/Zephyr and Honda offers three - Accord/TSX/TL – GM – Malibu/G6(cuope/sedan/conv)/Aura. But Honda, GM, Toyota differentiate models based on the same platform more than Ford.
This evening I happened to be crusing the NHTSA web site and low and behold the Fusion has been crashed. 4 stars for both the driver and passenger in a frontal crash. Disappointing. When compared to an Accord, I am willing to give up a perceived lack in fit and finish for IMHO the better styling of the Fusion. I am willing to give up an edge in straight line acceleration for possible better handling in the Fusion. I would give up the XM radio in the Accord for the ability to play MP3 files. Finally, I'm ok with a poorer resale of the Ford given its lower out the door price. However, poor crash ratings is a deal killer. Looks like I'll be forking some sheckels over at the Honda dealership
Four out of five stars isn't "poor". It's not the best either, but a lot of cars do worse. Almost no mid-size from even five years ago would score five stars in today's test.
Air bags? How about the accord? The crash tests would be a bad thing but four stars out of five really is not too bad. I would probably be fine with it, as long as you get airbags.
Car and Driver test weight for the fusion six was 3,452lbs and the Accord was 3,419lbs. Curb weight for the Fusion six is 3,280lbs and 3,362lbs. for the Accord six.
Although usually the government websit you posted is the most accurate source of weights, there might be a mistake on the Honda. Honda's own website shows about 3200 pounds for an LX automatic sedan. The weight on the Fusion sounds closer to the 500 weight, which doesn't make sense either.
The point I was trying to make was, I don't think the difference in weight between the Fusion and accord has much to do with how those two cars performed.
The base weight of the Fusion is 3,280lbs. and the accord is very close in basic curb weight as far as the six cylinder is concerned. There might have been extra equipment added to the Fusion, I don't know?
If the Accord out performed the Fusion then fine, it sounds like the Accord may have been a four cylinder model. I don't think that factor would have much to do with how it performed. The structure is the structure and thats it.
Yes, the 500 is a larger automobile structure wise and have more bulk, but if it is tested with the extras added on, the car is going to weigh more possibly by as much as 200lbs. making it look like it may have more bulk to the structure when it really doesn't.
Does anybody have the actual curb weights of these two cars to compare? Four cylinder to four and six cylinder to six. Apples to apples oranges to oranges.
We're in the market for a mid-sized sedan and I test drove a V-6 Fusion SEL a few weeks ago. Well, at lunch on Friday I had the opportunity to drive a couple of different Lincoln Zephyrs at a local Lincoln dealer in the Philly area.
I'm 33 years old, the owner of a '98 SVT Contour that I still enjoy flailing, and a recent graduate of Bob Bondurant's Grand Prix Road Racing class this spring, and I can say never imagined I'd find myself in a Lincoln dealer. But based on the good impressions I got from the Fusion test drive, I wanted to see how the Lincoln offering stacked up. To summarize, I walked away VERY impressed with this car.
First the exterior styling is nice though conservative and generally inoffensive. Exterior styling didn't wow me in an emotional way, but generally it looks fine.
Interiorwise, I loved the interior with the chrome and light maple wood finish. I questioned the look in the brochure and pictures, but in person, the look of the light maple, chrome and tan interior palette is fantastic. I saw a car with the darker interior with the dark walnut wood, and in my opinion, the light maple is such a better and classier look. The leather on the seats is a high-quality soft leather and has a rich feel to it, and the center stack has a nice look to it.
If you get nothing else from this review, take my word that this car must be driven before you can judge it. It has one of the best balances of comfort and handling I have ever driven in a car in this price segment. The ride is quiet, smooth, and soaks up bumps, but unlike say a Lexus ES330, the handling is still sharp and well controlled. There is always some trade off in comfort vs. handling, but in this case I think Lincoln nailed it. The roads around Philly are generally chewed up, and the comfort was appreciated, all the while, the handling was very satisfying.
I took two cars out on two test drives (one without nav and one with nav), and I have to say the more I drove this car, the more I loved it. The accelleration is generally strong and the 6-speed auto behaved itself nicely. Also notable was how quiet and solid the cabin felt. After about 10 minutes behind the wheel, I found myself smiling and nodding my head in approval. It satisfied in a way that the Fusion didn't.
Also, I have to say that the A/C fed through the perforated leather in the seats is quite possibly the greatest luxury item introduced in the past 50 years. I never even considered the merits of such a thing, but after experiencing it, it is phenominal.
So in summary, I'm right with that Edmunds review. I walked away very impressed with this car. In the segment I'm looking in, namely mid-size entry-lux sedan keeping the price close to $30k, this is a winner to me, certainly a strong contender. The RWD Caddy CTS is nice too, though I found the Lincoln interior more satisfying, and the ever more slightly comfort-biased ride and serenity to be more appreciated in the real-world commutes we all live in. The handling on the Lexus ES completely failed to satisfy. The Acura TL is another contender, but again, I liked the look, feel, ride, and handling of the Zephyr better, and definately appreciated the handling of the CTS over the TL.
Anyway-- please, don't judge this car until you drive it! I think everyone that does will walk away impressed. When you put it all together-- mid-sized room, price, luxury, ride, handling, solid/quiet interior, luxury touches in the cabin, A/C in the seats (try it out on a warm day before you laugh!), it's a compelling choice.
Another important point is that NHTSA's ratings simulate being struck by a car, whereas IIHS simulate being struck by a taller, heavier SUV/Truck. Both use the same speed.
So, for my money, it's important to wait for the IIHS to complete its testing.
That would be for the side impact test...and yes the IIHS side test is much tougher. But I thought there actually is a little difference in the speed used. There is also a difference in the weight of the simulated vehicle that crashes into the side, I believe.
For the front impact test both simulate a collision with an equal weight car. They say the IIHS front offset test is tougher on the structure, while the gov't test is more a test of the restraints.
oh sure... we are supposed to believe a review written by jtFORD! j/k. i drove over to a linc/merc dealer today to see what hey had. saw the back of a Zephyr. i didn't want to to get near it(think nissan maxima commercial). they seemed way too large in the pictures i had seen, but looked better in person, just like the back of the first fusion i saw today, a black sel, which looked great. the local auto show is at the end of next week, so i'm hoping get some closer looks.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I, too, have driven the Fusion & Zeyphr and agree 100% with your assesment of the car, including the cooled seats & interior colors.
The only problem I have is with the price difference between the 2 cars. Add the HID lights & cooled seats, & you're looking ad a 5K 20% difference. Haven't convinced myself that it's worth it, especially with Lincoln's lousy record of depreciation.
That all being said, I'm in the market & haven't found anything I like better. Going to try to hold out till the new V6 Camry is out; and maybe the rebates will be starting to flow by that time.
Thanks jtford, for thorough, objective and well written review of the Zeyphr
"Also, I have to say that the A/C fed through the perforated leather in the seats is quite possibly the greatest luxury item introduced in the past 50 years. I never even considered the merits of such a thing, but after experiencing it, it is phenominal."
Amen to THAT, brother!! I swore I'd never have another car without it.
It is a little disappointing that I can buy a Taurus and get 5 stars and yet the all new Fusion can't match it. What up with this? I think a lot of people expect 5 stars at least for a front crash, although 4 is still a good score. Getting 5 for a side crash is rare unless you are a volvo or a volvo derived Ford 500/Mercury Montego. Still Fusion should have been able to equal the Accord in this department. I drove the Fusion and was impressed and would rate it higher for driving dynamics and cabin quietness than the Accord, but I am disappointed with 4 stars, especially when the Accord gets 5. I am sure Ford does their own crash tests so this must not be a surprise to them.
i meant the rear lights on the zephyr looked too large in pictures, but better in real life. i may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but the fusion was tested without side airbags. the tone of the story was that they should be standard.
you have to ask yourself one question. "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?" :surprise:
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I would never want to suggest that objective "star-ratings" are not valuable, but I have a story that may ease your mind, somewhat.
My wife and I were involved in a side-impact collision in my Mazda6. Fusion is based on the same platform, so I believe that this is relevant. Both myself and the other car were traveling perpendicular to each other, ~40 mph and trying to go through an intersection at the same time. The other car (an older Escort) hit slightly to the rear of the front-passenger door. We were spun completely around, and the passenger side-airbags deployed. The 6 held up beautifully, there was no significant intrusion into the cabin, and both my wife and I walked away mostly uninjured (she had some bruises, and was a bit sore from being spun around at 40 mph).
Please note that I had the complete safety package ... and I will never buy another car without it.
There was no doubt after the accident that, for my peace of mind, I wanted another Mazda6. That is exactly what I purchased.
So, take it for what it's worth ... just another data point in a sea of information. But I have a hard time reconciling the star-rating crash-test performance with my own experience. I would be much more interested to see data from “real-life” crash scenarios. I certainly have no doubts about getting into my 6 each day, and I see no reason to believe that the Fusion should fare any worse (probably better, in fact).
It features a guy listening to an iPod during the first few seconds of the ad, yet the Fusion doesn't even have an AUX jack. Very dumb and confusing ad.
"Because a car shouldn't just use energy. It should create it."
There is real world data at iihs.org. Of course it is for cars that have been on the road for a while. But there are general trends, such as weight/size of vehicle being correlated with greater safety.
FWIW, both IIHS and the government say that the gov't (front) test is really more a test of the retraints and the IIHS (front offset) test is more a test of the structure.
I don't pay much attention to crash tests, either, but can someone explain why the Mazda6 has 5 stars and the Fusion 4? I would have expected them to be the same.
What is the difference between a full frontal rating and an offset crash rating? Does NHTSA do both?
The NHTSA frontal crash rating crashes the full width of the front of a vehicle into a rigid barrier. This maximizes the energy absorbed by the front of the vehicle so that the occupant compartment is more likely to remain intact. The full frontal ratings produce high level occupant compartment decelerations, making them very demanding of the restraint systems, thus providing better information on the safety features and their performance.
In offset crash ratings, like those performed by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) http://www.iihs.org/, only one side of a vehicle's front end is hit, thus a smaller area of the structure absorbs the energy from the crash. Offset crashes are more demanding on the structure of a vehicle, and intrusion into the occupant compartment is more likely in these crashes. NHTSA does not currently perform the offset crash rating.
The results from NHTSA’s full-width frontal crash and IIHS’ offset frontal crash rating complement each other. They can be used together to assess overall frontal crash safety in terms of the effectiveness of restraint systems and the integrity of the occupant compartment.
This is a quote from www.safercar.go, a US Government website which is part of the public domain.
They could have easily done both like the new Honda Civic and many new GM cars like the Impala. Burning MP3 CDs is pretty inconvenient for people who buy lots of new music.
Regardless, they should have never featured an iPod in an ad for a car you can't connect an iPod to.
:)The Escort driver was fine, but I believe she got an airbag full in the face. I never spoke to her after that, but I'm certain the car wast totaled. The front end was crushed in, and it was leaking some kind of fluid (not gasoline) all over the street.
I didn't know that real world data was available. I will have to take a look before my next vehicle purchase.
They also have ratings based on real world death and injury data for some models at crashtest.com (click on the make you are interested in at the bottom).
We buy one or two company cars a year and will be buying a sedan this year. Last year we purchased an Accord V6 EX-L.
I was very impressed with the packaging, appearance, and interior room of the Fusion.
But what's up with the chrome grille? It is so garish on an otherwise understated car that there must have been some huge disconnect between their research and humans: they even mention it in the brochure, so they're very proud.
I joked with one of the salespeople at the show about it and asked, "Who picked the chrome grille?" Without hesitation he said, "Guys with white shoes, belts an ties." AKA "A full Detroit." Maybe it's a regional thing and effete Easterners are too wedded to monochrome.
Is there an aftermarket grille that is body color or dark grey or black?
250hp in not alot for a 3.5L v6 in todays market. I would hope more refinements are in the works for this baby. Nissan's 3.5L v6 makes 265hp. Come on ford you can do better. But, the PZEV out of the box is a winner in my book.
It's 260 hp in the Altima SE-R, and it says it requires premium for maximum power and that adding PZEV will reduce power. Given Ford's penchant for understating horsepower I'd say the 3.5L duratec is as good or better.
I agree with you guys as well. Previously, in the Future Vehicles board the Fusion/Milan had their own discussion, and the Zephyr had it's own. Then the Zephyr was made read only.
It's almost an insult to put the Zephyr with it's lower cousins. It's different enough to justify it's own discussion, like the Camry/ES330, Accord/TL.
Even the Land Cruiser and LX470 have different discussions!!! You cant get more similar than that!
Comments
I had thought about getting an Accord or something similar last year, then I saw the Fusion and Milan at the auto show and liked them. I was determined to get a Mustang GT convertible but they're still expensive and wouldn't get much better mileage than the LS. Plus I was hesitant about driving it every day being a convertible w/manual. So I decided to get the Fusion now as a daily driver and get the mustang in another 2-3 years. Best of both worlds! Plus my daughter can learn to drive in the Fusion and by that time (5-6 yrs) I might just give it to her. I love it when a plan comes together.....
I liked the Fusion styling better than the Milan (inside and out) and I just didn't care much for the Zephyr or the $4K premium.
Babaracus
Ford goes even better because you get lots of choices about the look of your interior even within the same cars. Fusion has 3 interior colors and 4 dash treatments.
When you say flavors, are you referring to trim levels? If so Honda actually offers VP, LX, LX SE and EX on the Accord, Toyota has STD, LE, XLE and SE. That's four each, although I think the Fusion's three are just fine.
I do like the Fusion offering three interior colors and an option other than woodgrain on SEL models. I particularly love black interior and it looks great on the SEL with the piano black trim. They also offer the black interior with every exterior color. I like having options.
I agree with you, 3 trim levels is pretty good.
I just purchased the SEL in tungsten w/charcoal interior. Delivery should be Monday or Tuesday. I can't wait!
They are barely in the same weight class Accord weighs 3038 pound while Fusion weighs 3499 pounds. This is a pretty significant difference.
http://safercar.gov/NCAP/Cars/3828.html
and 3038 for the Accord:
http://safercar.gov/NCAP/Cars/3655.html
If you want more safety I think the 3725 pound 500 would be better than either.
It will be interesting to see how the fusion does in the IIHS offset and side impact tests.
I wonder if we should consider that the Honda is more likely to crash at a higher speed, given its lousy brakes.
The base weight of the Fusion is 3,280lbs. and the accord is very close in basic curb weight as far as the six cylinder is concerned. There might have been extra equipment added to the Fusion, I don't know?
If the Accord out performed the Fusion then fine, it sounds like the Accord may have been a four cylinder model. I don't think that factor would have much to do with how it performed. The structure is the structure and thats it.
Yes, the 500 is a larger automobile structure wise and have more bulk, but if it is tested with the extras added on, the car is going to weigh more possibly by as much as 200lbs. making it look like it may have more bulk to the structure when it really doesn't.
Does anybody have the actual curb weights of these two cars to compare? Four cylinder to four and six cylinder to six. Apples to apples oranges to oranges.
I'm 33 years old, the owner of a '98 SVT Contour that I still enjoy flailing, and a recent graduate of Bob Bondurant's Grand Prix Road Racing class this spring, and I can say never imagined I'd find myself in a Lincoln dealer. But based on the good impressions I got from the Fusion test drive, I wanted to see how the Lincoln offering stacked up. To summarize, I walked away VERY impressed with this car.
First the exterior styling is nice though conservative and generally inoffensive. Exterior styling didn't wow me in an emotional way, but generally it looks fine.
Interiorwise, I loved the interior with the chrome and light maple wood finish. I questioned the look in the brochure and pictures, but in person, the look of the light maple, chrome and tan interior palette is fantastic. I saw a car with the darker interior with the dark walnut wood, and in my opinion, the light maple is such a better and classier look. The leather on the seats is a high-quality soft leather and has a rich feel to it, and the center stack has a nice look to it.
If you get nothing else from this review, take my word that this car must be driven before you can judge it. It has one of the best balances of comfort and handling I have ever driven in a car in this price segment. The ride is quiet, smooth, and soaks up bumps, but unlike say a Lexus ES330, the handling is still sharp and well controlled. There is always some trade off in comfort vs. handling, but in this case I think Lincoln nailed it. The roads around Philly are generally chewed up, and the comfort was appreciated, all the while, the handling was very satisfying.
I took two cars out on two test drives (one without nav and one with nav), and I have to say the more I drove this car, the more I loved it. The accelleration is generally strong and the 6-speed auto behaved itself nicely. Also notable was how quiet and solid the cabin felt. After about 10 minutes behind the wheel, I found myself smiling and nodding my head in approval. It satisfied in a way that the Fusion didn't.
Also, I have to say that the A/C fed through the perforated leather in the seats is quite possibly the greatest luxury item introduced in the past 50 years. I never even considered the merits of such a thing, but after experiencing it, it is phenominal.
So in summary, I'm right with that Edmunds review. I walked away very impressed with this car. In the segment I'm looking in, namely mid-size entry-lux sedan keeping the price close to $30k, this is a winner to me, certainly a strong contender. The RWD Caddy CTS is nice too, though I found the Lincoln interior more satisfying, and the ever more slightly comfort-biased ride and serenity to be more appreciated in the real-world commutes we all live in. The handling on the Lexus ES completely failed to satisfy. The Acura TL is another contender, but again, I liked the look, feel, ride, and handling of the Zephyr better, and definately appreciated the handling of the CTS over the TL.
Anyway-- please, don't judge this car until you drive it! I think everyone that does will walk away impressed. When you put it all together-- mid-sized room, price, luxury, ride, handling, solid/quiet interior, luxury touches in the cabin, A/C in the seats (try it out on a warm day before you laugh!), it's a compelling choice.
So, for my money, it's important to wait for the IIHS to complete its testing.
For the front impact test both simulate a collision with an equal weight car. They say the IIHS front offset test is tougher on the structure, while the gov't test is more a test of the restraints.
the local auto show is at the end of next week, so i'm hoping get some closer looks.
The only problem I have is with the price difference between the 2 cars. Add the HID lights & cooled seats, & you're looking ad a 5K 20% difference. Haven't convinced myself that it's worth it, especially with Lincoln's lousy record of depreciation.
That all being said, I'm in the market & haven't found anything I like better. Going to try to hold out till the new V6 Camry is out; and maybe the rebates will be starting to flow by that time.
Thanks jtford, for thorough, objective and well written review of the Zeyphr
Amen to THAT, brother!! I swore I'd never have another car without it.
i may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but the fusion was tested without side airbags.
the tone of the story was that they should be standard.
you have to ask yourself one question. "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?" :surprise:
My wife and I were involved in a side-impact collision in my Mazda6. Fusion is based on the same platform, so I believe that this is relevant. Both myself and the other car were traveling perpendicular to each other, ~40 mph and trying to go through an intersection at the same time. The other car (an older Escort) hit slightly to the rear of the front-passenger door. We were spun completely around, and the passenger side-airbags deployed. The 6 held up beautifully, there was no significant intrusion into the cabin, and both my wife and I walked away mostly uninjured (she had some bruises, and was a bit sore from being spun around at 40 mph).
Please note that I had the complete safety package ... and I will never buy another car without it.
There was no doubt after the accident that, for my peace of mind, I wanted another Mazda6. That is exactly what I purchased.
So, take it for what it's worth ... just another data point in a sea of information. But I have a hard time reconciling the star-rating crash-test performance with my own experience. I would be much more interested to see data from “real-life” crash scenarios. I certainly have no doubts about getting into my 6 each day, and I see no reason to believe that the Fusion should fare any worse (probably better, in fact).
Very dumb and confusing ad.
"Because a car shouldn't just use energy. It should create it."
There is real world data at iihs.org. Of course it is for cars that have been on the road for a while. But there are general trends, such as weight/size of vehicle being correlated with greater safety.
FWIW, both IIHS and the government say that the gov't (front) test is really more a test of the retraints and the IIHS (front offset) test is more a test of the structure.
I thought it was a great ad. If it had an aux input but didn't play MP3's then someone would be griping about that. You can't please everybody.
The NHTSA frontal crash rating crashes the full width of the front of a vehicle into a rigid barrier. This maximizes the energy absorbed by the front of the vehicle so that the occupant compartment is more likely to remain intact. The full frontal ratings produce high level occupant compartment decelerations, making them very demanding of the restraint systems, thus providing better information on the safety features and their performance.
In offset crash ratings, like those performed by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) http://www.iihs.org/, only one side of a vehicle's front end is hit, thus a smaller area of the structure absorbs the energy from the crash. Offset crashes are more demanding on the structure of a vehicle, and intrusion into the occupant compartment is more likely in these crashes. NHTSA does not currently perform the offset crash rating.
The results from NHTSA’s full-width frontal crash and IIHS’ offset frontal crash rating complement each other. They can be used together to assess overall frontal crash safety in terms of the effectiveness of restraint systems and the integrity of the occupant compartment.
This is a quote from www.safercar.go, a US Government website which is part of the public domain.
Regardless, they should have never featured an iPod in an ad for a car you can't connect an iPod to.
I didn't know that real world data was available. I will have to take a look before my next vehicle purchase.
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=21984&make_id=trust
I was very impressed with the packaging, appearance, and interior room of the Fusion.
But what's up with the chrome grille? It is so garish on an otherwise understated car that there must have been some huge disconnect between their research and humans: they even mention it in the brochure, so they're very proud.
I joked with one of the salespeople at the show about it and asked, "Who picked the chrome grille?" Without hesitation he said, "Guys with white shoes, belts an ties." AKA "A full Detroit." Maybe it's a regional thing and effete Easterners are too wedded to monochrome.
Is there an aftermarket grille that is body color or dark grey or black?
But, the PZEV out of the box is a winner in my book.
Are the Camry and ES3x0 boards together or separate? The Altima and the G35? C'mon. WHY must these be combined???
It's almost an insult to put the Zephyr with it's lower cousins. It's different enough to justify it's own discussion, like the Camry/ES330, Accord/TL.
Even the Land Cruiser and LX470 have different discussions!!! You cant get more similar than that!