Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

jeffyscott

Any info on electronic stability control? (Ford's version of ESC is called AdvanceTrac)

ryguy1718

Here is the full list of items for job#2

All wheel drive
Rear Spoiler
Sat radio
DVD\sat nav,

No word yet for advance trac, maybe for 08'

jeffyscott

Thanks for the info...well, maybe Mazda will put ESC on the 6, since it already has ABS and traction control standard.

scape2

I used to own an 01 Ford Escape XLT v6 4WD. I bought a Ford Fusion SEL V6 loaded with every option available. What made my mind up is I received a letter from Ford offering me 0% Financing for 60months! How could I let a deal like that go?? My monthly payment is only $230 a month!
This vehicle is beautiful. The car is a silver Frost clearcoat metalic with Black leather interior. I felt the interior was pretty nice and not as bad as some let on about. I admit the plastics in some spots could be a bit better. I had the opportunity to actually park the Fusion next to both the Camry and Accord. The dealership I bought from was one of those mega dealers and had multiple dealerships. I admit, the Toyota and Accords interiors may have had a little bit nicer of interior, but not the 2-3K price difference nice. Fit and finish were a toss-up. Body panels, hood, doors, lights, ect all fit nice in all 3 sedans. Value, is what the Fusion/Milan bring to the table.
Almost chose red clearcoat but decided I didn't want to stand out that much. I'll be looking for splashguards for the car to protect the sides some from rocks. So, I guess I will have to switch rooms now..

theman123

Congrads, I hope you love your new car
What kind of gas mileage were you getting on the Ford Escpae XLT V6 AWD? Also, what made you leave the Escape? was it just the deal or something else?
$230.00 a month for a Fusion, that's a steal. And your buying the car not leasing it. Sounds like you got a smoking deal.

So, I guess I will have to switch rooms now..
LOL
Welcome to the Fusion/Milan forum

scape2

The deal I got was outragous. After searching about 5 car sites for Invoice numbers.. Cars.com had the lowest invoice numbers. I got the car for even less than that! My trade in, they gave me $10,400 for my Escape. It had 65,000 miles on it. It was in Good shape, had its usual chips, dings ect. Interior had never been smoked in but, hey, I have kids.. I'll miss the Escape, it was a good vehicle up to the very end. I was looking for a car. My wife owns a Tribute ES 04 4WD V6. We really didn't need two of the same vehicle. I am still on my first tank and only have about 80miles on the car. I'll let you know how the MPG thing goes. Believe me I'll be visiting this room often. First think I am going to do is put some molded splash guards on the car to help protect the paint. Boy do I get the looks.. Its nice being different..

ranger2001xlt

Does anybody know when this car (Fusion) will be available in a hybrid? Will it be in the 2008 model year or will it be next winter as a 2007.5 model change?

Also will the hybrid be available with AWD?

I took a ride in a 2006 Fusion yesterday and the thing I noticed is how the 4 cyl., 5 speed auto tranny hunts for a gear. The motor was doing a lot of shifting up and down. After driving my Freestyle I like the feel of a smooth CVT.

It would be great if I could still get this car in a hybrid while the tax credit is still in affect.

mschmal

It sucks the fun out of the car.

Mark.

scape2

to meet CAFE standards, and have a viable 4cyl midsize car in its line-up. The V6 is no doubt more fun to drive. I have owned this car now for just 48 hours. In that time I have had 4 people, total strangers approach me and ask me about the car. In my region Toyota/Honda absolutely dominate the market. My Fusion stands out from the crowd no doubt. Visit other chat rooms and see what other owners are saying about this vehicle. The public enjoys this car. Now the media needs to get caught up and see this too!. I don't claim the Fusion to be the top number 1 midsize sedan in its class, I do claim it to be a viable option and a contender when shopping for a mid-size sedan.

akirby

Hybrid is scheduled for 2008 - might slip to 2009. Doubtful it will be AWD.

todd11

What about the 3.5 engine?

akirby

What about the 3.5 engine?

Last plan I saw was 2008 also, but I have a feeling Fields may accelerate that. It's all based on how many engines/trannies they can produce. The Edge/MkX/MkZ will get priority.

ranger2001xlt

Hybrid is scheduled for 2008 - might slip to 2009. Doubtful it will be AWD.

That is a shame; Hyundai, Nissan, possibly GM and Toyota will have another sedan hybrid out before then. Granted, none of these sedans will be AWD hybrids either.

akirby

That is a shame; Hyundai, Nissan, possibly GM and Toyota will have another sedan hybrid out before then. Granted, none of these sedans will be AWD hybrids either.

But have Nissan and Hyundai been selling a hybrid SUV for the last year?

scape2

Almost forgot, there are molded splash guards available for the Fusion/Milan now. These are higher quality and more durable. For the Fusion the part number is 6E5Z-16A550-AA. There are pics around the net.. I don't have the p/n for the Milan sorry.. You can get them on the net also from www.Partscheap.com Spread the info!

sturm_ruger

according to Autoblog and Ward's. SVT, instead of being closed, as was earlier reported, will be merged with Ford Racing. This could get interesting.

Oh, please build it, Ford. And serve us up a slick 6-speed manual to go with it!

ranger2001xlt

But have Nissan and Hyundai been selling a hybrid SUV for the last year?

I'm looking for a hybrid AWD sedan, so the fact that Ford has had an 4x4 Hybrid suv for sale the past 1.5 years is irrelevant to me. Thanks for your comments though.

ANT14

Here is this years semi-finalists for best interiors...

LINK

scape2

Wow! I am excited the Fusion won an interior award! When I went to buy my Fusion, I can now see why the Ford salesperson was confident enought to park side by side with an Accord and Camry. I like my interior. Its finish and fit are very, very good. Contrary to popular belief by some..

johnclineii

Uh, Fusion has NOT won that award. At least not yet.

It is a semi-finalist. Along with a bunch of other cars.

m1miata

Hummm, I don't know about those picks. I do think the Fusion is better than some of the past Ford interiors, but nothing close to top of the line. It is good - solid - functional. They pick the Mustang for one of the best instrument clusters. What is good about it?

I will take a Milan and Fusion for a test drive, if I decide to buy a sedan within a couple years. These cars are worth considering. In the low $20K range those Sonatas are pretty tempting at $19,500 with a V6, after special pricing.
-Loren

ANT14

"They pick the Mustang for one of the best instrument clusters. What is good about it? "

The "MYColor" option. It allows the driver to change the lighting color of the instrument cluster, 127 different colors to pick from.

m1miata

So?
A good, easy to read by day or night instrument cluster, with orange as the illumination is the best. The Mustang speedometer and tach are so far apart, the steering wheel cuts of view of some of the dials. It is just a dated and less than stellar instrument cluster.
-Loren

explorerx4

i get a big laugh out of the ridgeline under bed storage being considered an interior feature. if that's the case, just about every station wagon from the 60's had the same feature.

ANT14

I found that amusing as well. Too bad many owners are complaining about the actual interior plastics not holding up.

scape2

my Fusion SEL V6 today. After days of rain.. I finally got a chance to clean my Fusion up. I also used Meguires wash soap and interior cleaner/detailer on the inside. I used the leather cleaner/conditioner and wow! The leather looks like a million bucks! The leather looks deeply rich. I got to thinking. Ford needs to offer some sort of plan/incentive whatever to get dealers to keep new cars detailed/clean. I bet more people would buy Fords if it were this way. I got my splash guards in and will be putting them on tomorrow night. I am also waiting for a bra to become available. That is pretty much going to do it for the Fusion this year. Next year window tinting is a must. Saw a white Fusion SEL V6 today with tinting on the windows. Sharp! to sum it up in one word.. :shades:

rparis

I picked up my Milan last week and, as a dealer option, I had installed a clear plastic instead over part of the hood, mirrors and in front of the wheels instead of a bra. It is invisible other than the edge where it ends. The purpose is to protect the finish. Cost about $500, which seems like a lot, but, hopefully, well worth it as there should never be an damage from road rocks etc and it is pretty much invisible.

dino001

$500 scotch tape over the hood is not appealing to me Never like any of those "protectors" whether in bra or clear tapes. Would rather take a few naturally looking scratches than a look after the upper part of hood's painting fades and some dust start collecting in peeled-off area.

rparis

Time will tell how good the "scotch tape" is. It comes with a lifetime warranty and was strongly recommended by my dealer who I have done business with for many years and trust. They have never steered me wrong. I own a SUV and the number of "naturally looking scratches" looks terrible there are so many; in fact the finish on the front of the car is almost ruined to exaggerate.

This "scotch tape" is clear vinyl and is custom for each vehicle.

scape2

Is the permanent? What about washing/waxing how doeas that work? Automated car washes bad for it?

I am thinking about going synthetic oil in my Fusion on my first oil change. I know its a bit more spendy but I am reading you can go up to 6,000 miles between changes.. Any thoughts??

akirby

The OEM motorcraft 5W-20 oil is a synthetic blend and should have no problem whatsoever going 6K miles between changes. And it should be cheaper than full synthetic depending on where you buy it.

The clear bra is semi-permanent - it's made to stay on for years but can be removed. However, I don't think you can put it back on once it's been removed.

jeffyscott

Well, you can go a lot more than 6000 miles on synthetic...but I would not exceed Ford's oil change interval (I assume that is still 5000 mi) during the warranty.

mschmal

Its kind of like a film. You have to be careful with waxing accumulating on the edge which makes the edge of it very visible.

For me in NJ its not the rocks that are a problem as much as the acidic bodies of all those little bugs I seem to kill by the hundreds.

I have lots of specs of missing paint on the hood of my car.

Mark.

m1miata

Clear bra? I'm thinking, I'm thinking. I like!
:P

scape2

scape2

Found on another major internet car site the Fusion SEL V6 actually out accelerates the Accord V6 auto.. Fusion does 0-60 in 7.47, Accord in 7.86.. I know its only .3 seconds.. but hey.. The Accord has 20HP more!.. Accord fans aren't going to like this.. :shades:

rparis

Seems like a waste of fuel to quickly accelerate. Does the difference really matter?

snakeweasel

It matters for bragging rights.

navigator89

14940 Fusions sold, the best ever, and 3081 Milans sold. Hopefully this number will rise to about 20K per month when Ford introduces more feature content for the Fusion in 2007 or 2008.

theman123

14940 Fusions sold, the best ever, and 3081 Milans sold. Hopefully this number will rise to about 20K per month when Ford introduces more feature content for the Fusion in 2007 or 2008.

Damn !!!!

Now that's what I'm talking about. Is it safe for me to say Ford is back in the car game ??

m1miata

Try to accelerate your life -- try it, you'll like it! I bet Speed is not your favorite TV program :shades: But that's OK, easy does it too. Enjoy the ride, and please stay to the right.
-Loren

m1miata

Does the Milan use green backlit gauges too? I would prefer the orange.
-Loren

baggs32

Hopefully this number will rise to about 20K per month when Ford introduces more feature content for the Fusion in 2007 or 2008.

If the number doesn't rise then the "safety sells" motto of many Edmunds posters has to go.

FWIW when you add the Zephyr into the sales total for the plant you get 20,267 for the month of May with what seems to be very few fleet sales. That is the best news of all.

akirby

Orange gauges are horrible (IMO). Give me green or blue.

scape2

Safety is important don't get me wrong. However, I really looked at more than just the 4 star vs 5 star ratings. Kind of like getting a "B" grade rather than an "A" grade. The Fusion is safe by todays standards. Acceptable, does not mean the Fusion is a death trap by any means. Granted, Ford really could have used the bragging rights to a 5 star safety rating. But, there is more to this car, like handling, fit/finish, value that I believe will win a potential buyer.
Took my Fusion out last night onto some twisty roads. Wow! what a great handling car. I didn't push the car too hard but around corners you could feel the car kind of squat down. I also am sure the higher quality Michellen tires help quiet a bit. This car handles fantastic. Ride is smooth and controlled and quiet.
Sales, I believe will go up. I have had multiple strangers ask me about my Fusion. I believe the more people that see the Fusion/Milan the word will spread. Whether Ford is back in the car game will be Fords choice. Do they want to improve on the Fusion or just let it go? Stability control a must, Nav a must, AWD a must, offering a 3.5?? I'm neutral on that one.
I posted the 0-60 times because it kind of surprised me to see the Fusion beat the Accord V6 in 0-60 times. I know we are talkng .3 seconds... but hey! Like someone said.. Bragging rights..

dino001

But in competitive marketplace a total value buyer would need some substantial incentive to offset lower crash score: price, feature content, handling, power, etc. For some it may just be enough what Fusion is offering now, for others not so.

On a different note I would insist it is a substantial failure if you have a brand new model scoring lower than one with over 10 years of history (Stratus). Whether it is a "death trap" or just a "moderate injury" is really irrelevant.

jeffyscott

On a different note I would insist it is a substantial failure if you have a brand new model scoring lower than one with over 10 years of history (Stratus). Whether it is a "death trap" or just a "moderate injury" is really irrelevant.

I agree, while it is true I'd rather have a broken leg than a broken head...I'd prefer to have neither. In addition to your comparison to the Stratus...it scored lower than the Taurus (as well as the 1996 Taurus) that it replaces. So Ford also did worse than their own 10 year old model.

Given Ford's history with the excellent scores for the Taurus and more recently with the 500, I really expected to see something like this from IIHS for the Fusion.

dino001

For me the lower score was not so surprising. They use stretched Mazda6 platform, which was low-scoring, too. Now you take not-so great chassis and stretch it - result must be worse, unless you do some substantial effort to strengthen it. IIHS shows they did not.

jeffyscott

...unless you do some substantial effort to strengthen it.

I guess that is what I expected...and judging by the structure ratings on side test they did do some improving there.

Mazda 6 still gets "good" from IIHS even though it is downgraded on head/neck but Fusion is downgraded on foot/leg. Not sure I agree with those relative rankings.

dino001

Frontal impact results are a bit puzzling, when compare those two, but I think side impact is more revealing and consistent in "being not so great" without airbags. I would not be even so sure if those would help that much - as I recall Maxima was one of tested vehicles with airbags and still sucked in side crash. But not submitting vehicle with those was probably single largest PR misstep made by Ford in the last model year.