He probably doesn't know you are supposed to reset the display at every fill-up, nor does he know a vehicle usually take at least 5,000 miles to break in ....
I have 5K on my Fusion... my average MPG is 26.7!! Yeehaa!!
Currently I have had the car 2 weeks and I have approx 1600 miles on the Milan Premier. So far I am getting 20.2 mpg. I live in middlesex NJ, but I drive in Staten Island and Brooklyn all day long as I am in Sales. So far no complaints w/the car and I look forward to getting better MPG. JR
He probably doesn't know you are supposed to reset the display at every fill-up...
I don't think so. The computer just gets the information from the engine computer about how many fuel injection events have happened and calculates the fuel used.
"I don't think so. The computer just gets the information from the engine computer about how many fuel injection events have happened and calculates the fuel used.
:surprise: oops! I reset mine on every fill up. My average has been about 26.7MPG.. Seems about right when I do a quick calculation of mileage gone between fill-ups.. :surprise: :confuse:
You don't have to reset it, but you'll be seeing the average mpg since it was reset. And if it's changing quickly (as it will during the first 5K) you want to reset it to get an accurate current reading.
Must not be that many 4 cylinder owners on here? I'd be interested,too. This does not sound like the way to get good gas mileage. Wonder if this is the same set (ATX) as the Mazda 6? Time to do some inside info searching! I'll check into a proprietary DVD see if it lists specs for light throttle shift points.
Paul Found something quicker than I thought, not in rpm though. Cut & paste oops, I put it columns, but did stay? Shift Speeds Chart Throttle Position Shift Final Drive Ratio 3.86:
Closed 5-4 55-38 km/h 34-24 mph 4-3 32-16 km/h 20-10 mph 3-1 18-2 km/h 11-1 mph
Minimum Monitor 1-2 5-21 km/h 3-13 mph
PID TP 2-3 16-32 km/h 10-20 mph
20% 3-4 32-48 km/h 20-30 mph 4-5 48-64 km/h 30-40 mph
Wide Open 1-2 40-56 km/h 25-35 mph 2-3 89-105 km/h 55-65 mph 3-4 129-145 km/h 80-90 mph 4-5 a — —
a Speed limited to 177 km/h (110 mph). WOT 4-5 shift will not occur.
Thanks for the info on shift points. It looks as if I need to talk to my dealer. Car is still holdind first and second until 3000 rpm or so unless throttle is completely closed. It looks like it should be "short-shifting" if I go easy on the throttle.
Did our first long highway trip to my 'rants in CT. On the turnpike, at 75 mph, I reset the info center MPG and it a reading of 33mpg to 35mpg for the rest of the turnpike. I had 20 mins worth of secondary driving once we left the turnpike and with conservative starts at the stop light, I kept the MPG reading over 31 mpg.
My partner does not drive conservatively from the stoplights and gets about 23 to 28 mpg on average with little highway driving.
The point, is its probably not your car getting bad fuel economy, its your right foot.
NOT doing jack rabbit starts from stop lights can increase your fuel economy up to 30%.
If you don't like getting passed at stop lights, just ask yourself this question, Is that jerk in the faster car going to pay my gas bill? Makes it a lot easier to drive sensibly.
You should be trying to get the car into 5th gear as soon as possible. Sometimes you have to let up on the gas until you get and upshift then continue to accelerate.
I have a 2006 Escape with the 2.3L engine and 4 speed overdrive tranny. At 70 MPH I'm turning 2500 rpm. In my new 2006 Fusion S i4 5 speed manual, at 70 MPH, in 5th gear, the motor cranks at 3000 rpm!
Fordvehicles.com states that the Fusion has a, "5-Speed Manual Overdrive Transaxle". Really? This is Overdrive?
It's the same engine in both Escape and Fusion, yet the Fusion works 17% harder to move a lighter car at the same highway speed. Is it just me, or does 3000 rpm at 70 MPH sound like hi revs for a 5th gear Overdrive? Are there other Ford 5 speed manual trannies that run such high rpm's in Overdrive?
I ask because I either have an '06 Escape with a great combo of 2.3L motor and auto Overdrive tranny, or a lousy '06 Fusion with a buzzy 2.3L motor and 5 speed Overdrive manual tranny working a lot harder for the smae results.
Perhaps there a different gear ratio in automatic? I seem to recall when I test drove 4 cyl automatic in the Fusion it was around 2500 rpm @ 70 mph.
I could not find specs for fusion, but for Mazda6 I found a spec showing final drive ratios of 4.388 or 3.863 for the 4 cyl. I am assuming these are the numbers for mtx and atx respectively...though the document does not really seem to clearly indicate this. This difference would equate to rpms of 3000 vs. 2600 at the same speed.
When test driving a Milan, both my wife and I felt a lump in the seats toward the front. This put uncomfortable pressure on the back side of lower thigh area...felt like legs would get numb on a long drive. Did not notice this in the Fusion seats...at least not in the Fusion S, which does not have power seats (did not spend enough time in SE to determine if the seats had the same problen as Milan's)
Has anyone else noticed anything like this?
In contrast to the Milan, the Fusion S seats seemed super-comfortable to me.
The Fusion uses variable valve timing, the Escape does not. The Fusion may develop its torque at a higher RPM.
I remember when the Audi TT came out, a sports car, that it turned 4k RPM at 80. Both the tach and the speedo pointed str8 up at 80mph and 4krpm.
The Fusion tranny is directly from the Mazda 6. It was specifically developed to be sporty. Having a shorter 5th gear gives you more passing power before having to down shift.
I agree with you, Mark - that is exactly what it feels like, a short 5th gear. Which leads me to these two thoughts.
Ford claims this box is a "5 Speed manual Overdrive", which it is NOT. Overdrive, as I understand the common idea, lowers the engine speed (RPMs) for highway cruising - thus allowing the engine to work less hard, and the fuel economy to increase at high cruising speeds.
For the Fusion to really have a manual Overdrive transmission, there obviously needs to be a "6th" gear in this tranny, a legit "overdrive" gear. I can see where Ford wanted to have a peppy performance from the stick version 4, and I think it is plenty peppy, thank you, but claiming it is an Overdrive tranny is damn close to an outright lie.
I would like to hear from someone with a five speed AUTO tranny on the i4 motor to discover what RPMs are required to hold a steady 70 MPH.
Actually, a gear is referred to as overdrive if its ratio is less than 1. The final axle reduction may still keep the ROM high, but the highest gear is still overdrive...
My highway RPM's run right at 2100 for 60mph, up to about 2500 for 70. Funny thing, the car is so quiet that you notice the 4cyl engine noise less at highway speeds..a minimal amount of road and wind noise helps offset the engine, plus I think the engine noise is less relative at highway speeds. I wanted the manual, BTW, but not the wife...alas, I let that one go, and it looks like maybe it was for the best.
Can anyone in the know confirm rumors I've heard of a flex fuel hybrid being optional in 2008 and whether this will be a full hybrid or a GM like "mild hybrid". Any info on this is appreciated.
I see Ford is advertising an AWD version of the Fusion. Given it's in the mid 20K's, it is attractive as the euro AWD's are well into the $30K's and with mediocre reliability for your trouble. I'd consider Subaru and Suzuki but their dealers are very sparse ion my area, and Subaru is expensive.
What is the Fusions' AWD version like, anyone?
What kind of mileage do you get with AWD on the Fusion?
Is the system full time, or "emergency" (I.e., it only kicks in if the front wheels detect slippage (similar to GM's system).
Welcome to small displacement engines. Yes the RPM's will run high, at 90-110MPH, I have experienced 4000-4500RPM. I was given an I-4 Auto to test out for about 250Miles. Ironically, at those speeds I was averaging 20-21MPG's since the engine has to work much harder to cut through the wind.
IN comparison, the same test, same distance, same speed with a Mustang V6, I averaged 24-25MPG at around 3000RPM's.
It's all in retrospect, I-4's will deliver good fuel economy on most situations, but the downside is higher speeds, specifically over 55MPH since federal EPA testing limits that as the highway cycle. So automakers will tailor vehicles accordingly. Yes, a 6th gear would help a tad, but not by much. It would require a 6th to 4th (or even 3rd) in high speed downshifting situations since in most situations over 90MPH the I-4's are running breathless maxing it's HP just to keep cutting wind.
BTW, in this similar situation, drive very closely to a big 18-wheeler, and not only will you FEEL the difference, you will also see it in your fuel economy since the 18-wheeler is cutting the wind for you.
I'm certainly not one to obey speed limits, but 90-110MPH???
I would not care about mpg at that speed...70-80 mph would be more meaningful. I believe CR does their hwy test at a steady 65 mph, they got 29 for the V6 and 32 for the I4.
I don't think the idea of tailgating an 18 wheeler to improve gas mileage is so great either .
Fusion is a front-wheel drive vehicle with an available Active All-Wheel Drive System (AWD).
Class-exclusive Active All-Wheel Drive System enhances the level of traction and control in all weather conditions.
On the highway, the vehicle is driven by the front wheels for good efficiency. When increased handling or traction is required, AWD actively controls power to all four wheels independently.
This gives Fusion a balanced level of control. • Seamless operation with no switch and totally transparent operation
• Tuned with an emphasis on performance while offering all-weather driving confidence
• Constantly predicts traction conditions and delivers torque to the appropriate wheel by monitoring: – Vehicle speed – Throttle input – Steering angle
• Helps eliminate torque steer and helps balance the vehicle when cornering
• A quarter turn of the slipping wheel will activate the torque transfer
• An active on-demand coupler can deliver the precise amount of torque to the rear wheels
• Paired with Traction Control, AWD can transfer 100 percent of the available torque side-to-side
I was wondering about the following and would like to get your thoughts.
1. When do think the duratech 35 will make it's debut in the Fusion and at what power? I don't see how they would put less than 250 hp., because of where the Ford Five Hundred will be as well as the Fusions competitors.
2. When will the Fusion get the new Ford/GM tranny?
3. When do you think the Fusion Coupe will make it's debut?
4. I wish Ford would put the adjustable center armrest in the Fusion like they have in the MKZ. I'm finding it difficult to get totally comfortable in the seat because the armrest is to far back.
new commercial for Fusion? Shows the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry "sweating" over the competition from the Fusion. I know we all have our own opinions, but the Styling of the Fusion makes these two front runners look just plain frumpy! Being a Fusion owner, the commercial made me grin.
"BTW, in this similar situation, drive very closely to a big 18-wheeler, and not only will you FEEL the difference, you will also see it in your fuel economy since the 18-wheeler is cutting the wind for you."
Besides the obvious safety concerns, wouldn't you be concerned about rocks hitting your car from the 18-wheeler? Talk about having your front hood having plenty of stone chips after such a trip.
new commercial for Fusion? Shows the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry "sweating" over the competition from the Fusion. I know we all have our own opinions, but the Styling of the Fusion makes these two front runners look just plain frumpy! Being a Fusion owner, the commercial made me grin.
There's no doubt that the Fusion's exterior styling is pretty darn sharp. I like it a lot myself--with the lone exception being the tail light assemblies. However, I like them a lot better than those found on the Nissan Altima. To me, the Altima's are garish! I truly hope that Ford does really, really well with the Fusion over the next few years. They should as nice as the overall product appears to be at this point in time, and I believe it will only keep getting better and better. As long as the Fusion's reliability proves to be really good for the first two model years, then their sales should increase dramatically for the third and fourth model years of the car.
1./2. Yes the 3.5L will be fitted. So far the MKZ, Edge, MKX will debut the engine and have first rights...then the 500/Mtg/FS. Once the factories phase in the production of the 3.5L, over the 3.0L, then the Fusion/Milan will receive it. The Duratec30 will stay though, and used on 3 other products. Power will be roughly at what it's going for now, 263-265HP.
3. Still under consideration
4. I agree, luckily in my LS it's adjustable.
Venus,
Follow the bigrigs that aren't hauling construction debris or such and make sure they have splash guards on. Can't say I've had an encounter with stone chips. A bra usually helps as well, which I use on such trips...not so much for the stone chips, but mosquitos.
I got it working, seems to be 1200$ option, they force ABS and traction control as part of the build/AWD system, so it's more like 1900$ more than SEL sans ABS. I didn't track down a weight specification yet. but the car is listed as riding .2" lower, any one care to go add weight to check how much that is? :shades:
If it's the Haldex system Ford has been using as of late then I'd say you're only looking at a weight increase of around 200 lbs. The Five Hundred has it and it's specs are below.
Curb weights:
2007 Ford Five Hundred SEL FWD: 3649 lbs.
2007 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD: 3825 lbs.
Keep in mind the FH uses a CVT with it's AWD system for the time being so we'll have a better comparison soon when the 2008 FH gets the new Duratec35 and 6-Speed ATX paired with the AWD system. The CVT will be gone once the 3.5L goes under the hood in case anyone is wondering why I mentioned that.
Keep your ridicule to yourself if you don't have real data to back it up.
You didn't even state specifically WHY you prefer one over the other based on actual experience. You don't site an article that states one is better than the other.
GM is famous for using cheaper versions of systems like ABS that used vacume power instead of a CPU. Don't automatically assume that Ford is the same.
Now I know on old Windstars that DID not have Electronic Throttle control, the brakes were used first then the spark was cut, you could smell the unburnt fuel.
Also your example of not wanting to loose power while crossing a wet street is a poor one. Spinning wheels aren't going to get you across that street any quicker.
ALSO i've plowed a 4x2 Explorer through 10 inches of snow with JUST the advance trac system. You had to kind of nurse it through, but it went.
When I am driving around in my Fusion the car seems to bring out the agressive driver in some folks. I have been cut-off numerous times, tailgated to no end. Literally challenged at red lights, cars/Trucks/Suvs you name it...
Having been an auto engineer for 6 years (Mercedes A/C compressers come from GM, by the way ) and a long talk with Audi's A3 project manager about _their_ use of Haldex .vs. everyone else, I know that__Every__ manufacturer will perform some specialized customization of systems they buy from a third party. If nothing else, the manufacturer will reprofile software for the system to match their perceived customer expectations.
What I got out of the comments here was the Ford AWD system is inheriently front wheel biased, and designed to promote rear wheel traction if the front wheels loose traction. That's a __good__ thing.
And __good__ that Ford won the JD Powers award. It is nice to have AWD alternatives.
A4 and up have Torsen (Torque sensing) center differential with longitudinally mounted engine. Under normal condition it runs 50/50 front/rear split (now changed to 40/60 for more sporty characteristics), which then changes depending on driving conditions. Big advantage of the system is that it is primarily mechanical (with electronic support, of course), which makes the response "instanteneus", or even "proactive" - nature of the differential is such that
A3 and TT use Haldex clutch, which is also used by other manufacturers (like Volvo) - designed to work with transverse engines. Advantage of those is less space and weight premium, cost (I think) and better fuel efficiency. However, they rely much heavier on electronics, which basically creates an inherent delay in response. Moreover, the manufacturers often set them to be FWD in normal conditions and employ rear wheels after slip occurs. It is basically "reactive" system. In extreme situations, it can be even dangerous, as the changes of driving characteristics may be sudden and unexpected (delay!). But truthfully, nobody should drive that way at the first place
Ford's (Volvo's, Mazda's) systems are similar to the latter (Haldex based).
I think electronic control is a significant net advantage since the torque characteristics of Haldex systems can be fully controlled and integrated with the car's other systems. The system is highly adaptable to real-time driving conditions and vehicle parameters, including direct inputs from steering wheel, yaw and lateral acceleration sensors in advanced setups. The base setup requires inputs from the ECM, ABS and ESP systems.
The "instantaneous" advantage of Torsen might be a bit overrated. A regular Haldex system takes only 150 milliseconds to stop wheel spin completely. (That's about the time it takes an air bag to fully deploy.) Haldex systems with PreX (Pre-charge or Instant Traction) can deliver up to 1200 lbs ft of torque "instantaneously", and 1700 lbs ft in 1/60th of a rotation.
I beg to disagree. 150 milliseconds become ethernity when situation changes in real time. Basic control challenge - it's not about reacting to what just had happend, it is about anticipating what that change is about to induce and adjust to that, which of course requires another adjustment (and so on). By the time the system "understood" what just happened and sent a corrective signal, another thing is happening - that corrective signal may or may not be helpful in that new situation. Plus, wheel spin is one thing, wheel slide is another.
Just to make it clear - Haldex is a good system, probably sufficient for most people and it's getting better. I suspect that under normal conditions a normal driver would not even distinguish between them. But if it was trully better, WRC vehicles would be using it and they don't.
A Torsen differential is a purely mechanical device. It doesn't have a brain or intelligence, so it cannot look ahead or anticipate a darn thing. It can only react. It is said to be "instantaneous" because its reaction time is so tiny. Similarly, Haldex, despite being electronically controlled and having a computer, cannot anticipate as humans do.
Is Haldex better overall than Torsen? I cannot say, but electronic control is an advantage of an Haldex differential over a Torsen differential, IMO. I'm sure Torsen has advantages in other areas, but I still think the instantaneous thing is a bit overrated. For one thing, there are now Haldex differentials that are also "instantaneous."
Besides, the question might not be all that important, because the superiority of one AWD system over another goes well beyond the type of differential used. You can build a inferior/superior system using either one.
As good as Torsen differentials are, they're not for simpler applications. Because the 4 wheels are always engaged, they provide traction in all situations, not only those with hight differentiation, such as tight turns and off the line. But because of being engaged 100% of the time, mileage suffers too.
If all one wants AWD for is to have better traction in a few situations, such as when launching or snow, then Haldex is a good compromise.
IMHO, adding a Haldex-based AWD system to a basically FWD platform makes more sense than a more expensive RWD platform.
IMHO, adding a Haldex-based AWD system to a basically FWD platform makes more sense than a more expensive RWD platform
I agree - if we are talking about "budget" style design, aimed at meeting a specific price point. If one looks for "more" (whatever that means) and mileage is not a big issue, real full time AWD is the way to go.
There is also another aspect - if one has a "dormant" AWD that only activates in compromised traction, they really need to know how to react to changing handling characteristics. But nobody really teaches that. With full-time AWD, it comes natural, as the car is more predictable for its driver.
The brakes on this car are awesome! I had a near miss accident yesterday. A person pulled out in front of me on a side street. A very young driver in mom and dads Chevy Equinox. I pushed the brake pedal as hard as I could. The Fusion ABS works as it should. I could feel the brakes pulsating. The car stayed straight and came to a very, very quick stop. I was going about 35MPH. The young driver was shocked to see me coming. His face was shock. I ended up missing him by about 2 feet. Ford made a great brake system for this car.
We just got our first new Navigator in stock. The perforated leather is unlike any I ever saw from Ford before It is so soft and flexible that you wouldn't even believe it came from Ford.
Overall, people are amazed that Ford turned out such a vehicle.
Leather, smeather...cloth is always more comfortable and softer and more flexible than any leather. Why anyone wants plastic coated leather seating is beyond me. :P
Spoken by someone who's obviously never owned good leather seating. Good leather is not hot in the summer or cold in the winter (ok, maybe for the first few minutes) but it quickly conforms to your body temp and stays quite comfortable.
Also try spilling a soda on both a leather and cloth seat and see which one is easier to clean up.
Gee, what will happen when you spill that soda on your nice perforated leather. I guess we are just not big spillers, as this sort of thing has never been a problem. Carpets and floor mats get dirty, seats really do not.
I've sat on plenty of leather. While some is okay, it is never as comfortable as cloth. I rather have what is most comfortable...you can feel free to contimue to overpay for your plastic coated leather upolstery .
You don't have to get snippy about it. I was merely pointing out that leather seats are not "hot in the summer and cold in the winter" as a lot of people seem to think. If you prefer cloth seats that's fine. But stop trying to convince everyone else that they're better than leather.
Comments
I have 5K on my Fusion... my average MPG is 26.7!! Yeehaa!!
I live in middlesex NJ, but I drive in Staten Island and Brooklyn all day long as I am in Sales. So far no complaints w/the car and I look forward to getting better MPG.
JR
I don't think so. The computer just gets the information from the engine computer about how many fuel injection events have happened and calculates the fuel used.
HTH
:surprise: oops! I reset mine on every fill up. My average has been about 26.7MPG.. Seems about right when I do a quick calculation of mileage gone between fill-ups.. :surprise: :confuse:
Time to do some inside info searching!
I'll check into a proprietary DVD see if it lists specs for light throttle shift points.
Paul
Found something quicker than I thought, not in rpm though.
Cut & paste oops, I put it columns, but did stay?
Shift Speeds Chart Throttle Position Shift Final Drive Ratio 3.86:
Closed 5-4 55-38 km/h 34-24 mph
4-3 32-16 km/h 20-10 mph
3-1 18-2 km/h 11-1 mph
Minimum Monitor 1-2 5-21 km/h 3-13 mph
PID TP 2-3 16-32 km/h 10-20 mph
20% 3-4 32-48 km/h 20-30 mph
4-5 48-64 km/h 30-40 mph
Wide Open 1-2 40-56 km/h 25-35 mph
2-3 89-105 km/h 55-65 mph
3-4 129-145 km/h 80-90 mph
4-5 a — —
a Speed limited to 177 km/h (110 mph). WOT 4-5 shift will not occur.
It looks as if I need to talk to my dealer. Car is still holdind first and second until 3000 rpm or so unless throttle is completely closed. It looks like it should be "short-shifting" if I go easy on the throttle.
My partner does not drive conservatively from the stoplights and gets about 23 to 28 mpg on average with little highway driving.
The point, is its probably not your car getting bad fuel economy, its your right foot.
NOT doing jack rabbit starts from stop lights can increase your fuel economy up to 30%.
If you don't like getting passed at stop lights, just ask yourself this question, Is that jerk in the faster car going to pay my gas bill? Makes it a lot easier to drive sensibly.
You should be trying to get the car into 5th gear as soon as possible. Sometimes you have to let up on the gas until you get and upshift then continue to accelerate.
Mark
Fordvehicles.com states that the Fusion has a, "5-Speed Manual Overdrive Transaxle". Really? This is Overdrive?
It's the same engine in both Escape and Fusion, yet the Fusion works 17% harder to move a lighter car at the same highway speed. Is it just me, or does 3000 rpm at 70 MPH sound like hi revs for a 5th gear Overdrive? Are there other Ford 5 speed manual trannies that run such high rpm's in Overdrive?
I ask because I either have an '06 Escape with a great combo of 2.3L motor and auto Overdrive tranny, or a lousy '06 Fusion with a buzzy 2.3L motor and 5 speed Overdrive manual tranny working a lot harder for the smae results.
I could not find specs for fusion, but for Mazda6 I found a spec showing final drive ratios of 4.388 or 3.863 for the 4 cyl. I am assuming these are the numbers for mtx and atx respectively...though the document does not really seem to clearly indicate this. This difference would equate to rpms of 3000 vs. 2600 at the same speed.
Has anyone else noticed anything like this?
In contrast to the Milan, the Fusion S seats seemed super-comfortable to me.
The Fusion uses variable valve timing, the Escape does not. The Fusion may develop its torque at a higher RPM.
I remember when the Audi TT came out, a sports car, that it turned 4k RPM at 80. Both the tach and the speedo pointed str8 up at 80mph and 4krpm.
The Fusion tranny is directly from the Mazda 6. It was specifically developed to be sporty. Having a shorter 5th gear gives you more passing power before having to down shift.
Mark
Ford claims this box is a "5 Speed manual Overdrive", which it is NOT. Overdrive, as I understand the common idea, lowers the engine speed (RPMs) for highway cruising - thus allowing the engine to work less hard, and the fuel economy to increase at high cruising speeds.
For the Fusion to really have a manual Overdrive transmission, there obviously needs to be a "6th" gear in this tranny, a legit "overdrive" gear. I can see where Ford wanted to have a peppy performance from the stick version 4, and I think it is plenty peppy, thank you, but claiming it is an Overdrive tranny is damn close to an outright lie.
I would like to hear from someone with a five speed AUTO tranny on the i4 motor to discover what RPMs are required to hold a steady 70 MPH.
I wanted the manual, BTW, but not the wife...alas, I let that one go, and it looks like maybe it was for the best.
Given it's in the mid 20K's, it is attractive as the euro AWD's are well into the $30K's and with mediocre reliability for your trouble. I'd consider Subaru and Suzuki but their dealers are very sparse ion my area, and Subaru is expensive.
What is the Fusions' AWD version like, anyone?
What kind of mileage do you get with AWD on the Fusion?
Is the system full time, or "emergency" (I.e., it only kicks in if the front wheels detect slippage (similar to GM's system).
IN comparison, the same test, same distance, same speed with a Mustang V6, I averaged 24-25MPG at around 3000RPM's.
It's all in retrospect, I-4's will deliver good fuel economy on most situations, but the downside is higher speeds, specifically over 55MPH since federal EPA testing limits that as the highway cycle. So automakers will tailor vehicles accordingly. Yes, a 6th gear would help a tad, but not by much. It would require a 6th to 4th (or even 3rd) in high speed downshifting situations since in most situations over 90MPH the I-4's are running breathless maxing it's HP just to keep cutting wind.
BTW, in this similar situation, drive very closely to a big 18-wheeler, and not only will you FEEL the difference, you will also see it in your fuel economy since the 18-wheeler is cutting the wind for you.
I would not care about mpg at that speed...70-80 mph would be more meaningful. I believe CR does their hwy test at a steady 65 mph, they got 29 for the V6 and 32 for the I4.
I don't think the idea of tailgating an 18 wheeler to improve gas mileage is so great either
Class-exclusive Active All-Wheel Drive System enhances the level of traction and control in all weather conditions.
On the highway, the vehicle is driven by the front wheels for good efficiency. When increased handling or traction is required, AWD actively controls power to
all four wheels independently.
This gives Fusion a balanced level of control.
• Seamless operation with no switch and totally
transparent operation
• Tuned with an emphasis on performance while offering
all-weather driving confidence
• Constantly predicts traction conditions and delivers
torque to the appropriate wheel by monitoring:
– Vehicle speed
– Throttle input
– Steering angle
• Helps eliminate torque steer and helps balance the
vehicle when cornering
• A quarter turn of the slipping wheel will activate the torque transfer
• An active on-demand coupler can deliver the
precise amount of torque to the rear wheels
• Paired with Traction Control, AWD can transfer 100
percent of the available torque side-to-side
Mark
I was wondering about the following and would like to get your thoughts.
1. When do think the duratech 35 will make it's debut in the Fusion and at what power? I don't see how they would put less than 250 hp., because of where the Ford Five Hundred will be as well as the Fusions competitors.
2. When will the Fusion get the new Ford/GM tranny?
3. When do you think the Fusion Coupe will make it's debut?
4. I wish Ford would put the adjustable center armrest in the Fusion like they have in the MKZ. I'm finding it difficult to get totally comfortable in the seat because the armrest is to far back.
Wrt traction control, is this a true brake-based system (spinning wheels are braked)?
GM's systems, by comparison, usually just reduce engine power and have proven to be of little use.
Besides the obvious safety concerns, wouldn't you be concerned about rocks hitting your car from the 18-wheeler? Talk about having your front hood having plenty of stone chips after such a trip.
There's no doubt that the Fusion's exterior styling is pretty darn sharp. I like it a lot myself--with the lone exception being the tail light assemblies. However, I like them a lot better than those found on the Nissan Altima. To me, the Altima's are garish! I truly hope that Ford does really, really well with the Fusion over the next few years. They should as nice as the overall product appears to be at this point in time, and I believe it will only keep getting better and better. As long as the Fusion's reliability proves to be really good for the first two model years, then their sales should increase dramatically for the third and fourth model years of the car.
I wish Ford the best of luck with the Fusion!
Ron M.
1./2. Yes the 3.5L will be fitted. So far the MKZ, Edge, MKX will debut the engine and have first rights...then the 500/Mtg/FS. Once the factories phase in the production of the 3.5L, over the 3.0L, then the Fusion/Milan will receive it. The Duratec30 will stay though, and used on 3 other products. Power will be roughly at what it's going for now, 263-265HP.
3. Still under consideration
4. I agree, luckily in my LS it's adjustable.
Venus,
Follow the bigrigs that aren't hauling construction debris or such and make sure they have splash guards on. Can't say I've had an encounter with stone chips. A bra usually helps as well, which I use on such trips...not so much for the stone chips, but mosquitos.
Curb weights:
2007 Ford Five Hundred SEL FWD: 3649 lbs.
2007 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD: 3825 lbs.
Keep in mind the FH uses a CVT with it's AWD system for the time being so we'll have a better comparison soon when the 2008 FH gets the new Duratec35 and 6-Speed ATX paired with the AWD system. The CVT will be gone once the 3.5L goes under the hood in case anyone is wondering why I mentioned that.
You didn't even state specifically WHY you prefer one over the other based on actual experience. You don't site an article that states one is better than the other.
GM is famous for using cheaper versions of systems like ABS that used vacume power instead of a CPU. Don't automatically assume that Ford is the same.
Now I know on old Windstars that DID not have Electronic Throttle control, the brakes were used first then the spark was cut, you could smell the unburnt fuel.
Also your example of not wanting to loose power while crossing a wet street is a poor one. Spinning wheels aren't going to get you across that street any quicker.
ALSO i've plowed a 4x2 Explorer through 10 inches of snow with JUST the advance trac system. You had to kind of nurse it through, but it went.
Mark.
When I am driving around in my Fusion the car seems to bring out the agressive driver in some folks. I have been cut-off numerous times, tailgated to no end. Literally challenged at red lights, cars/Trucks/Suvs you name it...
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
This is the same Haldex AWD system that is used by Volvo and until recently Mercedes.
If you don't have anything other than negative unsubstantiated comments to make, keep them to yourself.
Incidently, Fusion is just won JD Powers Most Appealing Mid-size Sedan.
Mark.
What I got out of the comments here was the Ford AWD system is inheriently front wheel biased, and designed to promote rear wheel traction if the front wheels loose traction.
That's a __good__ thing.
And __good__ that Ford won the JD Powers award. It is nice to have AWD alternatives.
A4 and up have Torsen (Torque sensing) center differential with longitudinally mounted engine. Under normal condition it runs 50/50 front/rear split (now changed to 40/60 for more sporty characteristics), which then changes depending on driving conditions. Big advantage of the system is that it is primarily mechanical (with electronic support, of course), which makes the response "instanteneus", or even "proactive" - nature of the differential is such that
A3 and TT use Haldex clutch, which is also used by other manufacturers (like Volvo) - designed to work with transverse engines. Advantage of those is less space and weight premium, cost (I think) and better fuel efficiency. However, they rely much heavier on electronics, which basically creates an inherent delay in response. Moreover, the manufacturers often set them to be FWD in normal conditions and employ rear wheels after slip occurs. It is basically "reactive" system. In extreme situations, it can be even dangerous, as the changes of driving characteristics may be sudden and unexpected (delay!). But truthfully, nobody should drive that way at the first place
Ford's (Volvo's, Mazda's) systems are similar to the latter (Haldex based).
2018 430i Gran Coupe
The "instantaneous" advantage of Torsen might be a bit overrated. A regular Haldex system takes only 150 milliseconds to stop wheel spin completely. (That's about the time it takes an air bag to fully deploy.) Haldex systems with PreX (Pre-charge or Instant Traction) can deliver up to 1200 lbs ft of torque "instantaneously", and 1700 lbs ft in 1/60th of a rotation.
Just to make it clear - Haldex is a good system, probably sufficient for most people and it's getting better. I suspect that under normal conditions a normal driver would not even distinguish between them. But if it was trully better, WRC vehicles would be using it and they don't.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Is Haldex better overall than Torsen? I cannot say, but electronic control is an advantage of an Haldex differential over a Torsen differential, IMO. I'm sure Torsen has advantages in other areas, but I still think the instantaneous thing is a bit overrated. For one thing, there are now Haldex differentials that are also "instantaneous."
Besides, the question might not be all that important, because the superiority of one AWD system over another goes well beyond the type of differential used. You can build a inferior/superior system using either one.
If all one wants AWD for is to have better traction in a few situations, such as when launching or snow, then Haldex is a good compromise.
IMHO, adding a Haldex-based AWD system to a basically FWD platform makes more sense than a more expensive RWD platform.
I agree - if we are talking about "budget" style design, aimed at meeting a specific price point. If one looks for "more" (whatever that means) and mileage is not a big issue, real full time AWD is the way to go.
There is also another aspect - if one has a "dormant" AWD that only activates in compromised traction, they really need to know how to react to changing handling characteristics. But nobody really teaches that. With full-time AWD, it comes natural, as the car is more predictable for its driver.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
> not contribute to any more confusion and return to the
> focus of this topic
^^^^^
Focus is a different forum...:)
Mark
Overall, people are amazed that Ford turned out such a vehicle.
Mark
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Also try spilling a soda on both a leather and cloth seat and see which one is easier to clean up.
I've sat on plenty of leather. While some is okay, it is never as comfortable as cloth. I rather have what is most comfortable...you can feel free to contimue to overpay for your plastic coated leather upolstery