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Isn't this the Top Gear electric car/ hybrid? If it isn't it is pretty close to an exact clone
Simple explanation - CRs test is totally different than the EPA test and hybrids don't do as well. You have to really adjust your driving habits for hybrids to get max mpg. Add in cold weather, short trips, E-10 vs. E-0 and it's easy to see how some including CR can get much lower mpg.
The Fusion is a real dark horse that nobody saw coming. But Ford has plainly thrown down the gauntlet to the other manufacturers. It's very nice inside, decently powerful, and looks great, and yet... it's 5-10K less than the competition's similar models?
Truth to be told, I almost bought it instead of my Mustang.(another amazing value for the money, btw) And, yes, the SE can be had with a manual transmission if you want, which utterly transforms the car from a grocery getter to something that feels, well, a lot like a Volvo S60.(since they share a lot of DNA, after all)
Basically it's a poor man's S60. With better looks and lower repair costs. Same leather on the seats as far as I can tell.
LOL. It is the Top Gear electric car. They made it in a shed over w couple weeks utilizing the electric motor off an ice cream truck. It had 70HP. They also had a generator on board to continually charge the batteries, which blew exhaust smoke into the cabin. SWEET! LOL.Anyway, Not exactly a Lexus but hey, it only cost $3000. For a car with 5 seats.
Not intending to rain on your parade, but I just couldn't warm up to that car once it was introduced. The hype about it when it was first revealed at car shows a couple of years ago set an impossibly high standard, and when I finally saw it on the lots I was very let down. It looks too narrow for its length, and the interior is too much like every other Ford these days, 99% of them in all black and hence unattractive. I have heard mixed reviews on their material choices as well. Unlike others, the lack of a V-6 doesn't bother me, though I am still a bit dubious about Ford's turbo fours until they age a bit longer and we can see how well they hold up. For whatever reason, it doesn't move the needle for me.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
@ab348
I am still a bit dubious about Ford's turbo fours until they age a bit longer and we can see how well they hold up.
The Ecoboost 2.0 was available in other applications a couple of years prior to it being available in the Fusion.
BTW, pot meet kettle. What kind of engine does you Regal Turbo have?
@plekto said: The Fusion is a real dark horse that nobody saw coming. But Ford has plainly thrown down the gauntlet to the other manufacturers. It's very nice inside, decently powerful, and looks great, and yet... it's 5-10K less than the competition's similar models?
What similar equipped midsize sedans is the Fusion 5-10k cheaper than?
C/D's July issue highlights 30 cars for under $30k. They included 3 mid-sized sedans: The Accord Sport, Mazda6, and Fusion Hybrid. No minivans.
Exactly. That's why I'm leasing it, and why I may not keep it once the lease is up. It works great, but has also been a bit temperamental regarding fuel quality and would be extremely expensive to repair out of warranty.
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I bought a 7 year 100k (miles not km's) warranty. It's more for the trans and electronic features.
A couple of hundred per year seems a reasonable expense.
So far, I'm way under the average yearly mileage.
Yep, It sure is. I couldn't help myself.
There have been few times where I have heard a guy say "next time I want less power". When referring to their car. I want more power... but a Turbo Kia worries me just as much, if not more, than a Ford Turbo. If you are getting 25 to 29 mpg then your doing great, especially on a 3800 lb car!
Backy - July issue of Car and Driver? I better go get the mail!
@cski My other 2 drivers are V8's. The Fusion is my normal commuter.
The reason the Fusion is 5K less expensive than other cars is the incentives and real street pricing that you get with a Ford that you don't get with most of the other manufacturers. The car isn't the best thing ever, and it's no Lexus, but for a solid midsize sedan it's a very good deal.
And, yes, it's like a Volvo in that either you like the looks or not. It's not vanilla-acceptable like an Accord.
You should get out more. Camrys are being sold for $5500 under MSRP in Chicago area. I've seen ads for Sonatas, Optimas and Malibus with similar reductions. Fusion is not the only midsize with money on the hood. So making a statement like Fusion is $5-10k less than most other midssize sedans is foolish. Maybe $1k or so on average but hardly makes it some kind of screaming buy. Just trying to be real here and not deal in exaggerations.
The only reason the Camry has such a markdown this year is because it is my understanding they will be redesigned for the model year 2015. Otherwise you would never see a Toyota marked down that much. Yes Ford has spectacular markdowns, but as you say you can get over $5K off on a 2014 Malibu and with the Sonata having a major redesign next year markdowns will be huge. Optimas are being advertised at $8k off at one dealership in the Columbus area. Most can be seen on dealership websites with $7K off an SXL. I am not basing mine on just Ads since they can be so deceiving, but from visiting dealership websites and actual lots and speaking to real salesmen. It is a great time to need a car. I wish my 2009 Fusion had one more year and another 12,000 miles on it.
A local dealer here is advertising new 2013 Sonata's. I saw some 2013 Fusions on a local dealer website, too. Not sure why they hung on to them so long.
Camry has been cheaper for quite a while. That's how they're keeping the #1 spot. Not new.
Due to the weather, I hadn't washed my Fusion in a while. Even after washing it, the paint didn't feel smooth, so I wiped it down with some Adams quick detailer. Paint is really smooth now and I feel a lot better.
I know for a fact I can walk into any local Nissan dealer, and if I offer $4,500 off MSRP for one of their Altimas, I will be in the F&I office before I get my mouth closed.
pretty good deal on a nice car.
Camry is just being cheap sold to get rid of them and keep the #1 spot. I really don't think I could convince myself to buy one.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Camry is being redesigned for 2015. I was irritated about the Motortrend sedan comparo in this months issue for a couple of reasons. Before I "go there" I want to say upfront than I am glad it came in second. Now here comes my rant:
They were comparing the EX to the other sedans, and said it was the most expensive car in the test, coming in at $30,100. What? You can get a fully loaded SX-L for $32,000. The Accord Sport they tested was $24,500!! So, they compared a stripper with 18" rims to a loaded Kia with 300 lbs of dual sunroof and other gear that most likely added even more weight then complained the Kia was slowest in the slalom. Keep in mind that the dual panoramic sunroof(s) raise the center of gravity considerably, and that compared with 17" rims with all season radials and yeah, the Honda is quicker. Duhhh.
My EX stickered at $24,260. Add the luxury pack and the technology pack and you are at $27,500 tops. A base model Turbo starts at $26,900. All the other cars in the test were not fully loaded. Even though it came in 2nd, at 30,000 they could have got a LOT more car,
I need to clarify my statement in the previous post stating: "I am glad it came in second." What I meant was "I am glad my Optima came in second".
explorer4 said: "Geographically I am close to CR". Then when on to say: "CT has lots of hills and cold weather."
Please explain!
I think he was referring to the CR auto testing facility in eastern Connecticut. Never been there but I assume there are hills...and non-warm weather.
I just wanted to give more evidence of who makes the best looking midsize sedan. This was taken last weekend. The drive home from this location got 65 mpg. The Fusion's fold flat rear seats are a major plus for me. They greatly increase the car's utility. I do feel that the luxury 18"wheel option for the SE trim, which is not available for the Titanium trim, greatly enhance the car's looks compared to the standard wheels that come with the Hybrid.(https://us.v-cdn.net/5021145/uploads/editor/54/me78bvz3tg5e.jpg "")
I have to disagree. I think the VW Passat is the best looking. I find the lines to be absolutely classic. In a few years the Ford will appear somewhat dated, but I think there is something to the VW design that is timeless.
I grant that the Ford design is better than a lot of the imports these days, but I still like the VW better...
It is a matter of opinion, of course.
Cali, remember the mags like motor trend don't buy the cars they test, they have to test what the manufacturers lend them ( thus no fusion since ford wouldn't give them one). This can lead to over or under optioned cars in comparision tests. I am sure the panoramic roof hurt the handling, but is it enough of a difference to have improved on the Optima's already good position, probably not, as nice as the Optima is, the suspension tuning on the current model is not as good as the top models in the midsized class. I wouldn't be surprised if the next gen model moved much closer though, Hyundai and Kia are improving by leaps and bounds, really suspension and steering ( feel) seem to be the last things they need to work on to be 100%.
The interior isn't bad either.
I have to Agree with you Steve. I LIKE THE PASSAT LOOK. The Ford Fusion and that big open front grille is funky. Interior is nice looking in the Titanium model
On the flip side............... The Passat depreciation value is bad and realiablity issue's are still concerning on this model. With the new redesign 2015 hopefully they address some of there issue's.
So if you ask me if i had to buy one I might have to go with the Ford.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
In their defense, the cars were provided by the makers. They'd probably prefer more equal specs, but take what they get. They do try to account for differences and content and price in their rankings. That said, the car actually showing up with more stuff in it is going to have an advantage because it gets to make an impression where they could only make assumptions about the others.
I'm glad I don't have to buy either one. I really don't like the Fusion look as it copies Aston way too much in the front and the rear just doesn't work. They aren't bad but the Mazda6 and Accord are best looking for now from the outside IMO. I like the Optima and new 200 for interiors. The Fusion and Sonata interiors are least liked by me. Looks are not dependent on resale value or reliability so that shouldn't enter the equation besides for the fact that looks are absolutely subjective. So it's kind of silly to try and say one is the best looking because of vastly different tastes. State what you like but don't try to say "mine is the best". Sounds too much like bragging to me.
If you took a poll of auto writers and most consumers just based on seeing pictures I would guess the Mazda6 would come out on top. But as stated, that is a guess.
That can't be a Ford interior. It isn't black.
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By far the Ford Fusion Titanium with the H Spoke 19" wheels is the best looking followed by the Optima SXL for me. I personally find the Mazda to look like a goldfish with it's odd looking front grill. Honda Accord is better looking now but I just can't get by the blandness of it yet. I like the Accord Sport but would like it more if it had Sirius Satellite available. Or I would like the EXL if it didn't look like an old man's car with it's tiny 17" bland wheels. I like the Chevy Malibu LTZ also. I am neutral on the Altima and VW. Neither excite me or turn me off. I will look at the Mazda 6 and the Accord along with the others though when I start test driving a replacement for my 2009 Fusion next year.
I added Ford's optional interior lighting kit to the Dune interior SE. The 2013 and early 2014 Titaniums were only available with dark interiors. The Titaniums now have a Medium Ceramic option that comes with a 10-way adjustable passenger seat, the lack of which was a weakness in the earlier models (my wife's only complaint).
minuteman: Why would you even have a car that you think looks like a goldfish on your short list??? Just kidding. That is what I mean about subjectivity. I don't think you are in the majority in regards to the looks of the Mazda6 however. But I also have to admit I am probably in the minority when it comes to not liking the looks of the Fusion all that well.
The majority feels the Mazda6 is not a car worth spending any money on, based on the continual low sales numbers.
The majority thinks McDonald's makes the best hamburgers in the world, based on the continual high sales numbers.
Or something closer to the topic... Toyota obviously makes the best mid-sized sedan for sale in the USA in the Camry, since it continually tops the sales charts.
Define the word "best", guys.
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I can't tell you what the absolute best is. Who can? Consumer Reports, MT, C&D, your cousin, etc. But, I can tell you one thing, just because a car sells in larger numbers doesn't mean it's a better car. Just a more popular one. Ie. Camry sells a ton more than Fusion, so I guess the public thinks the Fusion isn't good enough to spend their money on compared to a Camry. Those arguments are just silly and lack maturity. I guess some people on here just can't fathom that some car companies are not nearly as big as others and sell a lot less cars respectively. Subarus are known for being quite good cars and people that actually have owned them seem to love them on the most part. But, their sales numbers are tiny compared to the biggies......just like Mazda.
When I see comments like...."Mazda will never sell as many cars as Ford(insert big car company name here)", I have to laugh and no sh$t, Sherlock.
midsize sales for May (thanks to tsx at vtec):
Camry 49,584
Accord 39,637
Altima 36,053
Fusion 33,881
Sonata 21,867
Malibu 19,288
Optima 16,843
Passat 8,955
Avenger 6,055
Mazda6 5,461
I was talking to a Dodge Avenger owner last week here in NY. Not a bad looking vehicle. I asked him why he considered this car and he quickly said I got the best price. Then started complaining about At 13k miles his dash board is rattling and ft. brakes wore out already with mostly highway miles. Dodge uses Napa parts not made to good.
Out of the 49k Camry's sold to date this year. I'm wondering how many went to fleet sales???
Here are last years facts between the Accord and Camry
Honda Motor Co. said its Accord was the best-selling car to U.S. individual customers in 2013, surpassing Toyota Motor Corp. Camry, the leader in total volume to retail and fleet buyers for a 12th consecutive year.
Americans bought 360,089 Accords last year, Honda said in a statement yesterday, citing registration data from IHS Automotive’s . Camry retail sales were 342,007 out of 408,484 total deliveries for the sedan.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
m6user I think you meant Mtnman. I have heard good things about the Mazda 6 and it has grown on me a bit. I have been the same way about the new Highlander. I own a 2012 Highlander Limited AWD V6 and at first I was so glad I bought that year because I thought the new one was awful. I still am not sure of it, but after seeing it live when I had mine in for it's 2 year service a month ago I am starting to like it. The interior is awesome and the Tech offerings are finally catching up with the competition I think. I don't think I can get a solid opinion about a vehicle until I go and sit in and drive it. I will definitely look at the Mazda along with the Accord, Fusion, Malibu, Optima, Sonata, Camry and the Altima.
I wonder how many of those retail sales are short term leases? I saw a car carrier full of last gen Camry's. They all looked the same except color, so I'm guessing they were lease turn ins. My guess is most of the lessee's drove out in new Camry's. They have no money down leases available.
well, if I broke down and got a Camry, it would definitely be thanks to one of the super cheap, short term leases. if I could sign and drive a decently equipped LE in the $200/range for a couple of years, I can put up with driving one. maybe.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Everybody does short term leases but they're still sales either way.
49K for Camry - is that a record?
Toyota Camry sales past 3 years.
May 2012..........39,571
May 2013...........39,216
May 2014...........49,584
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
Wards auto says that it wasn't quite a record:
"Counting Camry Hybrid’s 5,199 deliveries, May 2014 was the biggest month for the Toyota midsize car since August 2009, when 54,396 were sold."
Still, 49,584 in one month is huge. If they could keep that rate up for a whole year, and of course they can't, it would mean sales of nearly 600k. I don't think they can make that many in a year, but they can probably make more than 500,000— and maybe a lot more.
I think each manufacturer in this segment is trying to shed the vanilla image of their respective cars in the segment.
I happen to think Ford's adaptation of the "Aston Martin Grill" looks fantastic on the Fusion. They give you a choice of everything from a Hybrid to an AWD model.
On the flip side, I think the conservative yet handsome styling of the Passat works well. Especially with those split 5 spoke 18" wheels on the SE & SEL models. The Passat also gives you some great engine choices of either their latest turbo 4 or a TDI. At one time in the not too distant past, VW offered the Passat with 4Motion AWD. Give me that coupled to the TDI and there's no competition:)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD