Ford Fusion

Anybody got one of these? I'm periously close to making an emotional decision to buy one. A week ago I swore I'd never get emotional about a vehicle again, but this one is getting under my skin. I'd like to hear what somebody thinks after 6 months of driving it.

We have the new Escape for 'family' (us and the dogs) stuff, so whatever replaces the old Escape will be my daily driver. The Focus is probably a fine car that gets good mileage... but the comparitively small step up in price to the Fusion buys some 'comfort features' that have become important to me (us). The next step up from that to the Taurus doesn't seem practical ... like 'practical' has anything to do with it ... it's a little bigger, but the 'goodies' are the same as the Fusion... so not worth the extra bucks to me. Whatever we get will always have too many miles on it for future value to be a concern.

The only other thing in this range that looks attractive to me is the Altima... and I don't like the Nissan pricing 'scheme' where the only way to get $700 leather seats is to buy the $4000 package of useless crap they add to it.

And for those thinking we're nutty to have new car payments, we don't have a house payment to worry about, and that affords us the choice. We live far enough out that we can't abide anything unreliable, and we both have jobs where it's important that we be there when we're supposed to be... so there it is. We can get along for a few days if one vehicle is down, but can't be worrying about whether the second one is gonna get us down the road.

Kirk, I have a Ford Focus and just plain love it. Maybe the Fusion is better, but my loaded Focus is just plain nice to drive to work. I am currently getting 37 miles per gallon (non interstate driving) on 87 octane, and could get more if I went to 93 octane and was really careful how I drove.Incidentally, if I had a tach I could see what the engine was doing better and could get my mpg's up some. Maybe the Fusion has that.

So why am I saying all this? Well despite getting a lot of slack from my snowmobiling pals for driving that car (they drive 10 mpg chevy trucks), if I like the Focus so much, then I would not hesitate to get the upgraded version of the Fusion.

By the way, I am not a Ford fan either. Always been into Chevy so the fact that I like this car says even more.

Don't know anything about the Fusion. Do know that the Impala is one nice ride though, with good gas mileage to boot.

I do dealer trades for a local GM dealer and last week traded an Impala for a Equinox. 260 mile trip one way, 60 of which were back roads, the rest on interstate. 28.6 MPG combined, on the trip to Mason City, IA., with the Impala. Interstate was at speeds between 70 and 75.

I'm like you Kirk. I like the creature comforts. I'm thinking of an Impala for LOML to drive to work. Her work is 60 miles one way. She drives a PT Cruiser right now that only gets about 22 MPG. I'm looking at the Impala LTZ as it comes with all the creature comforts I've come to enjoy. We took a test drive before the holidays and she was very impressed with the car.

Just some food for thought.

Karl

I saw a brand new Impala SS parked next to me when I left work this morning. Last Impala I paid attention to since they brought it back was completely unimpressive in the style department to my eye. The SS looks goooood.

I drove a 2003 Focus loaner the day between the deal and delivery on the new Escape. I was very impressed with it... felt like a much bigger car, and was suprisingly peppy. It's a bit too practical. Mid life crisis, doncha know.

We have a Ford Focus wagon. My wife loves it and she drives it on a regular basis. I drive it for out of town trips and do wish for a bit more comfort. Moving up a step, like to the Fusion, would be my choice.

My brother bought a Fusion about 4-5 months ago and loves it. Now this is his first new car, but I've ridden in it enough to know that I like it. I've had Impalas as rental cars and they are decent, but at least seem to be a bigger car than the Fusion. My first new car was a Contour and I really liked the size of that car. The Fusion seems to be similar. If we were buying a new car right now, it would most likely be a Fusion.

This past weekend I had a loaded Pontiac G6 GT Coupe. That was a really nice car. The 4-doors aren't bad either if you must have that--I've had them too. In the coupe it seemed like you sat really low, but I could get used to it. (I'm sure someone will come along and say that the G6 and Impala are actually the same size, but if that's the case the styling makes them feel different.)

Have several neighbors with the Fusion (many work for Ford at the plant here in KC) and have heard nothing but good things about them. I've always been a bowtie guy, but one of my neighbors has convinced me to go with a Ford next time after comparing the quality between our trucks.

I made the mistake of actually taking Jean and walking the lot... and she's telling me to get the Taurus!

She also said get the MUSTANG if I want it... but I'd have my foot in that way to much.

Tomorrow I'm driving both Fusion and Taurus and then I'll decide on which one and whether to go now or wait a bit.

Thanks for the replies...

Buy American made, buy a Toyota Camry. Built right here in Lafayette, IN.

Sorry, had to throw that out there.

Kirk, listen closely

BUY THE MUSTANG!!! Trust me on this, buy the mustang

Kirk, Kirk, Kirk....

Doug Jones said:

Buy American made, buy a Toyota Camry. Built right here in Lafayette, IN.

Sorry, had to throw that out there.

Click to expand...

That's just asking for an unwinnable (for both "sides") fight. Then again, Toyota is also investing major money in an R&D facility 30 minutes from here an plans to increase employement while the others are still cutting.

Kirk if you read this I think your answer will be found...

My Grandfather said that back in 1958 or so there was this fancy new car that he really, really wanted. At the time he had kids, a farm to work, and just could not swing it. So he didn't.Back in 1994 or so they came out with that V-10 Dodge pick-up. Things were different, and as he told me, he couldn't buy the car back in 1958, but this car he could. So he did.

When I bought my snowmobile in 2006, I really wanted a Yamaha Apex, a $11,500 dollar machine. Since they had a Yamaha vector left over from the year before, it really only made sense to buy that machine. Its still a good sled, but its not really the one I wanted. Rest assured, some day, some time there will be a new snowmobile on the market that I really, really want, and I am going to tell the wife, "I wanted that Apex back in 2006 and had tosettle for a Vector. I'm not settling this time."

I see you being in the same boat. Maybe the Mustang is pay back for the car you had to settle for in 1990. I don't know. Or maybe todays gas prices mean the Fusion is the "settled for car". I don't know. But the point is, some day, some time you can make up for things.

If I was you. I would go for the fuel economy today, that way in 2012 when they come out with that green algea powered super car that gets 203 miles per gallon, you can say to the wife... "remember that Fusion I steeled for in 2008, I'm not settling this time," and have a clean conscience.

Just something to think about.

I blew up a '67 Mustang in 1994, and chose to sell it rather than rebuild it (again). THAT is something I regret to this day.

I'm not considering the Fusion as 'settling'... in this case for me that would be a Focus... and I still may do that. Yesterday I was on the computer for most of the afternoon. If the Ford vehicle locator function of the website is working, I know where the handful of new '07 models are in and around San Antonio... and I'll be looking at them in a few hours.

To convince myself that I'm NOT being emotional , I've got a 'breakdown' list of what each step up or down will either cost or save me on a monthly basis... mileage, payment, insurance and such. And of course, I'm already driving a perfectly comfortable '03 Escape, so I don't HAVE to do anything. We're at the point with that where the cost of unloading it now or holding off for six months is close to a wash.

LOML really doesn't care. I think she's more worried I'll do something 'practical' than I am.

Heh heh. Whenever I see someone agonizing over a choice like this, I'm reminded of Barry Schwartz's book-based presentation called "The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less". Fascinating stuff.

A couple years ago I watched a [1 hr, 4-minute version] given as a Google TechTalk session (for interested employees of Google) ... but tonight I noticed that there is a [19-minute version] as well.

Summary: Having lots of options tends to create 1) decision paralysis and 2) less satisfaction in the choices we DO make (even when we make a great decision). Sigh....

I'll toss out a ford -cousin... take a gander at the Mazda M3, bet it will get your vote just on sheet fun to drive.