Ford Fusion Crowned KING OF HYBRIDS Beating Toyota At Their Own Game

Auto Spies ^ | 12/30/2008 | Agent00J

[taildragger]

I always like the transition from one month to another as that is the time all the magazines I subscribe to make their appearances.

This month is no exception with the February 2009 issue of Car & Driver hitting the mailbox last night with a cover story titled, "FUEL-SIPPIN' SHOWDOWN! Can Detroit Build A Better Hybrid?"

[rwfromkansas]

Nevermind.....

I was looking at the non-hybrid mpg.

Actually doesn’t look that bad. Sleek look.

[riverdawg]

“... some Toyotas are built in GM plants ...”

The Corolla and the Tacoma are built at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA. NUMMI is a joint venture between Toyota and GM that uses UAW labor but Toyota management and production principles. It is hardly a typical GM-run plant.

[taildragger]

Go to the Ford Site and see the "S" version of the Fusion.

A friend of mine bought a 08' with a 2 tone Black and Red Leather Insert Interior...

That interior is NICE.......

[gogogodzilla]

Did you even read the article? It’s a 2010 Fusion, for pete’s sake.

It isn’t on any auto website to check as yet. You just compared the 2009 Fusion to the Prius.

Note: 2009 vs. 2010 <-— (the 2010 model will have a hybrid version, the 2009 one doesn’t)

[taildragger]

Are you still writing for Don Rickels?.............

[rwfromkansas]

Ford expects the 2010 hybrid to get 38 mpg in the city....not bad.

Maybe worth buying.

However, according to an article, the 2010 Prius will get over 50 mpg. Much better than the Fusion.

However, it is a different class etc....when comparing the Fusion to Toyota hybrids in a similar class.....it DOES beat Toyota hands-down.

Nice to see something that Ford did well.

[mamelukesabre]

Or mexico.

Some american cars are actually made south of the border. And some in canada. Some have european engines, some have japanese engines. I don’t keep up on which models are made where. I used to, but not anymore. The ford f150 is not made in america anymore. The Ford F250 and up is still american made. That’s about all I remember for fords.

[gogogodzilla]

From what I’ve read, the Fiesta will be a 2011 model.

D@mn shame, as I’m highly interested in it. (this coming from someone who’s avoided Big-3 cars all his driving life)

[Finny]

We have a 2-year-old F 150 bought new, and 14-year-old Pontiac, also bought new. The Pontiac has driven the lenth of the East Coast twice, across the continental US once, and is driven on medium to long road trips several times a year. The truck has traveled quite a lot of California many times. Both have always run, and continue to run, perfectly well -- zero complaints.

Before the F150, I had a 15-year-old mechanical box of miracles called a Ford Aerostar (it was a five-speed manual built on a Ranger truck chassis, not a typcial Aerostar) that went to nearly 200,000 miles; it ran on a hope and a scream when anyone with any sense would have thought it would crap out out of sheer age and overuse. It got about 32 mpg, and was a loyal and dependable chariot even over one of the steepest grades in America (So. Cal's Grapevine), which it traversed frequently, along with thousands of miles on steep, hairpin backroads. I loved my Aerostar, gave it to a charity when we finally bit the bullet and decided to replace it with a truck, and the charity got $1200 for it!!

I've owned at least two Toyotas and one Honda over my decades of driving. They were okay cars, but didn't hold a candle in any way -- style, longevity, dependability, toughness -- to my Fords and the Pontiac. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

People can badmouth American cars all they want, and I don't like the AAU any better than anyone else, but I think that the "American-autos-are-sh*t" mentality is just another version of the Liberals' "America sucks" mentality.

[Hoplite]

Sorry I refuse to buy anything that is made by the UAW... Period..

All Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models will be built at Ford's Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant. source

[cc2k]

momincombatboots wrote:

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But why the quality difference if they are tooled on the same assembly line by the same workers? How do we find out if the next car we buy is union or not? Seems like you have a lot of inside information. Thanks for your help.

---

If you can fully decode the VIN, it generally indicates which plant assembled the vehicle. I know that there are online sites used by dealers and by independent repair shops that fully decode the VIN and get you this information. Before the business I was working at closed, I purchased parts from Napa, and their wholesale online site had a complete VIN decoder that would give you this information. Mitchell On Demand also has the full data.

If you have a Ford VIN, you can search the internet for "VIN Decoder" and try decoding it at some of the web sites that can do that. Some give more information than others.

taildragger wrote:

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The lack of will or spine at the Federal level also give us the Hybrid because with the regenerative breaking, it can eak out greater numbers regardless of the infrastructure or fuel.

---

A Freudian slip there, it's "regenerative braking" not "regenerative breaking." And that does give much better fuel economy in city driving where there's lots of stop and go in the tests. It doesn't help highway fuel economy at all.

[mamelukesabre]

Who cares if it’s typical?

The point is, UAW labor is building toyotas. So all these snobbish fools on this thread that are saying they will never buy american because of the UAW are complete fools.

Thanks for proving my point, btw.

[taildragger]

CC,

Thanks, yes I am aware of the Tech and my LOL! slip!

[nfldgirl]

We bought a Fusion in April...love it! Great car! Fun to drive, smooth, quality all about....we got the one with the “works!” (except on GPS...would like that in our next one)...but it has evertything else...6 CYL, dual exhaust, spoiler, leather interior, moon roof, satellite radio, nice stereo, etc. It’s a great ride with lot’s of nice features—super good deal for money...highly recommend it.

[rwfromkansas]

Man, that is fancy.

[mamelukesabre]

Those old rear drive ford minivans were pretty tough. UPS used to use them for delivery vehicles in certain situations...long mileage routes with low package counts.

The ford ranger minitruck was another of ford’s home run hits. I think ford still is king of the hill in terms of the minitruck market.

If only one american auto company survives this disaster, it will be ford. If only one american auto company doesn’t get bailout money to survive, it will be ford.

[dilvish]

But it’s still just a hybrid, over priced and under useful, and a money loser on every sale for all the companies.

And I don’t think Toyota made this game, the EV1 predates any hybrid from Toyota.

One thing I found funny on my recent cross country trip was the number of hybrids out there, on the highway, not getting any benefit from their dual engine, probably actually getting worse millage than me.

[FlashBack]

We’ve been moving quite a few Fusions and F-Series lately...all in before the higher licensing fees take effect (thanks to the D controlled House/Senate/Gov here).
We’re down slightly but actually holding up well as compared to our local competitors not to mention national numbers.

[Seven plus One]

Not a hybrid either. I've driven this particular model for sixteen years. Still gets 50+ mpg and it's been paid for for a long time. Best car I've ever owned.

[HamiltonJay]

American Autos were sub par in many aspects for a long time, that’s no longer the case, when you look at the numbers. Any differencial is statistically irrellevant between manufacturers for the most part anymore.

I have owned many american and foreign cars to date, the only car that I had to write off as complete crap was a GM, 89 Lesabre, this car was complete junk and it has turned me off that brand for life. (Sorry to GM fans, but autos are too big an investment to have to deal with the crap I did with that car, going against my better judgement in the first place, buying it because the Mrs liked it.)

My current Chrysler is still running, 96 with 160k plus. yes, this car does not have the quality of other cars of the age, the fit and finish was not as tight, and parts are falling off the interior, but it functionally runs well and I know I’ve beat the odds with the mileage I have gotten and the tranny still not dropped. Though it has had electrical issues from day one, and others. It also had a head gasket go for no particular reason, that apparently is a common issue on the model engine mine has. Generally though the car has held up pretty well, but I don’t know if I’ll buy another Chrysler, but I can’t write off the brand.

Ford has treated me overall quite well, from my old 83 LTD, to a 92 Conversion van that finally died last year. That was replaced with a minivan (KIA) that so far has treated me well, and can’t complain bang for the buck its delivered a good value so far.

My Chrysler is going to be replaced, and I’m debating what with, I wouldn’t mind another sebring convertible, or a fusion, but $$ will dictate what I get. I buy for cash and drive till the die. At this point based on bang for the buck a used Optima or Sorento (same car under the covers) will most likely be the replacement. Though there is always the chance the completely impracticle desire may override and I get a Wrangler.

I would go for a Ford in a heartbeat if I could find one I liked in the price range I am willing to pay, but alas the Fusion hasn’t had enough model years behind it to be at a price point I like to pay for a used one, and I will never ever take on a car payment again in my life if I can avoid it, and I won’t take the opportunity cost of 20 or 30k cash out of my pocket for a vehicle, that’s just too much.