There on the cover is the newly redesigned Ford Fusion along with the Camry, Altima and Malibu. All in their Hybrid versions.
Now I don't know about you, but when a car magazine gives prime placement to Hybrid sedans and secondary placement to the fact that within the same issue the new Nissan 370Z, Ferrari California and Ford Mustang GT, there must be a shift in the minds of the readers. Perceived or otherwise, C&D seems to think that this Hybrid showdown is important.
And after reading the article, I have to agree that it is important.
It looks as though Ford has beaten Toyota at the game Toyota essentially created. Based on the scoring criteria at C&D, criteria which includes items like comfort, ergonomics, fuel economy, performance along with subjective categories like "gotta have it" and "fun to drive" the Fusion comes out on top with a pretty convincing win.
Scoring 204 points out of a possible 250, the Fusion beats the second place Camry whose score was 189. Interesting to note that the other cars, the Altima and Malibu scored within 11 points of the Camry with the Altima scoring 184 and the Malibu 178. It appears as though the Fusion really had a significant win in this showdown.
But how, you might be asking.
Don't worry, I asked the same thing.
The Fusion was ranked #1 in the "fun to drive" and "gotta have it" subjective categories, with the author suggesting that the Fusion was the most engaging of the hybrid vehicles as well as the most efficient.
Bright spots like this Fusion suggest there still may be some fight left in Detroit after all.
The author writes, "Ford really hit all the marks with this hybrid Fusion, combining excellent fuel economy with slick manners and an engrossing personality. Fun and fuel economy have finally gotten married in a mid-size sedan."
Now the hurdle for Ford, getting people into the showroom to give the Fusion a look.
I guess the question to ask is, would you be willing to give the Fusion a chance. And in that same vein, do you agree with the outcome? Did C&D get it right in ranking the Ford above the Toyota?
Let us know your thoughts...
Ford Fusion Crowned KING OF HYBRIDS Beating Toyota At Their Own Game
First, hybrid technology is cumbersome, expensive and inefficient. It is a stopgap technology on the way to electric-drive vehicles.
Second, the only hybrid with a modicum of success is the Prius. All other hybrids were poor sellers as they only had a hybrid label on them instead of the unique Prius that made an environmental statement.
Third, hybrids do not return the extra cost in fuel savings. There is no way to financially justify a hybrid.
Lastly, Americans still want SUVs and pickups. We do not want the Yaris, Fit, Fiesta, Aveo or whatever little sardine-box out there. (this is a generalization)
When extremely fuel efficient SUVs come to market (within 2 years), you will see the jump to those vehicles.
Watch the North American International Auto Show for what is coming....especially from Chrysler.
There was an interesting side article in this issue of Car and Driver concerning the VW diesel. Their long-term Jetta TDI diesel so far is netting 37.3 MPG, which is pretty good considering the entire staff of C&D have lead right feet. But the killer for the diesel is that thanks to our own wonderful federal government, the fuel costs around $1 per gallon more than gasoline.
Basically, if diesel were not over-regulated by the EPA, it would be less expensive at the pump than gasoline and the Jetta TDI would be a wonderful alternative to the over-complex hybrids. And given a diesel's longevity, the Jetta TDI and other vehicles like it would provide many years of service.
I haven’t read Car and Driver magazine in decades, but back at that time, they were pretty much considered whores who would rate cars based on how many advertising pages the manufacturers bought. Anyone have any more recent experience with this than mine?