Faults:

Sunroof needed chip reprogrammed.

General Comments:

The feature content, performance and quality for the price is very good. I miss the taut sporty feel of my Grand Prix, but I am getting used the Japanese handling.

The tire noise at 70 mph is deafening, but I understand this has been greatly improved on the 2010 model. Very tight build quality and solid performance. Some say interior materials are cheap, but they seem nice to me. Then again, I had a Pontiac.

I have the SEL with the V6 and for $23K, I'm really impressed with the feature content and the audiophile's performance.

Faults:

Minor vibration in dash on cold mornings only.

"Coughing" noise when starting - seems to have cured itself.

General Comments:

The first thing I noticed when I test drove the Fusion was the great ride. I still think it's one of it's best features. A perfect combination of suspension tuning for a great ride and great handling... hard to achieve, but they did it with the Fusion.

When I started shopping for a new car, I made a list of things I wanted: 1) Highest safety rating from the Feds and the Insurance Institute. 2) Highest rating from Consumer's Union (and must be a CU recommended buy). 3) V6 Engine. 4) Over 25 mpg combined. 5) Every bell and whistle. The list got real short at this point. The Fusion was on the list, you can guess the other two. Then I added: 6) Pay under $26,000. The list then shrunk to the Fusion. Didn't get to it, but No. 7 would have been that I didn't want to see myself in duplicate every 10 seconds as I did with my Nissan Altima.

Built my Fusion at the Ford Website, and got three hits here in the city. Looked at all three, liked the white one, made a great deal, and took it home. Love affair ever since. End of story.

The car really shines on long trips, so quiet, a fantastic radio (satellite radio or MP3 CD or iPod stays with you all the way), GREAT RIDE, comfortable seats, no squeaks, no rattles, and over 30 MPG hwy. But it's a great city car too, a really nice place to spend an afternoon stuck in traffic.

Right after I bought my Fusion, I read a story in the local paper about two boys in a Fusion who were hit head on by a drunk driver in a full sized Chevy pickup. (We all know the drunk usually is the one who lives.) The drunk in the Chevy truck died at the scene, the two boys in the Fusion were injured, but were very much alive. The biggest problem that the paramedics had was cutting the boys out of the car. The jaws of life were not up to the job of cutting through the roof pillars of the Fusion, and they had to bring in special cutters to saw through the steel. This is no lie.

So if you want a really great car that will always get you where you want to go, get you there in style (but not flash), keep you well entertained on the way, and if necessary, give its all to save your life, then you can't beat a Ford Fusion.

A special bonus... since the recession, it's now becoming fashionable to drive American... There's nothing more American than the big blue oval riding atop the great looking chrome grill on the Fusion.

One reviewer I read put it this way..."A great American car wearing a proud American badge".

Faults:

The Fusion has sealed bearings that cannot be greased, which is a problem, and makes a creaking noise when going over bumps. There is also an annoying buzzing sound from the dash at times.

General Comments:

Apart from the bearing issue, this is a great car from Ford. It drives smoothly and the V6 provides enough punch in mid-range and higher speeds, although taking off from a standing start seems to require a little push. The transmission shifts nicely as you increase speed.

The ride is quite and comfortable on long journeys. My wife uses this as her daily driver doing 60 miles a day, she loves it and is getting 25mpg on the highway, which is not bad for a V6. I just added synthetic oil which might increase the mileage a little.

Overall this is a great car from Ford, they are cheaper than a Camry or Accord, and in my opinion not as plastic or tinny.

We test drove an 07 Accord before getting the Fusion and hated how much cheap plastic was in the car, and how thin the metal was on the doors, which made for a noisy drive. The Fusion was way better for cheaper; we made the right choice and Ford has started to do a great job of their new line up of cars.