Reliability and super economical
Mirror cowling came off.
A bit dubious about buying a Fusion, but I am really impressed with performance and ride. The car is very economical.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th October, 2009
The best in its class
Nothing has gone wrong. We purchased the car for my wife as a second vehicle last week. We did NOT trade the GMC in, so in addition to being her "previous car" it is still her "present car" as well.
I am a mechanic and we are both car enthusiasts and former stunt drivers, and usually own either 3 or 4 vehicles at a time. Since I had a second vehicle, she wanted a more economical vehicle to drive at times as well. She has been so pleased with her GMC she says she will drive it "another 200,000 miles". Hopefully the Fusion will prove equally as enjoyable and reliable.
Based on previous experience with Fords (one of which exceeded 300,000 miles with very few problems) and our friend's experience with Fusions, we look forward to many trouble-free miles.
The car is EXACTLY what we were looking for. My wife wanted lots of luxury items and as sporty a color as possible, but she wanted the 4-cylinder engine for fuel economy. We ran across a 2006 SE model with the dark red paint, two-tone ivory and charcoal leather interior, 6-disc in-dash CD player, power everything and alloy wheels. I normally refuse to buy the first year of ANY vehicle due to first-year issues that inevitably crop up. However when it comes to the Fusion it wasn't quite as scary. The car has scored so high in every category from day one in so many reviews that I was less concerned. Also, at 18,000 miles if there WERE initial problems they should have been repaired under warranty by now.
The very first words out of my wife's mouth upon sitting in the car were "It's so ROOMY!!" It is indeed. It is absolutely CAVERNOUS compared to mom's very cramped Volvo S-60. The dash layout is very readable and everything is well within reach. The power seats are very comfortable and provide excellent lumbar support. That is great, as we both have bad backs. The very spacious rear seat has a fold-down arm rest with drink holders. A nice touch for traveling with rear seat passengers. Although 5 adults could ride in the car, it would NOT be comfortable on trips. It is perfect for 4. One touch I especially like is the steering wheel mounted stereo controls. It makes CD changing or volume changing less of a distraction, and therefore much safer.
I had driven several Fusions before and found them to be solid, quiet, great-handling cars with a very smooth ride for a smaller car. My wife drove it and totally agreed with my impressions. We both like cars with "go", and in that the 2.3 is slightly lacking, although it is still very adequate and has no problem merging onto freeways or passing. With economy in mind, some sacrifices are required. All-in-all, the overall handling and performance are very good indeed for a mid-sized family sedan.
We both find the feel, quality and handling better than the Accord and LIGHT YEARS ahead of Camry. The Buick LaCross and Chevy Malibu were other options, but my wife doesn't like the LaCross styling and we couldn't find a used 2008 Malibu (she doesn't care for the earlier styling) in a desirable color. In spite of very bad experience with imports in the past we also looked at, but quickly ruled out, several Japanese brands.
At $13,000 the car was hardly a "super deal", but it DID have every option we were looking for and the economical 4-cylinder engine. With only 18,000 miles it should be dependable and safe for my wife for years to come.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th January, 2009
We purchased a 2007 Fusion with the 3.0 engine and we love it too! It was finally time for me to get the car of my choice instead of my wife, so I'm really excited. I thought for sure we would end up with some import, I guess I haven't paid enough attention to what the Big 3 are making lately, but the Fusion is a hit.
I test drove both the Accord and Camry, but the Accord is by far the most hideous vehicle and the Camry is still, as always, the most boring car on the road, bar none. I was also surprised at the quality in the Camry. It was not very good compared to previous years. But we did however, test the new Chrysler Sebring. I was amazed at the features offered for the price, however, the Fusion has quite a bit more room, so therefore, we bought it.
All I can say is that I am very happy with this purchase, and I really hope that it lasts me well over 200,000 miles! Thanks for the review!
16th Oct 2009, 07:56
This review really bothers me as I wished to god Ford North America would bring a Turbo Diesel powered car here. I hate having to rely on VW for commuter transportation.