2007 Ford Fusion SEL 2.3 Four from North America

Summary:

Best domestic car out right now

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This is a review of my mothers car, although I myself also own a Fusion. Both cars have been completely trouble free. Mine has 7000 miles on it, and hers has just over 3000.

I believe Ford did very well with this car. It is comfortable, quick, and economical.

My moms is the SEL, while mine is an SE with the upgraded appearance package. Hers has more features like auto headlights and climate control, but driving the two side by side I have noticed a drive-ability difference. Mine seems to handle a little crisper, with quicker steering, while her engine feels to have a sharper throttle response than mine does (same engines).

One thing I have noticed though is that my mom's car gets worse gas mileage. Now I am a 19 year old college student and I definitely rag on my car A LOT, however my car averages 415-440 miles on a tank of gas consistently while she gets 375 per tank according to the computer. I find this strange because I know for certain that I have a bigger lead foot than my mom does, and I know her miles are mostly highway, whereas I drive a lot in the city.

I have not tested hers, but according to my trip yesterday at speeds of 80-85mph, I was averaging 29.8mpg, which is pretty decent for a mid sized car.

If you are in the market for this type of car, definitely check out the Fusion because it is a car that could fit anyone from teens like myself to baby boomer's. I just hope Ford can wow us with the 09 Fusions because they are going to have some serious competition with those new Malibu's coming out soon. Pretty sweet lookin car if you ask me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd November, 2007

22nd Feb 2008, 15:15

Yes, the new Malibu is an awesome car, and will give the Fusion some stiff competition. With the imports declining rapidly in quality, I suspect the Fusion and Malibu will soon be the top sellers in their market niche.

I've test driven 3 Fusions (a 4, a V-6 automatic and a rare V-6 5-speed) and I was extremely impressed with every facet of the car. If I had any gripes about the car it would be the slightly "notchy" shifting automatic, which reminded me a little of the poorly designed Camry transmissions (although I am sure the Fusions will prove much more reliable). Of course, I have been spoiled by GM's silky smooth automatics over the past 8 years. The 5-speed was a real tire smoker and would give lots of V-8's a run for their money. If it had come in a sporty 2-door I would have bought it.

2007 Ford Fusion SEL V6 3.0L Duratec from North America

Summary:

An excellent competitor to the Camry or Accord

Faults:

No flaws whatsoever.

General Comments:

I've owned the Fusion V6 SEL for almost a month now. The Fusion is very roomy front and back, and has a nice big trunk. It is very stylish looking and I've drawn looks from people when driving it. It has a great feel to it and is fun to drive.

So far I am very impressed with the quality of design and workmanship on the Fusion. I've had mine for a little less than a month and I have found no flaws whatsoever. The fit and finish are excellent. I found the interior design to be far more attractive than that of the Camry.

The V6 engine provides good power, but you won't be winning any drag races with this car. It's likely the V6 Camry or Accord would beat this car in a race. I had feared the 6 speed Automatic Transmission would be constantly shifting or searching for the right gears. This is not the case. I barely notice the shifting and it seems to always pick the right gear.

There are several nice little extras like perimeter lighting by the front doors, a flip up storage compartment on top of the dash, and flip down rear seats for expanding the trunk storage.

Consumer Reports April issue gave the 2007 Fusion their highest ratings on predicted reliability and safety. They also gave the V6 their highest buy recommendation.

Car & Driver also ran 2 competitions between the Fusion, Camry and Accord, and after the participants drove each of the cars, the majority in both tests chose the Fusion as their favorite.

The only drawbacks are that fuel economy is a fair amount less than the EPA rating. I know several Fusion owners getting 18 mpg or less for their average driving. I'm getting about 19 mpg myself for a 50/50 mix of expressway/city driving. The turning radius is also fairly wide.

All in all, Ford has designed and built an excellent competitor to the Camry or Accord.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st May, 2007

2nd Jul 2007, 12:08

Original poster here. It's now been 3 months since I bought my Fusion. Nothing changes in the review. It's been an excellent car. No problems at all.

8th Oct 2007, 16:49

Hi. Original poster again. It's now been 6 months since my original purchase. The Fusion has remained flawless. It's been a great car.