12th Mar 2008, 20:09

Go read the terrible reviews on the Camry before switching. Toyota has had more recalls and quality issues than the big three combined in the last three years. How they sell them is beyond me.

13th Mar 2008, 20:53

To comment 20:09: They keep selling them (Toyota) because most people (the HUGE majority) NEVER READ anything. There is so much bad press on Toyota that anyone whom ever reads knows better than to expect them to be reliable. I read that the new Yaris is already on the "10 WORST cars" list. The problem-plagued Camry, Tundra, Highlander and Sequoia should be placed on the list. Even the former underdog Hyundai is now recognized as being a much better car company than Toyota, with two of their vehicles (the Elantra and Sante Fe) on Consumer Reports list of best vehicles.

3rd Apr 2008, 21:36

You are right. No one really does any research on anything. The people who bought Toyotas years ago are still just buying them over and over again without even thinking about it (and probably paying sticker too). It is amazing how so many people still think all of the American cars are the same junk cars they were in the 70's and 80's. If you DO read the ratings, however, many of the American cars, like the Fusion, score really high on most reports.

4th Apr 2008, 11:39

I agree with the spirit of what you're saying, except I wouldn't malign American cars of the 1970's and 1980's so badly. There were some really good American cars made in those years, and many are still on the road. In fact, they were STILL better than the corresponding Japanese junk of the same era. A '76 Dodge Aspen is a better car than a '76 Datsun any day of the week.

5th Apr 2008, 11:39

Good grief! If I had problems like the reviewer described, it would totally annoy me. Lumbar control breaking three times, radio light burnt out? Sure these are minor issues, but issues that I have never had with any car, mostly Honda, that I have owned. This is why I gave up on domestic car makers in 1980 and will never ever buy one again.

6th Apr 2008, 11:32

That's because Hondas are so utilitarian that they don't have any options. By the way, are you on your third transmission, or only your second? If you buy a Honda made after 2000, you'll be in for a rude awakening.

7th Apr 2008, 09:27

11:39 I gave up on Honda in 2002 and would never buy another again. 70's 80's 90's early 2000 imports; after that only domestics because of engine trans issues on imports.

9th Apr 2008, 14:52

Toyota is going through the same growing pains as GM was going through back then, but the difference is that Toyota is actually taking responsibility of their mishaps. While FORD is using more machines to replace people, and Chrysler is sending more American folks to the unemployment line.. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc.. are hiring these faithful betrayed Americans at their US plants.

People will continue to buy Toyota's due to YEARS of good reputation, and YEARS of bad reputation is the reason why American Auto companies are perceived the way they are.

I can appreciate the fact that Domestics are taking strides to improve quality. But understand that it's going to take more than a couple of years good initial quality and a bunch of Internet blogging to build up their reputation again.

9th Apr 2008, 20:45

I just noticed that today's "Recall Watch" section reported yet another major safety recall on a Japanese car. This time it is the grossly overpriced Acuras (a Honda with 10 grand added on) from 2004 through 2008, due to a leaking power steering hose that can cause under hood fires or (in the presence of gasoline fumes) an explosion.

I guess things really have come full circle. Forty years ago it was the Pinto that was in danger of exploding. Now Ford builds some of the best cars on the planet and the Japanese are building the "bombs" (pun intended).

Now import fans can choose between bad brakes, steering, front suspension, engines, computer modules, oil leaks, bad transmissions or bad electrical systems on Toyotas or transmissions that fail at 5000 miles and exploding cars with Honda/Acura. Nice choices, huh?

12th Apr 2008, 00:21

To 14:27, I've to agree with the original reviewer. If it is the four cylinder, it is very noisy, and in my opinion lacks significant power. It does however get amazing gas mileage that makes it worth putting up with. I've yet to ride in a four cylinder fusion that could be described as quiet by any stretch of the imagination.

15th Apr 2008, 10:28

I currently own a ford fusion v-6 and have been very satisfied with it performance and reliability. I would not pay that much for tires for my fusion though. I am currently shopping for the best deal on quality tires for my fusion also. A few retailers have quoted me $550 total including road hazard, alignment, and balancing. As for my engine it runs very quiet, in fact so quiet that I can put my sleeping new born in the car and start the engine and the baby never even moves. Hopefully you will have better luck in the future with your fusion.

16th Apr 2008, 11:21

I switched to a set of Khumo AA traction rated all-weather tires and they have made a HUGE difference in my car's handling, acceleration (no more tire spin on take offs) and braking. They are 215:60 size and all 4 mounted and balanced cost me $350. You might want to look into these. I've never been more pleased with a set of tires, nor had them make such a big difference in my car's handling.

13th Jun 2008, 09:43

My husband and I both bought 2006 fusions, I have to say that they are the worst handling vehicle in snow. We have owned them now for a year and a half (two winters). I too have to take a running start to get up the road I live on in snowy conditions - anytime we have 4+ inches. We have purchased new tires twice now (we drive approx 40-50,000 miles/yr) although not snow tires, they will be my next purchase.

My other complaint on these cars is with the transmission. Both of our cars are 4 cyl manual trans models. When my car had 38,000 miles on it the third gear started grinding - they opened it up and found a ground up mess inside - they entire tranny was rebuilt. Now my husbands car is doing the same thing - it goes into the dealer next week. His has 85,000 miles on it.

The one good thing that I can say about these cars is about the gas mileage. When I fill up I usually get somewhere around 550 miles to empty.

Even though we put the miles on the cars - good use out of them - as someone quoted, doesn't necessarily mean much to me. If they are a pain in the backside to drive for half of the year (Minnesota), they are just that.