Rental Car Review: Ford Fusion

[T_C_D]

I had a Ford Fusion for 8 days after my Volvo was smacked. I drove it FL and back (2000 miles) during that time. I had the SEL model which has the base drivetrain with leather and good sound system with USB port and Sirius Radio. I was able to connect my iphone and control it with the stereo controls. This is a fantastic feature!

The drivetrain is brilliant. The 2.5L 175hp 4cyl and 6sp auto provided adequate acceleration for all normal driving conditions. It also returned an average of 33mph HWY at speeds averaging nearly 75mph.

The seats were comfortable and the car was roomy for a mid sized car. The red needle for all the gauges was difficult to see during bright sunlight with sun glasses on and was annoying. Otherwise the interior was very well thought out.

The ride quality was great. Steering and brake feel were both overboosted but only took a few days to get used to.

The only real complaint I had was the handling. The body roll is substantial and the understeer is epic.

I came away very impressed and proud that Ford builds such a fine car for less than 25k.

[Duke]

I have a 2010 Fusion with the 2.5L. Great car and it got 33 MPG on a 1200 mile trip last week.

It has Sync which links my phone and Bluetooth audio to the car. Even has my phonebook downloaded so by voice commands I can make a call.

We got it ~two years ago with 16K miles on it for $16K.

They are great cars.

[Mike W.]

I've heard good things about them but never been in one. Twice now it looked like I'd have one as a rental, but didn't.

[ldsbeaker]

I had a 6 cyl Fusion as a rental a couple years ago. That thing was WAAAAY fast and comfy. Probably gave up some MPG, but the smile factor outweighed the extra cost.

I've had so many rentals, but none of them have left as good an impression as that one.

I've also really come to like the Hyundais. They're sharp looking (now), economical, comfy, and well optioned.

Edit:

The only real complaint I had was the handling. The body roll is substantial and the understeer is epic.

Ha! I do remember one looooong off-camber sweeper that I almost needed to change my shorts after... 'course it was raining, too...

[jhall]

I'm so glad you mentioned the body roll. Its the one thing that sticks out on an otherwise well rounded car. I remember merging on 285 in Atlanta when I had one and the body roll felt like it was going to knock me into the other lane. I was probably going a bit too fast though.

[Duke]

There is a fix for everything.

http://www.steedafusion.com/parts/fusio ... nsion.html

[al525i]

I'm glad it met with your approval. I ordered a custom built one that should be delivered in a few weeks for my girlfriend. Got her the sel with the 3.0 v-6 and the 18" wheels. Has some other goodies and i'll post pictures when it comes in!

As far as the under 25k statement.... we'll just say that they can be optioned well above that mark.

[Mike W.]

I've also really come to like the Hyundais. They're sharp looking (now), economical, comfy, and well optioned.

I too have liked the Hyundais I've had for rentals, but I'm not sure I'd agree on the styling. But on a rental who cares?

[alijonny]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

[rlomba8204]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

That's like saying you would never buy a car from a manufacturer that has made a mistake. And if that is the case, how do you buy and drive BMWs? Wouldn't it be better to make a claim under the warranty and see how Ford handles it? If they handle it in a stand-up manner, what is the problem? Obviously, given Ford's sales figures the last few years, they are not in the business of making cars that rot out in 24 months.

[FastFiver]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

Basing your purchasing decisions on a sample size of 1. Seems legit.

[Kenny Blankenship]

I had a Ford Fusion for 8 days after my Volvo was smacked. I drove it FL and back (2000 miles) during that time. I had the SEL model which has the base drivetrain with leather and good sound system with USB port and Sirius Radio. I was able to connect my iphone and control it with the stereo controls. This is a fantastic feature!

The drivetrain is brilliant. The 2.5L 175hp 4cyl and 6sp auto provided adequate acceleration for all normal driving conditions. It also returned an average of 33mph HWY at speeds averaging nearly 75mph.

The seats were comfortable and the car was roomy for a mid sized car. The red needle for all the gauges was difficult to see during bright sunlight with sun glasses on and was annoying. Otherwise the interior was very well thought out.

The ride quality was great. Steering and brake feel were both overboosted but only took a few days to get used to.

The only real complaint I had was the handling. The body roll is substantial and the understeer is epic.

I came away very impressed and proud that Ford builds such a fine car for less than 25k.

I drove a Ford Fusion for a few miles and it's OK. Typical new car nowadays. I thought the front suspension was soft. The sound of the engine was not that pleasant. Better than a Cobalt, though. The luminesent instrument panel seemed "overstyled" and distracting...

I did have a chance to drive the latest iteration of the Dodge Avenger V6. Not too bad either, but the steering was extremely sensitive (very darty) and the transmission was very reluctant to downshift. That was annoying.

In terms of automatic transmissions, I was very spoiled by owning a Jetta 2.0T with DSG. That was a fantastic transmission. The only downside is that it requires an expensive service every 40k.

[alijonny]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

That's like saying you would never buy a car from a manufacturer that has made a mistake. And if that is the case, how do you buy and drive BMWs? Wouldn't it be better to make a claim under the warranty and see how Ford handles it? If they handle it in a stand-up manner, what is the problem? Obviously, given Ford's sales figures the last few years, they are not in the business of making cars that rot out in 24 months.

I have seen TOO MANY American cars come through my shop with similar rust bubbles. It's a pretty shitty situation, especially when you think you have a rust/rot warranty that doesn't cover this kind of stuff except perforations in the panels.

I'm not a fan. Not a fan at all. Mechanical/electrical mistakes are one thing, rust is another. If the car is not even two years old and is getting rusty, I don't want anything to do with that company.

[alijonny]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

Basing your purchasing decisions on a sample size of 1. Seems legit.

That's all I needed to see.

[Duke]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams.

I have a 2010 Fusion that is not garaged and has 0 rust. That is the best company ever. When my GMC Acadia goes out of warranty, will trade it in on a Ford Explorer.

[ldsbeaker]

When my GMC Acadia goes out of warranty, will trade it in on a Ford Explorer.

Let's not get out of hand, now...

[jhall]

my buddy has a 2010 focus and showed me rust bubbling under the hood and behind the doors at the seams. He is a detailer by trade and the car has never seen inclement weather, nor has it had any paint or body work. The car has just over 36,000 miles. For that, I will not buy a new ford.

Basing your purchasing decisions on a sample size of 1. Seems legit.

I will add that I was looking at a friends '05 F150 the other day and I noticed what I thought to be a fair amount of rust for a relatively new truck. On trucks its easy to see the frame and wheel wells, plus its white so the rust it does have on the body is very visible.

[alijonny]

OK. I'm going to admit that I want an Excursion diesel. and I like The new Mustangs.

[LandCruzer94]

I have an '11 Fusion SEL with the v6 and tech package you described for a company car and I have to say its fantastic. Yes there is quite a bit of suspension roll, but the turn-in I feel is sharp. Gas mileage is meh, 24mpg avg, but once you get on the highway for a road trip the mileage gets considerably better.