FFH & Flex

I think you would be happy with either car. I had a 2006 Mercury Milan 3.0 V6,( pretty much the same car as the fusion SE,SEL) and averaged 27.2 mpg for about 50,000 miles. That was mostly highway miles. In July 2009, I purchased the Fusion hybrid. I also live in SE Michigan, and both car do equally well in the snow. Have not really had problems with either car per say. A couple of minor things that I never bothered to take back to the dealer to get repaired. My mileage on the hybrid thus far is 40.32 mpg for 17,750 miles of combined city and highway. During the winter months the mileage will drop; however once the car warms up, the mileage will improve ( combine the short trips). The back up camera is nice to have. The hybrid batteries will also assist with mileage at highway speeds. One thing to note about the hybrid is that the trunk is somewhat smaller and the rear seat backs do not fold down. Check out the fusion forum and also the 2.5 hybrid area. There is a lot of good information there. Good luck and happy motoring!