ctrcbob

I checked out an MKZ Hybrid (MKZH?) at my local dealer last week. I was impressed. I may go back in a couple weeks to see what kind of a deal I can do? When I got my 07 MKZ, I had an "X" Plan PIN which I got from Ford, however Ford has changed their method of giving the PIN, and even though their website shows my former employer (I retired from that company) still is an authorized supplier, I had problems getting through to the company as they have downsized so much, when I try to call their Personnel Department, (or whatever it is now called), I get someone in India who after checking and waiting for a couple days, got a call back saying that they are no longer a Ford supplier, even though the company is still listed as a Ford supplier or partner. The salesperson I spoke with told me that he has "connections" and he would get me a PIN number for the "D" Plan. Not sure if I'd save more with the "X" or "D" Plan. I'm in no hurry as I'm taking a long vacation in January, and I may be able to buy once I return.

Or it could use a "hard drive" system (like my Genesis Tech and I understand the new Buick) that is a nightmare to update. With the hard drive update, you don't own the disc. The dealer buys the disc from the manufacturer, then charges you "beaucoup bucks" (aprox $250) and it takes four to six hours to update the harddrive. My 07 MKZ uses the simple DVD system, Purchase for $199, remove the old disc and insert new disc. Simple. The only thing I don't like about the MKZ screen is that being a touch screen, some areas are worn out from touching, plus the finger prints always make it look dirty. Only good thing on the Genesis Tech is that I never have to touch the screen. Always clean. (but what a pain in the "butt")

Reading your answers, I guess my Motorola SLVR L9 (AT&T) will work fine with the Fusion Sync. I'm not going to mention to my buddy that his transmit sucks, with his Mustang Sync and his HTC HD2 (T-Mobil) because he is the type of person who thinks he always has the best, and all others don't equal what he has. (This goes for everything, not just his car or phone). I want to stay friendly with him because he knows computers, and he converted about 50 CD's that I play in the car to 6 MP3CD's that I can play in the MKZ or the Geneisi. I may want him to make more MP3CD's for me, so I'm not about to tell him that his sound quality on transmit sucks.

Question for you guys with Bluetooth cell phones and Sync. I have a very good friend with a 2011 Mustang who uses his Bluetooth HTC HD2 Cell phone from his car. This is the top phone using T-Mobil. Whenever he phones me, it sounds terrible. Sounds great when just using the cell phone, but when calling from his car, it really sucks. My Genesis Bluetooth sounds great (to those I phone) when using my Motorola SLVR-L9. Have any of you been told that the quality of the sound when using your Bluetooth (Sync) in your cars sucks? Thinking of getting a Fusion (or MKZ) Hybrid.

Seeing as how this thread is about MPG, and yes, if and when I get a Hybrid, it will be a Fusion, not a Prius, I want to tell about my best friends Prius out in Roswell NM. Pat picked up his 2009 Generation II Prius in January 2009. (He won it at the "Billy the Kid Casino" in Ruidoso. Twelve months later, when I spent a few weeks with him last December, I got tired of him saying how he was getting xxx mpg. I told him that the figures he was quoting were what he was getting at that very moment, and it was not an average. I asked him how to get the reading for the avg. He did not know. Never went off the screen that shows where the power is coming from. OK, I started to touch various things on his touch screen. The bottom left icon on his screen brought me to the screen that shows the avg mpg since it had last been reset. Car had over 25000 miles on it by then, and he had never reset the mpg. Did not even know it could be done and did not know that there were more screens than the one he always looked at. From January thru December 2009, over 25000 miles, his average was 49.5 mpg. Yes, 49.5 mpg. I was impressed. Does not mean I would buy a Prius, as I like the Fusion better, but 49.5 mpg aint nothing to sneeze at.

What is your company that initiated the new cell phone security, cell phone to Sync? Just wondering if it is my company (AT&T). In my case, I don't have a "smart phone". What I use is a Motorola L9, which I purchased "unlocked", and all I had to do was to remove the SIM Card from my V-400 and install it in my L9. No bluetooth problems.

I agree. Buy from dealer stock. I've been burned ordering in the past, and will not do so again. Also, if you order, the dealer has your deposit, and you are not going to "walk away" if you find something you don't like about the ordered car.

Because you are active duty military has nothing to do with not paying the NY State Tax. When buying a car in NY, and you are going to register it in another state (such as WA), all you have to do is get an "In-Transit Permit" in NY. This allows you to not pay the NY Tax, as long as you get the car out of NY within 30 days. If your NY dealer does not know anything about the In-Transit Permit, go to the NY-DMV and get it yourself. It is just a paper tag that you use to drive the car out of NYS.

Rustproofing companies always state that they will fix rust through (holes) or give you your money back, and they will decide which. They do not cover surface rust. They warranty this for xx number of years. Years ago, my boss and I got to joking about how we could make some money. What we came up with was we would take in cars for rustproofing, wash the underside of the car, and do nothing else. Just let it sit for a day and collect the money. Give the standard warranty for xx months, covering rust through or your money back. Next we would put the money in an interest bearing account. (back when accounts paid high interest). We figured that most people would either sell/trade their car, or have an accident, or get rid of it before the warranty period was up. If anyone did make a claim with rust through, we would just give them their money back, not fix the car, and keep the interest. Sounded good to us. (but we never did it). Also, new car warranties normally cover rust through for seven years already. Why pay for additional coverage that you already have.

Slightly off subject: Hey Robert, I was just in your area (Saratoga) a couple days ago. Thursday in Corinth and friday in Balston Lake. Weather was perfect but the white stuff falling from the Cotton Wood Trees was killing me. I see that gas is 10 to 20 cents less than in the Rochester.

In years past, I used to order cars, but no more. I got "screwed" twice on an ordered car (see below). Now, I only buy from stock. If I can't find the car I want in stock, I don't buy. 1. Ordered a car and when it came, it did not have the "standard equipment" that all the brocures said came with the car. The manufacturer has an out because brocures always say words to the effect that production changes can be made at any time. (If I refuse the car, the dealer keeps my deposit). 2. Ordered a car and when it came it, there were two "imperfections" or defects in the interior. Dealer says that they will take care of it under warranty, so I take the car. (If I refuse the car, the dealer keeps my deposit). Dealer never could fix either of the imperfections. I did a fix myself on one of the problems, not a great fix, but something I could live with, and the other imperfection just stayed that way. I've never ordered a car since, and never will. I only buy out of stock, look the car over carefully, important to drive it first, never buy sight unseen as that is what you are doing when you order a car, or have a dealer get a car from another dealer. Dealer has your money and knows you are not going to refuse the car because of the deposit you left with them. (Something I just thought of - what happens to your deposit if the dealer you ordered from goes out of business, which happens often these days????) :finger:

The Trunk Organizers in that site are way overpriced. I went to my local Ford Dealer and got the Cargo Organizers designed for the Fusion. Large Cargo Organizer. Part number AE5Z-78115A00-A (Size 39" long, 12" wide, 12" high) Price $92.00 Cooler Bag. Part number AE5Z-19H484-A (Size 15" long, 12" wide, 12" high) Price $28.75 The Large Cargo Organizer has four compartments. The Cooler Bag fits perfect in the right most compartment. The above will fit the Fusion perfect. They are made from soft material, not the hard material of the POS I got for my MKZ. They also have a smaller organizer. Because I do not have a FFH, I don't know if the large organizer above will fit the FFH. Small Cargo Organizer. Part number AE5Z-78115A009-B To see what they look like, get a 2010 Fusion Brocure and the pictures are on the inside of the last page. I LOVE THIS ORGANIZER. Have it in my Genesis. The MKZ has that POS plastic thing that is next to usless.

Perhaps no "freeways" or "interstates" but you do have "The Ruby" next door to "Corner Gas" in Beatiful Downtown "Dog River". (Loved that show)

Not hijacking thread!!! My son went through that prototype back around 1981 or 82. Was then assigned to the Andrew Jackson SSBN 619. (I'd still rather be a CT :hysterical: :camera: :sos: :sos: :sos: ) Small World indeed.

Off Subject. I see you have a Saratoga location. Are you stationed at the Navy Nuclear Training Facility? I will be visiting friends in Ballston and in Corinth in June. May even hit Americade in Lake George in July.

OK, I got it. The way I see it is that the Atkinson Cycle engine is the same as an Otto Cycle engine except for very different valve timing, and perhaps an offset crankshaft. Google shows drawings of the Atkinson Cycle as also having an additional shaft to connect the regular connecting rod to an additional connecting rod which is then connected to an offset crankshaft.

Two questions. 1. What does Reconditioning do, and how does it work? 2. How does the Atkinson Cycle ICE on the Fusion work? Does the Crankshaft connect direct to the connecting rods, or is there an additional rod between the two?

E10 fuel affects different cars in different ways. Gas milage goes down in my MKZ by 10 to 20%. using E10. On the times I can get 100% gasoline, my milage goes up. Gas milage stays the same in my Genesis. No difference. Have not really checked the Continental as it is not driven very much. Yes, there are still places where I can get 100% gasoline. There is one local place that has it, but it is not a gas station, but a place that sells various fuels. Only problem with them is that their gas costs more than 15% higher than pump fuel. I buy it for lawn mower, generator, etc. Otherwise, I just buy E10. When I'm up in Penfield, I know of a station that has real gas, that costs only a few cents more than E10. I often use that station.

Today, I spotted a BEAUTIFUL Pearl White FFH with this same spoiler. That car looked FANTASTIC. Took my wife to look at FFH's today, just to see if she likes the looks of the car and size. (she likes it). My local dealer only has base FFH's, but the "One Price Dealer" about 14 miles from me has three with the Navi unit, and one of them is Pearl White. :headspin:

Don't you just love it when your dealer says: "I'm sorry Mr. Xxxxxx, but we have not been able to duplicate the problem". Also, "This is the first time we have heard of this problem". Or, "You are the only one to ever have this problem". Trust me, they have heard of the problem.

The company I retired from is no longer on Fords list. Even though it is on a very old list posted in Fords site, when I got to the down and dirty, I found that they are no longer a favored company. Even if they were, the process is not longer as easy as it was when I purchased my MKZ. At that time, all I did was to phone Friends and Family X-Plan at 1-800-348-7709 (or was it 1-800-392-3673) and I gave them the company I retired from, my in company ID number, and perhaps, some other information, and they gave me a PIN. Does not work like this anymore. Now, you have to get a company "Partner Code" direct from your company, then you have to enter the information in a Ford website. It took me a long time to find out that my former company is no longer a Ford Partner. Good Luck

If brake problems are not a safety issue, I don't know what is!

Spoke with the long time Service Writer at my local dealer, and mentioned this problem to him. His answer was "This is the first I've heard of this". :finger: How many times has anyone taken their car in with a problem, and had the Service Department tell them the same thing? Another thing they love to say is "Sorry Mr. Xxxxxx, but we have not been able to duplicate the problem". How many times have Toyota Dealers (gas pedals and Prius brakes) and Ford Dealers (FFH brakes) heard that? :censored: Just because they "have not been able to duplicate the problem" does not make it any safer.

Chappy, Don't feel bad about thinking your FFH has a hard stiff ride. (my MKZ is the same) I'm on the Genesisowners.com site and many of us, including me, feel that the Genesis has a very stiff ride. Others seem to say that this is the suspension of a "Sport Sedan". So you see, your complaint about stiff ride is not just you. Why Ford has the FFH set with a stiff ride, I don't know, because a Hybrid is NOT a Sport Sedan. People buy it for fuel economy. I could understand it more on the Fusion Sport, but not the FFH. If it makes you feel any better, my best friend has a Gen-II Prius, and that car also has a very stiff harsh ride. My wife loves her Continental, and only drives one of the other car when he has to.

In reading this thread, I swear I was reading the exact same things in the GenesisOwners.com website. (I have one). My wife does not like the harsh ride in either the Genesis or the MKZ. (She loves her Continental).