I have always been a Ford Guy, mostly into trucks. My first vehicle was a 94 Ranger with the 3.0L and 5spd. Went to a 98 Explorer from there that was ok, but then wrecked it and was forced into a 98 S-10. That truck was awful, no power and crap gas mileage. I got a new job and could finally afford something better and wanted something reliable and good on gas with a nice kick of power. My parents have owned Camry's and those things are awful. Having the GM that was awful turned me off of the Malibu. The Milan doesn't look as good as the Fusion in my opinion, I don't like the grill on the Mercurys. The only other car that was on my mind was the Accord, but after driving the Fusion, there was no other choice. I love the feel, the response, it's great. Wound up getting a 2010 Fusion SE with the 3.0L V6 auto. It is an amazing car and with the ford reliability now, you can't beat it for the price.