Moosehead

The fog lights

I have them... was pretty happy with them last year. Haven't had a chance to put them on this year yet.

It's never 'worth it' to trade in a car in the first couple of years. Depends if you are happy or not. There will always be another car that is a bit newer or a bit nicer than whatever you have. This is one reason for leasing :) I have a Fusion Sport, but was originally going back and forth with the sales guy on an MKZ - then changed my mind when I saw a Fusion Sport and liked the styling better (by the way, this is a terrible negotiating tactic.) If I were to move up to anything in the Lincoln line I'd probably go for an MKS EcoBoost as my next car, just for the sake of something that doesn't remind me too much of my previous car. I really don't understand people who buy 5 Camry's in a row (or why Toyota makes commercials bragging about it.) I want something different each time. The only thing I noticed in the MKZ vs Fusion is that the MKZ seats are way more comfortable.

I've ordered from tirerack before and had it shipped to Canada - it still ended up cheaper than the dealer or any local shop. It was funny to see the UPS guy rolling the tire up my driveway. If you were going to ship them to a US postal box/or pick up at a tirerack depot and then transport them over, you won't have issues if you pay the required duty (depending on where they are made) + taxes. If you try to avoid that you might find your car being seized :) I hear Costco has ok prices for tires too, if you are a member or know one.

I know, but I hope Ford works with them to make it work

It can't read text's off my BlackBerry 9700 but everything else works fine. It does look like most smartphones aren't compatible. I guess they lock the messages down in their own proprietary way in order to enable all the cool features they can do, and Sync doesn't know how to read each manufacturer's method. I hope the next version of Sync not only handles most SmartPhones, but also integrates with email. Imagine the voice reading a whole email to you :)

Yes you can switch by selecting USB2 in the Nav system, or under Aux on your regular menu (I think) - or you can use the "USB 2" voice command

It seems like the auto temp control likes to let the system get to the desired temp before really kicking the fan on. I guess that's better than blowing cold air in the winter or hot air in the summer. If you can bear to just start driving, the system gets to the right level much quicker than when idling. It also 'knows' how aggressive it needs to be based on the current exterior temperature. But it takes a while to figure things out if your garage is warmer or cooler than outside.

I found the stock tires 'ok' in Ottawa but I still use dedicated winters. I'm not sure I'd want to use any set year-round as there are compromises made either way (the compound used in winter tires tends to wear out faster.) If you are rotating tires regularly you have an opportunity to do your changeover there (and most tire shops, including Ford dealers here, don't charge extra for a changeover to existing (already mounted) seasonal tires when you pay for a rotation.) Before I had the Fusion my biggest worry in the winter without snow tires (well other than stopping!) was getting started at intersections where I had to turn. If the road was covered in slush it was hard to stay in the lane while turning at a reasonable speed. The people behind me with AWD and/or snow tires would get a bit frustrated. With the Fusion's AWD and traction control I haven't had this problem even when I had the stock all season tires on. The difference with winters is noticeable. Not as much as compared to driving a car that doesn't have traction control, but still it makes a big difference when driving on snow covered roads (or on those days when you are late for work and don't have time to shovel the driveway...)

From the manual (page 60 on the version you can download at https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp : ) Lamp assembly condensation Exterior lamps are vented to accommodate normal changes in pressure. Condensation can be a natural by-product of this design. When moist air enters the lamp assembly through the vents, there is a possibility that condensation can occur when the temperature is cold. When normal condensation occurs, a thin film of mist can form on the interior of the lens. The thin mist eventually clears and exits through the vents during normal operation. Clearing time may take as long as 48 hours under dry weather conditions. Examples of acceptable condensation are: • Presence of thin mist (no streaks, drip marks or droplets) • Fine mist covers less than 50% of the lens Examples of unacceptable moisture (usually caused by a lamp water leak) are: • Water puddle inside the lamp • Large water droplets, drip marks or streaks present on the interior of the lens Take your vehicle to a dealer for service if any of the above conditions of unacceptable moisture are present.

If you don't use a cellphone or music player... hmm well you can still transfer your CDs of music onto a USB memory key and then you won't have to manipulate the CDs. Of course if you have a CD changer you might not care much. If nothing else, you can get a very basic cell phone plan - just make sure your phone has bluetooth - and Sync will call 911 for you if you crash the car. Sorry I guess this is all I could come up with. It's kind of designed for the stuff you said you wouldn't use.

I have the 2010 Sport with the same 225/45R18. For winter I use 205/60R16, with boring black steel rims. Could also have gone to 225/50R17. Basically if you look at the specs of the Fusion S and SE/SEL (without Sport appearance) you see these sizes fit. Tirerack.com also confirms it. And I ran it by the dealer to be sure too! :)

I have one on my window too but it's in French. The English version of the "objects in mirror" text is on the mirror itself like in most cars. I'm in Canada so I guess this was there way of meeting a bilingual requirement. The sticker is hard to take off... so far I've just left it since it's not very noticeable

... Oops posted twice

The MKZ is basically a Fusion Sport with nicer seats (etc) just like the MKZ Hybrid is a Fusion Hybrid with nicer seats (etc) The Fusion Sport FWD comes in a bit cheaper than a Hybrid but on the MKZ side they are getting rid of this difference. My earlier post was based on Canadian pricing, where the Sport costs more than the Hybrid, but that's because the Sport only comes in AWD here. Just comparing them to see what the premium 'could' have been to get a Hybrid MKZ.