Does a Fusion Hybrid make sense for me?

[SteveK2]

I'm thinking about buying a Fusion Hybrid, but I have a question for all of you. I'm retired now, and most places I need to go are close enough for me to get to by walking or biking. As a result, I don't really drive a lot -- about 2500 miles a year or less, and my car will sometimes sit in the garage unused for a week. Because a hybrid's battery is only charged by the gas engine and the regenerative braking system, I'm concerned that if I buy a hybrid, the battery will always be in a very low state of charge. Does anyone know what impact that will have on fuel economy and battery life? Would I be better off buying a Fusion Energi instead so I can charge the battery by plugging it in? Thanks!!

[murphy]

The High Voltage Battery is disconnected when the car is turned off so its charge level shouldn't change while it is parked. That said I much prefer the Energi. I am also retired and my longest destination is 11 miles. I last bought gas in June of 2014 and the tank is still 1/3 full. I put StaBil in it to preserve the gas. The gas was used during the winter since the HVB efficiency goes down in the bitter cold and I couldn't complete the 22 mile round trip without the battery going to zero.

[hybridbear]

I'm thinking about buying a Fusion Hybrid, but I have a question for all of you. I'm retired now, and most places I need to go are close enough for me to get to by walking or biking. As a result, I don't really drive a lot -- about 2500 miles a year or less, and my car will sometimes sit in the garage unused for a week. Because a hybrid's battery is only charged by the gas engine and the regenerative braking system, I'm concerned that if I buy a hybrid, the battery will always be in a very low state of charge. Does anyone know what impact that will have on fuel economy and battery life? Would I be better off buying a Fusion Energi instead so I can charge the battery by plugging it in? Thanks!!

I would look at the Energi. With the short trips you mostly drive you would be able to go many months without buying gas just like murphy. I don't know how much you do long distance (100+ mile) trips, but if you don't do that very often then you could even look at a full electric car. That would allow you to make longer trips (up to around 75 miles usually) without using any gas. The Fusion Energi usually can get you around 20-25 miles of electric range.

[mwr]

My taike on it is that at only 2500 miles a year, it really doesn't matter what your gas mileage is because you'll use so little gas whatever type of engine you get. You woulld probbaly never come close to getting the additional price of the hybrid back in gas savings.

[machoman1337]

With that little driving, you really won't have any meaningful "payback" from driving a hybrid. However, a hybrid is more than just saving gas - it's a different type of car and if you like the experience of operating one (e.g. smooth EV acceleration, silent cruising, silent at red lights), then the extra cost is well worth it. If that sort of experience means nothing to you, then that's fine - save your $$$ and buy the gas model, maybe the ecoboost.

 

However you do have to consider whether or not you need a lot of trunk space as the battery will intrude. The standard hybrid already chops out 25% of the trunk space from the regular Fusion, and the Energi's even bigger battery makes the trunk laughable. I can never load two full-sized fat luggages into the trunk of my FFH, because the space between the top of the battery and the top of the trunk isn't thick enough.

[rjent]

I vote the Energi. I just traded (sold to CarMax) a '13 HyTi and leased an Energi Titanium. They have a 6000 dollar incentive going until July, it is what made me jump. Like HB says, an electric would do what you are presenting, but you are limited to the immediate area of where you live. The Energi is a good choice for both worlds.

 

JMHO

Edited June 8, 2015 by rjent

[raadsel]

I'll echo what others are saying, the Fusion Energi sounds like it would fit your lifestyle better. You can find them used for roughly the same price as a used Fusion (non-Energi) hybrid, and hybrids/Energis are cheap right now due to the low gas prices (not much "hybrid penalty" on used cars). A hybrid doesn't sound ideal for you, if you are mostly taking short trips, as you typically need to travel at least 5 miles before you start seeing much benefit from the hybrid system -- the engine stays on a lot initially to warm the engine and fluids. So, if most of your driving is short trips, then you'll likely not see much improvement in fuel economy over a non-hybrid.

 

I would also look at the C-Max Energi. The C-Max is more of a small CUV style car but has the same powertrain/batteries as the Fusion Energi. The advantage to the C-Max, especially for those of us that are older, is the extra height makes it easy to get in and out of the car and it has more of an upright seating position. On the other hand, it doesn't have some of the higher end options available (such as Blind spot monitoring or adaptive cruise control). I was very torn between the C-Max and the Fusion Hybrid -- I liked the Fusion for the driver assist options but slightly preferred the C-Max for the height and better storage capacity (particularly with the rear seats down). I don't think you can go wrong with either car and I came very close to buying a Fusion.

[SteveK2]

Hey, I really appreciate all of you responding to my post so quickly! The willingness of folks like you to help is one of the things that makes me love forums like this one.

 

Basically, you're confirming my feeling that a plug-in hybrid like the Energi is probably a better choice for me. For me, buying a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric car isn't about saving money. I'm just intrigued with the technology and driving experience, and owning at least one electrified vehicle of some sort is one of the things on my bucket list. I don't take many long-distance trips by car, but I do take some, so a Fusion Energi or Chevy Volt seem like a good way to go. I'm aware of the limited trunk space in the Energi, but to be honest that bothers me less than the fact that a spare tire isn't available. (The 2016 Volt offers a spare tire as a dealer option, which I like, but I really prefer driving a midsize sedan like the Fusion rather than a compact like the Volt.) I've still got some thinking to do, but for now you've convinced me to focus on the Fusion Energi.

 

Thanks again for your comments!

[Cobra348]

Missed a problem with my idea and Energi. Deleted my post.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Cobra348

[Texasota]

Both Energi models have 17" rims ... so a 16" donut should be able to fit in the back end in place of the mobility kit. The linked thread is in here and was my shopping list and installation guide. The 16" donut (if used) will not impact things as much as if you had 18" rims.

 

If I remember correctly from the threads on spare tires the standard donut spare does not work on the FFE. Somethign about the calipers being different and not allowing the donut spare to be mounted.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Texasota

[Cobra348]

 

If I remember correctly from the threads on spare tires the standard donut spare does not work on the FFE. Somethign about the calipers being different and not allowing the donut spare to be mounted.

I might have missed that ... can someone verify? I don't want to give a new owner wrong advice.

[lolder]

You should buy a ten year old Camry for peanuts.

[Texasota]

I might have missed that ... can someone verify? I don't want to give a new owner wrong advice.

Start reading here: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/8697-warning-spare-wheel-for-hybrid-doesnt-work-for-energi/?p=80129

[Cobra348]

ACK! Modified my post. Thanks!

[murphy]

I drove a 2002 Crown Victoria for 8 years. It came with a spare. The spare was never used.

I drove a 2010 Fusion hybrid for 4 years. It came with a spare. The spare was never used.

I've been driving a 2013 Fusion Energi for over 2 years. It did not come with a spare. I have not had a flat tire. I do carry a tire plug kit and could fix a nail puncture through the tread myself using the kit and the air compressor that comes with the car (not in goo insertion mode - just air).

[SteveK2]

You're right, of course. Better yet, I should just keep my 10-year-old Malibu that's still in showroom condition. But the idea of driving a new type of car is just too appealing!

[SteveK2]

Unfortunately, I have had a somewhat different experience. I drove a Camry that had three flats in four years, primarily because there was lots of house construction going on at the time in the area where I lived and contractors were a bit careless about how much debris they dropped in the streets.