Was going to order - then found one in stock!

[Oman]

I was just about to order a tuxedo black 502a package when I decided to run another (unfortunately more difficult than it needs to be) wide-area inventory search. After hearing "it is already sold" or "we are keeping it for demos for now" 5 times I finally got the answer that I was looking for... "It is for sale and not yet committed".

 

6 hours later I was driving home my new FFH. For the past 6 years I have been driving an Expedition - the last one an EB EL. I now commute 64 miles round-trip, but if I have to spend that kind of time in a vehicle I want to be comfortable, feel safe, and be able to have fun!

 

The Fusion was the only car I would even consider trading my truck in for. I drove everything else under the sun. Everything either did not get good enough mileage to bother with, drove like a tin can on square wheels, couldn't get out of its own way, or was so ugly I would have wanted darkly tinted windows to hide behind.

 

I've had this car three days now and I absolutely love it. I'm a fairly lead-footed driver and I'm getting around 37mpg vs. my Expedition at 15mpg for the same trip.

 

I just wish they would drop the Mercury brand and stop holding out features. 8-way power seats with no memory? No HID?(They are nearly 3x more energy efficient) No universal remote? I could have chosen the Merc but the exterior is just, well, not nearly as nice as the Fusion to put it mildly.

 

This is also the first car I've had any interest in customizing in any way. Odd.

 

Jon

[Quincy]

Congratulations!

 

The Fusion Hybrid is indeed a fine choice. Now you will be going through the 5 stages of your ownership experience:

 

1 - Fascination with your new car, the honeymoon period.

 

2 - Discovering all the neat things about the Fusion Hybrid, like how you don't need to change the brake pads until after 100,000 miles.

 

3 - Learning and fine-tuning your driving techniques to get the most out of your Fusion Hybrid.

 

4 - Nirvana-- As you mastered everything your Fusion Hybrid has to offer.

 

5 - and the realization that it can be SO MUCH BETTER... And hoping Ford will keep improving the Fusion Hybrid in the future with new technologies like smaller, lighter Lithium-powered battery packs and Plug-In options so we can drastically decrease our need to visit a gas station to fill up.

 

B)

[PJFW8]

Congratulations!

 

The Fusion Hybrid is indeed a fine choice. Now you will be going through the 5 stages of your ownership experience:

 

1 - Fascination with your new car, the honeymoon period.

 

2 - Discovering all the neat things about the Fusion Hybrid, like how you don't need to change the brake pads until after 100,000 miles.

 

3 - Learning and fine-tuning your driving techniques to get the most out of your Fusion Hybrid.

 

4 - Nirvana-- As you mastered everything your Fusion Hybrid has to offer.

 

5 - and the realization that it can be SO MUCH BETTER... And hoping Ford will keep improving the Fusion Hybrid in the future with new technologies like smaller, lighter Lithium-powered battery packs and Plug-In options so we can drastically decrease our need to visit a gas station to fill up.

 

B)You will love this car! I've had my FFH for a month! The big shock is that it is smooth, quiet and still a driver's car. Once the engine is warm it is easy to get into the 40's in anything other than a 70 speed zone. I agree that memory seats, HID's. auto wipers, and keyless start would be nice but the car is very well equiped. I love the Nav, Sync, rear camera etc. Absolutely no regrets!

[Oman]

I'm an engineer by trade (mostly software with some hardware) so I really like gadgets and good design. I also like to drive. I spent considerable time researching the power plant that Ford has (as well as the others that are available). It is a pretty impressive engineering feat. As I learned more about the design I continuously was swinging between a feeling of "wow, that is ingenious" and "I wonder if they tried..." Ford developed their own design but it is 95% similar to the pre-2010 Toyota Synergy Drive system, thus the patent licensing agreement. It is very hard to find Ford specific GenII info, but if you find anything on the Synergy it will pretty much be the same.

 

This car isn't perfect but I truly appreciate the fact that Ford had a target in mind that was novel and I think they nailed it perfectly.

 

I have spent quite a bit of time lurking on various Prius forums and it seems like a good majority of Prius owners will never want anything like the Fusion. On the other hand I also think that a fair number of Prius owners settled on the Prius because nothing available at the time really met all their needs. I know I severely disliked the Prius and love the Fusion so far.

 

I'm at stage 3 and 5 at the same time.

 

PS: I went to pick up DQ for the family last night. The drive-through is right next to the outdoor sitting area. DQ was packed. It was just starting to cool down outside from a record setting heat so I rolled down the windows and turned off the A/C. I started to get the strangest looks as people realized my car was moving forward but not making any sound at all. It wasn't until someone pointed out the little hybrid logo on the side that it made sense to them, then all of a sudden I had people coming up to my door and asking me about the car. "I would have NEVER guessed that a hybrid would look like that" was the general response. I've had two cops stare for quite a while too as I "stealthed" through our little downtown business area.

 

:shift:

[jamgolf]

Congratulations ! I am also a former Expedition owner (currently my wife drives a Navigator). Wanted a fuel economic vehicle as the second car so bought the FFH. It is a great car. I've been getting ~45 mpg on a regular basis for my 40 mile (round trip commute). Its half highway and half city - but during rush hour the speed rarely exceeds 60 mph even on the highway. So it works out well.

 

I also wish it had HIDs but hey I like it even without the HIDs.

[Quincy]

Well, I own a Prius too, but I do like the Fusion Hybrid very much because it's like a Prius on steroids. :lol:

 

Fusion Hybrid owners can learn a lot from Prius owners. All of the driving techniques they developed on the Prius like Pulse and Glide is entirely applicable to the Fusion Hybrid since they share such similar drivetrains, and we can also learn a thing or two like winter operations (where the Prius owners often partially block grills or have engine block heaters installed to improve fuel economy).

 

Any PSD-equipped car is fine by me! And that includes hybrids from Ford, Nissan (they licensed the PSD system for their Nissan Altima Hybrid too), Lexus and Toyota. B) They are all birds of the same feather, so to speak.

[Oman]

I'm only getting about 36 or so. About 1/3 of my drive is at 70-75 though (the speed limit on the HWY is 70 and I would say the average speed of travel when the traffic is not heavy is 75). The other thing that I found is that the on-ramps are short and the right lane is generally doing about 65 around the interchanges. That means I have to accelerate pretty hard. I'm happy that the FFH has plenty of power to get on but MAN it kills the mileage.

 

I still have a hard time accepting that stop-and-go at up to 45MPH actually gets me better mileage than 65 continuous. That just seems so wrong to me :>

 

Jon

 

 

Congratulations ! I am also a former Expedition owner (currently my wife drives a Navigator). Wanted a fuel economic vehicle as the second car so bought the FFH. It is a great car. I've been getting ~45 mpg on a regular basis for my 40 mile (round trip commute). Its half highway and half city - but during rush hour the speed rarely exceeds 60 mph even on the highway. So it works out well.

 

I also wish it had HIDs but hey I like it even without the HIDs.

[maxpower220]

I just wish they would drop the Mercury brand and stop holding out features. 8-way power seats with no memory? No HID?(They are nearly 3x more energy efficient) No universal remote? I could have chosen the Merc but the exterior is just, well, not nearly as nice as the Fusion to put it mildly.Jon

 

We test drove 2 fully loaded Milans, neither of them had universal remote or memory seats, so it's not Ford vs Mercury, it's just sad. $33K sticker and basic options aren't even available on a car with Nav, leather, hybrid, sunroof, and backup camera?????

[Oman]

I didn't go in one, as I knew I did not like the looks of it from 20 feet away. The changes are only cosmetic but to me it sure made a difference. The salesman said the options had been left off the Ford for the Merc, maybe he meant the Lincoln (which as far as I know still is not going to be offered with a hybrid plant)

 

I actually saw the Altima hybrid today. I was following one on my way to work. We eyeballed each other for a while at the stop light. They are not available here in Minnesota so he must have purchased out of state (local plates). Big mistake in my mind as I checked with the local Nissan dealer here when I was researching cars and he said that because they are not sold in this region they are not allowed to stock a single hybrid-specific part. Everything is days away and their techs get no training.

 

I wouldn't want to travel out of state on a trip with it either.

 

It was nice looking though.

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

We test drove 2 fully loaded Milans, neither of them had universal remote or memory seats, so it's not Ford vs Mercury, it's just sad. $33K sticker and basic options aren't even available on a car with Nav, leather, hybrid, sunroof, and backup camera?????

[Mercury Milan]

No HID?

Actually I was looking at the wiring diagrams and the car may very well be wired for HID already even though you're car may not have it. My best guess is that they are going to offer it next year as an option. Looks like you'd just need some relays and the HID bulbs to get it to work. When I get my car I'll be looking at this more closely, but HIDS are shown in the 2010 diagrams. This is really no big surprise since it shares so much with the MKZ. Regarding the seats, you will probably see them adding this next year as well. Remember this is the first year with the new facelift and they simply can't offer every single feature right away. They need to save some 'goodies' for the next couple of years. BTW the first time I saw the Milan I didn't like it either, but now I LOVE the way it looks. Very refined and fits in well with the Lincoln/Mercury lineup. The Fusion to me is more sporty but also more dressed down, which is not what I'm looking for. It's 6 of one and a half dozen of another, to each his own :)

[Oman]

Normally replacing any filament bulb with an HID is a very bad idea. It will blind other drivers, which is clearly a bad thing. I have been hearing rumors however that Ford built the optics in the '10 headlamp module to be able to handle a point source light if it is at the correct position. It would be interesting to find out for sure. There isn't much room for access to the bulbs though on the FFH. The aftermarket ballasts are quite small, and now easier than ever to wire.

 

(a 35 watt HID is roughly twice as bright as a 55 watt halogen which is why they need hard cutoff lines)

 

Jon

 

 

 

Actually I was looking at the wiring diagrams and the car may very well be wired for HID already even though you're car may not have it. My best guess is that they are going to offer it next year as an option. Looks like you'd just need some relays and the HID bulbs to get it to work. When I get my car I'll be looking at this more closely, but HIDS are shown in the 2010 diagrams. This is really no big surprise since it shares so much with the MKZ. Regarding the seats, you will probably see them adding this next year as well. Remember this is the first year with the new facelift and they simply can't offer every single feature right away. They need to save some 'goodies' for the next couple of years. BTW the first time I saw the Milan I didn't like it either, but now I LOVE the way it looks. Very refined and fits in well with the Lincoln/Mercury lineup. The Fusion to me is more sporty but also more dressed down, which is not what I'm looking for. It's 6 of one and a half dozen of another, to each his own :)

[Oman]

Just filled up for the first time. 38.4 MPG average according to car. Gas added / mileage calculation indicates 36.6 MPG. At least 3/4 of that distance was 55MPH or 70MPH Hwy. I have been trying to drive the same way I have in the past but I have to admit that the smart gauges make it nearly impossible not to change your driving habits to be more efficient. Nice.

 

My best trip was 47.5 MPG and my worst was 30 MPG.

 

My mileage might have been just a tiny bit better than I calculated as my truck needed about 10 clicks on the gas pump to even come close to a full tank. One extra click on the FFH and I've got gas pouring down the filler overflow under the car.

 

 

Jon

[BearCat]

Normally replacing any filament bulb with an HID is a very bad idea. It will blind other drivers, which is clearly a bad thing. I have been hearing rumors however that Ford built the optics in the '10 headlamp module to be able to handle a point source light if it is at the correct position. It would be interesting to find out for sure. There isn't much room for access to the bulbs though on the FFH. The aftermarket ballasts are quite small, and now easier than ever to wire.

 

(a 35 watt HID is roughly twice as bright as a 55 watt halogen which is why they need hard cutoff lines)

 

Jon

 

Its not the wattage, its the difference between a "burner" and a "filament" and how the light is generated.

 

However throwing a HID burner into anything other than suitable cabinet, like you so indicated, (which hopefully be in the later FFH/MMH will be) will cause scatter and glare and you will not get the true useful output of the light. And the fact its REALLY annoying and easy to pick out.

[BearCat]

BTW the first time I saw the Milan I didn't like it either, but now I LOVE the way it looks. Very refined and fits in well with the Lincoln/Mercury lineup. The Fusion to me is more sporty but also more dressed down, which is not what I'm looking for. It's 6 of one and a half dozen of another, to each his own :)

 

I wish I could get teh FFH front end with a MMH rear end. I dont like the look of a "blank" trunk lid that way.

[Oman]

I'm going to be adding the spoiler to the rear-end. It is low enough profile that it doesn't seem to be adding any aero-drag for the people who have done it. I'm also going to try an LED upgrade for the tail lights. It won't look as nice as the ford ones (that appears to only be available for the Lincoln) but they are nice and bright and don't have that annoying delay between the LED 3rd brake light and the main brake lights.

 

Jon

 

 

I wish I could get teh FFH front end with a MMH rear end. I dont like the look of a "blank" trunk lid that way.