Owner Reviews

[fusionTX]

I wish we could get some reviews on the 2013 FFH from actual owners. It would be helpful to prospective buyers, and while most owners here seem happy, most of the posts are about specific items and don't describe the whole car experience.

 

I'm sure you can share the good, bad and ugly.

[acdii]

Not going to go into any details on the MPG, I think its been documented to the extreme here, but, for the car itself.....

 

 

Probably the best deal you can find is the Fusion. When you add up all the options available, with the exception of not being able to get the Sony in anything but the Titanium trim, the Fusion SE Hybrid has it. Adaptive Cruise control, BLIS, Park Assist, Driver assist, lane keeping, Collision Avoidance.

 

If you want a car with all that, you can get a Toyota Avalon Hybrid, and spend $45,000, or you can save $10,000 and get a Fusion.

 

On mine, other than the overhead sunglass holder buzzing, which seems to have gone away, there have been no other issues in fit finish or quality. The MyFord Touch however is Sh^t! It is too bad you cant choose the older style Nav that is in the 2012 F150 with Applink. Much easier to use, and works!

 

The Drive is great, smooth, comfortable, tracks nicely, handles very well, on par with the 2010 Fusion Sport we had, and we LIKED that car. It may not have the giddy up and nice roar of the V6, but the handling is there.

 

The 18" Goodyear LS2 tires grip very well, driven through snow and on ice and did not have any traction issues, and they are also quiet.

 

If I had a choice between this car and a Toyota Camry, I will take the Fusion. If it was between the Fusion or Avalon though, and could afford the Avalon, for the difference in EPA ratings, I would choose the Avalon, but then again, for the $10,000 premium, its going to be a nicer ride.

 

Overall I am happy with the car, otherwise it would have been gone weeks ago, it's Ford Corporate that I am not thrilled with, and am hoping they get their act together and own up to their mistakes. They designed an awesome ride, and of course mistakes will be made, but to say nothing is wrong, when there are obvious problems instead of owning up and saying yes, we believe it can be improved upon, and we are working on it, leaves one a little empty inside.

[coach81]

OH BOY!!!!!

 

Good:

1. Looks are stunning.. non-stop compliments from everyone.

2. Drive is smooth, and quiet.

3. Looks and drives like a much more expensive car.

4. Technology is absolutely state of the art, and flat out amazing.

5. Gas mileage has been unbelievable (speaking of my own experience)

6. Plenty of room in front and back for the entire family (of 4)

7. Lane keep, reverse cam, moonroof, sirius radio, navigation, all touch sensitive, climate control, all are just fantastic

8. An absolute blast to drive.. part fun, part MPG game

9. Everyone wants to drive it... (but to date I have not allowed them.. not even my wife)

10. Hands down the best vehicle I have ever driven or owned.

 

Bad:

1. My SE did not come with push button start.

 

Hope this helps!!!

[terryb]

I have the same experience as Coach. I'm in love with the car, but I wish I had Intelligent access and push button start. I retired last spring so my routine 18 mile mixed drive commute is history. My '10 used to provide mileage up to 48MPG both ways (very little terrain here in Metro Houston). From last years post retirement, I know that the short trip to the bank and grocery are real fuel suckers, but the return trip always gets 40+. This one gets mirror like results. I'm going to drive 1000+ to Tampa at the end of the month, so I'll have a chance to streatch her legs.

Edited February 16, 2013 by terryb

[ace8726872]

I absolutely agree with coach81. I love everything about my '13 Ford Fusion Hybrid! I have always been a Honda person as my wife and drove various Honda and Acura cars for the past 20+ years. I have been looking at the latest Honda Accord but when I got in the Fusion, it blew everything else out of the water. For my budget of $30,000, I did not find any better car than the Fusion.

 

Just about the only things I don't like are the lack of push button start like coach81 mentioned. How key fits in the steering column seems a bit flimsy to me. Another thing I don't like so far is how the big Nav screen shows a lot of finger marks with all the poking I do. This is not a Fusion problem but since Fusion combined all of the car's functions into the touch screen, it gets poked a lot! Since I don't know how to operate either the voice command or the steering wheel mounted controls yet, I am relying on the screen but I am sure I will poke less as I learn the alternate controls eventually.

 

I wonder how Ford could sell a car with this much build quality (did you feel how heavy the doors were?), with this much technology, whisper quiet ride, great driving dynamics and great hybrid system for around $30,000. I think it is worth every penny!

 

Thanks.

[elle]

I agree with the other reviews here. Even with the somewhat lower than expected fuel economy, I still don't think you can beat this car for features at its price point, I'm consistently getting 38-42mpg in mine without too much effort, and I don't think there's another car that offers what this car offers that also gets this kind of mileage and is available at this price. This car still offers a lot of bang for the buck and I am not disappointed.

 

I would also have preferred the push button start, as well as the dual exhaust (I know it's not needed on a hybrid but it sure looks good). Being a former Prius owner, I also miss not having the shifter on the dashboard. It was nice ergonomics having the cup holders where the shifter is now. But I will get used to that.

 

Since I ended up not buying the car I ordered, I've had a few pleasant surprises, most notably the adaptive cruise control. Never will I buy another car that does not have this feature. I love, love, love this feature and use it all the time. Also the blind spot monitors. Did not order that, but would not want to be without it now. The lane keeping feature is also something I didn't order. I like it, but it's not a game changer. It has taught me that I tend to hug the center line, though, which is probably a good thing to stop doing.

 

Basically, this car feels solid, it's fun to drive, and it looks great. I get compliments on it all the time.

[DeeCee]

Agee with your comments on the adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor and lane keeping feature. I use the ACC a lot and love it.

[Riggo]

Can you guys elaborate on why the adaptive cruise is such an important feature to you? Do you live in rural areas? I decided not to get it because I live in a metropolitan area and the Washington DC beltway is the only time I'd really use it. Even then the roads are so crowded with traffic I'm not sure it would be useful for me.

[terryb]

I use it a great deal, but I'm in a suburban setting ner home and select drive times to avoid bumper to bumper conditions. If you aren't able to gain and keep a couple of car lengths clearance then you're pretty much out of luck. It really is handy to have an extra set of sensors watching ahead for unforseen changes.

[elle]

I live and work in Sacramento, not a rural area at all. I find that I can pretty much turn ACC on when I get in the car in the morning and use it through my whole commute, which is really no highway driving. The sensors keep me in line with traffic and I can use the + and - buttons to gently speed up and slow down when I am in traffic, and these can be used in conjunction with empower mode to keep the car in EV mode as much as possible. Coupled with some common sense tricks, like hitting the + on downhill stretches to take advantage of momentum, etc., the ACC seems to help me get more out of the car when I am not interested in really hypermiling it on my own.

[acdii]

It is those features mentioned that has kept me with the Fusion, even if it isnt a hybrid. I could have jumped ship to Toyota, but they dont offer the lane keeping or ACC on the Camry, only the BLIS and cross traffic. I also like the auto dim high beams, when they work.

[Riggo]

Interesting. What's the minimum speed the ACC works?

[DeeCee]

I have used mine down to 30 mph. Not sure what the actual minimum is. My driving is rural and small city where the traffic usually is not too heavy.

[terryb]

It will run at 25 in a school zone. I try to stay awake anyway.

[elle]

Seems to start working at around 20 MPH.

[Riggo]

.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Riggo

[Riggo]

So once you hit the brake do you have to reset it. Like at a stoplight? Or does it kick back on again when you start moving again?

[ny2oc1996]

Although our Titanium Fusion is still on order there are two things listed by others above that impacted our decision.

 

Coach81's comment about plenty of room front and back is right on. I am 5' 11" and could not sit in the back seat of the Kia Optima as my head rubs the ceiling but I have more than an inch clearance in the back of a Fusion while both car rear headroom specs are virtually identical. Lesson learned, don't go by internet spec comparisons. Go sit in front and back of all candidate cars. Also, moonroofs reduce headroom clearance for the driver. My wife's current Mustang w/moonroof has a soil mark in the headliner from my hair rubbing the headliner. In the 2013 Fusion with the seat all the way down, I do have just enough clearance in a relaxed driving position however, if I sit up straight my hair brushes the headliner. So although the Fusion would be considered ample room in our case I felt it was a little too close to call and did not order a moonroof coupled with the fact that it was rarely used in the Mustang

 

Acdii referred to the Sony radio in this and other posts and I felt it might be helpful to others if this was explained in detail. To start, the Sony radio is the only one with HD Radio. HD radio is all free and offers many extra stations in full HD digital broadcast which means that all AM stations (the worst quality frequency) has FM quality and all FM stations have CD quailty. As an example, here in Southern California, K-earth 101.1 plays oldies but has an additional station in HD called 101.1 HD2 which specializes in "classic" oldies unlike their regular broadcast station and the HD2 station is not constantly interrupted with news, commercials etc.

 

The Sony system incorporates 12 speakers, 390Watts, Dolby 5.1 surround processing and a subwoofer. What does all of this mean? Just like the back seat extra headroom, it's best for you to decide. I visited a dealer who had a non hybrid Fusion titanium with the Sony radio parked next to a Fusion SE without the Sony. I brought a CD with me and did an A/B comparison (don't use the car radio for this test). The Sony system superiority was immediately evident. The base in the SE was flat and sounded very "car radio" like while the Sony bass was deep, rich and surprisingly clean. But the more important difference was the sound experience. The SE sounded spacially very much like a front and back speaker sound stage while the Sony immerses you with a surround sound. The reason you need to test this yourself is different people have very different opinions regarding music quality. Some are very critical home stereo type audiophiles while the other end of the spectrum are the tone deaf. Most people fall somewhere inbetween.

 

I've done at least a half dozen extended road tests and can report the suspension performed pretty much what I expected on bumps and bounces. No complaints but nothing extraordinary. It was the handling that was the big surprise. It was nothing like your average mid-size family sedan. It handled much like the more expensive European sedans. Even the NY Times who some say are a Detriot basher raved about the new Fusion handling.

 

"Yet judged strictly on performance, the Ford is a marvel. It is a bona fide driver’s car, the rare family sedan that loves a curve-chucking detour on the way to work. The chassis, suspension, brakes and steering all rank at the top of the class, or near it. The Fusion sets the sporty sedan standard over formidable new rivals like the Nissan Altima andVolkswagen Passat, leaving the Honda Accord as its closest competitor."

 

Somehow that NY Times quote was more surprising than my road test "big surprise" experience

[elle]

So once you hit the brake do you have to reset it. Like at a stoplight? Or does it kick back on again when you start moving again?

 

There's a button you can press to resume your most recently set speed. The display shows you that speed-- once you hit the brakes, it puts a line through that number. If you hit resume, the line goes away and the car will accelerate to that speed again. However, you still have to wait until you reach 20 mph before hitting resume has any effect.

Edited February 21, 2013 by elle

[pers69]

Nice post, ny2oc. Helped me feel better about waiting for the HyTi I ordered - they can't delay production much longer now.

 

Looking forward to that Sony and the push button start. Wife and daughter dig the ambient lighting as well - with my daughter requesting green (her current favorite color) when I chauffeur her about.

[acdii]

Although our Titanium Fusion is still on order there are two things listed by others above that impacted our decision.

 

Coach81's comment about plenty of room front and back is right on. I am 5' 11" and could not sit in the back seat of the Kia Optima as my head rubs the ceiling but I have more than an inch clearance in the back of a Fusion while both car rear headroom specs are virtually identical. Lesson learned, don't go by internet spec comparisons. Go sit in front and back of all candidate cars. Also, moonroofs reduce headroom clearance for the driver. My wife's current Mustang w/moonroof has a soil mark in the headliner from my hair rubbing the headliner. In the 2013 Fusion with the seat all the way down, I do have just enough clearance in a relaxed driving position however, if I sit up straight my hair brushes the headliner. So although the Fusion would be considered ample room in our case I felt it was a little too close to call and did not order a moonroof coupled with the fact that it was rarely used in the Mustang

 

Acdii referred to the Sony radio in this and other posts and I felt it might be helpful to others if this was explained in detail. To start, the Sony radio is the only one with HD Radio. HD radio is all free and offers many extra stations in full HD digital broadcast which means that all AM stations (the worst quality frequency) has FM quality and all FM stations have CD quailty. As an example, here in Southern California, K-earth 101.1 plays oldies but has an additional station in HD called 101.1 HD2 which specializes in "classic" oldies unlike their regular broadcast station and the HD2 station is not constantly interrupted with news, commercials etc.

 

The Sony system incorporates 12 speakers, 390Watts, Dolby 5.1 surround processing and a subwoofer. What does all of this mean? Just like the back seat extra headroom, it's best for you to decide. I visited a dealer who had a non hybrid Fusion titanium with the Sony radio parked next to a Fusion SE without the Sony. I brought a CD with me and did an A/B comparison (don't use the car radio for this test). The Sony system superiority was immediately evident. The base in the SE was flat and sounded very "car radio" like while the Sony bass was deep, rich and surprisingly clean. But the more important difference was the sound experience. The SE sounded spacially very much like a front and back speaker sound stage while the Sony immerses you with a surround sound. The reason you need to test this yourself is different people have very different opinions regarding music quality. Some are very critical home stereo type audiophiles while the other end of the spectrum are the tone deaf. Most people fall somewhere inbetween.

 

I've done at least a half dozen extended road tests and can report the suspension performed pretty much what I expected on bumps and bounces. No complaints but nothing extraordinary. It was the handling that was the big surprise. It was nothing like your average mid-size family sedan. It handled much like the more expensive European sedans. Even the NY Times who some say are a Detriot basher raved about the new Fusion handling.

 

"Yet judged strictly on performance, the Ford is a marvel. It is a bona fide driver’s car, the rare family sedan that loves a curve-chucking detour on the way to work. The chassis, suspension, brakes and steering all rank at the top of the class, or near it. The Fusion sets the sporty sedan standard over formidable new rivals like the Nissan Altima andVolkswagen Passat, leaving the Honda Accord as its closest competitor."

 

Somehow that NY Times quote was more surprising than my road test "big surprise" experience

You pretty much nailed this one. The difference in sound quality between the Sony in the 2010 and the standard in the 13 is quite apparent. There are songs I listen to that have crisp cymbals, drums and guitar work. The one that comes to mind right now is The Outlaws Ghost Riders, the song starts out with a guitar, in the Sony car, it sounds as if you were sitting right next to the guitar, while in the 13 non Sony its about what you would expect from a 2 speaker FM radio. I play the song off my USB Flash Drive in both cars. I did the same test in the Camry too, and the base radio in that, the non JBL sounds better than the base in the Fusion, while the JBL is a notch above the Sony, only in that it has deeper bass while parked, when the Sony uses the speed compensation they are equal.

 

I haven't had the pleasure yet of test driving a Titanium, which is why I am still a bit apprehensive about my decision, so hoping they get one in soon that I can test drive and listen. I dont expect the handling between the SE and Titanium to be any different though, but since the SE handled so damned nice, and plowed through snow like it wasnt there, I already know the Ti will be a good driver. The HySe handled on par with the 2010 Sport I had, which was fun to drive, but I didnt care for the seats, made my left leg ache on an hour drive. The new Fusion SE seats are very comfortable, but havent sat in the Ti seat yet, they may be a bit different.

Edited February 23, 2013 by acdii

[elle]

Being a musician, that Sony stereo was the one thing that was really tempting me to continue waiting for my car. I finally realized that, for me, my daily commute is so short that I wouldn't be missing that much by not having it. For others it might truly be worth the wait, especially if music is a central part of your life.

[acdii]

Spend 2 hours in a car each day, and yeah, it does! :) I used to listen to talk radio, so it really didnt matter, but I got tired of the BS going on in this country and turned it off and now listen to Pandora.

[elle]

Smart move :)

[acdii]

If only they would get APPLINK working on all their Sync devices, that would ROCK. I miss having it when I got rid of the F150. Thumb up/down, right from the steering wheel.