Test drove the 2013 Fusion Hybrid!

[HenryVIII]

Hey everyone, I've shown my face (well internet profile pic really lol) around here. When Ford came out with the 2013 Fusion and the Fusion Hybrid I quickly drew interest in its styling. In my opinion it's a fresh new flavor to the ever popular "Vanilla" mid-sized car segment.

 

Anyhow I finally came around to test driving both a Fusion Titanium 2.0L EB and a SE (Luxury model) Hybrid. I must say both are very nice and very impressive cars. It was certainly weird for me driving a car without hearing the engine turn on. But I really liked it! The car is very quiet. Also, the CVT is very smooth and the car drives very well. The car certainly lives up to its review. I test drove a Red FFH with the dune leather interior. It's interior was very nice although I would personally prefer a black interior.

 

In my test drive I reset the trip meter. In my brief test drive I was only getting like 19 mpg initially. I made I comment about getting worse mpg than a 2.0L EB lol. Yeah I know I just reset the trip meter so it takes a while. However, once I got on the open road, the mpgs started to climb. I liked the mpg video game you can play with the car. I was netting 97-100% braking score easily. Finding the sweet spot in braking and braking early isn't that hard. I can drive economically and I normally don't speed in my commutes anyways. I ended up with a 31.2 mpg score after my brief test drive. Not bad considering I did get on it 2 times.

 

One thing that really left me wanting was power. Even though the FFH has power, you really have to lay it down to use it. I am considering the 2.0L EB Ti as well since I'm looking to get rid of both of my cars and only drive one. This is why I'm leaning now towards the 2L EB Ti model instead of the FFH. I wanted to see how the FFH compared to the 2.0L EB engine.

 

I am a car enthusiast, and even though a Fusion may not be a sports car or a Mustang, it certainly is the best in its class in that regard (IMHO). I may look to getting a sports car even a Mustang in the future.

 

I just wanted to share my thoughts. Part of me is still on the fence but the enthusiast side of me says to go for the 2.0L EB, even with driving 20-25k miles a year.

Edited March 9, 2013 by HenryVIII

[B25Nut]

Henry, listen to your economical side. You'll love the sound of silence, and look just as good driving down the road.

[GrySql]

Henry, listen to your economical side. You'll love the sound of silence, and look just as good driving down the road.

+1

I've had many high performance cars, still have one - but this FFH experience grows on you, fast.

Now, when I see one of the few non-hybrid '13 Fusions around, I think to myself "you made the wrong choice".

We drive the FFH 90% of the time now because it's a very nice way to get somewhere and when we arrive we're relaxed.

The bonus that you've just driven 70 miles on a trip and only used 2 gallons of gas, or less, gets addictive.

[acdii]

You know something, even though my other car gets better gas mileage, I prefer to drive the new one. It handles so much better, rides so much better, and looks OH SO much better! Nothing wrong with my 2010 FFH, but the new one just makes it seem so dated.

 

That being said, if gas mileage has no meaning to you, the Ti is a very good choice as well. Get what makes you happiest!

[djminfll]

If you want good fuel economy and performance, maybe you should consider a VW Diesel? When my cars production was delayed, I got impatient and almost bought a Passat diesel, but then I realized it would be too much of a compromise since in my heart I really wanted the FFH. But I got the Fusion for the combination of great looks, unbelievable comfort, quiet smooth ride, and amazing fuel economy. Performance is less important to me as I get older, so this is the perfect choice for me. But if performance is the priority, you might not love the FFH as much as most of us on the forum love ours.

[HenryVIII]

Thank you for the feedback everyone. It's certainly hard for me to decide. I may end up going for the 2.0L EB Ti model as it would be a great compromise between performance and economy. The FFH certainly did impress.

 

Edit: Also the Park Assist is totally sweet! Makes parallel parking a cinch!

Edited March 11, 2013 by HenryVIII

[HenryVIII]

My friend made a good recommendation. He said to rent both out, drive them around and get a good tank's worth of driving. It's really hard to gauge which car I would feel best in in just a 1.5 mile test drive. I have a trip in May that I can take advantage of with that.

Edited March 11, 2013 by HenryVIII