FusionTX HyTi

[fusionTX]

Today I picked up my new Fusion Hybrid Titanium, three months after ordering. For a while it seemed the HyTi's would never be built, so three months really does not seem that long. I am thrilled to have it in time for my trip to Florida next week.

I got what I think is a great deal on the car. I negotiated a price several hundred below X-Plan, this before the price increase. The dealership honored the price and added 500 + 750 in discounts to it. I am very satisfied with my dealer and with my salesperson, and if anyone from Houston is reading this and is looking for a car, I will gladly refer you to my salesperson. They are technically challenged, but besides that they were very upfront and a pleasure to deal with. Thanks terryb for the referral.

Unfortunately, I am swamped this week with work, and have to do my taxes this weekend, so I may not get as much time to play with it as I would like.

My first impressions are that it is an awesome car. It is a nasty day in Houston, windy, rainy, and cold, yet my ride home was very quiet and smooth. Even in these conditions I got 42 MPGs after starting with a very low SOC.

I look forward to learning all the ins and outs and I want to thank all the forum participants for their input over the last few months. I've been posting on here well before I ordered my Fusion, and I am the better for all the exchanges.

Didn't get to take many pictures, but here are a few. I am thrilled that my trunk is almost perfectly aligned and tail lights look great. I love the color. I couldn't be happier right now.

Edited April 11, 2013 by fusionTX

[fusionTX]

Not sure why my pictures are upside down :)

[Toz]

FanFreakingTastic! I suppose that it makes it even sweeter after the long wait. Enjoy your new wheels, hope you get a chance to get all the new features figured out before your road trip to Florida.

[CombsAuthor]

Congrats on the new wheels!

 

You are gonna love the technology and features in it.

 

 

[DeeCee]

Not sure why my pictures are upside down :)

For a minute I thought you moved to Australia. Looks great, even upside down. Enjoy and keep us posted.

[fusionTX]

The buying process was pretty painless and quicker than I expected. i did not take any financing or any of the options they offered, but I did tell the finance guy that I wanted to hear what he had to offer, even though I wouldn't be buying anything extra that day.

I also told him that most people in the forums end up buying their warranties online because the prices are much better than what they get offered at their dealerships. Hoped that would set the stage for some good offers.

 

He is what I was offered. I have yet to have time to analyze whether it is competitive or not, although it did not sound bad. He did say this was his best price and offering it at cost...

 

Vehicle Service Contract - Easy Care Gold:2413 - TotalCare Max 72/100000

Deductible $100.

Price: $1,185, normally $2,385

 

ResistAll Enviroguard NG - protects your vehicles paint against weather induced fading, loss of gloss, bird droppings, tree sap... Supposedly also takes care of interior stains and rips at seam or leather...

Good for 7 years

Price: $349, normally $1,079

 

LoJack Recovery Basic System

Price: $290, normally $650

 

Ding Shield - cover dents and dings in your car

Price: $369, normally $769

 

If anyone has any opinions on these systems or prices, would love to hear them

Edited April 11, 2013 by fusionTX

[cwb1183]

How about some right side up pictures, my vision is blurry when I try to stand on my head as i examine the details of your Hi Ti.

[fusionTX]

How about some right side up pictures, my vision is blurry when I try to stand on my head as i examine the details of your Hi Ti.

OK I fixed them. Sorry about that, I took them with my ipad.

Now that I'm at work, I was able to fix,

[neod192]

Congrats! It's nice to see more more HyTi's getting picked up by happy customers! How long was the drive you for 42 MPGs on?

[fusionTX]

Congrats! It's nice to see more more HyTi's getting picked up by happy customers! How long was the drive you for 42 MPGs on?

It was about twelve miles. This morning the weather was still crappy so I took the back roads to get in. i didn't do as well, about 39 MPG.

I did have to run the defroster several times. I'm not staying in EV mode very long, not sure why, and it doesn't seem like the battery charges up very high, but This is only the 2nd time I've driven it and I only have like 30 miles on it. Still trying to figure things out.

[neod192]

It was about twelve miles. This morning the weather was still crappy so I took the back roads to get in. i didn't do as well, about 39 MPG.

I did have to run the defroster several times. I'm not staying in EV mode very long, not sure why, and it doesn't seem like the battery charges up very high, but This is only the 2nd time I've driven it and I only have like 30 miles on it. Still trying to figure things out.

Sounds like mine, and looks like it's normal :) This morning I tried to keep up with highway traffic, set the cruise at 68, ACC dropped be to the 60's. I was able to get the instant MPG to stay around 40 for a little bit, but it liked the 20 more :( I only got 32.3 overall ... worst one yet!

[smr2112]

I say "no way" to any of that fluff stuff they offered. Was that even a Ford warranty?

I never would get a non-manufacturer warranty where there is one available.

 

And all that other protectant goop..."nah..." - what with fanatics like us all? Would

you really ever have a rip in your leather?

 

They must really hate when people like us buy cars, they barely make anything

off us - well they do of course, but you figure what they make off the average person

who isn't as educated on what's out there.

 

[acdii]

My dealer knows me too well and wont even bring it up. They figure(and know), that if I want it, I will ask for it.

 

Take your time with the cars, and dont be discouraged, once you get the hang of them, you will be in the 40's!

[fusionTX]

I say "no way" to any of that fluff stuff they offered. Was that even a Ford warranty?

I never would get a non-manufacturer warranty where there is one available.

 

And all that other protectant goop..."nah..." - what with fanatics like us all? Would

you really ever have a rip in your leather?

 

They must really hate when people like us buy cars, they barely make anything

off us - well they do of course, but you figure what they make off the average person

who isn't as educated on what's out there.

I assumed the first one offered is the Ford extended warranty, but not sure.

The others are third party.

Lojack works with the local police dept to find your car in case it is stolen. It is a tracking device installed on the car.

As far as leather getting ripped, it is possible. I have three restless dogs 9lbs to 24 lbs. I used to crate two of them on my long trips, but lately I bought this hammock-like quilt that attaches to front and back head rests and helps protect the seats and keep them in the back

 

Here is a link to what I am talking about.

 

http://www.dogids.com/product/back-seat-dog-hammock/?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=3973&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=4b552d3030363737&gclid=CO2_2Yj7wrYCFQjOnAodhHoABg

 

Even with this, during a long trip the dogs get restless and always want to claw there way to the front. So if you have animals, the leather can get messed up. I actually may consider this one.

Edited April 11, 2013 by fusionTX

[acdii]

Check your area where the car will mostly be to make sure it has adequate LoJack coverage before you do this. I heard that not all places have coverage and if the car is taken outside of coverage, good luck retrieving it.

 

You would think Ford Sync would have that feature like Onstar, but it needs to use your phone to do it.

[neod192]

fusionTX, I know you didn't use X-plan and had agreed on a price ahead of time. Did the dealer mention the price increase on some of the options and decrease on the base price? Did they reduce the price to cover the aluminum pedals?

[fusionTX]

I did use X-Plan, and that is how the car was ordered. However, I negotiated a price below that by some $350.

Last weekend, I stopped in and talked to my salesperson about the price increase and our agreed upon price.

 

She was caught off guard and wasn't really aware of the price increase. We did sign something "unofficial" with my agreed upon price on it when I first ordered. That was at my insistence, but it was really scribbling on a piece of paper. In any case, it seems the ground work was done, beause yesterday there were no issues or any discussions of price increase.

[neod192]

Lucky, my dealer wouldn't budge on the X-Plan price (the new one !), even after I showed them an offer I had from another dealer for a lower price (non x-plan) :(

[elle]

Glad you got it; it's beautiful! I bought my Fusion without any extras, as well. I also find it's much easier if you just tell them up front that you know they have to make their presentation and that you'll listen dutifully, but you aren't really buying. Congratulations!

[smr2112]

Supposedly, X-Plan pricing is fixed (I purchased on X-Plan pricing before, but not now) and not

negotiable in any way. If you discuss a regular price, you can't mix in the discussion of X-Plan

and if you tell them you are buying on X-Plan, that ends any other discounts or pricing.

 

Now who the heck knows what that really means exactly or if they'd get in trouble with Ford or

what they can or can't do if they want.

[acdii]

A/X/Z plans prices are locks. You dont negotiate once you have a PIN, you get what the price is, and thats it. You could use X plan pricing to start with in negotiations, as long as you dont mention it as X plan. Or take 10% off MSRP and use that as a baseline.

[fusionTX]

My car was ordered by the dealership to Ford using X-Plan. My name was on my sticker and my official invoice (which I was shown last weekend) had the new increased X-plan pricing.

 

How the dealership reconciled that with what they charged me, I don't know. I assume it cut into their profits.

[hybridbear]

On all those extras it's good to remember that they wouldn't be selling it if they weren't making money on it, even at the reduced prices. We passed on all of them