MY2015 Fusion Production Dates & Order Guide

[hybridbear]

I think you meant 17" as I edited above?

 

It is my understanding the overall diameter of the tires with 18" wheels is almost identical to the 17" wheels because the 17s have a taller profile tire. Is that correct? Is this a matter of personal taste (and that is fine) or is there technical reasons why a larger wheel and lower profile tire is superior?

Oops! Thanks for catching my error. I fixed my post now.

 

Texasota you are correct!

The tire makes the difference. The 18" version has less sidewall height and is also wider which should provide more grip (less MPG).

Overall it's not that much in this case but larger wheels improve handling, cornering, braking and looks which is like you said personal taste.

 

The Fusion is such a good looking car it just makes it look even better. Just like a good looking woman on high heels to enhance all proportions ;)

 

I think we are getting way of topic :) has anyone seen samples of the new colors?

Having driven both I notice no difference in handling, but I do notice a difference in MPG. I like the heels comparison.

 

Also, the Energi order guide has now also been posted on BOF: http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/topic/56347-20142015-order-and-production-date-question/

[acdii]

The difference in handling between 17 and 18 is subtle, but noticeable when you push the car to extremes. There is a slight bit more roll with 17's when you take sharp corners at higher speeds due to the taller sidewall flex. It isn't as noticeable in the 13+ Fusion due to its tight suspension but in the older cars, very noticeable, the Sport had 18" wheels, and the FFH had 17", and the Sport had a tighter suspension, so the difference is like night and day. Both had a very close overall diameter in tire size, but the handling was quite apparent. Putting the Sport wheels and tires on the FFH would make handling much better, though not nearly as good. That was THE one thing I missed the most about the Sport, the handling. Now the 13 FFH handles just as well if not better.

[billford]

If I had a choice, I'd pick the 17 inch, higher profile tire because it will give you a little extra protection for the rim when driving over potholes and railway tracks. Another thing to look at is how the tire protects the side of the rim, when parking close to the curb. I'd pick the tire with the most sidewall bulge in it, to protect the rim.

[billford]

 

I've attached the 2015 Hybrid Marketing Guide here: 2015 Fusion Hybrid Marketing Guide.pdf

Lots of information in that guide.

 

Any one have a link or a copy for the 2014 Fusions? I just want to keep it for a reference.

[Texasota]

I think we are getting way of topic :) has anyone seen samples of the new colors?

 

I was searching for those new colors and found Magnetic and Guard on the 2015 Ford Mustang web page here:

 

http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/2015/?searchid=79341629||31396903571&ef_id=U27obwAAAaZaabaJ:20140519023211:s

 

of course looking at colors online may not be a very accurate representation.

[acdii]

If I had a choice, I'd pick the 17 inch, higher profile tire because it will give you a little extra protection for the rim when driving over potholes and railway tracks. Another thing to look at is how the tire protects the side of the rim, when parking close to the curb. I'd pick the tire with the most sidewall bulge in it, to protect the rim.

Some of the Goodyear tires have a ridge on the sidewall that extends well past the rim and does a pretty good job of protecting the rim. The RSA comes to mind on this one.

[corncobs]

 

I was searching for those new colors and found Magnetic and Guard on the 2015 Ford Mustang web page here:

 

http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/2015/?searchid=79341629||31396903571&ef_id=U27obwAAAaZaabaJ:20140519023211:s

 

of course looking at colors online may not be a very accurate representation.

Nice find the Guard looks nice I think you could also call this Gunmetal.

[acdii]

I want one in Gotta Have it Green.

[hybridbear]

The difference in handling between 17 and 18 is subtle, but noticeable when you push the car to extremes. There is a slight bit more roll with 17's when you take sharp corners at higher speeds due to the taller sidewall flex. It isn't as noticeable in the 13+ Fusion due to its tight suspension but in the older cars, very noticeable, the Sport had 18" wheels, and the FFH had 17", and the Sport had a tighter suspension, so the difference is like night and day. Both had a very close overall diameter in tire size, but the handling was quite apparent. Putting the Sport wheels and tires on the FFH would make handling much better, though not nearly as good. That was THE one thing I missed the most about the Sport, the handling. Now the 13 FFH handles just as well if not better.

I would rather have the 17s then. My wife doesn't like it when I take corners quickly because everything goes sliding around in the trunk then. She also doesn't like it when she has to hold on to the grab handle while I'm driving. Sometimes she can anticipate when I'm coming fast into a corner and she grabs on to the handle in anticipation. So 18s which can corner slightly faster don't add value for us.

[acdii]

You haven't trained her well then :) Imagine what she would be doing in a 2010-12 that doesnt have the bolsters in the seats or the flat cornering of the 13. I have about 5K more miles left on my tires before they will need to be replaced.

[corncobs]

I guess I have two advantaged with my tire wear.

 

3 cross country road trips > a lot of straight interstate miles

extra set of wheels for winter > a few couple hundert miles less

 

I haven't checked mine but my feeling tells they are maybe a little bit more than half way done.

[Texasota]

So 18s which can corner slightly faster don't add value for us.

 

I'm with HB here. After thinking about this for a moment I started smiling and then it turned into laughing. If we were talking about a Mustang or a Corvette I could understand the significance of a discussion about the cornering and handling merits of 17" tires as compared to 18" tires. But come on guys - we are talking about a hybrid! Certainly a very nice hybrid but it is still a hybrid which is not a sports car.

 

I'm probably going to catch grief for this post, but how often in your hybrid driving experiences would the handling differences between these two tires ever amount to a hill of beans?

 

On a side note, HB, this has bothered me for a long time. Bears are negative and Bulls are positive. I think you should be a "hybridbull".

Edited May 20, 2014 by Texasota

[corncobs]

We are going off topic again fast but let me say one thing in reference to the hybrid vs. sports car comment.

There have been many time that people in so called sports cars have been slowing me and my FFH down from going thru corners at an enjoyable speed. ;) ( if the tire doesn't squeal you didn't do it right, damn I miss does canyon roads in CA )

 

Yes in the right hands a true sports car would drive circles around the Fusion but an everyday Joe that would be hard but that's just my opinion.

 

The "hybridbull" reference is cool never thought about that.

Edited May 20, 2014 by corncobs

[Waldo]

There is a lot more to tire performance than maximum handling. Even simple lane changes on the highway are influenced by the tires. My biggest disappointment with my FFH is the poor steering feel. I don't take corners at .8gs or race sports cars, but every time I turn into a curve on the freeway a get the feeling that the car doesn't really know where I want it to go. For comparison, my other car is a sports car, so I certainly know the difference.

 

I'm not saying I don't appreciate that better ride and lower rolling resistance of the 17s, I'm just saying that you don't have to be racing to notice the difference.

[Hybrider]

I personally believe the better-gripping 18" tires can help me in some ways to get higher MPGs, since I can maintain more of my speed through the corners, and then I don't have to re-accelerate as much after the corner which seems to be the major contributor to lower MPGs for me.

[acdii]

I personally believe the better-gripping 18" tires can help me in some ways to get higher MPGs, since I can maintain more of my speed through the corners, and then I don't have to re-accelerate as much after the corner which seems to be the major contributor to lower MPGs for me.

This is probably why my tires are worn more in the front than most peoples. I push it hard through turns. Today I had to do a fast evasive maneuver to avoid getting hit by a left turner. Car handled great. My 2010 would have been all over the place with the 17's.

[Texasota]

Looks like the Ford website has been updated now for the 2015 Fusions. You can now build the 2015 Fusion of your choice from here:

 

http://www.ford.com/cars/fusion/features/

 

My apologies if this has already been posted. Note that you can now view the new 2015 colors.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Texasota

[hybridbear]

A 2015 FFH SE with the exact same features as ours is less expensive. Our window sticker says $37,395. The build & price site shows $36,765. That's a difference of $630. $595 of the $630 is the 18-inch wheels. But that means that overall the FFH has had a $35 price reduction for the features we have from 2013 to 2015.

[tr7driver]

A 2015 FFH SE with the exact same features as ours is less expensive. Our window sticker says $37,395. The build & price site shows $36,765. That's a difference of $630. $595 of the $630 is the 18-inch wheels. But that means that overall the FFH has had a $35 price reduction for the features we have from 2013 to 2015.

How close do you come when you subtract the check for the mpg adjustment?

[Silver Bullet]

I notice that the 15's have configurable DRLs standard on the HSE. I can't help but wonder if that might signal some policy change that might make it easier for those of us with 13-14's to get ours activated? Any thoughts?

[Waldo]

I notice that the 15's have configurable DRLs standard on the HSE. I can't help but wonder if that might signal some policy change that might make it easier for those of us with 13-14's to get ours activated? Any thoughts?

 

It doesn't change anything. Ford still can't control how the dealer's activate anything on a 2013/14, so there won't be any "policy" change.

[keith705]

I notice that the 15's have configurable DRLs standard on the HSE. I can't help but wonder if that might signal some policy change that might make it easier for those of us with 13-14's to get ours activated? Any thoughts?

 

The problem with DRLs on the 13s & 14s is the standard module doesn't allow for propper DRLs, a different module was used in fleet vehicles that allowed DRLs to be activated (but not deactivated). I spent a few hours on a Saturday with a tech and a "Retail" and "Fleet" C-Max trying to solve this for another customer and we couldn't make it work. I haven't checked since, I'll take a look this week and see if they changed anything prior to the obvious change for 15.

 

Oh, and here's the updated order guide for the 15 Fusions (July 18, 2014), the Energi guide hasn't changed since it was published in May. I didn't pick through it to see exactly what changed, probably something for the gas models :)

 

Sorry guys, I had to pull down that attachment by request. If you have any question on order configurations, package contents or equipment restrictions I'll still be happy to help and look up answers for you.

Edited August 26, 2014 by keith705

[Hybrider]

Looking at this new 2015 order guide, Ford no longer offers the manual transmission option for any Fusion, so also no 1.6L EB engine option at all.

 

And the other significant change is the gas Fusion S can now come in Deep Impact Blue.

[murphy]

 

The problem with DRLs on the 13s & 14s is the standard module doesn't allow for propper DRLs, a different module was used in fleet vehicles that allowed DRLs to be activated (but not deactivated). I spent a few hours on a Saturday with a tech and a "Retail" and "Fleet" C-Max trying to solve this for another customer and we couldn't make it work. I haven't checked since, I'll take a look this week and see if they changed anything prior to the onvious change for 15.

 

 

Try this:

 

When accessing the 'programmable parameters' wthin the BCM there is a line for 'daytime running lights', but it is locked out on this screen. Apparently if you try to activate them here then all sorts of other things get changed. The way to get them turned on is to highlight the DRL title line and click on that. There will then be a secondary screen with a drop down menu available to turn on the DRLs.

[hybridbear]

Sorry guys, I had to pull down that attachment by request. If you have any question on order configurations, package contents or equipment restrictions I'll still be happy to help and look up answers for you.

Why did you have to remove it? Other Order Guides have been posted in the past.