Toyota Avalon Hybrid vs Ford Fusion Hybrid

[BiXLL]

Hi all,

 

I have spent the last 3 weekends researching and driving different hybrids. The Fusion Hybrid is the only one I have not driven yet as my local dealer has none. I am going to a different dealer this weekend to drive it though. I gotta say, the Toyota Avalon Hybrid is very impressive, I really like it. However it is rated at 40 mpg city and is about $3000.00 more then the fusion. I really like the sales girl at my local Ford dealer and would much prefer to buy from her/them then the large mega Toyota dealership about 20 miles away, so I am hoping the fusion wins out.

 

Question for you Fusion Hybrid owners, are you really getting the advertised 47 mpg? Also, the 2 most important things for me in my purchase is a smooth ride, and quiet cabin so far as both road noise and engine noise. Would appreciate any comments and insights you guys can offer up.

[Ted Swing]

Most people don't get 47. I'm pretty close (48.4 MPG by the car's gauge, 46.5 by manual calculations). It takes a lot of work and mild Arizona winters to get that high. That said, it should still be better MPG than the Avalon Hybrid.

 

According to FuelEconomy.gov (link below), the 2013/14 Ford Fusion Hybrid averages 40 MPG compared to 38 MPG for the 2013/2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid.

 

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=34312&id=33083&id=34486&id=33373

 

The Fusion Hybrid definitely has a smooth and quiet ride - the best of any car I've been in - though I haven't ridden in an Avalon Hybrid so I can't give a direct comparison there.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Ted Swing

[djminfll]

The answer to your first question will be different from almost everyone on this site. Some people are achieving 50+mpg, some are barely breaking 40. There are so many factors that effect the numbers, there is no way to give a definitive answer. How you drive, the weather conditions, the terrain, how many passengers and the type of driving you do all will effect the numbers. For me personally, I try to keep my highway speed below 65mph, I use Adaptive Cruise Control almost all the time, and I accelerate mildly, getting to my desired speed as smoothly as possible. If you want to win the stoplight drag wars, you won't do well. Ditto if you do a lot of highway driving at high speeds. My lifetime average is approaching 44mpg, but honestly, this includes some much earlier tankfuls that were not always very good. These are my last 10 tankfuls: 47.1, 42.5, 45.9, 46.8, 39.2 (HUH???), 42.6, 48.9, 46.3, 45.8.

 

For the second question, I can't imagine anyone would find fault with the ride or road noise. Other than on really bad strips of pavement, the ride is very smooth, and road noise is lower than anything I've ever driven (but I have always driven sportier cars that tend to be noisier).

I haven't seen the new Avalon in person yet, but overall, I find Toyota to be very overrated and extremely bland, so I would never choose the Avalon over the Fusion. Good luck, and keep us posted on your decision!

[Ted Swing]

 

I haven't seen the new Avalon in person yet, but overall, I find Toyota to be very overrated and extremely bland, so I would never choose the Avalon over the Fusion. Good luck, and keep us posted on your decision!

 

I agree with you generally, but I find the new Avalon to be by far the best looking Toyota.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Ted Swing

[corncobs]

Like Ted and Djminfll I have not driving the Avalon but I think acdii did drive one last year while he was dealing with his BD.

 

As far as personal preference goes the technology, smooth ride and quite cabin are the main reasons for me to really really love my FFH the also very nice MPG results are just the icing on the cake.

 

I bought the FFH as my daily driving which yields about 45 MPG (real numbers) under normal driving and weather conditions. Now that the weather is warming up my current tank shows 46.8 MPG as of today with one more day of driving ahead.

 

All of the above is to be taken with the YMWV disclaimer but no question it's a very nice car.

[James Sentman]

The ride and noise level in the FFH are just wonderful. I can’t compare them directly to another car I’ve never driven but you will definitely want to drive the FFH to compare yourself. High frequency sounds are very proficiently dampened, the lower portion of the road sounds less so, but only noticeable by their contrast to all the other noise which isn’t there.

 

As far as milage I’m averaging about 36 right now but for some short periods have gotten 50+ The problem around here is traffic and climate. Can’t wait to try it out on the highway for some longer distance running.

[acdii]

As mentioned by CC, I did test drive an Avalon while owning a real bastritch of a FFH. If not for the exorbitant price tag, I might have one now(thankfully it was way over priced). It is comfortable, more than the Titanium trim. Not as much as the Luxury package. Has almost every feature of the Fusion, except for the lane keep assist. It is a slightly larger car too.

 

Side by side, they are pretty equal with options, and the quality was pretty good, Much better than the Camry. The test drive returned 40 MPG in winter driving, but I had to work it to get it. It is still only 2nd generation HSD, no where near as refined as the 2nd gen Fusion, however, being the tried and true HSD, when it say it gets X EPA, it gets X EPA. The margin is very small, very much like the 1st gen Fusion. Since I owned a 2nd Gen Prius, and TCH, I know it would get near its EPA numbers.

 

Back to the Fusion though, a fully loaded up Energi costs less than a loaded up Avalon, and even if the Energi only returned 40 MPG on Hybrid mode, you still come out ahead. A fully loaded up HyTi is much lower than the Avalon base. What you can expect to see in average driving, based on 7 years of driving hybrids, is 38-43 MPG in the Fusion. And mine is pretty much spot on(though I did get over 47 this afternoon on the way home). The good news is it looks like Ford has most of the kinks worked out with the 2014 models, haven't really had complaints here regarding poor MPG.

[ptek]

I drive a Fusion hybrid (Titanium) and my wife drives an Avalon Hybrid (Touring). Both are generally quiet, but the Fusion does have more drone or growl when the engine is running and providing normal acceleration. The Avalon engine is much quieter in normal operation. Both engines get "buzzy" when accelerating hard. The engine start up and shut down in my Fusion is basically un-noticable. The Avalon engine tends to shut down with a bit of a shudder, and it often doesn't shut down until after you've stopped, so that makes it more noticable. The Fusion's engine drone is my biggest gripe about an otherwise excellent car. It wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't have the Avalon to compare it to.

 

The Avalon has basic instrumentation for monitoring the hybrid operation, while the Fusion has many screens and coaching guides. That was a very strong plus for me - I'm a data junkie. My wife just wants a nice car to drive, and she thinks the Avalon is perfect for her.

 

In the Fusion, I've struggled to get above 47 MPG on any one trip, and my best tank so far is 41.1 MPG. The Avalon regularly meets or exceeds it's rated 40 MPG. You can click on my Fuelly links below to see our track record for each car. Note that cold winter temperatures really hurt the numbers for both cars. They are just now coming back up to the "good" numbers. We have similar driving distances and patterns. I work hard to get the best MPG I can, where as she just drives the Avalon like a "normal" car.

 

The Avalon has a slightly larger interior and I think the trunk space is more usable, having a larger contiguous floor area. The battery shelf in the Fusion breaks up the trunk into 2 sections making it harder to fit large items. The Fusion does have fold-down rear seats and a trunk pass-through, where the Avalon hybrid has no pass-through at all. I've carried 2'x8' sheets of plywood in my Fusion.

 

I don't think you'd go wrong with either car.

[lolder]

Avalon's have been really nice "luxury" cars for years. I drive a 2010 FFH and a 2004 3.0L V6 Avalon. The Avalon is slightly quieter, smoother riding and larger. What was the price difference between the FFH and TAH ? Toyota hybrids are bulletproof, for the most part except for a SUV that had problems a while back. The Avalon hybrid will get within a few mpg of the FFH so it will cost just a little more to operate and buy. Personal choice for a buyer.

Edited May 6, 2014 by lolder

[BiXLL]

thanks all, great responses!

[Griswald]

Holy Crap...It's a Toyota...the most generic looking car ever produced by mankind.

[hybridbear]

I also agree that the FFH is very quiet and smooth. Pretty much everything else has already been said. The FFH should get slightly better MPG than the Avalon in the real world. If you're considering the Avalon at its price then I'd recommend also considering the Fusion Energi. An Energi would definitely have lower operating costs than the Avalon Hybrid by a pretty good margin.

[inco]

Being in Canada we cannot get the Avalon in Hybrid trim. Toyota won't let us have them and maybe it's because they can only produce so many and the US sales consume them. I liked the Avalon and three years ago I wanted one. New one is even better looking, but up here ToyFina had interest rates that were not going to make it practical.

 

So when my Ford dealer came along last year and teased me with the FFH, I was very interested. They didn't have one to drive, so I came here and relied on the many happy owners on this forum and their experiences to guide me. Regrets - none. I wanted the SE and got the sport package and a few other necessities. My reward - yesterday my first time driving on the highway since February, got me 51 mpg on a 15 mile trip. To be Canadian that was 4.6 liters per 100 km on a 21 km trip.

 

Impressed - yup and still loving the car. I know I could have got better results, but my right foot felt heavy and the speeds seemed to creep up on me. I caught myself doing 120 km per hour and our limit is 100. That's 75 mph in US speak! Ooops. :ohsnap:

[jsolan]

I drive a Fusion hybrid (Titanium) and my wife drives an Avalon Hybrid (Touring). Both are generally quiet, but the Fusion does have more drone or growl when the engine is running and providing normal acceleration. The Avalon engine is much quieter in normal operation. Both engines get "buzzy" when accelerating hard. The engine start up and shut down in my Fusion is basically un-noticable. The Avalon engine tends to shut down with a bit of a shudder, and it often doesn't shut down until after you've stopped, so that makes it more noticable. The Fusion's engine drone is my biggest gripe about an otherwise excellent car. It wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't have the Avalon to compare it to.

 

The Avalon has basic instrumentation for monitoring the hybrid operation, while the Fusion has many screens and coaching guides. That was a very strong plus for me - I'm a data junkie. My wife just wants a nice car to drive, and she thinks the Avalon is perfect for her.

 

In the Fusion, I've struggled to get above 47 MPG on any one trip, and my best tank so far is 41.1 MPG. The Avalon regularly meets or exceeds it's rated 40 MPG. You can click on my Fuelly links below to see our track record for each car. Note that cold winter temperatures really hurt the numbers for both cars. They are just now coming back up to the "good" numbers. We have similar driving distances and patterns. I work hard to get the best MPG I can, where as she just drives the Avalon like a "normal" car.

 

The Avalon has a slightly larger interior and I think the trunk space is more usable, having a larger contiguous floor area. The battery shelf in the Fusion breaks up the trunk into 2 sections making it harder to fit large items. The Fusion does have fold-down rear seats and a trunk pass-through, where the Avalon hybrid has no pass-through at all. I've carried 2'x8' sheets of plywood in my Fusion.

 

I don't think you'd go wrong with either car.

 

 

This pretty much nails it. My coworker bought an Avalon Hybrid a few months after I bought my Fusion Hybrid. The avalon is bigger and roomier, a touch quieter, a bit smoother rid, and it also get's 36+ mpg without trying. The technology isn't as good though. Some people hate ford's Sync, but it's leagues better than Toyota's Entune in my opinion. Both are very nice and in my opinion the 2 best options for a hybrid sedan (haven't tried the lexus 300h though).

Edited May 6, 2014 by jsolan

[Easy Rider]

and my best tank so far is 41.1 MPG. The Avalon regularly meets or exceeds it's rated 40 MPG.

Based on about 6 weeks of ownership, that looks like about what I will be getting too.

So......with similar fuel efficiency expectations, I found that I could get more of the "bells and whistles" on the Ford and still pay a bit less than the Avalon.

 

I was 100% happy with my FFH Titanium unitl........

I experienced a problem with the Sync/Touch system that integrates Radio, Nav and Bluetooth all into one system, software by Microsoft.

 

To clear my problem, a complete reset was necessary, which wiped out ALL of the saved information in the radio, phone and nav sections.

After some research, it appears that there is a better way, which has been around for over a year, but Ford still doesn't officially or publically acknowledge that this other method exists.

I'm beginning to get REALLY unhappy with Ford's non-customer support and have this niggling little feeling that I might have made the wrong choice.

It seems that various parts of the Sync system go haywire with some regularity, requiring a total reset. A MAJOR PAIN IN THE BACKSIDE.

 

On the positive side, I was able to reach someone at the "help line" who was happy to tell me how to clear the problem.......and apologized for all of the data loss.

That REALLY didn't make me feel any better.

[BiXLL]

Well fellas, it appears that by default the Toyota wins out for me. My sales rep did a search of 250 miles and could not come up with a Ruby Red Titanium. Best she could offer was ordering a 2015 which would not be eligible for any incentives and be 8 to 10 weeks out. Thanks for all of you taking your time to express your opinions, I truly appreciate it.

[Easy Rider]

Well fellas, it appears that by default the Toyota wins out for me. My sales rep did a search of 250 miles and could not come up with a Ruby Red Titanium.

 

There's a prime example of the different attitudes about "customer service" between Ford and Toyota.

When I got my Prius C, it came from almost 600 miles away......and they had it there for me the next day.

[acdii]

Some trims are very hard to find. When my Flex got totaled I could not find another one like it anywhere, unless it had $2k in dvd players I dont need or want. Difference being, there were NONE across the country to be had. Some of these cars are all or nothing at most dealers, only special orders can get you what you really want.

[inco]

Well fellas, it appears that by default the Toyota wins out for me. My sales rep did a search of 250 miles and could not come up with a Ruby Red Titanium. Best she could offer was ordering a 2015 which would not be eligible for any incentives and be 8 to 10 weeks out. Thanks for all of you taking your time to express your opinions, I truly appreciate it.

 

Enjoy your Avalon. It is a very good looking car and although it isn't a Fusion, we promise to be nice to you if you drop by once in a while and update us on your decision. ;)

[acdii]

Yeah I wont berate an Avalon owner, really is the only Toyota I would ever want to drive. Now get a Prius and watch out! :)

[James Sentman]

I had to special order mine to get the color I wanted, I think I waited 4 or 5 weeks. I did get the incentive that was in effect when the car arrived though. They might not be able to promise you what will be active when the car actually arrives, but you do get whatever it is. In my case it was actually higher than when I placed the order.

[tr7driver]

I really liked the Avalon hybrid. I drove it a couple of times and almost bought it. I think the A pillars are narrower and give me a better view out the sides. I've owned 2 conventional Avalon's, one saved my life in a crash on the interstate and the second one went over 200K miles before we replaced it with a 2010 Merc Milan HY. Now that we are empty nesters, I don't need a car that large and I didn't want to really pay the price the Avalon commands.

 

That said, I'm not at all disappointed with the Fusion, I really like it. Getting ready to take It on a road trip to Utah soon. I'll test it on those mountain grades, lol.