Fusion and LONG Commute...

[boxerman]

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to purchase a low-mileage 2013 Fusion Hybrid. I'm a die-hard Ford fan, but have mainly had trucks (ie. gas guzzlers). This will be my first hybrid...

 

I now drive about 210 miles per day, 4 to 5 times a week - upwards of 1,000 miles per week (rural driving). With me spinning the odometer like that, I'm wondering if this is the best choice in the long run - what I mean is, do you think it would be best to invest in a low mileage "econo-car" for about 12K, or the awesome Fusion Hybrid considering I will be putting an enormous amount of miles on it? I'm worried about it depreciating very fast, whereas an "econo-car" doesn't have very far to fall on the "worth-meter".

 

Beyond that, in my situation, is GAP insurance or extended warranty recommended?

 

Thank you for your time!

[hybridbear]

What speed do you usually drive? I would recommend getting one with the standard 17 inch wheels and not an SE with the luxury wheels. At 65 MPH you should see 45 MPG or maybe higher depending on many factors.

 

Have you considered a diesel? Diesels tend to exceed their EPA highway ratings in the real world and are most efficient at highway speeds.

 

If you want an extended warranty be sure to check out Flood Ford. They sell the genuine ESP plans for a fraction of what most dealers charge. Don't forget that the hybrid system is warrantied for 8 years/150k miles.

[jsolan]

I'd be more concerned about comfort than depreciation with the number of driving hours you're talking about. I find the FFH to be extremely comfortable and enjoyable to drive. I can't say that about any other car I would consider an "econo-car".

[rjent]

Comfort has been mentioned, and IMHO, is a big factor in your decision. If you look at the cost per mile, put 200K on the car in just under 4 years, that is only about 9100 dollars a year. An econo box is probably going to cost you more than that in the long run....

 

Food for thought! :)

 

Personally, this is a no brainer, I would go FFH in a heartbeat. Are you getting compensated for this madness LOL :arrive_alive:

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to purchase a low-mileage 2013 Fusion Hybrid. I'm a die-hard Ford fan, but have mainly had trucks (ie. gas guzzlers). This will be my first hybrid...

 

I now drive about 210 miles per day, 4 to 5 times a week - upwards of 1,000 miles per week (rural driving). With me spinning the odometer like that, I'm wondering if this is the best choice in the long run - what I mean is, do you think it would be best to invest in a low mileage "econo-car" for about 12K, or the awesome Fusion Hybrid considering I will be putting an enormous amount of miles on it? I'm worried about it depreciating very fast, whereas an "econo-car" doesn't have very far to fall on the "worth-meter".

 

Beyond that, in my situation, is GAP insurance or extended warranty recommended?

 

Thank you for your time!

[inco]

I'm sure the best car you can get, is the one you are going to enjoy the most, but perhaps you might stop and sort out the priorities. Also, is this expense all yours or are you being reimbursed for mileage? How long you keep it also is a factor. One or two years would be ideal for resale.

 

It's been pointed out that the FFH can do the job very well and with the eight year warranty that eliminates that objection. However it is going to be a little more complex and have issues along the way. (Read through here and you will spot some)

 

With the miles you will be putting on a diesel would get you your best return. They are built to last almost forever and the resale will be better than most cars including the FFH. When I was travelling every week all around the province I had a Rabbit diesel. So cheap to run. Today Jetta is a solid performer as is the Passat, but I would prefer the lower cost Jetta and it can be made quite comfortable with the right option package. A diesel eats up the miles without breaking a sweat.

 

Yes we all love our FFH's and think you would enjoy it, but....those miles and miles might not be a good decision financially. But then it's your call, your car and your money so do what you want. Just come back and tell us - we are a curious bunch. :)

[Waldo]

As much as I love my FFH, it works for me because of my particular situation. And my situation is very different from yours. I'm with inco and hybridbear, a diesel would likely be a better financial option for you. The new Cruze diesel is said to be pretty good, just make sure it is comfortable enough for you.

 

Also I would consider a nice new Focus. You'll probably get very close to the same mileage as the FFH in your driving conditions and you'll save about $10,000 on the initial purchase.

[acdii]

GAP is a good option to have if you have a large finance on the vehicle and know that if for some reason the car gets totaled in a crash you will be upside down on it, paying for a car you no longer have. Been there, Done that. For me it was the best $600 insurance policy I ever had. Same goes for extended warranties, if you put on a lot of miles you can get a short term high mile warranty, and be covered for 125K miles. You dont have to get either of these from the Dealer, you can purchase both afterwards from independent companies, Flood Ford has the best prices on ESP.

[mwr]

How about some more info on GAP? Is that insurance available through Ford (or Flood), or?

[hermans]

Check with your insurance company. When I have chosen to buy the coverage it was always much cheaper through my auto policy. I have one of my cars financed and it runs $4.00/ 6 months. When you purchase through your auto policy you can cancel it at any time - not the case if you buy the Ford policy.

Edited June 26, 2014 by hermans

[gf2020]

For that kind of annual mileage, I would go with a Golf / Jetta TDI. Hybrids are not the optimal choice for long distance.

[darrelld]

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to purchase a low-mileage 2013 Fusion Hybrid. I'm a die-hard Ford fan, but have mainly had trucks (ie. gas guzzlers). This will be my first hybrid...

 

I now drive about 210 miles per day, 4 to 5 times a week - upwards of 1,000 miles per week (rural driving). With me spinning the odometer like that, I'm wondering if this is the best choice in the long run - what I mean is, do you think it would be best to invest in a low mileage "econo-car" for about 12K, or the awesome Fusion Hybrid considering I will be putting an enormous amount of miles on it? I'm worried about it depreciating very fast, whereas an "econo-car" doesn't have very far to fall on the "worth-meter".

 

Beyond that, in my situation, is GAP insurance or extended warranty recommended?

 

Thank you for your time!

 

Your best option would be a Chevy Cruze Diesel, not a Ford but they don't give you a light duty diesel option. The Cruze Diesel is EPA rated at 45 mpg and users are reporting easily topping 50 mpg at highway speed. The Cruze Diesel does not have the reported problems you see with the VW TDI's (blown turbos in the Passat and High Pressure Fuel Pumps in the Jetta/Golf). If you are going with an automatic transmission the VW Diesel DSG will cost you another $400.00 every 40k miles for transmission fluid changes. The Cruze Diesel uses a conventional automatic and is warranted for up to B20 biodiesel where the VW Diesel generally only warrants up to B5 unless you live in Illinois.

Edited June 27, 2014 by darrelld

[Texasota]

For that kind of annual mileage, I would go with a Golf / Jetta TDI. Hybrids are not the optimal choice for long distance.

 

I understand that diesels perform well on the highway but I'm skeptical the payoff is there. The 2014 Jetta turbo diesel is EPA rated at 42 MPG on the highway and the 2014 FFH is EPA rated at 41 MPG highway. Your mileage will vary significantly with both cars depending on driving style and road/terrain conditions. I'll even concede that the Jetta diesel is more likely to over achieve on the highway EPA as compared to the FFH.

 

For both of these cars you pay a premium over a standard gas version of the car so neither is a clear winner there. Where I live gas prices are currently $3.52/gallon and diesel prices are around $3.95/gallon. That is a 12.2% premium for the cost of diesel and that does not take into account the cost/hassle of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) that you have to deal with.

 

I'm skeptical that the diesel advantage is as significant as it is being portrayed here.

[GrySql]

My brother is on his second VW TDI, the first was a Jetta, now he has a new Golf.

In another post I remarked on a 2,000 mile trip we took late last year driving in separate cars in very windy, adverse weather and lots of elevations changes.

We got almost the exact same mpg's, he won the contest in his Golf by 1 mpg.

 

His car is smaller, rides stiffer, seats are Teutonic and too firm, looks like a refrigerator with 4 wheels and costs more to maintain in fuel prices, oil changes and other ways.

Frankly, the comparison on that trip was apples and oranges, my FFH spent less on just the fuel alone.

Using just mpg's as your baseline is a good starting point but when you add in the other things that add to overall vehicle maintenance you'll get a better answer.

Edited June 27, 2014 by GrySql

[boxerman]

Lots of great feedback - thank you for all yalls time responding to my question. I ended up following through with the used 2013 FFH and have yet to test it under my usual commute conditions (I don't have to commute in the summer). To answer a previous question, no, I don't get reimbursed for my insane commute. What happened was...I absolutely love my job, but a year ago, my wife's career moved us a few hours away. We will either have to shift back to where my job is, or shift to where she is to shut down this commute madness. Because that HAS to happen one way or another, I figure the FFH would be enough to get through maybe a year or two before our job situation settles. Then I can just drive it like a "normal" person does.

 

I ended up with a 2013 FFH SE with about 17K miles. It has a sunroof, backup camera, lane assist, auto-on windshield wipers, leather interior...all in all it is pretty sweet (being a truck man - and driving an older model truck at that - I'm not used to all these cool modern features and driving style). I am just trying to learn how to drive it to where I get the best gas mileage. According to the gauges, I already drive "easy" (slow breaking and smooth acceleration)...I also use cruise control a lot, so I'm not sure what else to do. Driving around town and running errands gets me about 35MPG. If it is a small one hour trek on the highway, I can see about 38 to 39 MPG. This past week we took it to the coast, about a 3 hour round trip that got me in the low 40s.

 

Thanks again!

[darrelld]

The price of diesel in your area does make a big difference. Congrats on the Fusion and I hope you get the mileage you are seeking. I knew when I traded my Passat TDI for my Fusion Hybrid there would be some loss of higway mileage but the tradeoff in reliability in the Fusions favor was worth it to me.