2012 Ford Fusion SEL 3.0 - My impressions after five days and 2,000 miles.

[LTC8K6]

My dad is looking to possibly replace his 04 Camry with a Fusion. The new one coming out would be nice but outside the budget. Now if his Camry hangs on for another 1-2 years, then he could probably get a newer Fusion. But given the miles on his Camry we are figuring something is going to give out before too much longer. It has 280k miles and it has developed a tendency to not want to let go of 1st gear when cold.

Ford seems to be offering discounts on 2012 SELs at the moment. Our local dealer is saying up to $6K off MSRP.

 

[foghorn67]

We've got the 2.5L I4 models at work. They're decent enough cars but they have zero pickup. They've got the old chunky Ford styling too. The 2013 Fusion is sexy looking through. I might head down to the Toronto Auto Show to check them out.

Honestly, they are on par or better than your Civic when comparing acceleration. Just saying.

 

[mmntech]

Honestly, they are on par or better than your Civic when comparing acceleration. Just saying.

Yeah, but that's comparing apples to oranges. Civic is a compact, the Fusion is a mid-size. But if we must. The Civic weighs substantially less. The Fusion has a slightly lower power-weight ratio than it as well. The 7th gen Civic has 0.1hp/kg versus 0.08hp/kg for the Fusion 2.5L I4. The numbers for torque are the same.

Compared to similar cars in its class, it comes up short. Especially the Hyundai Sonata. The Fusion just seems sluggish on the low end. Don't get me wrong, I like the car. It just seems to take a lot to get it going from dead stop.

 

[foghorn67]

Yeah, but that's comparing apples to oranges. Civic is a compact, the Fusion is a mid-size. But if we must. The Civic weighs substantially less. The Fusion has a slightly lower power-weight ratio than it as well. The 7th gen Civic has 0.1hp/kg versus 0.08hp/kg for the Fusion 2.5L I4. The numbers for torque are the same.

Compared to similar cars in its class, it comes up short. Especially the Hyundai Sonata. The Fusion just seems sluggish on the low end. Don't get me wrong, I like the car. It just seems to take a lot to get it going from dead stop.

The Sonata and the Fusion are both in the 8 second range for 0-60

I think you are confusing throttle response to pedal travel.
The Sonata is quicker, but not by any significant amount. Plus, despite the Fusion's age, the chassis dynamics are far better than the Sonata.

 

[thomsbrain]

I'm impressed by that mileage, especially for a car that's still getting loosened up. Real-world freeway cruising mileage is all-important and the place where hybrids often lose their luster.

Interesting to hear you like Sync. Sync is universally panned by journalists and has been cited as the main reason for Ford's customer satisfaction slips in the last few years. It does things like suddenly play the stereo at full volume and not turn off unless you disconnect the car's battery. Always good for a thrill.

 

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[foghorn67]

I'm impressed by that mileage, especially for a car that's still getting loosened up. Real-world freeway cruising mileage is all-important and the place where hybrids often lose their luster.

Interesting to hear you like Sync. Sync is universally panned by journalists and has been cited as the main reason for Ford's customer satisfaction slips in the last few years. It does things like suddenly play the stereo at full volume and not turn off unless you disconnect the car's battery. Always good for a thrill.

I think you are confusing Sync with MyTouch. Sync is a system for queuing music and using voice commands to find artists, playlists etc.
MyTouch (which includes Sync) is the touchscreen centric and all encompassing infotainment system.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, I think Sync has always had good reviews, and I think MyTouch is better now than when the complaints were coming in.

 

[A5]

Yeah, I think Sync has always had good reviews, and I think MyTouch is better now than when the complaints were coming in.

Well it is a Microsoft product, so Version 3 is the one to wait for

 

[RedBeard]

The Sync in my 2009 Fusion has been nothing but stable and reliable.