Ford Fusion rental review, and in a great place, too!

[Guest trinacriabob]

So, I'm going through some rentals and the latest rendition of the Ford Fusion is included in the list.  This rental also occurred in New England during peak color.

I had a full size booked at one of the secondary airports.  I didn't have a specific car in mind.  Actually, I had spotted a Dodge Charger and wanted it, but I was told, 'Sorry, too late, we just rented it.'  A Fusion was available.  I was somewhat interested in driving one, given that it had changed so much from the previous and very popular more "notchback" design.  At the same time, I was a little concerned about navigating Boston, which was included in the trip, in one of these more rakish Fusions with thicker pillars all the way around and a flatter backlite.

The minute one gets inside, the build quality of the Fusion is fairly apparent, as in "good."  The seats are firm but still comfortable enough.  The way they are finished and stitched is tasteful.  Once one fires it up, the trademark and soothing blue lighting in the instrument panel comes alive.  The instrument cluster is fairly easy to get accustomed to.  On the other hand, the center stack was a little bit fussier and, even though I had it for a week, it wasn't as easy as I would have liked.  Maybe that's a function of driving and renting GM vehicles for so long.

As I pulled out and started driving, it was clear that, in terms of road manners, the Fusion is a winner.  The ride and handling were quiet, nimble, and nicely weighted.  With a short enough hood, the feeling of always being in control of the situation is heightened.  This came in handy in compact Boston.  If pushed, the standard 4 cylinder is up for the job.  It's not a grainy sounding unit.  Instead, it sounds like a more muted and distant hum with a purpose.  Automatic gearboxes with 6 speeds, if I recall, seem to have been dialed for a while now.  The Fusion's was no exception.  The transmission behaved well in all instances.

On the negative side, the pillars were a little intrusive and I didn't like the overall feel of the cabin, most likely a function the roofline.   The other thing is that, since the arrival of the new Taurus, Ford has seemingly raised the console height and made consoles bigger.  I'm 5'-10", so I don't like having the level of the console with the shift lever that high up, but I'm ok with the console box and armrest being higher.  In looking at the latest LaCrosse, I see that GM is following suit.  The console in the new vehicle is wider and the seats are more recessed in relation to it.  I'm not sold on this trend.

While the Fusion is very competent and probably builds on a legacy of being reliable, its exterior is the biggest change.  I'm not sure I like it.  I think the Aston Martin influenced grille, thematically also carried down to the Focus and the Fiesta to boot, looks fine on this particular Ford vehicle. However, I'm not a fan of the silhouette as it transitions from hood to cabin to trunk, and I don't like the shortness of the trunk lid.  That said, I recall that I once reviewed my rental of a Mercury Milan on here, and that I found the Premier V6 model, which I took out to the Big Sur Coast, to be highly satisfying ... and one hell of a surprise!  One of the things I liked the most about that now departed Mercury was its proportions, and how the roofline helped its looks and made for a commodious cabin.  I only wished that rental car had been equipped with a 4 cylinder engine to see what a weekend of driving one would have been like.  So, if I really liked the exterior of the previous Fusion/Milan, it only makes sense I'm merely ok with the appearance of the current Fusion.

Wrapping this up, the new Ford Fusion is a very capable car and I believe that the mileage came in at about 33 mpg, for mixed, but mostly highway, driving.  If you are a Ford fan, than you will find plenty of reasons to like this car.  Since I just like Ford, as opposed to love it, and because of what I consider to be visibility issues, it would not be my choice for a daily driver.

* * * * *

Photos (1) exterior-side, (2) front lighting/turn signal and alloy wheel close-up, (3) rakish roofline, and (4) exterior view showing the seating

 

 

[Paolino]

Interesting... another posted a Fusion review this week and it was a polar-opposite reaction.  Thanks for the review, though.

[trinacriabob]

I saw that.  I'll have to give it a read to see how different the reaction was.  As for driving around or being in Boston, though, wow ... especially the North End for pastries and pizza.

[regfootball]

Quote

I don't like having the level of the console with the shift lever that high up, but I'm ok with the console box and armrest being higher.  In looking at the latest LaCrosse, I see that GM is following suit.  The console in the new vehicle is wider and the seats are more recessed in relation to it.  I'm not sold on this trend.

Funny you say that.  I checked out the new LaCrosse today (the 17) and thought to myself, the console and dash are quite intrusive, well ok, tight..... and i agree they are down more.  In fact, the new one has less room than the outgoing one, or at least gives that impression.  In fact, it did not seem to have any discernible space advantage front or rear, to the 16 Malibu I drive now.

My thought leaving the dealer was, 'a fusion titanium is probably as nice on the inside (or better) and probably has more room / or feels like it'.

I did like the new LaCrosse, just that a Buick should have more kit than a Fusion.

Edited October 11, 2016 by regfootball

[trinacriabob]

On 10/8/2016 at 11:35 PM, regfootball said:

I did like the new LaCrosse, just that a Buick should have kit than a Fusion.

When I first looked at the photos released of the new LaCrosse, I loved the front end.  It makes one helluva statement and fuses the New World with "old school Buick" very nicely.  Then, when I saw the Hyundai Azera jelly bean shape along the sides and the rear in 3/4 view, I thought, "fail."  I wish they'd stop making sedans look like fastback coupes.  The other thing that's weird is the use of this rust/brick colored interior that sits between a reddish color and an earth tone.  I don't think it mixes well with a lot of the exterior color choices, or maybe it's just me that doesn't care for it.

[trinacriabob]

And here are some photos of another jaunt in this type of car ... a different color, a totally different place ...

Side view 1

Side view 2

Not a bad color, overall ... better than silver.  It had a black cloth interior.  It would have been nicer with a gray or light beige cloth interior.  It gets hot here.  As for the seats, I was noticing they have a thin profile.  It's analogous to how airlines are slimming down the seats in the economy section of the plane.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

It does look good in that blue!

[regfootball]

interesting new wheel choice for the Fusion.