regfootball

(Here's a link to my prior test on a 2.5 automatic http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/81238-2013-ford-fusion-25-se/ ) DRIVEN 2013 Ford Fusion 1.6 Ecoboost 6MT, MSRP unknown (car was preowned with about 30k miles) included MyFord Touch HIGHS (with the highs from the prior test below additional for reference, the additional applies here to this MT unit) Good feeling and working shifter Somewhat surprising power and drivability of the tiny Ecoboost 4 Torque curve has no real peaks and valleys, just has a nice linear torque build, almost elasticky in feel, no real lag Remains quiet inside and most of the tiny turbo din is muffled Amazing that you can find a large, solid car like this with a manual trans (see below) Good advertised MPG with this powertrain combo More seat time = the seat structure has a really nice Contour (no pun intended) and noticeable back support Back seat in fact is usable, although not cavernous with leg room. (At least it's not like the Mazda6). Feels premium and solid, even in this lesser trim, you will feel you got what you paid for and then some Lots of bells and whistles, including the trick gauges (but see below) Feels like a more affordable companion to the likes of a 2011 Saab 9-5MT and current Regal MT IF YOU CAN FIND ONE, it's nice you can still get a car like this with a manual trans LOWS Despite the composed power delivery, more power and torque would be welcome. This car really should be at least a 1.8t. Still some residual impressions of a tiny motor working too hard Motor more than 2500 rpm at 65-70 mph Shifter throws a bit long, and location (up high and back) is a bit to get used to right away....but then it seems to go away some Center console is still a leg knocker Have to hunt and search with steering wheel buttons to get the faux tach up, and then its TINY and fairly useless Overall, the cool looking gauges are kind of a pain in the ass MY FORD TOUCH CAN GO TO HELL USING TOUCH SCREEN FOR RADIO AND CLIMATE IN THIS CAR SUCKS THE FORD "WE DON'T USE BUTTONS FOR OUR CLIMATE CONTROL" BUTTONS CAN GO TO HELL Let's think about this for a moment. They give you two ways to control climate by touch and both suck. Where are the regular buttons PLEASE??? I would never try to operate the climate control with Sync, I'd have to ruin something. THE FORD SYNC B-TCH is just as bad. She never understood what the hell I was saying. I wanted to kill her. I have had a car myself with Sync for nearly 6 years now. IT'S NOT THIS HARD! Steering response seems initially slow, it's not that, it's just that it is designed to be so stable in a straight line that it takes some concerted effort to get the steering to act Car is a balance of solidity, stability etc....but I would like to see one with a sportier steering and handling setup. Taurus is still a better pure highway cruiser (although its not a huge gap) SUMMARY The local dealer a mile from my house (and the group I used to work at) had supposedly 2 new manual trans Fusions coming in recently. They also appeared on FordVehicles.com. After waiting endlessly and subsequently seeing those new ones go bye bye, I started searching for used 13+ Fusions with MT as I think they would be a great way to test the new popular body and test the Euro driving dynamics. A local dealer has had this one for a quite many weeks now.....but it is the only MT Fusion I have been able to locate new or used in like at least 500 miles. I really enjoyed the drive of this car. Like the above says, it has all the good aspects of any of the AT Fusions, and the MT is well done in this car. The engine does ok and is enough to get the car moving and get around. You have to downshift to 4th and 3rd alot as you drive more aggressively, but if you keep it in perspective the motor size and the fuel economy, it's well worth it to most I believe. I do think though, it would be better suited and would probably get the same mpg if it had a 1.8t with more power and torque. The engine as a 1.6 is not bad, just Ford, scale it up some! Then it would match the Passat and it's 1.8t. If you drove this car everyday for many years, you would probably really say to yourself often enough, "I wish I had some more go juice under the hood". The occasional buzz and minor lack of refinement and go under the hood is what keeps this car from feeling a class up. I referred up top to the 2011 9-5 and Current Regal with MT. It is not a stretch or lie to say that this Fusion feels like an extremely similar car, just giving its price range away just enough to remind you that you did not buy further up the price scale. This is more a complement to the Saab and Buick AND the Ford than it is a knock on the Ford. This car has a solid stable feel you would equate to a German car. Funny since the 1.8 Passat has some of the sprite that this car should have. It would be cool to combine the best of the two cars together and I think this would be nailed for everyday transportation. As it is, Ford could tinker with the steering and ride on the models they have now, and it would benefit. I think a sports package would really add to the cache of this Fusion as well. But to be honest, what this old original Taurus SHO driver was missing and heard begging from under the hood was some serious candy sweet go juice. And some reflexes. This car would be PERFECT for the 2.7 Ecoboost v6, mated to the MT and with some reflexes. Ford, please build it, keep it affordable, you would have a sleeper on your hands. As it stands, what is confounding is the lack of availability of any of these new Fusions in MT trim. I realize the MT choices in the segment are getting fewer and fewer. And in general, the population is moving away or being forced away from sticks. But this car is on the cusp of being one of those that can really carry the torch to make a case to save the manuals. I am not sure what Ford is trying to do with it. The want to offer it and build a few to play to the MT crowd like they care. But then they do not make them available, and it just pisses everyone who would want one off. There are still a few offerings in the segment with MT. And i would assume the Mazda, Honda and VW sell enough and the Fusion's is done well enough that it should exist in greater numbers to take some of those buyers, because it should and to some degree, can. The MT version does not take away my impression that the Fusion is overall the best choice in the segment for most of the shoppers. It's not loud and cramped like the Mazda6. It's nicer inside than the Passat. It outdoes the Camry by a LOT. I like it more than the lame Altima and bizarre Accord. It's just a much more complete piece than the Korean Twins. The Malibu at least has buttons on the dash and is great in many ways, but the Fusion is just a much grander concept to start with. I'll go into the disappointments and frustrations with the MyFordTouch, dash controls, and gauges, etc. in a future post. Needless to say, they are sad distractions from the rest of impressions of the car. Ford really needs to correct this crap that is MyFordTouch and flaky flush climate buttons pronto. I would not buy the car equipped that way, and would generally recommend that others do not either, unless you want to be pissed off and hate the car quite often. If i sum this up (and i may edit this later) what i think is fairly, I think the MT Fusion gets a B+.....or maybe the lowest A-. I need to think on that one and go through some other competitor's past reviews. This is a really nice car. If I factor in the MyFordTouch, lame climate control operation, and the stupid woman Sync voice, I have to at least take it a whole letter down or more. So i won't even post that. I'll give Ford some time to wise up and get it fixed.

109%more than me

The Analysts would go for the consolidation because they would benefit from it, and so therefore they spin to create it probably.

sorta wish they would have let Chrysler die when they should have, instead of killing Saturn and Pontiac. VW, Toyo, Nissan, Ford, GM, should all survive I thnk. Why you see cheap ass CLA's and front drive Bimmers, BMW and Merc know they need to evolve out of being a pure lux make in other countries besides their own to survive. I think they will, but I think BMW in particular is destined for problems. They are going to have to scale back the model permutations and cheapen the product and go for volume I think.

did they basically ignore the recall process during the whole bankruptcy and bail out and the get back to profit mode after that? And then Mary Barra is the one who gets thrown under the bus.

My Cobalt is likely to get raped. whatya think the resale is on my Cobalt these days?

Awesome hammer on the head LOL, you missed the rear fender sweep line though

front end is a little Darty. Or Focus. Rear pillar and hofmeister kick remind me of Civic. Past photos looked a bit Kia Forte. Hopefully the North American front end is a bit different. I think the look is such that it will still sell, but I do think it loses some distinctiveness and signature GM look. Cruze shape is pretty iconic at this time and this is not quite as signature. I think to me the functional upgrades of this car will matter some too. I.e. larger backseat etc. I see the dash does not move into the doors on this one like it does on the current one, otherwise the dash at least seems as interesting and continues a common theme. Any way you cut it, far more interesting than say, current Jetta. Keep in mind across the globe this car has to have appeal in many Asian countries and I think they are trying to water down any American look and give it more of a Japan / Korea look. Not a good thing for this market but overall for GM these days maybe their preferred approach. I think anyone who likes the current one should jump on one now and not wait for the new one if the looks if this pan out.

you didn't see the rear fender kick line like on the Impala?

what does this mean if i paid 400 bucks to get a new ignition switch a few months ago on my 2010? (when i couldn't shut my car off)?

my last VW diesel drive (Jetta) was in winter so that may have jaded me some but the Passat TDI I drove previously didn't overwhelm me. I really don't think the VW is any more refined than the Cruze. "No indication to the masses that this car is a diesel in ride and drive or noises. Almost completely devoid of diesel personality. The only diesel rattle you hear is outside the car and even then it just isn't a fully committed rattler." that was just my take when i drove it. The inside was a tomb. All the sound deadening paid off but the Cruze diesel's one achilles to me is its weight. If they can trim 300 pounds off the Cruze diesel next go round, that'd be cool. It's hard to tout the Cruze's diesel achievements when its 3500 pounds plus and the Cruze Eco manual is like 500 pounds less. All that weight really has an effect on ride and drive and steering and suspension I figure. That's why for many, I think the Eco manual is almost a diesel killer in the Cruze lineup. Real world mpg's in combined driving can't be far apart and purchase price is so much less. Diesel prices are so volatile.

thanks and lots of great input. to me the 1.8t is a game changer for the Passat. it validates a Passat gas purchase because the powertrain is spunky, and refined, uses reg gas and gets great mpg. Hope it holds up!!! Keep us posted on your real world FE from time to time. I think it really competes well vs. the diesel.

nice write, but I disagree that the Cruze diesel is 'clattering', when i test drove it, it did not seem obnoxious. Or not really all that different from a VW. I did find it to be tomb quiet inside and I never really find the noise outside the cabin to be a big deal. As far as the tranny, there were times it didn't seem to know what to do, but I've always disliked the VW diesel with automatic.......moreso with the dual clutch especially. http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/81799-2014-chevy-cruze-diesel/ For me, the only way the VW has an edge is city FE and rear seat room. More or less it's probably a draw, like you infer. I'd rather have a GM than a VW. Your chances are tougher in a VW I feel.

I like how a lot of these new turbos drive, but I still wonder if long term, the turbos will operate well and not need expensive replacement after 100k. The benefit of course with the turbo is the nice wider torque and power on these smaller motors. It should be interesting to see how all these Cruze turbos hold up once they get to be 5+ years old. For GM on a global scale, they need to continually be becoming more proficient at making bulletproof and glass smooth 4 cylinder mass market motors like this. Their rep is still not perceived equal to competition yet, I believe. They need to continually invest most heavily in these groups of motors on a global scale.

I would HOPE in 2014 that GM is developing all global engines. WHY SO MANY? It is good to see them prioritize 4 cylinder engine families though. Globally they will be the most used with all the damn regs for FE. I'd like to see the new Cruze come with a beefier 1.4 or 1.5t. I would hope they come out with some better NA engines too. Spark could use a nice 100hp engine. Spark SS with a 1.0 or 1.2 turbo three would be the bomb.

This actually brings up a point i have been meaning to mention recently. Chevrolet's model lineup as a whole is quite deficient in AWD vehicles, especially affordable ones. As Drew alluded to, more are getting hooked on AWD all the time. Even Honda now next year will have a compact AWD cute ute. Cheapest Chevy AWD is the Equinox. And those are not all that cheap. None of Chevy's cars have AWD. Ford at least has AWD option on Fusion and Taurus. Buick finally has more than one AWD option but all their cars are expensive. GM forces Chevy to give up AWD to legitimize Buick.

If GM does not, Hyundai or someone else will. Count on it. Again, Drew's last two points, spot on. CAFE alone will force Camaro sales down over time. Do we want it to remain a toy car or do we want to give it the best chance to stay for good? We know GM can make a sexy car, and a performing car. But if for most buyers, it is seen as an impractical toy car, that they cannot justify a payment book for, you are letting it die. Evolve or die. Not at all suggesting that Camaro should go Eclipse in design, just that it could broaden if you combine typical sexy Camaro style, along with performance that may attract the younger set.

everyone used to bitch that luxury cars did not need AWD, only RWD. Well, that changed. Now BMW, Merc, Lexus, Infiniti, and Caddy all sell AWD in huge numbers. If anything, the extra sales from AWD would continue to guarantee the success of even being able to justify making the pony cars, especially after all the white male baby boomers with actual money in savings or retirement dough (to blow on a car) die. It might be nice to broaden the market base some. One the biggest used car magnets i found to be when i sold for awhile were Audi Quattros. Teens and twenty somethings. Turbo, quattro. Couldn't keep em on the lot. Manuals too when possible. I think they could tap the youth market quite well with a modern day coupe that adds the AWD and turbo and possibly manual. Get some young blood. Not the same old bunch that are pushing 65-70. Let the Mustang get those folks. Wouldn't hurt to get some women buyers too...women like practicality.

Go Drew. Making all the right points, obviously! I think some of us in life want a car we can use all the time, especially if you can only afford one car. One car has to nearly do it all. If I want a sexy car like a Camaro because I like the look, but can't use the car because I can't haul people or get around in winter, then I can't buy the car. -daily driver -get around well in winter -ability to have passengers, front and back -ability to haul cargo of some kind. Mitsubishi Eclipses of yore used to have AWD, so did 300GT / Stealth and such. Even if just the base Camaro 2.0t was available with AWD, then it becomes a car you can use vs. a car you have to park half the time. 3.6 already has AWD also. Think of the route GM could go with performance options and AWD. Break new ground in the market. Be a great competitor for someone who wants a FUGLY WRX sti or Evo. Even if GM only had 20% take rate on the AWD, its worth it. I don't think they would need to mate the v8's to AWD.

what is needed lower beltline and less claustrophobia. how the hell anyone can drive one of these, I don't know, there is no view out of the thing and it feels like a bunker. better and more efficient packaging so there is more interior and trunk room for all the volume enclosed by the body. more rear seat space / actually usable. Some folks might want to put adults back there periodically so it becomes a usable car. AWD OPTIONAL PLEASE, then we can haz this as a daily driver for winter

"what difference does it make"!!!! LMAO

stood next to the new 15 Mustang at the auto show last weekend. Evolved retro, to be honest it did not do much for me although I think it is retro enough to sell like hot cakes. Just not exciting. As long as Chevy makes it sexy.

New Colorado is not attractive, I suppose if VW made a decent looking rig it may make inroads. Chevy really half assed it on the Colorado I think. They screwed up the looks of the new full sizers too. Sat in a new Yukon at the auto show last weekend now that is a NICE interior on a truck.,....

I don't see a VW truck selling in the US, can you say Routan pt 2