I spent quite a bit of time in one of the Fusion Hybrids at work yesterday on a road trip, so I thought I'd give my impressions after some extended seat time.
First, the powertrain is fantastic. The engine hums along at a relaxed pace, even at 75 mph (around 2000 rpm, depending on accelerator pedal position), and my average speed for the trip was in the 65-75 mph range, and I still averaged 41.8 mpg for the day, which is outstanding. In addition to the good mileage, it also hauls buggy if you step on it. It's addicting to put your foot down and feel the "sling shot" of the electric motor(s) zinging along with the ICE.
The ride/handling balance is also fantastic. Out on the open road, it's a very relaxing cruiser. And steering responses are quick. The car dances well and settles into a cruise well. Very flexible package.
I do not like the steering feedback or lack of road feel. There is virtually no steering feedback (it's like you're playing a video game) and road feel is not very good (lacking). My Camry actually had better road feel, with the struts on all four corners. The Fusion has a more sophisticated control arm suspension, and it's objectively more capable than struts, but also removes some of the road texture. Some would like this, I do not.
The braking system is also lacking feel. You can tell that the brake pedal is not directly connected to the hydraulic master cylinder. It springs back at you like, well, like it's simply a pedal with a coil spring on the end. Again, no feel, but objectively, it'll stop well. It's nearly impossible to back up smoothly, for some reason. When in reverse, you tend to get either NO brake or FULL brake. The ramp up is extremely steep, and it's hard to back smoothly.
I have a mixed review on the interior. It's laid out well, but I don't care for the ergonomics. This is the Hybrid model with the automatic climate control, and the radio and HVAC panel both are oceans of little black buttons. And the bottom of the center stack curves AWAY from you at the bottom (which is where the HVAC panel is), so you have to reach down to find a button. It's certainly easiest to set it on AUTO and not mess with it, but you should still be able to change the mode or fan speed without taking much of your attention from the road to find the little button.
I do really enjoy the gauge cluster, which has one mechanical gauge (the speedometer), but all other gauges are displayed on the LCD screen. The gauge cluster is really a computer display with the speedometer separate. It's pleasing to look at, gives good feedback, and doesn't wash out in sunlight or with polarized sunglasses. Many of the interior surfaces feel cheap, but are not necessarily out of character for this class.
Overall, it's a great package, certainly one of the best in the midsize segment. And neither of our Fusions have had any issues yet, though both are still fairly young (less than a year old). But so far, so good.
First, the powertrain is fantastic. The engine hums along at a relaxed pace, even at 75 mph (around 2000 rpm, depending on accelerator pedal position), and my average speed for the trip was in the 65-75 mph range, and I still averaged 41.8 mpg for the day, which is outstanding. In addition to the good mileage, it also hauls buggy if you step on it. It's addicting to put your foot down and feel the "sling shot" of the electric motor(s) zinging along with the ICE.
The ride/handling balance is also fantastic. Out on the open road, it's a very relaxing cruiser. And steering responses are quick. The car dances well and settles into a cruise well. Very flexible package.
I do not like the steering feedback or lack of road feel. There is virtually no steering feedback (it's like you're playing a video game) and road feel is not very good (lacking). My Camry actually had better road feel, with the struts on all four corners. The Fusion has a more sophisticated control arm suspension, and it's objectively more capable than struts, but also removes some of the road texture. Some would like this, I do not.
The braking system is also lacking feel. You can tell that the brake pedal is not directly connected to the hydraulic master cylinder. It springs back at you like, well, like it's simply a pedal with a coil spring on the end. Again, no feel, but objectively, it'll stop well. It's nearly impossible to back up smoothly, for some reason. When in reverse, you tend to get either NO brake or FULL brake. The ramp up is extremely steep, and it's hard to back smoothly.
I have a mixed review on the interior. It's laid out well, but I don't care for the ergonomics. This is the Hybrid model with the automatic climate control, and the radio and HVAC panel both are oceans of little black buttons. And the bottom of the center stack curves AWAY from you at the bottom (which is where the HVAC panel is), so you have to reach down to find a button. It's certainly easiest to set it on AUTO and not mess with it, but you should still be able to change the mode or fan speed without taking much of your attention from the road to find the little button.
I do really enjoy the gauge cluster, which has one mechanical gauge (the speedometer), but all other gauges are displayed on the LCD screen. The gauge cluster is really a computer display with the speedometer separate. It's pleasing to look at, gives good feedback, and doesn't wash out in sunlight or with polarized sunglasses. Many of the interior surfaces feel cheap, but are not necessarily out of character for this class.
Overall, it's a great package, certainly one of the best in the midsize segment. And neither of our Fusions have had any issues yet, though both are still fairly young (less than a year old). But so far, so good.
