recent rental, a pleasant surprise......

[gary s]

just back from the sunshine state.

when i picked up my rental at TPA, the clerk asked me if a fusion was ok.

i said sure. i walked up to a nicely equipped 2012 SEL 4cyl with leather/sirius/alum wheels. it had about 7K on the odo.

i have to say after driving it a lil' over 700 miles it was a nice ride and it got 25-27mpg on mostly highway driving.

i had a few minutes to kill one day and stopped at a ford dealer to see what they cost. i just can't justify the msrp of 27K for a similar model. some top of the line were at 30K. imo, about 3-5K more then they should be. since ford gives me great fleet discounts and they are rtrying to woo my business back i may consider 1 or 2 for our sales staff.

see, some of us can be open minded :grin:

 

[chargedtrac]

Thanks for sharing that experience Gary.



I've been pondering getting a Fusion (or similar sized sedan with good mpg's), to keep the miles off my SST, but haven't taken the time for a test drive.



We just came back from a vacation in Seattle and we put 1100 miles on an '11 Chevy Malibu LT rental (had 302 miles on the odometer and they said it was a '2012?). I had hoped to get a Fusion, but not to be. The 4 cyl Malibu impressed me with gas mileage (28.5 - 32.5 on 95% highway), ride was fine, getting in\out of the car was a pain with a lower roof line, and road noise was moderate.



Was the road noise minimal and the cabin generally quiet? I've found over years gone by that the cabin's on Fords tend to be more comfortable\quiet than comparable Chevy's.



I miss the handling and maneuverability of a coupe\sedan, and better fuel mileage though being up off the road with the comfort, size and ride of the Sport Trac has been nice.



Joe

 

[gary s]

joe,



i first tested the fusion when it came out. (5-6 years ago). i had a loaded V-6 and used it for 2 weeks. i feel the new ones are definitely a good choice from the experience i had this time around.

the 4cyl was ample and i am sure i could have got a few more mpg's if i didn't drive with my usual lead foot.

to answer your question on road/cabin noise, i feel that it was minimal for that type of vehicle catergory. the build quality was good and the model i had was nicely equipped. maybe a tad busy with all the interior controls, but after a day or two, you catch on easily. didn't use the sync system.

if you are choosing between a malibu or fusion, i also feel the ford is a much better choice. though the chevy's do get better mpg's.

the isssue i had was the price. i just can't justify 27K for it. i know they can be discounted a few grand but i feel it should be around 20-21K.

that said, most know i would choose a camry over a fusion, but this latest experience will make me think twice as i would get huge incentives from ford. so i may have a few in my fleet soon. i am concerned about the residual at the end of my fleet lease.

good luck on your choice.

 

[chargedtrac]

gary,



That's great info. I had thought about Camry also. My son suggested after a test drive or two, maybe rent I rent whatever I narrow down my choice to for a day, to put a 100 miles or so on it to get a better idea. Sometimes a 15 minute test drive isn't enough to get a solid experience. I really appreciate your feedback.



Joe

 

[Bud Williams]

I used to like how the Camrys looked, but of late I think they are kinda ugly, at least the front end. Just my opinion. The Fusion has nice looks. I do not like the Edge looks, but all the cross overs look kinda alike anymore. I have two friends that bought Kia Sorrentos last year, they are pretty sharp and my friends seem to like them. As for size, you'd have to pry my wifes fingers off the Expedition, she really likes it. It's an 04 eddie bauer loaded up. She can even park it virtually anywhere. I'd love to replace it with a new one someday, maybe an EL model...

 

[H D]

My sister's Aveo was totaled last week. She's probably replacing it with a Fusion.



I've made my qualms with the Camry well known. They have gone the way of ugly lately, too.

you'd have to pry my wifes fingers off the Expedition, she really likes it. It's an 04 eddie bauer loaded up.

My wife's the same way with her '04 Z71 Tahoe, fully loaded including AWD, 33" AT tires, DVD, etc. I've mentioned a couple times of the trade in/ sale value still being high enough to get a new, smaller vehicle and I just get an evil stare.

 

[gary s]

alot of auto mfg's are making very nice looking vehicles.



actually i was talking to my toy rep today and i mentioned that they need to really change the appearance of the camry & corolla. imo, far from ugly, but it's getting stale. again, my experience with them has been overall near perfect and a good financial purchase.



thats why looks aren't everything :grin: