In 2005, Ford handed quite a burden to the Fusion: Replace the Taurus and carry the water for the midsize sedan segment. While it may have started out a few paces behind the likes of Honda and Toyota, the Fusion has made impressive strides. Cars.com’s David Thomas got behind the wheel of the 2010 Ford Fusion and was pleased to find a number of areas in which the sedan has improved tremendously, making it one of the better deals out there among midsize cars.
2010 Ford Fusion Review
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Dave T.,
I read this review and had a question regarding the paragraph on the transmissions. Which transmissions are you characterizing with your last two sentences? Are you saying the automatic or manual is more sporty?
Been waiting for this! Thank you :)
Ford continues to improve an already impressive Fusion. Hope Ford will remain focued on high quality and excellent engineering. The new 2.5 I4 will be a benchmark engine. The 2010 Fusion and Taurus will compete very well against their rivals.
Thanks, DT, for a detailed review of the new Fusion.
Are there any higher resolution photos of the Fusion SE tested by cars.com?
Thanks!
the new gauges r better looking than the old but I feel they have a bit of childs play toy look 2 them & they don't look very legible when on at nite!
I wanted to see more pics of the test car. Ford really hasnt released a lof of good pics of the interior without nav. If this car doesnt win some car of the year or 10Best awards than we will know there is nothing Ford can really do to win over critics. I can't see any objective way that this car is inferior to the Accord. That said, I will be surprised if it actually beats the Accord in many comparison tests.
Damn this makes me jealous ('07 here...). Wish this was the car I got 2 years ago.
I saw this car in person. Looks good save for the rear. They had it locked, so I couldn't see/try inside or under the hood.
How good it will sell? who knows. Nothing sells these days. So today it wouldn't sell. Definitely wouldn't save Ford from freefall considering profit margines.
Also, one thing I want to say or remind.
Back in time the Taurus and Contour also were named "Car of the year", "Best ford Ever", etc... All of them ended up in "don't buy" list. Lets be realistic before we are fused into Fusion
Tony,
Where did you get to see the 2010 Fusion? Was it an SE model like the one reviewed by David Thomas? I am curious about whether the 17" steel wheels on the SE are a high-vent design like that found on the C1 Focus and several GM products.
I don't follow your second comment. What is this 'Don't Buy List' to which you allude? Additionally, while the first generation Taurus earned MT Car of the Year in 1986 (most deservedly) and the 1994 Mondeo won European COTY, neither the Contour nor post-1st gen Tauri did.
Tony,
unlike the contour, the Fusion is just the right size and it has proven it is reliable, consistently being named one of the most reliable midsizers on the road.
Broq
tzsz,
I saw new Taurus and Fusion at Phila auto show, which is probably pretty lame event compare to Detroit. In Phila they don't have presentations. They put Taurus on the rotating table and Fusion Hybrid on the floor. The Fusion was locked.
"Don't buy" list is a virtual thing. Something, that closely resembles Consumers Reports "Not recommended list". Forget about real nominations. Taurus and Contour were phrased, a lot. But both went on to be unreliable, falling apart cars.
Generally, (and this is my opinion, based on some research in the timeline) I would say, if one is looking for the reliability, the Toyota is the best bet. Hondas were good, they were bad. You could buy one in the last 10 years and it would be a lemon. Fords had only some good models over sertain years. Chrysler has not have any reliable cars. Nissans were not bad. But at 120k miles you would need to invest into repairs pretty heavily. Good part, they would continue run somewhat cheap after that. GM cars would fall apart after 4 years...
Really, these days you never know what will work and what will not. They switch engine and transmission, other parts, manufacturers on yearly basis. Only Toyota has a proven record over the entire lineup. They do have problems too but not as many.
Tony:
Lets have a reality check.
1. The current fusion was highly regarded upon its introduction and has turned out to be a reliable, solid car.
2. The first Taurus got accolades and went on to become the best selling car in the US for several years running.
3. The contour got decent reviews but everyone felt it was too small and it was indeed to small to compete with Camry and Accord. The car's handling and ride characteristics were generally praised.
OS is right here.
The Taurus was one of the most successful cars ever launched in the U.S., certainly in the modern era.
Ford has made huge gains in reliability and as a personal note I've owned 3 myself and only 1 ever had a real problem (recalled taillight).
So for every story of how crappy Fords are, there are as many saying they're just fine.
There are only a few companies I would tell buyers to shy away from due to reliability and those are on certain models usually as well. If you go with anything from Toyota to Ford to Hyundai there aren't going to be horrendous reliability issues.
"The manual was relatively smooth, if a tad boring. If you're into sporty driving, this is not for you. If you're into thrifty driving or have a long commute, it's probably preferable to a heavy clutch and tricky shift gates."
Dave T.,
I assume these last two sentences pertain to the automatic or was the automatic really more sporty?
Tony:
you are still operating on outdated stereotypes of reliability. The days of transmission failures and serious engine problems are largely behind us. Problems today are typically nuisances. Have you bothered to review any long term reviews of American branded products in the auto magazines? dont just take CR's word for things. Minor issues pop up on many vehicles but major problems. Inside line keeps a long term fleet of 30 cars and 95% of them never need to be towed. In recent months two vehicles suffered problems that made them undriveable- a Honda and a Chevy. Years back they had a Honda Pilot that left someone stranded in the desert because Honda forgot to tell them about a recall.
I have owned 93 Cougar (3.8 V6), a 99 Mystique (4 Cyl), a 96 Civic (LX), a 99 Mazda B4000, and currently an 07 Cobalt. The Cougar blew a headgasket at 110K, the Mystique's timing belt broke at 107K, the fuel injectors in the B4000 went at 130K, the Cobalt's heater fan went at 10K, but the Civic has run for 250K without a problem. Never even had the timing belt changed. My Mom drives it now and gets 40 mpg on the highway on certain trips.
Just because a car sells well does not mean it is reliable or a good product. However, I am truly hoping that the Fusion lives up to its "reputation".
Original sheth,
i absolutely agree with your 3-statemnt post. But then second post just kills me.
Lets go back to Taurus. Let me tell you. Here is the short list of common problems for Taurus:
all pumps $500
Head gasket $2000
Shocks/struts
Heating cord $700
Tae rod ends $300
The Taurus sold well - no doubt. The 6 cyl and tranny(specific model-I forgot name) were great. Taurus could go 200k miles. Just fix it!
Hondas at same time for 200K might needed alternator, exhaust.
Contour - handles well. Fine. As long as you can get to garage to fix it.
current Fusion is reliable - cool. no problem here. Do you have 10 year old Fusion that runs well?
"The days of transmission failures ... largely behind us" --> Ask Honda/Acura owners
Belly,
I have to point out the obvious- none of the cars that you listed is a Fusion, the car up for discussion in this forum. And why is reputation in quotes.
Broq
Thanks for pointing that out Broq, otherwise no one would have noticed. And the reason I put it in quotes is the story is all about the 2010 Fusion, I am only hearing about how good that car will be. I don't know that it deserves it until it is on the market for a little while. I guess I should have said the "new" Fusion, but I thought it was obvious.
Belly,
CR says the current Fusion is the most reliabel midsize sedan. Why would the new one not mee the same standard? You keep talking as if Ford quality is a huge question mark and thats not the case. You didnt mention other failures with the Cobalt so I assume that it has been trouble free. I have a relative with an Ion and she had one problem (CD player) in 3 years and 50k or so miles. I am still trying to figure out why you have a Cobalt considering you hate the car and domestic cars in general. Why in the world did you not get a civic?
tony:
You make a bunch of vague claims without even telling us which Taurus you are talking about. The current taurus/500 has had no major quality issues. If you are talking about the 1986 model I would remind you that we are in the year 2009. The 2010 Taurus is based on the reliable current model, not a version from the 80s. There are no 10 year old Fusions on the road because the car came out in 2005. The contour that you are disparaging was on sale 10 years ago.
Shet, it is all about money. And no I don't hate American makes, I really do like the new Fusion and the older one, I just wish the older one would have gotten better gas mileage from the start.
And why wouldn't it meet the current standard? Just like anything, as there are cost cuts made with a product there are potential quality issues. Any model can have problems, especially when it is new or has been revised.
My problems with the Cobalt are just in how the car was made, but it was cheap. And it is a 2007, I don't trust that I can keep it till it gets 100K on it.
Belly,
This is only a refresh, so besides the new hybrid model, everything on the fusion has been proven. And even most of the hybrid's technology has had time to be perfected in the Escape. The 3.5 v6 which is new for the Fusion, is a FoMoCo staple these days; the one area that has lots of new tech is the old duratec (the middle v6), but that engine has been massaged by ford for years as well, so the little tweeks to make it flex fuel capable and more powerful are hardly groundbreaking. Basically, this refresh just fixes most of the current fusion's short comings. It just happens to be a very very thorough refresh.
broq
Broq,
Thanks for spelling that out for him. This car is not all new from a mechanical perspective so there is little reason to doubt its quality. Besides, according to CR ford has CONSISTENTLY been making reliable vehicles for the last few years and each new model is reliable.
The current Fusion is down about 2mpg from the class leaders in mileage but that wont be the case with the new model. The current model could easily make up for its mileage with its value quotient. It offered a lot more car for the money than comparable Camrys and Accords.
Yeah Broq, its a good thing you did because Shet didn't know, he has a lot of trouble with reading. But:
The current model could easily make up for its mileage with its value quotient. It offered a lot more car for the money than comparable Camrys and Accords.
-Sure seems like that Fusion is selling like the Camry & Accord huh? Hah, you are so full of crap. Ford made a bad choice not pushing the mileage numbers up, I'll bet that is a good reason why you are seeing the Malibu on the latest top sales lists.
Watchdog,
It was comparing the manual in the 2010 fusion to other manuals out there that may be more sporty. I did not test an automatic.
Some people equate manuals with sporty driving, this is not one of those manuals.
"If you're into thrifty driving or have a long commute, it's probably preferable to a heavy clutch and tricky shift gates."
But this sentence refers to the automatic right? Is the heavy clutch and tricky shift gates the reason you thought the manual wasn't sporty?
i guess it is unclear, no I was referring to the set-ups in sportier cars, not the other transmissions of the Fusion, sorry. I was just saying it was a light setup that's easy to drive but not sporty.
I ordered my new 2010 FFH at the end of December. I was told by the dealer that it wouldn't be here until June or July. My question is will I still be able to get the 3400.00 tax credit?
2010 ford fusion hybrid not very good gas mileage we r only getting 31 mpg at most