Ford's Fusion pulls ahead of the hybrid pack

[jwight]

It is the best in the U.S. in part because it is the best for the U.S. It wears no egg-shaped hypermile bodywork, doesn’t ask its occupants to contort themselves to fit inside like the old pack-college-students-in-a-VW stunt and doesn’t demand any creative financing for regular Americans with regular jobs to purchase it.

Instead, the Fusion sits demurely in the driveway, offering no commentary on the neighbors’ lack of environmental concern. Yet for a base price of $27,270 (right around the new-car average of $25,500), customers can buy a fuel-efficient family sedan that easily carries five normal-sized people in comfort. It also has sufficient trunk space for their luggage, a compliant suspension and enough high-tech gizmos and widgets to evoke a smile from even the most indifferent automotive appliance owner.

Review: Ford's Fusion Hybrid pulls ahead - MotorHead- msnbc.com

[forestacademy]

I have never paid over $20K for a new car. Or a used one for that matter.

$25K is average? $27K doesn't demand any creative Financing?


I Guess I just live in a different world. I'm Maxed out at $16K and I can purchase plenty of fuel officiant vehicles for that money, and $10K can buy me enough gas in a 30MPG car to drive 100,000 miles at $3.00 a gallon.
And that same money will get me 133,333 miles on the smart.

[Neonspinnazz]

Last time I checked, one can get a pretty decked out Prius for 22k, not to mention the Prius is safer.

41/36 mpg is not really anything to be proud of. Actually a certain car I know of does that without the earth destroying hybrid assist.

If you want to save the earth that much then a Prius (or any other conventional gas/hybrid) is not the way to go, but I guess nobody knows how batteries are made...

[smark]

41/36 mpg is great for a Fusion 5 passenger car. Families with 2-3 kids want to save money. I've never ever gotten over 39 mpg in my little car. No matter how I've driven it in the last 1 1/2 years. A Civic Hybrid will run you 22k. A lot smaller car. A new decked out Prius, we were looking at was at $30k!!!!! It's pretty common were I live, for a 25k-30k and above passenger car. I won't even talk about how many SUV are here for above that price. Talk about batteries, I hope they recycle our plastic parts on the smart car. Those parts will be sitting in the ground, for a very long time.

[Neonspinnazz]

Originally Posted by smark

41/36 mpg is great for a Fusion 5 passenger car. Families with 2-3 kids want to save money. I've never ever gotten over 39 mpg in my little car. No matter how I've driven it in the last 1 1/2 years. A Civic Hybrid will run you 22k. A lot smaller car. A new decked out Prius, we were looking at was at $30k!!!!! It's pretty common were I live, for a 25k-30k and above passenger car. I won't even talk about how many SUV are here for above that price. Talk about batteries, I hope they recycle our plastic parts on the smart car. Those parts will be sitting in the ground, for a very long time.

As I believe, USA smarts end up like any other US car

But elsewhere they go back to smart where 98% of the smart is recycled into more smarts. If that remaining 2% is in perfect condition, then that too goes into a new smart.

One thing you forgot smark, hybrid batteries are not cheap and the Fusion requires the battery change sooner than the Prius...more batteries = less $$$ saved and more damage to earth

When you factor in purchase price, battery change, and mpg, you're really not saving too much money by going hybrid and you're not saving the earth...at all...


P.S. My 22k price for the Prius is actually the price at my local Toyota dealer for a pretty nicely equipped New Prius.

[Suze]

"...It wears no egg-shaped hypermile bodywork, doesn’t ask its occupants to contort themselves to fit inside like the old pack-college-students-in-a-VW stunt..."

I think we've been insulted...

[NCC1701]

Suze, seems to me they were referring to the Prius. Smarts aren't egg shaped, and they aren't cramped.


Unless, by 'we', you mean Prius owners ... wrong forum.

[jetfuel]

..Americans are rewarding Ford with purchases of their models...maybe is because they did not take bail out money..or so said the experts...the price for a base line Fusion Hybrid in my zip code is almost 29K...if I click the top of line then it jumps to almost 33k...I did go check them out during the cash for clunkers and was not impressed by the cheap/out of date interior look...I did checked the Prius too and the difference in looks/quality compared to the Ford is big...

jetfuel...summer Ford driver

[smark]

What type of batteries are in Hybrids? Lithium / Lithium Ion? Nickel-Cadmium ? Are there recycling methods for them? Is there any heavy metals in these? How long do they last in the cars?

My next door neighbor has a Civic Hybrid going on 4 years old. No issues with the batteries yet. Fantastic gas milage. Uses regular gas. Puts my little smart to shame in milage.

[jwight]

Ford Fusion Hybrid named Car of the Year at the NAIAS: Ford Fusion Hybrid named 2010 car of year - Detroit auto show- msnbc.com

And the Truck of the Year - another Ford, but not a pickup. The Transit Connect!