Saturday, February 24, 2007

fusion test drive

I test drove a couple Ford Fusions today. I have decided that it will do. I'll mull it over for a couple more days before I place an order. I have some time to think it through before I put down a deposit since they place orders on Thursdays and a car with the features, let alone the color, I want isn't on the lot.

I drove a four cylinder version and then a six cylinder version. As expected, the 4-cylinder, 5-speed automatic model was competent and had enough power, but barely. Any additional load would have led to more lag than I care to put up with. It also had a tendency to down-shift very quickly and the top gear wasn't quite tall enough leading to high RPM cruising though that's no different than my now defunct 300E. The 6-cylinder, 6-speed automatic model benefited from the extra gear. It also had noticeably more power. The gear selector doesn't let you choose any forward gears except for drive and low which just locks out fifth and sixth gear. For a little bit, I sort of wished it had some sort of manumatic shifter that would let you bump up and down between gears. As I drove the car more, I got used to what inputs led to downshifts and upshifts and didn't feel the need to have control over the gear selection process anymore. It would still be nice to have some sort of manumatic system but I would probably rarely use it.

Steering was responsive and had enough resistance to remind me of my old car. The turning radius is somewhat big for a car this size, but that's probably partly due to its FWD and wider track than many cars in its class. Nonetheless, it turned well enough for anything I plan to do with it. While driving, I realized that the trunk line is a couple inches higher than the beltline and that limits the rear visibility. Good use of my side mirrors would take care of most of that and as long as no one on a mini-bike is tailgating me, it shouldn't be an issue. The other strange driving quirk was how high the turn signal stalk was. It's almost located at the 10-o-clock position instead of something closer to 0900 or 0930. I had no problem reached it from where I normally position my hands and I imagine I would get used to that in time. Thigh support would have been better if the seat bottom was an inch or two longer but I'm going to have that problem in any car of this size. However, the 6-way adjustable seat control let me tip the entire seat back (like the 300E) so that I could get my thigh at an angle that was supported by the seat while I drive. The tilt/telescoping steering wheel also let me get my arms where I wanted them independent of where my legs needed to be.

After the test drives, I poked around the car for a while and mostly liked what I saw. From the outside, once you know to look at it, it's quite clear that the trunk line is higher than the belt line along the bottom of the side windows. There's also some strange molding flange at the top corners of both side windows near the B-pillar that looks like a result of the manufacturing process. I saw the same thing on a Milan, which is the Mercury version of the Fusion, in the showroom. There were several storage compartments within reach of the driver's seat including many real cup holders. It seemed like the door could have been more fully-utilized for space but there's enough room in the compartment for what I would want to keep there. After I drove the car, I left the driver's seat in position and sat behind myself and my knees had plenty of room but again, there was limited thigh support in the rear unless I was able to put my feet much further forward. Since I don't have to sit back, it's not that big a deal. The 60/40 split rear seat back folds down flat very easily with accessible latches in the trunk.

All in all, a marked improvement over the 300E in several ways though that is mostly a result of features that have stopped working on the 300E rather than a lack of them. I'm so used to the way the 300E drives that it will take some time getting used to the intricacies of the Fusion's handling and transmission response. I guess that's about it for now. I have a couple days to make up my mind, but there's really not much left to decide. I feel surprisingly comfortable with the idea of getting this car.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good decision. Let us know the color and options you select when you place the order.

Anonymous said...

$$$$ out the window.

Anonymous said...

No doubt about it, if you take the cost of people out of consideration -- spouse costs, raising kids costs, health costs -- the most expensive personal costs are housing and transportation. If food costs are up there, too, you are eating too much. Cut back, slim down. Among the advantages is that you'll fit into smaller cars easier.

Anonymous said...

Spouse cost? It is easy to avoid this cost. Find a super rich spouse so you don't have to pay this cost. Or have your spouse support you, short of pimping. Or just stay away from having a spouse or several spouses. No kids neither. Keep PEOPLE out of the equation. You can spend all your money in fancy expensive overpriced cars. Have champagne and caviar with your dinner in the 5* restaurants every night, etc.........

On the other hand, you don't really need to own a car. What about the bicycle? Public transportation?

Anonymous said...

Better not get married if one considers "spouse" is an expense item. Well, spouse is also disposable, replaceable and expendable. In that case, it is really really expensive.