fusion: one month review

Newly busted bumper aside, it is time for the one month review of my car. Short version: I like it. Slightly longer version: It is largely what I expected, both the good and the not quite as good. Longer version: read below.

There's a lot about the car that I like. It's a new, generally well-reviewed competitively-priced vehicle. Personally, I like most of the exterior styling which is fairly bold for a mainstream mid-size sedan. I'm glad it's not an Accord or Camry which are just so boring (though the new Camry is a step up from their previous generation). The interior styling is a little boring, but functional. The camel color is working well, but it would show dirt easily if I was a slob. There's a useful center storage hatch on the dash and the storage area between the front seats is split into two sections. There is also a small storage area next to the glove box, but its use is somewhat limited. Fairly standard things like cup holders and a working HVAC system are a pleasant change from the 300E. Buttons on the steering wheel for cruise control and the audio system are common as well, but I'm appreciating their convenience. From a performance standpoint, the engine has plenty of power to get up and go. I'm getting used to where the shifts occur on the 6-speed automatic and it seems very capable. Handling is clean and I've tried to push it a few times by taking corners aggressively. I've gotten the tires to squeal once so far, but haven't gotten the traction control system to kick in yet. The fold flat rear seats and passenger seat are nice, though I haven't had an occasion to use them yet. As it stands, the trunk is plenty large without folding down any seats. The back seat also has lots of leg room even if I never use it.

There are several things that aren't great, but I knew they wouldn't be from the test drive. For starters, the turning radius isn't very good. However, the only times that comes into play is pulling into parking spots. The trunk line is very high and that limits rear visibility. Combined with large C-pillars this creates pretty large blind spots immediately around the car. However, this is overcome by properly positioning and learning to trust the mirrors and paying attention to how other cars are moving relative to me. I'll probably get a cheater mirror for the driver side eventually, but don't desperately need it. As long as there isn't a hobbit riding a mini-bike behind me, the rear blind spot shouldn't be an issue. I suppose driving an F-350 with a toolbox in the back for work has gotten me used to poor rear visibility. Previous complaints about the positioning of the turn signal stalk have faded as I've grown accustomed to where it is placed.

Fuel economy has been ok. It's better than the 300E, which did very badly last winter, but the 3.8 mile drive to work isn't going to change. It does do very well on the freeway with 30 MPG on an open interstate being easy to achieve. There is this high idle period when I first start the car that I assume is to help it warm up more quickly. After starting the car, it idles at close to 1500 RPM before dropping to around 700 RPM after 30 to 60 seconds and it definitely takes longer when it is colder outside. The thing I can't figure out is the way the idle drops from 1500 to 700. It doesn't happen smoothly or all of a sudden, but takes about 10 seconds and seems like it pauses briefly along the way.

There are also some items that I'm discovering as I use the car that aren't all that great. I suppose they're negatives, but none of them really bother me, though I suppose it's hard for me to get too worked up over a car. Some of the items are definitely motivated by cost savings, key to keeping the price competitive. The poor turning radius is an example of that cost savings. Another curio is that there is no trash receptacle in the car. There are places to put some trash like in the little area beneath the climate controls or in the cup holders, but there is no dedicated trash bin. The top storage area between the front seats has small halls in the top corners such that when you open the lower storage area (which involves flipping the entire top one up) things like pens can fall out. I like the split level storage and it's somewhat clever, but I can't figure out why the holes need to be large enough for a pen to fall through. My center storage hatch on the dash has a fit issue. The lid is slightly crooked but not something worth trying to fix. The storage area in the doors seems underutilized. From the sound of things, the part of the door that's not used for storage is hollow and the storage area could have been extended but would have required a more complicated mold. The craziest thing to me is that the side mirrors are fixed. They do not turn in so if I clip a pedestrian that mirror isn't going to give unless it's snapped off.

There you have it. The 2007 Ford Fusion (SE) is an eminently functional daily driver with scads of storage room, strong exterior styling and a clever but bland interior.