Note: This is the auto that Ford gave to us to drive across country. In all we drove more than 3,200 miles from Dearborn, MI to San Francisco, CA. It was one heck of a test drive and we gave away some sweet road trip gear along the way. Missed those? Final contest here and here.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the latest to join a growing crop of hybrids that doesn’t look like a traditional hybrid. This Fusion hybrid looks almost identical to its non-hybrid counterparts, but easily gets great gas milage while sporting a look most will find acceptable. This hybrid might not get Prius-type mileage, but it’s also larger, more comfortable, equipped with equally impressive electronics, and doesn’t looks like a roller skate.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid isn’t a Prius or Insight killer and it never was meant to be. It doesn’t put up the same type of mileage and it can cost a bit more. This car isn’t geared to peeps who want everyone to know that they are hugging trees and saving whales, but rather the everyday man who needs the function of a mid-size car that gets great gas mileage. With a few small exceptions, like different fog light housings and a unique color option, the body is identical to the standard models, which is a good thing as it’s a looker.
The new Fusion body builds upon the styling cues of the original model but throws in an almost Japanese look. The taillights hint of a Subaru influence and the headlights are very Lexus-ish. The grill, however, is all Ford Fusion. Overall, the new style works well and it’s a great looking wannabe sport sedan.
Inside, many of the instruments come from the Ford parts bin with the notable exception of the LCD instrument cluster. Even over 3,200 miles in 8 days, the seats were comfy, supportive and showed their sporty side on PCH 1 in-between LA and San Francisco. My pregnant wife, who rode shotgun on the Detroit to San Francisco trip, found the seats to be sufficient with the aid of a small pillow.
The center instrument column is the glaring exception of the good looking car though. It’s ugly and poorly designed. It’s overwhelming at times with poorly placed buttons and a strange sloping design. The car we drove across country didn’t have a GPS system so perhaps that option improves the look and function.
Now, the instrument cluster, which is the most innovative part of the car. Flanking the center-placed speedometer is two LCD screens that display all the necessary info about the automobile: fuel level, hybrid drive status, live MPG, odometer, everything really. These LCD screens work in real time and are very smooth in operation.
This design evolution is a welcome change from the traditional dial-type gauges, but the long term viability is still in question. These screens will probably cost dramatically more to replace than traditional analog gauges and low-cost neighborhood garages might not be able to do the work. Still, these screens are the best part of the car and you must watch the video walkthrough to fully appreciate their function.
Fuel economy is still the most important aspect of this automobile despite the sweet electronics and great styling. We drove this car from Detroit across the plains to South Dakota and then south to Denver. Over the next couple of days we traversed the Rocky Mountains and made our way to LA via Las Vegas. And then up to San Francisco by way of the winding Pacific Coast Highway 1. Over the 3,200 miles of semi-aggressive and fast highway driving, this 2010 Ford Fusion recorded 35.1 miles per gallon, which is slightly less than the EPA estimates of 41 in the city and 36 on the highway.
Many non-hybrid cars can get this type of fuel economy. Even my old 2000 Grand Prix can see similar mileage through carefully and thoughtful driving. We had many miles to travel to get from Detroit to San Francisco so let’s just say “carefully and thoughtful driving” wasn’t a top priority. I can truthfully say that anyone can get over 35 mpg in this mid-size car if I did. You can budget your fuel cost easily ’cause it’s that easy to get that mileage. Seriously, no matter how hard I pushed the car on PCH 1 or how fast I went across the vast emptiness that is South Dakota, this car got 35 mpg. Higher mileage could have easily been attained if the cruise was set at 65 mpg the entire trip, but that wouldn’t have been fun.
Similar hybrids are available from other manufacturers as well. Toyota sells a Camry hybrid, GM offers a hybrid Malibu, and even Nissan sells an Altama Hybrid. This Ford isn’t much different from the other options, which is a good thing as the other models are trend setters. The Fusion has great styling inside and out, a comfortable interior and as a plus, gets slightly better gas mileage than the other options. There isn’t much more that potential buyers could want out of this car.
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: Highly recommended.
Photo Gallery by Picturesurf
nice review! good to see that american car companies got something right although there’s no reason why the couldn’t make the interior nicer.
For a Ford that interior is positively futuristic – I have a 2007 Taurus and it looks that same inside as a 1998 model. Nice review and nice looking car.
I have mine on order — with the navigation Sync package. I don’t think you can touch anything like this car for under $50 k. If so, show me where.
I call BS! No way were you ever getting 35 mpg in a 2000 Grand Prix. Even if you had such a magical POS, what is the point in yet another blogger comparing what you might get in another car through “careful and thoughtful” driving with what you got in this car with the hammer down? The purpose of the EPA estimates is that they are determined in a controlled experiment so that you can compare apples to apples.
Also, what is up with the speculation about the cost of replacement gauge cluster? When was the last time you or anyone you know had to replace one anyway?
These two items stained what is otherwise an objective and dispassionate review.
Keith, before this writing gig, I had a 100 mile commute during which I could see mid-30’s gas mileage in my well maintained Grand Prix. It was all on the highway. The key was to set the cruise at 60 mph and pray no one rear ended me. I didn’t exaggerate and did do it occasional; mostly I did 85 like everyone else in Metro Detroit.
In fact, my mother drives a 2007 Montego and regularly sees mid 30’s in on the highway. She always drives that slow and weighs 80 lbs though.
You have never heard of clusters going bad? Or gauges not working? Obviously you have never been around older domestic autos ’cause they can and do fail.
Did you wife, in her five month pregnant shape, drive the car?
How did she find the steering wheel to stomach length.
When the stomach expands, you need to push the seat back a bit, and then that adds problems to confortable pedal position.
(I in no way want to pry into your wife’s physical condition. If you think this question is rudely put, I understand.)
No worries, but the only time she drove was when an asshat made her move the car at a gas station. But I see the question.
I don’t believe the pedals were adjustable so this situation might be a problem for some preggos and fatties. Thankfully, one of the conditions will take care of itself within a month or two.
Just thought id share…
America is really taking notice of the new Ford Fusion Hybrid. With an amazing 41mpg in the city, the Fusion Hybrid is America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan.
This gave us a great idea.
Just how far is it possible to travel on a single tank of gas in the new Ford Fusion Hybrid? A team of Ford engineers is going to find out when they take the car to Washington, D.C. and drive it from full to empty.
And while they do that, we’re asking for your help to raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). We will make it worth your while, too!
Take a moment and log on to (www.jdrf.org/fordfusionhybridchallenge). There, you will find a simple form where you can enter in your guess as to how many miles the team will travel on a single tank of gas. The contest runs thourgh April 24. To help you out, here are a few fun facts.
The Fusion Hybrid fuel tank holds 17.5 gallons
The EPA city rating is 41mpg
Our team has been in training and has already beaten these EPA numbers on a regular basis and by a significant margin
The driving team will be using their eco-driving skills to get the very best fuel economy possible
The person who gets closest to the final verified mileage (to the nearest single decimal point) will be given the opportunity to drive their own Fusion Hybrid or Milan Hybrid for two weeks, with a $50 gas card provided by our partners at BP. In addition, the second place winner will receive a $300 gas card from BP, and the third place winner to receive a BP gas card for $200.
To support JDRF, any donation amount is appreciated — it is recommended that it be $1 or more — to be made with your entry. You can place as many guesses as you like. These dollars add up and all go to help find a cure for diabetes.
So, get your calculators out and work out what you think this remarkable Fusion Hybrid is capable of and wish the team all the best for their ’smart driving’ initiative in Washington.
Thank you for your support.
Edsel Ford
Bout time the big three got on the bandwagon,hope it,s not to late.How much of this ford is made in the usa?They like to outsource to mexico,thats why I hav,t bought ford products.Jim
After watching the video describing the interior, i’m wondering why car reporters are always determined to find things “wrong” with Ford products instead of being determined to find things that were done “right”?
The speaker says, “it’s really not a bad car”, “the seats weren’t bad”, “the back seat weren’t that bad(but wfie says they’re comfy)”, “Center stack is ugly but works great”. Of all of the things right with the instrument panel, why nit pick only on the reset button? You mean with all of the things right with the car(interior) etc. the reset button gets all of this air time? How can a 12 speaker sound system sound “ok”? Maybe you can spend a few moments to tune it to your liking. 12 speakers must sound like a recording studio when tuned properly. Also in the write up above, the writer compares the Fusion to the Toyota Prius? Being that the Fusion is much bigger than the Prius puts it in the Camry/Accord/Altima/Malibu category. The Fusion out performs their hybrids handily in performance and fuel economy as well as technical convenience advantages.
The Fusion is doing a lot of thing very well incuding besting Consumer Reports Reliablity predictions over Accord and Camry(see CR Best & Worst for ‘09, Jan ‘09 p.10) where you’ll see all of the FusionCD3 models I4 and v6 out perform Camry and Accord for reliablity. If you read further in the same issue you’ll find the Fusion recieves the coveted CR “Recommend Buy” which is a great accomplishment.
I have an idea, how about giving America credit where it’s due without take aways. I think it’s time we look into and enjoy our greatness again.
Save the world, Buy American… Buy Ford
Hold up there, buddy. Did you read the review? I highly recommended the car and didn’t compare it to the Prius. In fact, I stated this,
“The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid isn’t a Prius or Insight killer and it never was meant to be.”
And,
“Toyota sells a Camry hybrid, GM offers a hybrid Malibu, and even Nissan sells an Altama Hybrid. This Ford isn’t much different from the other options, which is a good thing as the other models are trend setters.”
As for the Sony 12 speaker setup, it sucks. I forgot to mention that in the review too. Very flat sound with little adjustments past basic controls. Took me by surprise.
Buddy. The Fusion is a Ford, not a Lincoln or Cadillac. The seats are not amazing and are really, “not that bad.” I drove over 3,200 miles in that car so I kind of feel I know more about it than you, who are probably well read on the model.
But thanks for reading CrunchGear!
LOL!
Interesting take on my comments,
I said, “After watching the video describing the interior, i’m wondering why car reporters are always determined to find things “wrong” with Ford products instead of being determined to find things that were done “right”?”
Then you say, “Buddy. The Fusion is a Ford, not a Lincoln or Cadillac. The seats are not amazing and are really, “not that bad.” I drove over 3,200 miles in that car so I kind of feel I know more about it than you, who are probably well read on the model.”
When is the Camry ever compared to a Lexus, or Accord compared to an Acura? I think you’re making my point.
I didn’t mean for my comments to be taken personal.
That’s why I said
“After watching the video describing the interior, i’m wondering why [car reporter(s)] are always determined to find things “wrong” with Ford products instead of being determined to find things that were done “right”?”
I read a lot of reports and have watched reporters talk about American cars for years, and I see the bias. You’re not the only one. Here’s a challenge, watch the reviews produced by “you” as well those made by “your collegues” in regards to American vs Foreign vehicles but from a neutral point of view and you’ll see my point. Better yet ask someone whom you trust that will be honest to do this for you. Go back a few years. I’m not the only one to notice this. It’s amusing. I can forward video links if you like.
All Ford product are more reliable than all european vehicles but you’d never know that listening r reading some of these reports.
As for me being a reader not a driver. We’ve owned a 2006 Fusion and put 45,000mi on it before buying a brand new vehice last weekend which now has 1200 miles on it so far. Just so it’s clear we “own” the new one as well. That makes 2 Fusions personally.
Vehicles I’ve owned not borrowed over the past 18 years or so…
1. 1992 Accord purchased new
2. 1988 Civic new(ex’s car)
3. 1995 Toyota Supra used
4. 1995 Lexus SC400 new
5. 1998 Ford Windstar new
6. 2003 Honda Pilot new
7. 2003 Ford Explorer new
8. 2000 Chevy Impala used
9. 2006 Ford Fusion new
10. 2010 Ford Fusion new
Of all of the cars I or my immediate family OWNED the Ford cars are the only ones not to give me any trouble during my, and our ownership time.
To date the Fusions are the most athletic and fun to drive. Yeah the SC was fast but I would stomp an SC on a circuit with a V6 Fusion.
All I’m saying is this, being critical does not mean just finding fault with something. That’s being critically “negative”. How about being critically “positive” for a change.
You could spend “more time” on the already brilliant Ford exclusive Sync system updates, or the new e-pass electronic steering system(drive by wire) that allows the driver to customize the steering effort at all driving speeds, the rear view camera system and rear sensors etc.
Here is what i mean… you said referencing the competion, “This Ford isn’t much different from the other options, which is a good thing as the other models are trend setters. The Fusion has great styling inside and out, a comfortable interior and as a plus, gets slightly better gas mileage than the other options. There isn’t much more that potential buyers could want out of this car.”
A great comment, but why the first sentence? First the knock, then marginalized all in one sentence. Lol! Without this sentence your point of view is fine. As a side question, the others are known bench marks, but what “trends” have they set? They “copy” American designs and improve on them. That’s not trend setting!
Historically the Camry and Accord were redesigned to compete with the ‘84 Ford Taurus. How about you compare them to the 2010 Taurus instead of the little brother(Fusion)? Are they planning to come out with a 365hp Camry or Accord from the factory anytime soon? Just wondering.
Come on.
I hear a lot of comentary about the interiors of the Ford products compared to the asian cars. I’ve been to Many auto shows where all can be viewed at once. urprising to me was the Toyota line of interiors. They are not up to Ford standard. Sorry! Are there better designs? Yes, but fit and finish of the “trend setters”? I don’t think so.
Just for the record, I did think your remarks about the “reset button” was a good point, just unecessary;)
Shawn,
I totally agree with you about the bias reporting. I drank the Toyota cool aid far too long.
I have owned a slew of Toyotas (1985 4Runner X2, 1996 LX450) and now I am on my 3rd straight Ford product (2000 Taurus, 2001 Taurus, 2007 Fusion).
I can list a huge number of problems with the Toyotas I have owned and anyone who drives one over 100,000 miles could have gotten the same problems (head gasket on iron block/alloy head motors, fuel pumps, starters failing)
Not one single mechanical problem on the 3 Fords I have owned. The two Taurus went to 150K each and now we are at 65K on the Fusion. I love the 3.0V6 Duratec motor, but I am lusting after the hybrid.
The reporter lists a gauge problem with domestics. The only gauge problem I have had was with a Toyota when the speedo cable failed. A coworker had to replace his speedo on his fairly new Subaru. I will match my anecdotal statement against his.
Lol! Now I really have to laugh after reading the reviews of the 2010 Honda Insight, and ask how can the 2010 Fusion Hybrid “NOT be” an Insight killer?
It gets the same gas mileage or better(most tester reviewers are getting 40 to 50 mpg in the city with the Fusion Hybrd), It provides 191 hp to the Insight 88! Thats over 100hp more! More features, better satelite/blue tooth connectivety via sync technology. Sportier ride and handling. MUCH better looks, bigger vehicle that won’t get run off of US highways and byways…Shall I go on? Lol!
What exactly is your determining factor that keeps it from being an Insight Killer? Even though it wasn’t designed to be one?
I think you guys owe the good folks at Ford an apology. See for yourself…
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/honda_acura_central/2010_honda_insight_ex_road_test/(page)/1
BTW. Because I didn’t believe your evaluation of the 12 speaker system, I went back and tested the 6 speaker system in the 2009 and 2010 Fusion(s). All i have to say is whether listening to a Jazz station, Rock or a Hip Hop station via Sirius radio the sound system was amazing! Even with limited controls. I use to own a recording studio so I got to hear a lot of noise, and all I can say is the sound engineers did a great job with the dynamic sound programing. The system actually sounds best with the bass and treble 2 notches pass the mid point. Make certain all 6 speakers are on! Close the windows and turn the sound up to 75% full volume. Clear and full sound. My bet is, no other mid class vehicle in this price range has a system that sounds as good. Oh wait! There is the 2010 Ford Fusion with a 12 speaker, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, Sony DSP sound system…I just happen to have a Sony Home Theater with DSP processing. DSP stands for “Dynamic Sound Processing.” It’s a very complicated algorythm precise sound signal detection program. This programming is the reason there aren’t many controls as there are infinite variables. If you’ve ever played with the settings on your home theater and screwed them up, you’ll know what I’m talking about. DSP was designed as a plug and play processing feature to allow folks without a technical knowledge the ability to enjoy the pure sound of a movie as the directors and sound engineers intended, as long as the speakers were of appropriate size and placement within the room. I have to assume the fine folks at Sony and Ford thought of these matters, and design pluses when contemplating the adjustment features for the 2010 Lincoln MKS, MKZ, Fusion, and soon Taurus vehicles. I’m guessing their view was, “How could the average car buyer know how to properly tune the sound system and keep the THD(Total Harmonic Distortion) in balance while maintaining a enjoyable sound across music genre spectrums with a 12 speaker 5.1 Dolby Digital system all while maintaining the sound quality that the music creating producers intended? Answer? They wouldn’t, so they kept it simple with the best available audio mediator in the world of audio…”Sony DSP”, along with the Bass, Treble, and Compression control. Perfect!
Not to mention, my 17 year old son popped in an old school Hip Hop classic, by LL Cool J “Boomin System” Guess what? Daddy Loved it, teenager approved!
To Karl,
You know what? Those are the exact problems I had with my Supra(head gaskets) and Lexus sc400 (fuel pump). I believe they wanted to charge $2500 to fix the heads on the Supra. Being that it was a design flaw corrected on later models, I thought it should have been a recall matter. Maybe at that price they didn’t want to pay to fix it either! Lol!
The way Toyota and Honda keep their problems out of the public eye is nothing short of amazing. Just so you know, I actually had 2 Honda Accords. As my first car, I was fond of it as I was my first love. I blew the engine driving through the Arizona mountains coming back from living in Mexico. I had to barter it for a ride to the airport where I rented a 2004 Chevy Impala. Drove it to Detroit, no problems. I bought a used 2000 Impala as a beater(i treat it well). No troubles to date.
Bottom line, just like a first love, sometimes you have to wake up to move forward;) There are some great options out there when your open your eyes.
“Save the World, Buy American! Buy Ford!”
Shawn
What about trunk space?
The back seats do not fold down. Did you have a lack of space.?
Would the car still be acceptable as a cross-country car once the baby is present and you need to shlepp him/her along with the baby’s stuff?
Trunk space was alright. Our two, large suitcases fit fine, but the back seats do not fold down. The hybrid’s batteries are behind the rear seats.
I wouldn’t bring the baby cross country in it, but around town or to Grandma’s house would be fine.
I’m going to test drive the Fusion Sport this week. we have the I4 now. We bought it for the fuel economy, but man I miss that V6.
When my wife and I were shopping to replace our first Fusion, I was going to turn in my beater and get a Flex at the same time after I test drove that vehicIe(Wow! what a surprise) but after seeing the 2010 Taurus I’m energize to add the New SHO to the garage and get rid of my beater. 365hp? Come on, How can you resist? Have you seen the feature least? Crazy!
FUSION HYBRID SETS WORLD RECORD WITH 1,445 MILES ON SINGLE TANK OF GAS
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 – Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques such as smooth acceleration and coasting to red lights were able to get an extraordinary 1,445.7 miles out of a single tank of gas during a fund-raising effort in Washington, D.C. that concluded today. They did it by averaging 81.5 miles per gallon in an off-the-showroom floor, non-modified 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient midsize car in North America – nearly doubling its U.S. certified mileage….
http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-fusion-hybrid-averages-815-mpg-30289
In April, Toyota sales fell 42% from a year ago. Last week, Ford Motor Co. announced a slight increase in production of its midsize sedans in an effort to …
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124120857242078291.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Fusion sales help Ford gain in US auto market
Great news on Fusion sales:
April share at 13.4% see att’d
Ford beat Altima for the first time in 7 years
2009 MY sell down is running ahead of schedule
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j2HyJn2K3iZu_uusL4yqhoIbaCWwD97TOJO00
I test drove a Fusion Hybrid last weekend. In a mix of highway (25%) and city driving (75%) the on-board computer read 42.3 mpg. Granted the computer could be off (+/-10% seems a reasonable max), but to beat the EPA numbers without really trying makes me think you could easily get 40+ mph without working too hard and 50 with a little practice and a light foot.
Hey Curby, That’s great news, to hear normal folks getting the same results as the professionals. This is really good news for American pride in auto design and manufacturing. Your experiences seem to be very consistant with everyone else that drives the Hybrid Fusion. This is news the type of info every American should be aware of.
How was the handling for you? What else did you like about the car? How was the trunk for you? The back seats don’t fold down because of the batteries but how did you find the available space?
Now that i think about it, i may have used the fold down feature on my 1st Fusion 3 times in 3 yrs. Lol! Maybe fold down seats ae over rated.
Did you have the chance to drive the normal Fusion. I’m trying to make time to drive the Fusion Sport. 263 hp and 249ft/lbs of torque? Wow! That’s more hp and almost as much torque as the 1988 Mustang GT(225hp/300ft/lbs) which was a lot of fun to drive.
We’ll see!
I test drove and purchased a 2010 Fusion Hybrid with Moon and Tunes package. This is just a day after sold my 2005 Lotus Elise to buy a new car. More on this in a bit.
I’ve been a home theater/audiophile for 25 years, the 12 speaker system is bright, clear and has sufficient tight bass to satisfy most musical tastes. If you want that sloppy base of hip-hop, forget it, the base is tight (sorry as it should be). Thus in my opinion the sound is great.
During my test drive I took this car hard into a turn and it didn’t scare me with under/over-steer, rather it did fine. It handled well, with a little slop because of the probably under inflated tires. A bit more pressure in the tires would make the handling better and the ride a bit stiffer. Depends on what you are looking for. Most sedans’ tires are underinflated for bump and road smoothing.
The seats are comfortable and well shaped to hold you in the seat while you drive. In hard braking the seatbelts autoretract and hold you in place.
The CVT is smooth and hardly noticable. The torque is nice in this car. I was impressed with how smoothly and seamlessly this car combined the gas and electric motors. Only once did I notice the transition and that was when I was hard on the “gas” and then abruptly let up. The car “bucked” back a bit. Probably wondering which I wanted to do, slow or accelerate. Nonetheless, under normal conditions it’s very smooth.
I did not find the dash or stereo controls ugly at all. Check out a Honda Fit if you want to see ugly. That car’s dash has cheap consumer bling written all over it.
Cars I considered before this care were Prius, Honda Fit, Honda Civic Hybrid. All of them left me feeling sad about buying a hybrid/ecconomical car.
I was a bit depressed letting my Lotus go, but after driving this car and seeing that I can have a fun car with cool features, I’m a very happy guy. Sure it’s not a Lotus Elise, but it’s also not a Lotus Elise with all that car’s compromizes in comfort for performance. However, this Ford really performs in a way that you don’t feel like jumping out into a line of 65 mph cars could cause you to die. None of the other cars I test drove gave me that confidence.