Handling: 6
Practicality: 8
Reliability: N/A
Cost to Own: 7
Feasibility of Sexual Encounters: N/A
Finally had a chance to drive my new Fusion today. Took it for a spin around town, and for a little bit of spirited driving on the highway. I've only put about 30-40 miles on it so far, but I have some preliminary observations. I'll probably update this thread in the future when I've spent more time in it.
Performance
The V6 in the Fusion is a 3.0 liter Duratec engine made by Ford, putting out 221 HP and 205 ft. lb of torque, and is connected to a 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission. Shifts are smooth, downshifts on the highway when you floor it are fairly timely, and the car really does move a bit in general. For its mid-size classification, there are many other cars that have larger engines, but you get a great bang for your buck with the Fusion. I only wish they had an option for a 6-speed manual for the V6. The I4 comes with a 5-speed, but that engine is somewhat lethargic, from what I hear.
Handling
You can really feel the Mazda influence in the handling. Handles well around curves and corners, with little body roll, which is impressive. Suspension is sturdy, but soft enough to absorb NYC's rough streets. For a FWD car, the steering is fairly neutral, with understeer not being much of an issue. The steering itself is also light and responsive, and firms up ever so slightly when you're at highway speeds. My only real gripe with the handling is the wide turning radius - something that was quite noticeable with parallel parking and U-turns. It doesn't make the car that hard to drive, but it'll take a little getting used to.
Practicality
It's a very comfortable car that I can see myself driving for long road trips and short runs to the supermarket. It has ample room for big/tall people, even in the backseats. The trunk is also quite large, as I noticed when picking up groceries today. Back seats, and even the passenger seat, fold down for lots of cargo space. It's a very utilitarian car that still retains a bit of a sporty personality.
Reliability
People have generally had great experiences with this car in terms of reliability, as long as they kept up with maintenance. I can't personally vouch for this just yet.
Cost to Own
Insurance premiums are not that much higher than the Taurus, especially considering I just got into an accident AND considering that it's 10 years newer. Gas mileage on the V6 is rated at 28/20 highway/city. The MPG reading on the trip computer hasn't been reset since the previous owner, and it's reading at 19.9, so I can only assume that it's had a good deal of city mileage, but with a light foot and some more highway driving, I hope to bring that up. Maintenance will be relatively inexpensive because it's a domestic car, and the CPO warranty gives us free scheduled service for 6 years/75,000 miles, so we'll see what happens.
Feasibility of Sexual Encounters
Gotta find someone to help me determine this. I'll get back to you.
Overall
I think it'll be a worthy replacement to the Taurus. Time will tell, I suppose. Either way, I can't wait to get more wheel time!
