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Ford's Fabulous Fusion Hybrid
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Alright, I admit it. I have new-car envy.
As the owner of an 18 year-old two-seat roadster, I get this way when I get behind the wheel of a brand new sedan.
Such was the case last weekend when Ford handed me the keys and invited me to drive their new Fusion Hybrid from LA to San Francisco. What was i going to say, no?
Um, not.
You see, as someone who has recently suffered an injury reducing my personal mobility, and which may require surgery soon, I grabbed the keys and was off for a weekend of freedom, taking my time for once and driving California's Route 1.
If you haven't driven this route from LA to SF or vice versa, you owe it to yourself to do so at least once. The roadway travels through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery anywhere-thick forests, sand dunes, rolling hills that remind you of the TV show Little House on the Prairie, and of course, the beautiful coastline with its jagged rock outcroppings, crashing surf and beautiful beaches.
The Fusion was equally inspiring. Upon first glance, you see images of Honda and the Volt, but a closer inspection reveals the car is following styling cues revealed on the Ford Edge and Ford Flex, starting with it's front fascia.
Inside is comfortable, but more importantly, whisper quiet. In fact, I couldn't get over just how quiet the vehicle is. It starts with the ignition. As the car starts in EV mode, there is no engine to turn over. So you aren't 100% sure the engine is on. A little disconcerting at first, but I loved it. During my trip, I spoke with several people, who had no idea the car was on as I was chatting with them. Remarkable!
Now, I love my two-seater and with 125k miles on it, I feel it can easily go another 100k without problem. But I hear (and feel) every engine knock, bump, and car beside me. In the Ford Fusion, I was wrapped in my own little cocoon, hearing only the wind and the tire noise. It was such a respite from the cacophony that accompanies living in a metropolis, I never wanted to leave!
Add Sirius Satellite, which I had on a smooth jazz channel the whole way, and I was in my own personal nirvana.
Other neat gadgetry on the car includes the Smart Gauge, reminescent of the Scan Guage. Check out this YouTube video to get an idea how it works. The display lights up, and while a bit distracting from driving, actually shows you how your driving habits are affecting your mpg. It became a challenge to wring as much mileage from the engine as possible. I was able to make the 350 mile trip using less than a tank of gas, averaging 38 mpg. I was impressed given the type of driving I had to do and over very hilly terrain. I wonder how this translated to Cost Per Mile or CPM?
But as impressed as I was, I was bested by drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques who recently achieved 1,445 miles on a single tank of gas – averaging 81.5 mpg in Washington, D.C. – and set a world record for a gasoline-powered, mid-size sedan during the the Fusion Hybrid 1,000-Mile Challenge which raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Read the full release here.
Sadly, wasn't able to get the navigation system to engage as I didn't have enough time to learn the apparatus, but I will say, the reverse back up camera was incredible, and will prove invaluable to anyone who is parallel-parking challenged.
On the downside, I noticed a very uncomfortable blind spot behind the driver's left side. However, Ford has installed a notification system in the side view mirrors that warn the driver with a small light that it is unsafe to change lanes. It took a little getting used to, but is easy to adapt to.
The Fusion is a domestic competitor to the Prius. And it will certainly steal consumers attention against the Chevy Malibu Hybrid.
So will I buy the car? Welllllllll...with an MSRP of over $27k, it will certainly be a great car for a family who needs the room.
For me, if they were to take this styling, comfort, technology and fuel sipping ingenuity and put it into an eye-catching roadster, I'd be first in line.
Until then, I will have to find other ways to satisfy my new-car envy.
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