2007 Ford Fusion V6 SEL

Pros

Styling, comfort, power, handling

Cons

View to the rear, turning circle, no manual trans with the V-6

I've had my '06 SEL V-6 since April '06 and now have a little over 10,000 miles on it. I was very impressed from the first test drive and my feelings haven't changed one bit since then. This is simply a GREAT car -- clearly Ford's best effort in many years.

I've taken it on 3 long trips so far -- twice to Chicago and once to New England. Highway fuel economy bested the EPA estimates at 65 or below and were a very reasonable 25 MPG cruising at 80. This is just one great highway cruiser and was also a ball to drive through the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. The handling is simply amazing, on a par with the better European sports sedans in almost all respects. (It is a front driver, its only limitation.)

Even though it's been on the market for nearly a year now, the Fusion still turns heads all the time. I still get comments almost every day. The Redfire Clearcoat paint is just absolutely stunning -- that and black do the car serious justice.

Inside, the leather seating looks great but feels a bit hard when you first sit on it -- very much like a Mercedes in that respect -- buy when you've been sitting in it for 800 miles it still feels very comfortable, again very much like a Benz. I'd like to see dual power seats in a car that lists for over $26,000 as well as power seat recline but those are minor niggles. The manual tilt and telescope steering wheel is a little stiff to adjust but has a very wide adjustment range and no "notchiness" at all unlike much of the competition. Headroom is a bit tight with the moonroof, but the seat height adjustment takes care of that pretty well. There are plenty of cupholders and lots of storage cubbies. The glovebox doesn't lock, another quibble. The split fold-down rear seats significantly increase load capacity. The narrow decklid swings well up out of the way and the design of the hinges and gas struts prevents damage to anything in the trunk; no more crushed groceries or mangled laptops! The hood is is held up with a prop-rod but there are after market gas strut kits available that are worth every penny.

The 3.0 liter DOHC engine provides plenty of power and the new 6-speed automatic is almost perfect. I'd like to see a manual shift override on the trans, but I'd MUCH rather see a 5 or 6 speed manual with this engine! I did test drive an I-4 model with the 5-speed trans and it was just a bit shy on power but very enjoyable. If a manual was available with the V-6, it would probaby be the best car on the road today. Please, Ford, give us a manual V-6 and I'll buy another one right now!

My only gripes are the view to the rear and the turning circle. Backing up while looking out the back window is just plain dangerous; you can't see a thing back there. Using the side mirrors trucker style solves that but you still have to be very careful. The turning circle is more along the lines of a Klingon Battle Cruiser, not a mid-size sedan. My old daily driver was a Mercedes and I was really spoiled for the maneuverability in parking lots. The Fusion definitely needs some work on that score.

In 5 months and over 10,000 miles, the only maintenance item was a tiny trim piece that popped off the driver's door. Other than a couple of oil changes and tire rotations according to the maintenance schedule, it hasn't seen a service bay yet. The last new Ford I owned, way back in 1969, was already on it's 3rd transmission by then and had spent nearly as much time in the dealer's service bay as it did on the road.

All in all, the Fusion is a winner. Ford was way overdue for one; maybe they've turned the corner with this one. Yes, I'd do it all over again.