Latest test drive: 2010 Ford Fusion SEL

[Stew]

Stopped at the local Mazda store just to see what they had and ran across a used 2010 Fusion. SEL model, decently loaded. Had leather, sunroof, 3.0 V6, 6 speed auto, etc. The salesperson went with me so didn't get to do the usually battery of acceleration tests lol.

Exterior: In my opinion the latest fusions looks depends heavily on color. Fortunatly this one was a nice gray color that worked well with the Chrome wheels.

interior: I really liked the interior more than I thought I woud. like the Malibu it had Electrolumiscent (however you spell it) guages which were really sharp. The center stack fell into reach well enough, but like the Malibu was loaded with lots of buttons. Room was excellent. Even with a sunroof I have loads o headroom. The seats were very comfortable. One quibble I had was with the steering wheel. the ones found in both the Avenger and Malibu had a sportier look and had more compact center sections that looked tons better IMHO. I also prefer a good 3 spoke design over a spoke wheel anyday. Of course it had features like bluetoth, sync, etc that were nice features.

Driving: Here is where I wish I could have gotten a better crack at it. The car is very smooth going down the highway in all it's moves. Ride, engine, transmission, all worked in harmony at normal speeds and on normal takeoff. The transmission definatly seemed programmed for smoothness and gas mileage as it seemed to be in a race to get to top gear. I didn't get to get on it or get a feel for speed though as down as it is on power compared to the Malibu and Avenger, it should be a bit slower (The sport with the 3.5 V6 would be a better comparison anyways). It was simply a comfortable everyday car. At 29 MPG the 3.0 V6 ties the Avenger for highway fuel mileage (but gives up 43 HP) and puts it 3 ahead of the Malibu V6. I will hopefully get a better drive in one soon and hopefully get to go around in a Sport model.

My conclusion. Seems to be the most comfortable, pricing for a similat 11 model is right at 29k which puts it between the Avenger Heat and Malibu LTZ that I drove. It has the entertainment options of the Avenger, with the room and classiness (and sweet ass guages) of the Malibu. I am not going to rank it as I really need to get a better feel for the powertrain. Stay tuned!

For retrospect here is my origional reviews of the 11 Malibu and Avenger:

Hello all. GOt a little bored Saturday so decided to go try out some sedans (in my neverending quest of Jeep replacement and not being able to make up my mind haha). Anyways here is a basic breakdown of the cars I drove.

1. 2011 Dodge Avenger Mainstreet with the heat package.
price around 24,700.

Pentastar V6/6 speed auto, nice allow wheels, fog lamps, spoiler, power seat, touch screen infotainment.

2. Chevy Malibu LTZ (only V6 they had on the lot). Fully loaded, price around 32k.

How about some comparisons? I will try to keep this as accurate as possible considering the differences in trim levels.

Engines/transmissions

Avenger: The engine felt really smooth, power seemed to live in the upper ranges. The transmission was almost maddening in it's workings. It wanted to hold onto high gears even when shifting manually and when it did downshift it was slow to do so and there was a delay between putting the pedal down and getting reaction. now this did seem alot like the computer was intervening and I know with my Jeep it did this quite a bit with the engine until about 2500 miles. I really want to get into one that has been broken in and really feel the Pentastar in action ans when the computer did set it free it easily pushed you into the seat./

Malibu: Great combination. The engine was very torquey (surprised when i pulled out and gave it the spurs and the tires starting spinning nicely. It easily had power when I needed it and the transmission responded decently quickly and had did pretty well in manual mode, though still a little slower than I liked. Ultimatley the engine and transmission worked pretty damned good togeher!

Advantage: Malibu


Exterior.

Avenger: Pictures do not do the 2011 Avenger justice. The refined front and rear fascias with the flared fenders and clean sides give it a really mean and menacing look. The wheel choices are very stylish, basically it is sporty and clacked out and even the new split/crosshair grill is a major improvement. this is the Sporty one.

Malibu: In LTZ trim this is a really striking car. It has a tasteful use of chrome accents, handsome wheels, and very lux/refined look. IMHO, n it's fourth year, the design is not getting old.

Advantage: tie, do you prefer sporty or sophiticated?

Interior

Avenger. The new interior is pretty striking and a huge step up. Materials are good and I leve the feel of the new steering wheel. The optional touch screen interface is amazingly intuitive, fun, and easy to use. The EVIC which shows different info including mpg info, tire pressure, and giving the ability to reset different options (ex: door lock settings, remote settings, etc) was really nice. It also had a really nice sounding stereo with 1 yr free sirius. The place where it is lacking is in room. Now I am just judging front seat room with my 6 ft tall leggy frame lol. The seat is comfortable and plenty roomy. It seems like it was lacking in kneeroom, of courtese I have this issue with about everthing, though the tilt/telescoping wheel was really helpful in getting comfy here.. Also the driver's side power seat controls were a pain to get to because the driver's door armrest was too large. Overall the interior did come off as really nice and and a huge step in the right direction, just a few more things to work out.

Malibu: THe drivers side area seemed quite a bit roomier here. I loved the seat and the guages. The look, like the outside, was pretty classy. The main demerits here lie in 2 places. The cover over the cupholders wanted to stick and was a pain. Also the center stack was simply riddled with too many buttons and was not nearly as intuitive as the Avengers touchscreen.

Advantage: tie: tech saavy or totally classy.

Suspension. Avenger: This is a nicely buttoned down car. The steering was heavy, but very linear and the work in the suspension pays pretty good dividends. The ride is a bit firm though and some bumps can protude into the cabin, but nothing bad and it was surprisingly zippy.

Malibu: Great handling/ride balance. Does a feel a little heavier, but more buttoned down at the same time. The ride seem a bit more supple. I was really impressed at the solid feel.

Advantage: Malibu

Winner: Malibu: I have to give it to the malibu. This is a well sorted car that is roomy, sophisticated and actually fun to drive. The tuning and communication between the engine and transmission are excellent.

2nd: Avenger: This car is truly deserving of attention, it is a highly improved package in need of a little more finetuning.

And yes, I desperatly need a proofreader haha.

[FenwickHockey65]

Not trying to bash you or anything, but how does this have too many buttons?

[Stew]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Not trying to bash you or anything, but how does this have too many buttons?

This one didn't have the auto climate control which may be what threw me off. I need to play with it more (The Fusion so nobody gets any ideas lol) haha

The one i drove was more like this sans the nav screen, so yes I think it was the climate control that threw me off along with a chatty salesperson who wanted to give me her life story for some reason lol.

[KXRM]

Yea I drove one of these as a rental last summer and I was shocked at how much I actually enjoyed driving the car. It is certainly no muscle car but the interior was far superior than any other Ford I have ever driven. It was just fun to me for whatever reason. I am hoping that the auto manufacturers here in the states have finally learned that how people feel in a car is crucial to it's success. Not the deal that was made when you got it.

[8cd03gro]

Originally Posted by Stew

This one didn't have the auto climate control which may be what threw me off. I need to play with it more (The Fusion so nobody gets any ideas lol) haha

The one i drove was more like this sans the nav screen, so yes I think it was the climate control that threw me off along with a chatty salesperson who wanted to give me her life story for some reason lol.

The picture he posted is a malibu dash.

[Stew]

Originally Posted by 8cd03gro

The picture he posted is a malibu dash.

DOh! Ok, the one I drove was different still, maybe didn't have auto climate or a different stereo system? I think though, that the 13 cures this issue, LOVE the new touch screen system available in the 13 model!

[Stew]

Ok, even the basic Climate control (with 3 big nobs instead of buttons which I am way in favor of), does not look as button laiden as I remember, possibly because of the simple touchscreen interface the Avenger had.