Sacramento, California â€" The Ford Fusion is not the type of car that inspires dragstrip dreams.
But that changed when I recently tested a Ford Fusion SEL â€" normally equipped with a 175-horsepower four-banger â€" with a surprise inside. The $1,610 addition was a 3-liter, 24-valve V-6 Duratec engine with 240 horsepower.
In human terms, this changed the car from Pee-wee Herman to LeBron James.
But that changed when I recently tested a Ford Fusion SEL â€" normally equipped with a 175-horsepower four-banger â€" with a surprise inside. The $1,610 addition was a 3-liter, 24-valve V-6 Duratec engine with 240 horsepower.
In human terms, this changed the car from Pee-wee Herman to LeBron James.
The Fusion went from being basic transportation to a certified freeway terror, made all the more interesting because no one expects to be dusted off by a Fusion.
This was fun.
Ripping the Fusion’s 3,300 pounds around local city/suburban streets and hig hways was a blast. This is not a put-down of Fusion drivers who like the in-line 4 engine and the excellent fuel mileage it gets (22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the open road). But it is nice to know that you can get a Fusion with a little more oomph, especially when you spend your weekdays dicing in big-city commute traffic.
And hey, the fuel mileage on the six-cylinder power plant is pretty good, too. The advertised numbers are 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
Getting back to basics, it’s not hard to see why the Fusion is popular among consumers and part of the reason Ford just put up a near billion-dollar quarterly profit. It looks nice, aerodynamic in profile and saucy on the front with a three-tier grin of chrome.
What a concept: An affordable passenger car that doesn’t look cheap.
Inside, Fusion is a study in basic comfort and nicely thought-out simplicity. Front seats are comfortable, and they can be put forward to provide ample room in the back for three. And when you’re making room for those three in the back, the two folks in the front seats are not pressed against the dashboard. There are scores of cars that can’t make that claim.
The layout of interior controls can be mastered by a fifth-grader in quick order.
Interior/exterior standard goodies are generous. On the tester, that included 17-inch aluminum wheels, chromed exhaust tips, power heated mirrors, eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, tire pressure monitoring system and Ford’s SYNC audio/communication system.
The starting fare on the 2010 tester was $23,975, but that did not include the V-6 and an optional package that included a power moonroof, a 12-speaker sound system and a rearview video camera. All that added up to a bottom line of $28,105 on the sticker.
If you want a basic Fusion with four cylinders and fewer perks, the starting price is $19,620. And of course, you can get a hybrid version of the Fusion starting at $27,625. You can also get an even hotter-performing version of the Fusion, the V-6 Sport AWD, which is loaded with a 263 horsepower V-6. That one starts at $28,030.
Overall, the Fusion is a veritable variety shop capable of pleasing multiple desires. I kind of liked the version that looks meek but packs a heavyweight punch.
Now, where is that Corvette I just blew off?
This was fun.
Ripping the Fusion’s 3,300 pounds around local city/suburban streets and hig hways was a blast. This is not a put-down of Fusion drivers who like the in-line 4 engine and the excellent fuel mileage it gets (22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the open road). But it is nice to know that you can get a Fusion with a little more oomph, especially when you spend your weekdays dicing in big-city commute traffic.
And hey, the fuel mileage on the six-cylinder power plant is pretty good, too. The advertised numbers are 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
Getting back to basics, it’s not hard to see why the Fusion is popular among consumers and part of the reason Ford just put up a near billion-dollar quarterly profit. It looks nice, aerodynamic in profile and saucy on the front with a three-tier grin of chrome.
What a concept: An affordable passenger car that doesn’t look cheap.
Inside, Fusion is a study in basic comfort and nicely thought-out simplicity. Front seats are comfortable, and they can be put forward to provide ample room in the back for three. And when you’re making room for those three in the back, the two folks in the front seats are not pressed against the dashboard. There are scores of cars that can’t make that claim.
The layout of interior controls can be mastered by a fifth-grader in quick order.
Interior/exterior standard goodies are generous. On the tester, that included 17-inch aluminum wheels, chromed exhaust tips, power heated mirrors, eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, tire pressure monitoring system and Ford’s SYNC audio/communication system.
The starting fare on the 2010 tester was $23,975, but that did not include the V-6 and an optional package that included a power moonroof, a 12-speaker sound system and a rearview video camera. All that added up to a bottom line of $28,105 on the sticker.
If you want a basic Fusion with four cylinders and fewer perks, the starting price is $19,620. And of course, you can get a hybrid version of the Fusion starting at $27,625. You can also get an even hotter-performing version of the Fusion, the V-6 Sport AWD, which is loaded with a 263 horsepower V-6. That one starts at $28,030.
Overall, the Fusion is a veritable variety shop capable of pleasing multiple desires. I kind of liked the version that looks meek but packs a heavyweight punch.
Now, where is that Corvette I just blew off?
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