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Contour vs. Fusion?

I'm getting about 29 miles to the gallon and yes I do drive aggressively because where I'm now located in cali if I don't I'll get ran over. that's about the same average my I4 Contour gets in it's stock form. I'd say my fusion is far from a gas guzzler and that those numbers are actually good for a V6 3L (it fits in with the same averages my friend shane has observed in his 05 v6 camry.)[/QUOTE said:
Thanks 29 mpg overall In California, hmmmm, can't complain about that, I guess.
Overall right? Have you had a chance to see what the best it could do? Is that the Asian ATX? Was out there once for 2 weeks in Sept.-- 95 Monterey to Guerneville based at Morgan Hills. I could've got use to Russian river area!!!
I guess what I was trying to get at more than anything was the reliability angle that seems to be the big sales driver for Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Just how many people will actually believe the Car & Driver test? Detroit has dug themselves a pretty deep hole from my generations view point.
What's your friend Shane's reason for buying a Camry? Do forget to remind Shane not to loose both keys or has he already gotten a spare in his safe box?
For you younger folks you think Ford has a chance? Since you folks have noticed a novelists I'm not, I was trying conceal my life long Ford ownership. Small town dealership hasn't hurt either!!!
I personally would feel terrible dishonor to those in WW II buy Jap crap and find ever more upsetting for Detroit's greed or lack of attention to detail.
Unlike our present situation 99% of the nation was involved.
When you are raised by a lucky survivor of Iwo Jima your thinking becomes bias'd even if you know being opening minded is best.
If it hadn't been for all those WW II's consumers loyalty, Detroit would have experienced the effects of the global economy long time ago.
How many think Ford's going to survive??? Or does it matter???
Brand Loyalty????
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My great grandfather fought with Zachary Taylor in 1847 and after the crap the Mexicans pulled on us in that war (Remember the Alamo?) I don't see how any true American could ever buy a Fusion or any other car made south of the border. Just unpatriotic if you ask me.

For the same reason, I would never ever buy a car made by: (1) the Indians; (2) the French (3) the British; (4) the Hessians; (5) the British again; (6) Barbary Pirates; (7) Mexicans; (8) any resident of any member of the Confederacy (especially Alabamians); (9) Spaniards; (10) Germans (11) Austrians (12) Germans again; (13) Italians; (14) Japanese (15) Koreans; (16) Vietnamese; (17) Granadians; (18) Iraqis (19) Afghanis and/or (20) Iraqis.

And in about a year, I have a feeling I'll have a similar boycott against Iranian built cars.
 
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The Fusion should be compared to the regular Contours, not just the SVT.
And I test drove one with a V6 and it makes the old Tours look like Tempos.

Also, FWIW, many Contours were Mexican made. And the final assembly doesn't take into account where the parts are assembled. If one wants to quibble about where cars are made, then they should also care about every other consumer product too.
 
My Contours were both built in the State of Missouri. And Missouri is a close call.

While Missouri was originally a slave state under the Missouri Compromise, it had a pro-Union government and abolished slavery during the Civil War.

Therefore, Missouri is NOT on my boycott list.
 
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Well haven't been by the Russian river, but I live right now, right next to a levy that holds back the sacramento river, Hope it never gives. I can see that detroit has had quite the running with high labor costs, union retirement plans, and unemployment pay outs. a lot of why ford, dodge and GM are in the hole that they're in is because of these problems right now. That's a big reason why the manufacturing plants have been moving. Don't get me wrong I'm pro-union, but when the common worker for the big 3 has union to back them up and has the right to negotiate with the corporation as a whole, there's a big difference. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and all of their off brands don't have to pay nearly as much toward the worker as the big three do. so that frees up resources in the company for expansion and research and development, hence producing better more reliable vehicles. that's were at least ford is trying to get to along with GM. I can say that the big 3 must be doing something right because how often do you see the Jap big 3 (especially Toyota) offering insentives. The only reason motor companies offer insentives is to move product to boost sales. Last night I saw commercials for toyota offering price cuts. which is unusual for their new model year line. I think ford will do it and I think D/C will do it, but as for GM I think they dug to deep.
 
My wife is from SC (the Craddle of the Confederates) and I'm from Ohio, so you know I got to give her a hard time about Northern Domination. "The south may rise again" but the north will be right there to put her back in line.lol
 
jamesmason said:
"The south may rise again" but the north will be right there to put her back in line.lol
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Don't count on it...

I'm a former Yank and I now live in the deep, dirty, South. Just the sight of the Mighty Eric & his gigantic gunz should strike fear to your very heart!

I just bailed him out recently...
 
I just had occasion to rent a Fusion while my Contour was in the shop and my feelings about the experience are mixed.

The Fusion was nice enough, and I really enjoyed some of the additional electronic information available to the driver. However the torque steer was just horrible, worse than any car I've driven before. And while the 2.3L engine was peppy, fuel economy suffered as a consequence when compared to my Contour SE under similar driving conditions. I would rather have the 2.0L engine and better fuel economy to be honest. I also found myself really missing the overdrive button from the Contour, which I frequently use for passing and other hard acceleration.
 
IRingTwyce said:
If that is a prerequisite for you, then the answer is no. The 4 cyl. simply doesn't have enough 'oomph' to move the car in a spirited manner, so the MTX is out since you'd need/want the V6. It really seems the spiritual successor to the Contour is the Mazda 6: V6, MTX, fun to drive, affordable, good looking.
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The brand new Car & Driver just did a 4-cylinder sedan comparo, and the Fusion didn't fare too well: 9.5 to 60, and 17.3 @ 80 in the quarter.

I suppose that's a little better than a 4-cylinder Contique, but a far cry from even an automatic 2.5 V6.

They compared the Fusion, Camry, Malibu, Avenger, Accord, Sonata, and Altima. Of course, the Accord took top honors. The order was:

1. Accord
2. Altima
3. Malibu
4. Sonata
5. Camry
6. Fusion
7. Avenger
 
96RedSE5Sp said:
I really have a hard time believing that the 4 cylinder 160 HP Fusion would be faster than an SVT. And considering that the fastest Fusion that comes with a stick, thats the only Fusion comparison that I'm really intersted in.

Acording to EPA figures, the 6 cylinder Fusion averages 25MPG (21 City and 29 Highway). This means that the average driver driving in real-world conditions should expect to average about 22 MPG.
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Keep in mind the EPA changed how they do MPG test last year, so almost evry car dropped about 3mpg on average for list.
 
Acording to EPA figures, the 6 cylinder Fusion averages 25MPG (21 City and 29 Highway). This means that the average driver driving in real-world conditions should expect to average about 22 MPG.
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I think the EPA's figures are optimistic. My personal benchmark is the annual LA to Vegas run where, if my Contour has just been tuned and driving conditions are favourable, I can get 29MPG. Under similar circumstances in the Fusion, I was only able to get 25MPG.
 
gdub520 said:
maybe someone can take the best of the contour and the best of the fusion and make a conFUSION :idea:

or does that make you wanna give me a CONTusion:shrug:
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Not much to do during the Writers' Strike, eh? :laugh:
 
Peppy or not, somehow I just can't picture a non boosted I4 and torque steer in the same sentence.
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Well that only goes to tell you how bad it was then, doesn't it.
 
posthuman63t said:
Thats one of the things that turned me off from buying an Avenger years ago...

They offered the v6 only in Auto and the I4 in manual. I wanted the best of both worlds, and since that wasn't an opton, I took the pass.
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If Ford doesn't fix their similar problem these days (no powerful engine with manual transmission), more people like me will be buying other brands. :(
 
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