Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Fusion/500 Test Drive

I decided to give the Fusion a shot today, and while I was there a 500.

Fusion: Really a huge step forward for Ford. Interior was very comfortable and reasonable styled. Quality of materials was decent but nothing class leading. Seats were comfortable and supportive enough. Steering feel was very good and the transmission was excellent. The engine felt smooth and peppy... only taking up in the higher RPMs a few times. It was very quiet and drove more refined then the honda accord. I drove a base SEL. The stereo was a base stereo and I was quite impressed. I didn't get a chance to hear the audiophile. I liked it but could only think about how much better the car will be with the new 3.5. Exterior was tasteful with basic alloy wheels. Drove a black one and sat in a green one. Only letdown was the color of the interior... I prefer black. Great car for under 20k!!

500: First thing I noticed... WOW this thing is huge! Drove a limited and a basic AWD CVT. The limited was incredibly comfortable. Interior was really nice in the black with the dark wood. Stereo was decent, controls were decent. Back seat was awesome and comfortable. The engine was adequate but noisy. Transmission did its best to keepup. Needs the 3.5 badly. Ride was quiet and nice but handling was kinda boaty. Overall a nice ride... great price. They were selling a limited with everything but nav for 25k. The base AWD with CVT was nice but really felt a lot cheaper. The fake carbon fiber felt cheaper then the fake wood. The seats were okay but felt so much better in leather. The CVT was not great. Felt like a powerboat. With more Torque the CVT would probably deal better but it was constantly playing around with RPMs... speed kept dropping on the highway. Engine was too loud for a CVT!

These cars are leaps and bounds ahead of previous ford cars. I think they are very competitive and offer a nice value. My wife who is very image conscience said she would consider a fusion. Props to Ford!

I know

So are you going with Ford again or have you still more test drives to take?

Take a new Mustang for a good romp and post back.
I love the looks of that car!

I did. Took a 06 GT for a nice ride.

Interior is good. Seats could be a bit more sporty. Felt kinda old fashion but thats kinda the idea. Interior was light years ahead of the old mustangs and about on par with a 350Z which isn't saying much but isn't horrible. I liked the steering wheel and the feel of the shifter. Back seat was useless as expected. The engine sounds great at idle and just gets better from there. Pulling and taking the car through the rev range was nice. The car felt fairly large. Cruising on the highway was nice because the engine note kinda disappears to a slight rumble. (not annoying like the GTO) On the back roads the car was fun but not as tight as I had hoped. It drove comfortably but the low seating position, long hood and large size conspired to make the car feel unathletic. The suspension was more loose then I had hoped but the brakes were good. Steering was boring. It def would make a fun daily driver because of the reasonable exhaust tuning. The solid rear axle didn't make itself known until broken pavement... the back end got kinda loose and wiggly. It felt fast but not that much faster then my Legacy GT...on backroads I think my LGT would keep up.
Overall its a nice vehicle... great for a mustang but still a class behind in dynamics from the 350Z, RX8 etc but a class ahead in power and sound.

I've driven all three Fords as well. The Mustang is far ahead of the previous body & interior in stock form. Solid & precise feeling in the steering & suspension by comparison. I grew up with RWD V-8 cars, so I recon I'm used to sliding the rear end around & liked it A LOT!

The 500 was quite nice IMHO too, but it also was not as soft as I had expected. The agility & control I felt behind the wheel were nothing less than astounding considering the interior space that I commanded. The CVT will take some getting used to. RPMs pop up to 2500ish and just stay there. No shifting or nuttin'. Weird... Unfortunately, I didn't get it up to speed on the highway as there was an accident & gridlock preventing it. Otherwise, I liked the car but expected more comfort. Could use more power to get the sled moving, definately.

Fusion was a great balance, as stated. Definately a well rounded platform. I actually like the instrument cluster better than what is offered in the Milan - at least the one I drove. I don't know if that's changed or if there is an appearance package for the Milan that would change it.

I was at a dealer with the wife yesterday. We were lookin' at Jags. Then we went to have a look at a few LS V-8 models. While there, I spied the Grand Marquis section & had a look. DAYUM you get a lot of car for the money with those... Looks like I'm gonna be picking up my 3rd Grand Marquis in the coming months. Bye-bye BMW.

WOW! I had no idea you guys were into those.

The Marauder is nice, but a bit underpowered for the price. I'll just slap a SC kit on the Marquis LS and add some suspension bits to complete the sleeping monster.