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161 Comments
- ahhell, on 02/07/2009, -0/+27700 Miles per tank!!! Holy *****.
Maybe it's time to upgrade my '00 Focus - CoronaVegas, on 02/07/2009, -5/+28I would buy Ford over GM, I'm just saying.
- inactive, on 02/06/2009, -1/+24"40 mpg in stop-and-go traffic"
Wish mine got at least that much. - GRTWHT, on 02/07/2009, -3/+25While I think it's a great car (based on the article) and looks fantastic, I doubt it will sell as well as the Prius since most of the Prius owners I've known/heard about prefer to have their car advertise the fact that it's a hybrid and this looks too conventional for them.
Then again, maybe this is just what's needed to make average people more receptive to hybrids and it will sell massively. - Lifehedge, on 02/07/2009, -11/+32Prius is way overrated in terms of the environmental thing, not to mention that it's a pretty crappy car.
- vishnumittal, on 02/06/2009, -2/+21amazing power and beautiful look!
- handler, on 02/07/2009, -3/+22At least looks way better than the prius.
- sentinel106, on 02/07/2009, -3/+17pretty ugly too. I mean really would be embarrassed to be caught driving one. It screams "I'M DRIVING A PRIUS LOOK AT ME" in the very bad kind of way.
- Gman1223, on 02/07/2009, -2/+14The Fusion has been rated above the Camry in quality for a few years.
- winmywii, on 02/07/2009, -0/+10Maybe because Ford refused (so far) to use my tax money to build them.
- sentinel106, on 02/07/2009, -1/+10Could this be the car that saves the American auto market? God I hope so, because you can hate Ford or GM or Chrysler as much as you like, but at the end of the day they pull a lot of weight in the country and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. We kind of need them, so I hope this is good, so they have a chance at salvation that doesn't come from the taxpayers.
- ricker2005, on 02/07/2009, -1/+10The Honda CRX (which I happen to be familiar with, since it was my first car) also sported a four cylinder engine that could barely push the car up moderately steep hills, only sat two people, was a hatchback, and was pretty much a airbag-less deathtrap as soon as SUVs became popular. So it wasn't all puppy dogs and candy canes.
- breakingwheel, on 02/07/2009, -13/+21Anything is better than a Prius
- ARTLUKM, on 02/07/2009, -0/+8I think you're wrong on that. Hydrogen is not going to happen. Fuel cells are insanely expensive, they have limited lifecycles just like batteries, and no one has found a reliable and cheap way to store a large amount of hydrogen. At least with BEVs it's easy to see how it would realistically work -- and we're very close to it being a reality.
Fuel cells have no inherent advantage of battery-based EVs. They still need batteries or capacitors, just like a pure EV. The fuel cell doesn't power the wheels directly.
Rapid-charging batteries are very much a reality, and rapid-charge stations are far more likely to come into existence than hydrogen stations.
Making hydrogen isn't very efficient to begin with, and until we have nuclear fusion reactors with unlimited energy output, efficiency matters. Hydrogen can't be made on site, so there is an added efficiency loss in transportation and so on. - ahhell, on 02/07/2009, -0/+8Huh?
- Valleye, on 02/08/2009, -0/+8The fusion is a much bigger car than the Escort and the the amenities in the fusion make the escort look like a go-kart. You pay for all this in MPGs. 40 is not bad for a midsize car.
- ARTLUKM, on 02/07/2009, -3/+11All these parallel hybrids are pretty useless in my books. The new Ford Fusion has excellent engines to begin with, and they're very efficient. That's where the underlying efficiency comes from here. The near-term future is in PHEVs (plug-in series hybrids), and eventually in pure EVs (as costs come down and technology improves).
That said, I would agree with the premise here that the Fusion is better, if not only because it has a lot more room and storage space. - Disease, on 02/07/2009, -4/+12At least I wouldn't be embarrassed to drive one of these. The Prius, however, I might as well be driving a pink VW Beetle with flowers on it.
- hocine, on 02/07/2009, -0/+8Ford is on par with Honda and Toyota in all recent reliability surveys.
- Gman1223, on 02/07/2009, -1/+8Right... That's why the Fusion has been rated above the Camry in quality all these years. Yep, makes sense to me now!
Also, check this out: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/ford-global-war ...
For the year of 2008, Hyundai, Ford and GM had lower recalls, while Toyota and Honda were up. - adml_shake, on 02/07/2009, -0/+7I agree, for every person who buys a Prius to advertise the fact that they are diving a hybrid I bet you could find another person who is a turned off by it's look and waiting for something more main stream to come along.
- HappyProgrammer, on 02/08/2009, -1/+8
I dont understand the Prius haters on this thread.
I have owned about 10 cars over the years. I am not into fashion or making statements. I buy cars for practical reasons. My Prius 2005 is the best car I have ever owned. My wife feels the same way. I have had it for 3 years. And I have zero complaints. Aside from routine service, this car has needed nothing more. Gives great gas mileage (I avg. 43mpg with normal driving) and has carried my family of 4, comfortably and reliably, all over the country and Canada. Once, on a cold winter night, we completely ran out of gas on a bridge with no shoulder. The car carried us to the nearest gas station, a few miles away on batteries alone.
Sure, the car is not meant for everybody. But in its class (not F-150 and H1, for some of you) the Prius outclasses the competition in performance, reliability and fuel consumption.
Until you can name something that is better than Prius in its class and is available *today* (not 2525) then I humbly request that you shut the ***** up. - sexydawg, on 02/07/2009, -0/+7Low $30k's according to the article.
- hocine, on 02/07/2009, -0/+7700 miles on one tank of gas.
- TheCash, on 02/07/2009, -1/+8Don't be worried. Ford is (well all the US car makers are, really) offering one hell of a warranty on all their products these days that covers everything bumper to bumper. So unless you're one of the rare folks that likes to keep cars 10+ years, you'll be safe, even if you wind up with a lemon.
- iamdan1, on 02/07/2009, -0/+7Actually it is what the world needs... less smog.
- yerdaddy, on 02/07/2009, -0/+7It's just outdated. Good to see Ford in the new lineup.
- neozero497, on 02/07/2009, -0/+63rd gen buddy boy
- fasda, on 02/07/2009, -3/+9Well there is one big difference between the fusion and the prius 1 looks like a car you'd normally buy and the other is ugly as sin.
- inactive, on 02/07/2009, -3/+9While it's great that ford is finally coming back and all. The prius sports 65ish mpg in the city, which is quite a bit better than the fusions rating of 40ish. My new non-hybrid lancer gets about 40mpg with 153 horse i4. Really, targeting 40mpg with a hybrid is not that great.
If toyota would get the prius a little bit of a makeover, i would definitely consider buying one. - Gman1223, on 02/08/2009, -0/+6http://www.jdpower.com/autos/Ford/Fusion/2009/Seda ...
http://www.fordfusionforum.com/index.php?showtopic ...
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/23/consumer-report ...
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_ ...
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/ford-global-war ...
5 years ago, maybe. Even GM is doing better with quality now. Ford and GM are building cars with great interiors now, too (Toyota's interiors are getting cheaper and cheaper imo). - zeth006, on 02/07/2009, -0/+6I've always been a vocal critic of American cars in general. Large, ungainly, fuel-guzzling hunks of aluminum. That's what they've been for the past several DECADES.
This one looks a lot more promising. Designwise, it looks a bit mundane. But hey, it saves gas and it's leading the American auto industry down the right direction. Looks like there is hope for our autos after all. I shouldn't have to buy exclusively foreign models just to guarantee I have good fuel efficiency and high quality. - TheCash, on 02/07/2009, -0/+6That's the point of this car: it doesn't look like hybrid. So unless you change your license plate to "hybrid" or "47MPG," no one is going to notice.
- inactive, on 02/07/2009, -1/+7I got a Prius because my car broke down and it was the best choice I thought I could make at the time. Aesthetics were irrelevant.
- inactive, on 02/08/2009, -1/+6Still doesn't beat the Insight.
I'll keep my 62 mpg, thank you. - Hamletlere, on 02/07/2009, -0/+5Really? I like the look of the Prius. I also like getting 50MPG in standard driving around town (about half-and-half city and highway). To each their own, though.
- hocine, on 02/07/2009, -1/+6Find me a negative Fusion review. Everyone loves this car.
- ThantiK, on 02/07/2009, -3/+8Maybe I'm a closet-fag or something but I really like the look of the Prius you insensitive clod!
- TheCash, on 02/07/2009, -0/+5Looks a far sight more impressive then the rolling box hybrids on the market now.
- Valleye, on 02/08/2009, -0/+5Civic is not in the same class as the Fusion. The Civic competes with the Ford Focus. The Fusion compares to the Accord.
- 355CJ, on 02/07/2009, -1/+6Tell that to my Ranger that has 278k and still driven daily.
I did have to replace a waterpump once.
The only non-routine maintenance item I've had to replace.
And also tell it to my Explorer that I traded at 126k having NEVER been in a garage for anything besides tires (I do my own routine maintenance).
My neighbor's Honda was in the shop 3 times during the period I had my Explorer. They weren't major issues but he lost the use of his vehicle nonetheless. He quit telling me how reliable Hondas were.
My results may be atypical, but out of 6 Ford trucks I've gotten stellar service. Don't know about their cars, but every Ford truck I've had has been solid. - inactive, on 02/07/2009, -4/+9When not assembling cars, Ford employees troll Digg
- neozero497, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4YEah I agree. but there are reasons that the CRX was so efficient, it was small , two seater, had little space, and was unsafe.
Personally i think we should engineer more small cars, look at the japanese...where half of the cars are between the size of a think and a yaris. - Nerys, on 02/08/2009, -1/+5Prius is either because you like it OR because its a status symbol OR you were gullible enough to think you will actually ever save a penny in fuel.
At $2 a gallon it costs me roughly $114 a month to drive my Minivan a 1996 voyager with 190,000 miles on the ticker.
A Prius would cost me $69 a month (probably more since its mostly highway commute so I would not have as much stop and go and lose the acceleration advantage of the battery but lets assume the best)
That means I would save $45 a month on the prius. $540 a year so to break even and assuming it cost NOTHING in maintenance beyond the normal stuff it would take me over 66 years to break even on the prius.
in fact for the first 5 years it would not even save me enough gas to cover the $1200 increase in insurance premiums. so add another 10 years to that figure. JUST to break even.
NOW keep in mind I drive 1600 miles MINIMUM a month. Most people do not drive anywhere NEAR that many miles. So if its going to take me 78 years to break even (67 if I ignore the massive increase in insurance premiums)
How long do you think it will take YOU to break even.
Hybrids are a rip off. NOW a cheap $10,000 hybrid that got 80+ mpg now THAT would be worth it.
Lets do a contrary comparison here. I am DROOLING over getting say a VW Diesel Beetle (sadly its the only one my 6'4" frame fits in the rest have ceilings too low) sadly this is the most expensive VW Diesel too and the rarest which sucks. anyway I get can one for about $8,000 to $9000
Lets use $9000 which will net me 52mpg (I can probably squeeze higher I am quite good at it but lets use 52mpg to be on the fair side)
Now the fuel does cost more about $2.60 a gallon so lets do some math.
28mpg Minivan $114 a month
52mpg VW Beetle $80 a month (and this ignores that I can and would use a portion of this as bio D)
difference $34 saved a month. 22 years to break even.
Add in usage of Bio Diesel that I can gain EASY access to for NOTHING and go 50% regular diesel and now I am down to $40 a month saving me $74 a month.
thats 10 years to breaking even and it actually saves me $34 to $74 a month.
If you count that fact that I will eventually need a new car anyway you can cut that in half.
so figure 5 years payback.
subtracting 5 years from the prius for the "I will need a new car anyway" would only reduce my back time from 67 to 62 years. - slayerab, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4Fords can travel through time? I'm sold
- yerdaddy, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4You're correct. Many defrosting systems run the AC compressor and heater air at the same time. It's a sort of brute force plan to drop relative humidity that is not very efficient but gets the job done fastest. When I'm in vehicles that have this I usually disconnect the AC clutch line unless It's really hot out and I need the AC. I can wait until the hot air works well enough.
- MachThree, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4There's an interesting statistic in there: the similarly-stocked SEL model pencils out until you've driven 50,000 miles, assuming gasoline is $2.50. After 50,000 miles, or less if gasoline is more expensive, the Hybrid makes more sense. Because Americans are beginning to save more of their money, due to the financial crisis, perhaps these habits will lead to increased sales of hybrid cars in general as well as less pollutants.
- neozero497, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4I'm sorry but toyota's and honda's are boooring and unimaginative. MAybe some of their more exlotic cars are good (fj cruiser, element, insight...) but they tend to fall right on the status quo design wise. Not to hate on Japanese cars cause nissan and mazda are a-ok in my book. And I'm sure they'll be around longer than you.
- Taiyoryu, on 02/07/2009, -0/+4For prettier designs, go to http://www.ford.co.uk/ I'm jealous of our buddies across the pond. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axfa2fjE_wY
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