Taurusguy

Deep Impact Blue with Dune leather gets my vote.

Did you hit the power button that raises and lowers the seat to make sure it was all the way down?

I'm with you!!! Unfortunately, this new center stack design seems to be the trend with many cars now, not just Fords. I just don't understand it.

Last year it was time to part with my 2000 Taurus. As much as I loved that car, it seemed to reach the point where one thing after another was going wrong. I took it to my local Ford dealer’s service dept. one morning to check out a new rattle, and found out it was going to cost more than I wanted to spend to repair it. I made an on-the-spot decision to trade in the Taurus and drove home a 2012 Fusion that afternoon. I couldn’t be happier. The question is, if my Taurus had lasted a year or so longer, would I now replace it with a 2013 Fusion? I’m not one of the people who were instantly impressed by the styling of the new Fusion. In several previous posts I’ve been skeptical of the high beltline and wide center console, but my opinions had only been based on photos and videos. For the first time this morning, while at the dealer for an oil change, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a 2013 Fusion in the showroom. While I didn’t get to drive one, I was able to sit inside and form a better opinion. On the outside, yes, it is a good looking car. There were no surprises seeing the car in person, as I’ve seen photos of just about every angle online. It was the interior that concerned me the most. The interior, I have to say, is very comfortable and inviting. The cloth seats are much smoother and softer than those in my 2012 (not sure about durability), and it’s noticeably wider. It actually felt, in size, comparable to being inside the 2000 Taurus. To me, the upper door frames and seals also look very similar to those on the 1996-2006 Taurus. That’s a good thing. The car I sat in had no moonroof (I’m 6’4” tall, so I never buy a car with a moonroof because I don’t want to give up the headroom). There was enough headroom to allow me to raise the power driver’s seat to a position where outward visibility all around was actually very good and my head was still far enough away from the headliner. While the center stack is wider, higher, and more intrusive than I’d like, it’s not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. The tray and power outlet under the control panel is nice, but it’s awkward to get to with the shifter in the way, and reaching around to the side openings isn’t very easy. Also, I found the left foot rest to be too close to the door opening, not allowing my leg to stretch out as much as in the 2012, something that the sales manager said others at the dealership had already noticed. Oh, by the way, for 2010-2012 Fusion owners that complained about the sun visors being sprung to only stay in 2 positions – either up on the ceiling or all the way out to the windshield – that problem is gone. The new sun visors will stay anywhere in between. The rear seat was comfortable. Anyone under 6’ tall would have plenty of room, even with the driver’s seat where I placed it for my long legs. What really surprised and disappointed me, however, was the trunk. I already knew it was less roomy than the 2012, but I wasn’t expecting to see that the rear deck lid only lifts up as high as my shoulders. To get anything in or out I would have to bend down and duck under the lid. I’ve never had to do that with any other car! I took the picture to show how the opening is actually more horizontal than vertical, due to the swooping rear window. For what it’s worth, there’s a handle on the left side that lets you pull the lid down from the inside, without having to touch the outside. Just a couple more small points; I was concerned about how far the side mirrors stick out, especially when navigating in and out of a standard garage door opening or when parked outside a busy shopping center, but they do fold in. I especially like the keyless entry keypad hidden in the upper door frame of the driver’s door, and how it’s standard on the SE. That’s something I actually use a lot. Again, I didn’t get to drive this car, but from what I’ve read, I’m sure it would be as nice as, or better than mine. So back to my original question, if timing had worked out differently and I was in the market for a new car now, would I buy the new Fusion? Yes. I’m still just as happy with my 2012, though. I wonder what the 2023 Fusion will be like.

I could be mistaken, but I believe the full chrome trim around the doors comes on the SE when you add the $2,300 Luxury Package 205A.

There's already one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Fusion-SE-4dr-Sdn-NEW-2013-FORD-FUSION-SE-W-APPEARANCE-PKG-1-6L-ECOBOOST-23MPG-CITY-36MPG-/221131656538?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item337c794d5a

You didn't really expect the everyday high volume production models to look like the press cars and photos, did you?

I just saw one with a temporary new vehicle registration at the local mall.

As a possible point of reference, my 2005 Mustang was built on Friday, September 10, 2004, the 4th day of production of this all-new car at Flat Rock, MI. It arrived at my dealer on Tuesday, October 26, 2004. I drove it home Friday 10/29/04.

Yes, if you experienced "love at first sight" with this car, then you absolutely made the right decision. It happened to me back in '04 when I first saw the '05 Mustang in person. I hope your order arrives quickly....I know that wait is agony! But it'll be worth it because you're going to enjoy the car for many years.

As a long-time mid-size Ford buyer and driver, I must say I'm not impressed at all with the 2013 Fusion, especially the interior. I haven't actually seen one in person yet; my opinion is only based on photos and online videos so far. I'm not a fan of the high beltline, the odd angles of different sections of the dash and instrument cluster, the wide center console that my right knee would probably rub against, or how Ford has reverted back to the old-fashioned trunk lid hinges that take up much of the usable width of the trunk. I really don't like the extreme sloping rear window. Can you imagine how difficult that's going to be to clean on the inside? I may feel differently once I sit inside one, but I doubt it.

Wow, did anyone notice Ford has reverted back to the old-style trunk hinges that take away from usable width of the trunk? The more I see of the 2013 Fusion, the more I'm glad I bought a 2012.

As a 2005 V6 driver and likely 2015+ buyer, here's my basic wish list for the next generation Mustang: The styling should be modern with just enough cues to make it instantly recognizable as a Mustang, the interior must be roomy enough for this 6'4" tall driver (the current car's seating position, legroom & headroom are perfect), and the engine needs a minimum of 220 hp with fuel economy of at least 23 city/33 hwy. Put that in a reasonably-priced package available in Deep Impact Blue, and show me where to sign!

JSKershaw, thank you for finding and posting that pic. I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm really glad I got a 2012.

Don't forget that was an early pre-production car built for the auto show last winter. Actual components planned for each trim level might not have been finalized at that time.

To date, I don't think we've seen pictures of anything other than the high-end instrument cluster. From the 2013 Owner Guide (available on fleet.ford.com under the Maintenance tab), here's the S and SE cluster.

I just installed a leather steering wheel cover from www.wheelskins.com, and I love it!

According to the specs, the width of the new Fusion, including mirrors, is 83.5". The width of the average garage door is 84". NOT GOOD! Scratch that, the average door is 96" wide.

Looks like it has the new Focus type wipers.

All I can say is that I'm glad I got my 2012. Looks like the big center console will give a claustrophobic feeling to the driver's seat as in the Taurus.

Heavy accumulating snow before Halloween in the Northeastern US? This is crazy!

I can see the resemblance between this and the Fusion prototype that was spied a couple of months ago, and I do believe this is the new MKZ. As attractive as the profile may be, is the greenhouse practical? I don't think so. Either the beltline is way too high, or the roof is way too low. Tall drivers, like myself, will find a severe lack of headroom, and shorter drivers will feel like they've sunk into a well. It's one of the things I don't like about the current Taurus. Just my 2¢. I'm glad I just bought a 2012 Fusion!

I hope the side mirrors don't stick out that far on the production version. I'd be afraid of knocking one off every time I pull in or out of my garage.

I noticed that on my new Fusion and thought it to be a silly design. Hasn't caused a real problem for me yet, though.

I had an MP3 CD in my new Fusion for about a week until I put a big part of my music library on an 8GB memory stick for the USB port. Now I've got 1,100 songs in the car, and there's room on the stick for another 1,000. So far, the SYNC voice command has worked flawlessly to play what I ask it to.