fusion0206

Quick non-MPG question: how is the acceleration on the hybrid??

Just came over here to see if any info was up on the '11 Edge. As of a few minutes ago Autoblog had nothing, every story on their front page was related to non-domestic nameplates (surprise). Wish I could see some high-res images...looks decent!

Isn't Ford in debt? Your math is off here (with Ford's share of social security/medicare it runs close to $450 million) but shouldn't that go to pay off loans first?

^ This. Corporations exist primarily to earn a profit for shareholders, not pay employees above-market salaries and benefits. Not that the latter is incompatible with the former, but to expect it to always be so is foolish. And lets not forget that shareholders aren't all rich, evil, greedy millionaires -- they are often pension funds trying to get a good return on investment so they can pay benefits to retirees.

I didn't see another topic for this, but mosey on over to http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/taurus/ ...and have fun building (and, of course, pricing) your new '10 Taurus. I sure did :-)

Well, Mulally did say on Twitter that he has driven an EB Fusion. I wish I could say the same. Let's cut to the chase: when will it go on sale?

Care to elaborate?? :-)

Agh...the thread is down. Perhaps someone could PM me a "right-clicked-and-saved" picture of the Taurus? (Hint, hint) Thanks!

A friend of mine just bought a used '05 Escape. The previous owner had the door keypad installed after purchase but did not provide any instructions to the dealership when trading the vehicle in. No one knows the entry code...is there a way to reset it? If so, how?

Interesting...a Ford rep told my dealer that Job 1 for the 2009 Escape would be mid-May. Are these dates current? The sooner the better, I say. I'm anxious to try the I-4/6-speed combo. Incidentally, the ordering guides aren't available yet, are they?

I didn't realize this until just now, but the New York auto show starts in about a month. Anyone out there in BOF-land know if Ford will bring the updated CD3 triplets to the Big Apple? I certainly hope so. We have a sketch of what the exterior will look like, but not a clue on the interior...

Why do the news items accompanying spy shots keep calling this the 2010 Fusion? I thought the update was going to hit dealers later this year.

This is OT, but igor, do you know what engines the 2009 Fusion will have at launch? I assume the updated four-cylinder but what about the six? PIP 30 or will Ford have the 3.5L ready to roll?

So...the Fusion refresh, MY2009 or 2010?

I thought they looked the same too, that is, the interior of the headlights didn't look any different on this prototype than on my '06 Fusion. Regardless of what the headlights look like, I hope Ford makes this a 2009 Fusion, not 2010. Edit: It looks like their gallery is of two different prototypes. After taking a second look I noticed a difference in how the camo was applied to the front end. So maybe those headlights are different after all.

They don't expect this thing until the Detroit Auto Show in 2009?! Yikes. What's the holdup?

Yesterday I test-drove a 2008 Focus SES sedan. I know not everyone on the forum has had a chance to get behind the wheel of one just yet, so perhaps my impressions are worthwhile. First, the good. The seats were very comfortable and the trunk was surprisingly deep. The fit of interior components, especially on the console, was very good. Every button felt well-seated and the top-of-dash display was easy to read. Handling was also good, especially considering the roads I took the car on had patches of ice and snow. But overall I was not as impressed with the Focus as I am with my Fusion. The Focus was far from quiet inside with an unexpectedly high level of engine noise, something I suspect may have been caused by cold temperatures here in Michigan. A lot of the interior surfaces felt very cheap, especially the air vents which I (and my co-pilot) were afraid would break off. And I still can't get past the ugly beak on this car. It looks great from the side and from the back, but when I see the front, I lose all ability to overlook the car's shortcomings. That said, the Focus is pretty cheap, and I'd call it a good value overall. Feel free to post any questions and I'll try to answer.

I've seen quite a few around East Lansing/Lansing, Michigan, both two- and four-door versions. They look pretty good from all angles but the front.

Two things I have wondered about. I have a Fusion SEL; where are the air-temp control sensors located? Also, what's that vent-looking "thing" on the dash to the right of the steering wheel? I used to think this was a sensor, but I noticed this same vent in '08 Mariners with manual temp control.

It's hard to tell for certain, but I want to say the foglight area looks different as well, keeping in line with those renderings that are shown above. The three-bar grill resembles those renderings too. But is it just me, or do the bars look like they are spaced too far apart?

Does anyone actually know when the refreshed 2009 Fusion will be on sale? Is it going to be a year from now or will Ford release it early like the Escape and Mariner? I'm hoping for the latter as my lease will be up in less than a year. And it seems like most of the Fusion's domestic competition is surpassing it on fuel economy...Impala, Malibu, Aura.

I agree. I have had a Fusion for a little over a year. When people are in or around the car, this is what I hear: -"Oh, it's a Ford?!" -"Is this a Ford Five Hundred?" (Figure that one out) -"I like your Focus." My Fusion is called a Focus all the time and I assume that's because the Focus name has been around for a lot longer and people "know" it. Once the Fusion has been on the streets a bit longer, continues to win recognition for quality, and (hopefully) gets in the competitive game, sales will increase and be a little more sustained. But none of that will happen overnight.

Not to derail the conversation here, but I noticed the Focus will come with a "performance cluster" in the Deluxe Package. What will that consist of, does anybody know?

I've found the lack of spy shots of the refresh a little odd, too. Igor, have you heard any definitive word on when we can expect to see a debut? Now that I think about it, I remember reading on a forum (not here though) last fall that someone saw a group of Fusions with camouflaged hoods in Northern Michigan. But who knows what that was. One thing is certain...Ford is doing a good job keeping this under wraps.

Was the front end/grille covered? If so, could you tell if it looked like the renderings that made it online this summer? The hybrid has been spotted before, but the powertrain was sitting inside the current body style, not the 2009 refresh version.