Alex D.

You'd be correct.

Most I4's these days are smooth as butter. So much so, that you often have to look at the tach to make sure the engine is running.

Congrats! Love the tuxedo black on this car! I was checking some of these out the other day at a local dealer, and I must I usually only go for black cars, but that Monterey Grey on the Fiesta is nearly perfect, IMO.

Thanks for that aneekr! I could see myself getting similar mileage to what you've been able to achieve since I've been fortunate enough to beat EPA figures by a few mpg over the years by using a light foot (most of the time) and keeping the tire pressure in check, as you mention. I'm encouraged that your Fusion is getting in the low 30s. Good job! Thanks for the post! The 2011 2.5 6AT with appearance package is on my short list to replace my Focus when the lease is up next year. It will most likely be between this and the 2012 Focus, however I suspect I could get a pretty good deal on a 2011 Fusion. Time will tell! Then there's the color choice...decisions decisions!

Thanks, Aneekr. I've had my eye on a fusion with the appearance package to replace the focus once my lease is up. But I'm not sure if I want to take a 3 mpg highway hit, since I drive mostly highway. Oh well, something to think about.

I'm really surprised that adding the appearance package drops the hwy mpg by 3. Is this solely due to the larger, heavier wheels and non rolling resistance tires? Hard to believe that additional unsprung weight by adding two inch bigger wheels would have that much of an affect. On the Focus, there is no difference between mpg ratings from the SE with 15" wheels to the SES with 17" wheels. Is there a difference in gearing between the appearance package and non appearance package SE's?

Just for comparison, my '05 SES stickered for $19,995. Granted, that price included every option except the audiophile sound system and side airbags. Had I opted for those options, the sticker price would have flirted with 21K. And this was five years ago. There are many, many more features that can be had for that price on a 2011. Not to mention the much improved build quality and fit and finish that can be found on an '11.

Did anyone else notice the 2012 Focus has 4-wheel discs? Thank you Ford! Finally! :happy feet:

This looks to be a game changer in the way we interact with our vehicles. This is very exciting and I'm glad to see it will even be on the Focus and not just relegated to high-end models. This puts the infotainment tech in well-established brands to shame. And to think Ford was lagging in vehicle tech just a few short years ago...

Parents: 1988 Ford Thunderbird 3.8L V6 105,000 There aren't many of these seen on the roads these days. 1995 Taurus "Vulcan" 3.0 V6 115,000 My friend also had a 1994 Tempo automatic with over 220,000 on it when sold. We routinely jammed it into drive from reverse to do burn outs back in the high school days and the trans still shifted fine even after all this abuse, somehow.

The article also makes reference (again) that Ford uses Toyota's hybrid technology. This time, they're saying this tech is in the Fusion hybrid. How long are people going to keep believing this? Also, the article says the Fusion's 2.5L cranks out 156hp. No and no. This is automotive journalism at its finest. /sarcasm

The Idle Air Control Valve could partially be sticking closed, preventing the proper air/fuel mixture when the engine is running cold. I had this issue with my '05, except the valve was stuck completely closed until the engine would warm up to operating temps. I had to sit there in park with my foot on the gas until the engine warmed up until I could drop it into gear, lest it would stall. I think this is one option that is worth exploring. Good luck!

Has the car ever stalled at all?

Indeed. '05 hatches, sedans and wagons all received the refreshed interior and front-end with the rears staying the same on the hatches and wagon. Hatch and sedan production went all the way to the '08 MY changeover with the wagon killed early. Wagon production ended in Dec 2006.

I have had two hand calculated tanks top 40 mpg in my 2008 SES Auto. This was about 80% highway and 20% city. I average about 37 in the summer and 30/31 in the winter. Just over 23K miles on the clock.

Went with Kumho ECSTA ASXs as a replacement for the p6s on my 05 ZX4 SES. It was a night and day difference in terms of ride, handling, and especially noise level and traction. The ASXs were amazing in the snow!

While it looks nice, and is certainly a step in the right direction for the brand, I can't help but see a Mazda 6 rear-end, and Lincoln-esqe front-end with very BMW-like headlights. Much like the current model, which just seems to be a mesh of different styling elements from different brands (especially the GS-300 style headlights). And then there's that loathsome GM badge on the side of the car...

After all of these years we Ford fans have had to endure, it feels damn good to finally have something to cheer about. And, to think this may only be the beginning. There's so much new product still in the pipeline! The future's looking bright everyone! :shades:

It's my understanding that Ford is not offering leases on Focus right now, and haven't been for a while, and the incentives aren't that great either. And, as others have stated, gas is over $1.20/gallon cheaper than 1 year ago at this time.

Thanks for the reply too. I'm hoping the repair will be covered under warranty, but I'm still waiting to see what the dealer has to say about it. I know nothing hit it since it was slid all the way open when it broke so I have the feeling I may have to fight with them, but we'll see. Let me ask, how good of a job did they do installing the new moonroof and getting all of those pieces of glass out?

Thanks for the reply. I had the moonroof slid all the way open so it was in the roof when it shattered, not open. Luckily it was a nice day out and it did shatter when it was open so I got almost no glass in the car which was great, but I could hear the glass moving around inside the roof. Definitely a bizarre situation. Still waiting to hear from my dealer about this.

Earlier today I was driving down a state highway, decelerating for a stop sign at about 35 mph with my moonroof and all 4 windows open when I heard a loud pop around the area of my roof. I kind of felt around the roof area and everything felt fine, but I kept hearing what sounded like stones bouncing around in your wheel wells coming from the roof. I then pulled over and proceeded to close my moonroof only to find that it was shattered! I didn't see anything come up and hit it, and I was only going 35 mph. This glass is more than 1/4" inch thick so I wouldn't think it would be that easy to shatter. My best guess is that this is some sort of defect with either the glass or the housing that holds the glass. Has anyone ever experienced this or heard of this happening? I'm going to take it to the dealer promptly in the morning and see what they have to say about this. Thanks in advance for any responses!

According to the April Sales Conference call, 20% of the Fusion sales volume was the 2010 model. And George Pipas said that Ford sold 2x as many 2010's as they had expected. Good News!

Interesting that the Fusion is both heavier and has less horsepower than the Accord, but for all intents and purposes is in a dead heat with the Accord in acceleration. Nary a mention of this in the article, however. Honestly, it's impossible not to rank the Fusion #1. The amount of goodies you get on the Ford for the price is almost enough to warrant the #1 spot alone! But it will be a cold day in hell when MT picks a Ford over a foreign brand in a comparo.

Yes, Dark Ink Blue is a very dark blue, almost looks black in the right lighting conditions. Kona Blue is a fairly deep blue, but there is no mistaking it for black.