nardvark

Lots of newer cars will idle higher. They have to warm up faster to meet emissions requirements (they have to get the catalytic converter hot for it to clean the exhaust). I'm guessing it's related to this, not something that's broken.

E10 won't harm a modern engine, but lots of fuel system components were designed with regular gas in mind. In particular, make sure you change your fuel filter per your manual (30k miles I believe). I believe we have a state law that mandates E10 now. It's annoying. There's a noticeable increase in mileage when we buy gas in states that still have regular gasoline.

Some of the interior features that are standard on the SEL are optional on the Sport. From a quick perusal using the "Models & Options" link off the Fusion website and comparing a V6 SEL and Sport, these things are standard on the SEL and optional on the Sport: Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control Ambient Lighting Automatic Headlamps Power Passenger Seat (Driver's power seat is standard for both) Both have leather trim, but it's different between the two, so that's just a matter of taste. Also the Sport has the body kit, which is also a matter of taste. The SEL has electric power steering while the Sport has hydraulic. Most enthusiast types tend to prefer the feel of hydraulic, hence its usage on the Sport. Similarly, the Sport's suspension is stiffer. The final drive ratio on the SEL is 3.46 versus 3.16 for the Sport. I haven't driven both, so I can't comment on if the Sport is that much faster. I'm guessing it's not a big difference, as it's only ~20 extra horsepower and the small gearing difference. I'd probably choose the SEL for every-day livability, since I spend a lot of time on crappy roads and in traffic. But for the same reason, I'd probably be looking at the 4-cylinder, as 175hp is more than I can ever use in my area.

I think TrueDelta means well, but it's still self-reported data, and it's still very small sample sets. So I don't know that I'd consider it the reliability gospel.

Well it depends on your situation. If you've currently got a working car, and just want to get into something newer, I would wait and get what I really wanted. If you're bumming rides off of people because you're currently sans auto, I would be a bit more flexible, and maybe go with the Accord. It's not a bad car, but it's not the same car either. Also, if possible, I would try to get into a dealer during a weekday. I know that can be hard with work and everything, but if you can take a long lunch break or an afternoon off, you will probably get more personal attention from the sales staff. Or go on a rainy weeknight, although you may not get too many of those in Arizona...

We replaced the original Goodyear Eagle RS-A's (which lasted 40,000 miles) with General Altimax HP's. They're noticeably quieter than the RS-A's, just as responsive, and look nice. They're very highly rated on The Tire Rack. At the time I got them, they were ~$60 each, plus $35 shipping, plus ~$20 each for installation, with a $50 gift card rebate, so they came to a total of about $300 when all was said and done. We've been quite pleased with their traction in the rain (and we get a lot of heavy rain here in NJ). Can't comment on the snow traction, because we got them 3 months ago, but again, the Tire Rack surveys say the snow traction is good.

A lot of times subwoofers will be under seats or other things. The low-frequency sound will travel through the seat without much loss. Maybe that's where they are hiding?

Well, why don't you write down the number in miles/gallon, then switch it to metric and write down what it says in kilometers/liter. Then you should be able to convert your metric number into miles/imperial gallon and see if it matches.

A big reason that they assemble cars in Mexico is that some South American markets have tariffs on US goods, but not Mexican goods. If Ford builds the car in Mexico, they can sell cars in Brazil and avoid the tariff. Also, labor costs are lower, but you already knew about that one. Trade laws distort this industry more than anything.

Thanks for the replies everyone. The main advantage with a hatchback over a sedan, even a smaller one, is the tall cargo area. This is specifically useful for me as a dog owner. We own a greyhound, and it's nice to quarantine her in the cargo area. It keeps the seats clean, the dog safe, and the driver undistracted. Obviously, this isn't really possible with a sedan. Regarding the Edge, it's a relatively nice looking vehicle, but what I want is a four cylinder that gets decent mileage. I don't need the power of the V6, so it's just dead weight for me. Also, the ride height is unnecessarily high. I prefer a low center of gravity that I can throw around windy roads. We currently own a 2006 Focus sedan and a 2002 Subaru Impreza hatchback. The Subaru is great for hauling the dog to muddy hiking trails, but its gas mileage is atrocious for a small vehicle. The Focus is a good little car, cheap to own and gets 36mpg on highway trips. The handling is excellent, the highway ride is good, and the trunk is actually pretty big (15 cubic feet, same as a lot of midsize cars). The interior is a bit cheap, but so was the price tag, so no complaints. We've been happy enough that Ford is at the top of our list for our next car. Thanks for the tip on the C-max. I'm considering a Mazda5 as a relatively fun people and dog hauler, and the C-max look pretty similar. I'm also going to test drive an Escape, but I'm afraid it will feel too top-heavy. Going to keep an open mind though. This purchase is a couple years away, to replace the Subie.

Any of you Ford insiders know if there are any rumblings about putting out a Fusion wagon? I know that Ford wants me to buy an Edge or an Escape, but I prefer the handling characteristics of a car. A Fusion wagon would be perfect for me. My options for wagons are basically VW (unreliable, hate the styling) and Subaru (don't need the AWD, it's not worth the mpg penalty). Everything else is a luxury brand. I'd like to get a new Focus 5-door when they show up, but I'm afraid that with kids on the horizon, it just won't be big enough.

Sorry you had problems, but you did buy a car in the first year of a redesign. It doesn't matter which manufacturer you're talking about, there is always roughly a 3X higher incidence of warranty repairs in the first year of a redesign. Our '06 had a couple of hiccups that were repaired under warranty. The fuel filler neck was bad, and threw the CEL. Also, the rear brakes developed a squeal, which took a couple of warranty repair trips to fix for good. All in all, this has been on par with my family's experience with pretty much every car we've owned. A couple things get fixed under warranty, and nothing else so far.

If by "much better" you mean "more expensive, heavier, and with a higher drag coefficient for the same usuable interior space." Seriously, a Fusion-size wagon is my ideal car. We currently have a Focus sedan (great cheap daily driver) and a Subaru Impreza wagon (gas mileage is less great, but good for sticking the dog in back and driving in inclement weather). In about 5 years we'll probably have a kid or two, and something larger will become necessary. Given the current options, I'd be looking at a Subaru Outback...and that's basically it for the segment. I guess there's VW and Audi, but those are too expensive and I don't want to troubleshoot electronics every weekend. I much prefer the driving dynamics of a wagon to a small SUV, and crossovers are just unnecessarily heavy cars, with the obvious effect on fuel economy. If the Mazda 6 wagon came back, it would be on the short list as well. If we hit 3 kids, I'll just bite the bullet and buy a minivan. If they still exist.

I noticed that the goverment has done its side impact crash tests of the 2008 Focus: http://www.safercar.gov/Index2.cfm?myClass...pecific+vehicle I was wondering if you think the results for the 2008 sedan (which gets 5 stars) are more or less applicable to earlier models that had the side-impact airbags? I know the new model has a torso bag and curtain bag instead of the single combination head/torso bag, but the coverage area for a side-impact should be similar. The earlier models were never tested with the bags because they were optional equipment. I don't think that anything structural has been changed in the model that would affect the test. Curiously enough, the 2008 coupe only gets 3 stars. The placement of the B-pillar must be rather important.