CheesyRider

Someone in another forum is selling his 19" wheels for $749 OBO +$99 shipping (tires and tpms not included). I think this is only the second time I've come across them. I bought the first set I came across.

I'm planning on ordering the Huskys tomorrow. If nobody here confirms that they will fit the AWD, you can stop by my place and try them out.

It's a mix of both. It's hard to resist blasting through a twisty stretch of road.

That looks great! I was thinking about doing the same this spring. After seeing your photos, I'm for sure going to debadge. What was your method for removal?

I've got about 1800 miles on the car now. Overall average so far is 30.5. The trip computer matches the hand calculated mpg average. I hit 37mpg for the first time yesterday when traveling mostly at 65 mph for a 25 mile trip. I'm surprised that folks with the automatics are having such a hard time getting the EPA numbers. I'm curious if people with automatics would do better if they kept the car in "manual mode" instead of letting the car decide when to shift.

Another option is an UltraGauge. It costs only $60.95. It has dozens of gauges available including boost when used with a turbo engine. I have one hooked up in my van, but I haven't tried it in the Fusion yet. I leave it plugged in all the time and haven't had any problems with the battery draining even if it sits for a week.

I varied the speed between 50-70mph for the trip. Going by the instant mpg readout, I seemed to get about 37mpg at a steady 50mph, 32mpg at 60mph, and 28mpg at 70mph. Right now, it seems the only way to reach the highway EPA is to drive at a steady 50mph. However, my wife did somehow get 35mpg on her commute to work and that includes a little stop and go traffic. I have no idea how she managed that, but she always seems to get better mpg than I do.

I took the car on a 250mile round trip over the weekend. On the way up it was very windy and on the way back it was very cold. I tried to vary the speed a lot as the car is still being broken in. The average for the trip was 32mpg. So far, judging from the times I've reset the average mpg, it is very easy to beat the EPA estimates for city. But, it is very difficult to match the EPA estimates for highway. Hopefully once the weather warms up and the car is broken in I'll be able to get 37mpg on the highway.

Looks great! Tell us more about the tail lights. Did they just plug in, or was special wiring needed?

The fuel economy is looking to be promising. My wife got 35mpg on her 30 mile commute home today in very cold weather. Unless the trip computer is way too optimistic, I don't think we'll have any trouble beating the EPA estimates when the weather warms up. This weekend we might be going on a 250 mile trip, so I'm curious to see how it does. My last stick shift gas car would get about 2mpg better than highway EPA for that same trip.

My wife picked up her new Fusion a few days ago! Unfortunately it got completely filthy on its maiden voyage home. I posted a review of the manual transmission here. We both love the car. I'll try to post up some better picks after it get its first bath. These will go on in the spring:

Yes, the rear mats are included. They do not cover the bump in the middle.

If I could to do it again, I'd skip the all-weather mats from Ford. The coverage on the driver's side is inadequate. My wife has her Fusion at work right now, but I happen to have a pic that will help you see how little carpet the mat covers:

I am now the proud owner of a six-speed manual transmission Fusion! Okay, that is a little white lie. It is actually my wife's car. But, I don't think she reads this forum, so I'm going to pretend it's mine. I have only put about 15 miles on my car so far. Here are my first impressions: The shifting action is very smooth. First to second is a tiny bit clunky but the rest of the gears are smooth as can be. On second thought, I think I'm selling the first to second shifting action a little short. It is also quite smooth, but the rest of the gear changes are super extra awesomely smooth. So, it only seems a tiny bit clunky by comparison. The lever throw is a touch on the long side, but not so much that I'd want to spend the time or money on a short shifter if/when one becomes available. The clutch action is excellent. It has the second best clutch engagement characteristics of all the manuals I've driven. You can be fairly sloppy with clutch engagement and not risk giving passengers whiplash. The only car I've ever had with a more forgiving clutch was the Jetta SportWagen TDI that the Fusion replaced. Gear ratios are well chosen. If I was nit picking, maybe 6th could be a little bit taller. But, overall, very good. Power seems about the same as the 1.6 automatic in normal driving. I'm waiting until the engine breaks in to really have some fun. At that point, I expect the manual will perform a little better as it will be easier to keep the engine in its power band. I have put a number of miles on some recently produced manual transmission vehicles. So, I thought it might be helpful if I give my opinions of them to give you an idea where I'm coming from in case you've driven any of the following cars: 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI & 2013 Fusion (tie) - The VW has slighlty better clutch action and the Fusion has a slightly better shifter. Both are very good. 2011 Kia Sorento - They only offered a manual in this CUV for half of a model year. Shifting action was a bit notchy, but not too bad. Takes a while to get a smooth 1st-2nd shift as perfect clutch engagement is needed. Gear ratios are well chosen. Gear whine is noticeable. It isn't as bad as I make it sound, but it just isn't in the same class as the Fusion and Jetta. 2010 Subaru Outback - The worst manual transmission I've ever driven and I'm someone who has owned a 1988 Dodge Lancer. Gear ratios are awful. 1st gear is way to tall and 6th gear is way to short. Somehow the sifter was even notchier than an '88 Dodge Lancer. It did a weird "rev hang" thing when changing gears. Somehow they manage to make it so in order to properly push in the clutch pedal, I had to have the seat forward enough to cramp up my right leg. Words cannot describe how awful the manual in that car is. Overall, I give the manual Fusion a big thumbs up! And, I doubt anyone who orders one will be disappointed. I'll post up more impressions of the manual Fusion if I think of anything more to add once I put on more miles.

I have my car now! The car only has 42 miles on it and is averaging 25mpg so far. Those mile were mostly stop and go with only two short drives on the freeway. It seems right in line with the EPA estimate of 25mpg city. I should know in a week or two how it does on the highway, and what the hand calculated mileage looks like.

Thank you for all of your tracking help, Cyberdman! The car arrived a few days early. It is already filthy as the roads were filled with a delightful mix of rain water and road salt for the maiden voyage home.

I haven't even driven it yet. I keep calling the car "my" Fusion in the forum, but it is actually my wife's car. It is just easier to refer to the car as mine instead of mentioning it is my wife's car when I post. Anyways, I was sick yesterday, so she is the one who picked up the car. I'm feeling better today, so I'll take some photos and take it for a spin soon! While the car is technically my wife's, since my vehicle is a gas guzzling van, I will be driving the Fusion frequently evenings and weekends. During the summer, I'll be driving it whenever I don't need the space of the van as she'll be using her motorcycle to commute to work. I'm really happy with the deal we got on the car. It was great to get the car for $1250 less than we expected to pay when the car was ordered. The $750 coupon and unexpected change from a $1000 to a $1500 rebate paid for the 19" H-spoke wheels from Ebay that will go on the car once the potholes are filled!

I just purchased my Fusion earlier today. I can confirm that the rebate has indeed been changed from $1000 to $1500, it can be used along with the $750 coupon, and doesn't depend on financing through Ford Credit.

Thank you for starting this thread, Hermans! I used the $750 coupon toward the purchase of my new Fusion SE earlier today. I wouldn't have known about the coupon without this thread.

Yep.

They're already available. The website just hasn't been updated yet. Someone in another forum posted a photo of his car with the black wheels.

Run flat tires might be a good option for those who travel out of cell phone range often.

I haven't seen a thread started about 1.6 fuel economy. I hope that's a sign that people are pleased with their mileage. In past cars, my experience with EPA estimates is that I get about the same as EPA with gas automatics, I get slightly better with gas manuals, I get slightly better with diesel automatics, and I get way better with diesel manuals. I don't have any experience with hybrids. I don't have my 1.6 manual trans yet, but I'm hoping this thread will give me an idea of what to expect.

It is a website where one can get information on Ford vehicles by plugging in a VIN. It will give you build date, recalls, and many other details. There are some quirks to be aware of when using the site. The Fusion will come up as a Transit Connect. If your car hasn't been built yet, it will have a build date of over 2000 years ago. Also, the build date uses the format of day/month/year. http://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleRegSelector.do

They need to have someone check their material for errors. The brochure lists the manual transmission as available on both the sport and touring trims. The press release and pricing details list the manual as only available on the sport trim level.