Pachyderm Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) Hello. I have a Honda that I need to get out of SOON. It is having issues that make me believe that the engine will soon let go on me. I commute about 100 miles roundtrip every day, so this would be a very bad thing if it were to throw a rod or something equally catastrophic. I have narrowed my search to three vehicles in my price range: Mazda 6, Toyota Camry and the Fusion (2013 or newer). I have been doing all my own work on a couple of my vehicles and now have a very good tool collection. (I am currently rebuilding my jeep’s axles from 3.73 to 4.56 gears and adding lockers, which is super-precise work, as an example of what level I am currently at as a mechanic. Still not up to snuff on electrical work, though. I am learning. I am also starting to weld.) With that in mind, I was hoping to find out that the Fusion is more friendly to mechanics than either the Mazda or the Toyota. I also am hoping that domestic car parts are less costly than Japanese and that there is a lot of documentation online for the Fusion so I can learn to wrench on it effectively. Can anyone give me some suggestions as to the various models to look for, options that are must-haves or things to avoid? I will be shopping for 2013 and 2014 Fusions, and I prefer a manual tranny, if one is available. I will only have about $20 K to work with, as well as the 2010 Honda for trade. This is my first attempt to do research. I *will* search the archives as well as YouTube. I just felt the need to join up at an enthusiast forum so I could discuss this with current owners. I have learned a wealth of material on various Jeep forums that got me started as a mechanic. I am hoping to find this community to be as helpful as I start my search for a replacement vehicle. I really like the newer Fusions and they get very high marks from lots of review places. Hoping to learn from you all... THANKS! Edited February 25, 2016 by Pachyderm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 My dad has a 2014 Fusion with the 1.6L ecoboost/manual transmission and he loves it. Good luck finding them though, they're a rare breed. As far as maintenance on it is concerned, is not too difficult, unless you're changing the oil. There's a plastic cover that covers the entire bottom of the engine bay that needs to be removed first before you can even get to the drain and filter. There's something like 14 screws holding the damn thing up and it's just a total pain in the ass if you don't have a hoist, or at a bare minimum, jack up the front end. That's the one thing I have bad to say about that car. Good luck in your search, I hope you find what you're looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Parts are typically cheaper on the Ford vs. the Import brands but maintenance is going to be virtually identical. Personally I would stay away from the Camry. Mazda6 is nice - built on the previous Fusion platform and might be a bit cheaper since they're not as popular. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinx8402 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Parts are typically cheaper on the Ford vs. the Import brands but maintenance is going to be virtually identical. Personally I would stay away from the Camry. Mazda6 is nice - built on the previous Fusion platform and might be a bit cheaper since they're not as popular. Isn't the new Mazda6 on a new platform -SkyActiv? Or is that platform just a modified version of the one shared with the previous gen Fusion/Mazda6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Isn't the new Mazda6 on a new platform -SkyActiv? Or is that platform just a modified version of the one shared with the previous gen Fusion/Mazda6? I assumed it was an updated version, but now that you mention it I'm not 100% sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 If you want longterm high-mileage dependability then you should probably look at the Camry, there is no denying the fact that it's designed specifically to be robust and simple. Ford and Mazda are designed to higher tolerances with more sophisticated engineering and neither Ford nor Mazda are known for their longterm dependability or inexpensive repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 As far as maintenance on it is concerned, is not too difficult, unless you're changing the oil. There's a plastic cover that covers the entire bottom of the engine bay that needs to be removed first before you can even get to the drain and filter. There's something like 14 screws holding the damn thing up and it's just a total pain in the ass if you don't have a hoist, or at a bare minimum, jack up the front end. The aero/engine protection cover is not that big of a deal. It's very light and easily removed up on ramps. It does require a Torx T30 (if I recall) screw driver or bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Sadly only the 1.6L EcoBoost can be combined with a manual transmission on the Gen 2 Fusion. The Gen 1 combo of 2.5L/MT was very nice. Even the 2.5L auto was not too bad. Gen 2s have not been on the road long enough to say much about long term durability. My Gen 1 has had no unscheduled repairs in almost 9 years. It is just now starting to get a couple of squeaks. I also do all of my own maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainLion Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) I have 73,000 miles on my 2013 1.6L Ecoboost/manual, with MyFordTouch touchscreen/haptic controls. I commute about 110 miles per day, 90%highway/10% city. The only thing that I've had to do outside of oil changes, 1 air filter, 1 set of tires, and 1 set of wipers is add about a quart and a half of coolant. Lifetime MPG from new is 33.5 MPG. The aero dam underneath the engine is pretty easy to take off/put on. Put it up on ramps and get out a battery-operated drill and the Torx-whatever to take take them off and put them on. There are a lot of bolts. There are two silly clips that also hold it up that are a bear to get off the first few times, but by oil change #6 they don't put up a fight. However the oil change interval is 10k so I only do it every 4-5 months. After the aero dam is off the oil change is dead easy. The plug and filter are very accessible, and oil doesn't get anywhere it shouldn't (unlike my '07 Mustang GT which soiled hoses everytime the filter was taken out). I have only had 1 instances of the MyFordTouch system acting weird which fixed itself on a restart. The 1.6L Ecoboost/manual was offered in 2013 and 2014 but is very hard to find. I had to special order mine because I wanted the luxury package with it. Dealer did a search for me when I told him what I wanted in January 2013 and showed 0 nationwide in that combination. Edited March 15, 2016 by MountainLion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 The silly clips help you hold it in place while you put the bolts in. You just slide the cover forward to engage the clips and put one screw in the front and it stays up by itself while you attach the other bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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