2006 Ford Fusion SE from North America - Comments

Thought I'd add an update. After 14 months and 14,000 miles we are still absolutely sold on the Fusion. Not a single problem, no rattles or squeaks and absolutely awesome fuel mileage. I got 33.9 mpg on my last tank and that was about a 25%/75% mix of city/highway driving. The 4 is incredibly powerful and fast, and if we buy a new one next year it will

definitely be another 4. This car will accelerate to 80-85mph on any local freeway on-ramp and peg the speedometer in 4th gear. I don't know what more I could want.

Due to my many summer activities, I have put a lot of miles on my Fusion since my last update.

It still is flawless. I have learned a neat trick in changing the annoying cartridge-type oil filter: If I wrap a piece of duct tape around the filter case it provides ample grip to allow my standard loop-type wrench to turn it, and also protects it from cracking the plastic case.

I am currently engineering and building a short-intake ram-air cold-air intake system for the I-4 which should boost horsepower by 12-15 horsepower. It will make an already fun car a bit more fun.

I completed and installed the high-flow, short-tube cold air intake on the Fusion I-4 last Saturday. The sound was awesome and low-end torque noticeably improved, however I did TOO good a job and the stock computer settings can't handle the huge increase in air flow. I don't want to endanger my warranty by re-flashing the computer, so I am putting the new intake on my garage shelf until my warranty expires next year.

I recently took a co-worker on a trip in our I-4 Fusion. He owns a V-8 SUV, a turbo-charged German import and a V-6 Japanese crossover. He was amazed at the fantastic acceleration and passing power of the I-4 Fusion. I'm a car enthusiast and drive in a very spirited manner. He asked "Why would anyone buy the V-6" and I replied "So they can say they have one". The 4 is amply powerful for any passing or merging needs, and my friend readily agreed. My mom has a V-6 and it is only very slightly more powerful than our 4. When I drive hers, the computer generally indicates 17 mpg. Our Fusion 4 generally indicates 30-31 mpg. We're solidly sold on the 4.

That's good that the 4 is enough for you. I'd prefer the 6 myself, as it is quieter, smoother and you don't have to wring it out to get any performance out of it. Since the newest V6 is 240 HP over your 175, I'd say that is more than slightly more powerful. The gas mileage would be easily in the mid 20's on it as well if you aren't driving it hard, which I wouldn't need to do with the extra power. I wouldn't think any V6 that is newer would be getting 17 mpg in a car on a regular basis. If so, she should have it checked out. Our 269 HP Toyota SUV routinely gets around 25 mpg with mixed driving.

My family's V-6 Lincoln MKZ (same car as the Fusion) never tops 20 mpg and routinely averages between 16 and 17 mpg.

This is all about driving style really. If I am getting 25 mixed in a 269 HP SUV there is no reason that you shouldn't do better in any car that is lighter. Do you floor it at every light and drive above 75 on the highways? Many times people don't realize how inefficient they drive and this can have major impacts on their mileage.

I see many people with Focuses like mine saying they get 36-40 mpg on the highway. I average like 32 with mine but I drive at 75+ on the highways. Funny thing though, I did about 80 on my last trip with my Toyota and I was still getting just under 25 mpg. The V6 turns at about 2200 RPMs at that speed.

Great cruiser.

The subject of this review was originally my wife's second car, but she didn't like sitting low (her main car is a big SUV), so I have basically inherited the car now and drive it most of the time to save miles (and gas) in my customized Mustang.

I have really fallen in love with the Fusion. It is smooth, handles well, is very solidly built and offers great performance for a 4. Once the 5-year extended warranty was out, I modified the air intake by adding vent holes to the air filter box and eliminating the air intake tube in the fender well. This, along with a high-performance K&N air filter, gives as much of a boost in power as the after-market cold-air package at much less cost. It has the same very pleasing intake roar as the after-market system, and I didn't have to change the computer setting.

Since I had just filled up with premium right before making the modifications, I can't really judge the increase in real power until I run a tank of cheap gas in it. Just using premium alone in the I-4 Fusion results in 8-12 more horsepower, as well as a much smoother running engine. When fuel prices drop below $3.70 a gallon, I opt for premium.

Back with a 60,000 mile update. At this point the Fusion has had absolutely zero repairs or problems. I'm still running the original brake pads with tons of wear still left on them.

Gas mileage is awesome. Never under 27, and up to 38 on the highway. The 4 provides all the power I could ever need for any driving situation. I've found that running mid-grade or premium fuel increases power noticeably, and gives a tiny but measurable increase in mileage. All I have done is change out the air filter for a high-performance K&N million-mile filter, and replace the battery when the warranty was up on it, which is standard practice for me on all my cars. I'll probably be replacing the tires in 6-8 months.