18th May 2010, 16:03
Interesting. If top speed is "useless", and you buy bigger engines so you WON'T have to use their potential, just what IS the point in BUYING bigger engines?
18th May 2010, 16:12
I always do my own maintenance (it's MUCH cheaper, and I trust ME much more than a mechanic with an IQ lower than my shoe size). The new cartridge filters on the I-4 Fusions have been a source of grief for some owners who change their own oil. It's NOT a big deal. Here are some tips to make it far easier:
1) NEVER remove the silly drain plug in the bottom of the filter case. There is no reason to, and every time you do it just makes stripping the threads more likely and invites leaks from the little O-ring not re-seating properly. Just let the oil drip down into the drain pan. If the possibility of getting oil on your hands bothers you, you're too wimpy to do anything other than drive it.
2) Wrap a thin strip of duct tape twice around the filter cartridge, then use a standard loop-type wrench and the extra grip provided by the duct tape makes the cartridge come right off. It also helps keep the plastic cartridge from breaking. And YES, you can buy a special Fusion cartridge filter socket, but since I had SIX oil filter wrenches in my garage, I didn't see the sense of spending $15 on one that only works on one car.
19th May 2010, 06:12
People I have found driving the spartan econoboxes only want A to B driving as cheap as possible. Driving a fun higher quality performing vehicle on a nice day with the top down perplexes them. I like handling and performance.
19th May 2010, 09:15
Top speed is USELESS as it is against the law to go over 65 mph in most states! The potential of a bigger engine is usable power in all driving scenarios, like merging onto busy freeways and parkways or passing on shorter straights safely.
There are many places around here where it is deadly to try to enter a parkway with a 4 cylinder car as people are doing 75 mph and there are no ramps. You simply turn directly onto the parkway and floor it. It is very dangerous to not be up to speed in less than say 7 or 7.5 seconds. The other major reason I like a more powerful car is the efficiency of the driving experience. 4 cylinder cars constantly downshift and upshift at the slightest incline, even on a freeway, whereas a 6 cylinder will stay in the same gear unless you make it downshift to pass. Now that most V-6's will get you at or above 30 mpg, there is no reason to settle for less power just to gain a couple of mpg.
As someone noted, many of the newer cars have governors on them anyhow so no matter how powerful they are the top speed isn't an issue. I have never purchased a car with the thought of top speed and how fast can I go with it. People who have that mentality should really think about taking the bus so it'll be safer for us all. The first one in line for the bus should be the Omni owner doing 135 mph... talk about deadly!
19th May 2010, 09:26
Nice slam on mechanics there buddy. I've known quite a few that could run circles around most people as far as intelligence is concerned. As far as being too wimpy to get oil on my hands... well I do my own changes and always have, but I use rubber gloves as oil soaking into your skin is a major cancer causing thing.
I'd pass on the Fusion as I don't need a complicated system that you need special parts for. There are too many other cars that are just as good, and changing the oil isn't a big deal. The car companies are trying to make it tougher for people to do their own maintenance, so they can rake in more dough. The Honda Accord is one of the worst I have seen. The filter is mounted on the back of the block and the plug is in the back of the pan, making it virtually impossible to change in your driveway without using deadly ramps. Ridiculous. There is always another car to buy that is straightforward to work on... for now. If we keep buying these newly designed un-user friendly vehicles, they'll keep designing more ways to keep us coming to their service departments.
20th May 2010, 09:02
My car club has track days where we can legally go as well as dragstrips. There you can truly enjoy full usage and learn more at the same time. I went to a high speed driving school back in 93. I have found it to be beneficial learning driving skills and techniques applicable at our states 65 mph interstate. Having plenty of hp through the entire powerband can be a real asset on accident avoidance. I found having motorcycles it also applied having greater maneuverability and power to overcome bad situations and inattentiveness of other drivers. Great oversized brakes and bigger tire footprint for stopping is another real plus. Late model sportscars are in my opinion safer than poorly maintained dangerous neglected vehicles that are far slower, but a hazard on the highways.
25th May 2010, 16:28
My God son just graduated with his Master's in business. He is starting a high-paying job with a prestigious firm next week. His first order of business was purchasing a new car. He diligently read and researched everything he could find on a number of foreign and domestic cars, as well as test-driving a number of them. I asked him what he had decided on. His reply was instant: "A Ford Fusion SEL 4-cylinder. It makes the most sense, has the best reliability, better resale value than imports, lower maintenance costs, outstanding performance and better styling." I simply replied "Your education wasn't wasted after all."
26th May 2010, 15:11
"I found having motorcycles it also applied having greater maneuverability and power to overcome bad situations and inattentiveness of other drivers".
This is all very true. Having owned V-8 muscle cars and a couple of very fast motorcycles, I know that powering out of certain situations is far better than trying to brake. As a former stunt driver and avid car enthusiast, I drive with the accelerator far more than the brakes. Having said that, I do have to take issue with the idea that the new 175 horsepower Fusion is "underpowered". No way. My I-4 Fusion is just as competent at high speed passing, merging or avoidance maneuvers as any car I've owned. In our area we have a couple of direct access (no ramp) divided highways with 70mph speed limits. Full-throttle acceleration in the Fusion I-4 results in more than adequate speed for pulling into moving traffic. Those who argue otherwise obviously have not driven one.
18th May 2010, 13:59
Having great performance on tap does not require being a stoplight terror light to light. I have over 400 hp in each of my cars with V8s. I like small blocks for great handling and to balance front and rear weight distribution. My LS1 gets 32mpg with overdrive on the interstate. It's like the vette is just idling with cruise engaged at 60 mpg. My VW in 74 got 26 mpg with 60 hp!