2006 Ford Fusion SE from North America - All Comments

Nothing.

I just purchased the SE model with leather seats. Very comfortable, ride is smooth and the transmission shifts seamlessly. The 220hp V6 has an abundance of power that seems to be available anywhere in the rev range. I imagine this is due to the 6 speed automatic. There is a very minor stumble when transitioning from the brake pedal to the gas pedal at very slow speeds. Other than that, I am amazed at how well a 6 speed transmission can perform.

The most amazing part of this car (to me) is the value. I purchased a very powerful, extremely comfortable car which rivals cars that cost thousands more.

Fit and finish is very good. Some minor components seem a little on the cheap side (dashboard glove box) but overall a lot more car than I thought I could get for the low to mid 20's.

I agree with the comments about the Fusion SE V6. The acceleration once you get out of the initial first gear is outstanding and seamless and the ride is excellent. Compare the ride to all of the supposedly superior Japanese car and you will feel a much different ride. With imports you feel every bump in the road where the Fusion has a very smooth and non intrusive ride. I did have a blowout with my front right tire at 5300 miles and received typically poor service and attitudes from Ford; never did hear from any one involved with Ford regarding my dissatisfaction of having to replace both front tires and my right front rim at a cost of over $500 but I didn't expect a lot. The Fusion is well worth looking at, but see about switching out your tires through Discount Tire to receive blowout protection when you purchase.

Also if you take your vehicle in for even warranty items see if they will charge you for hooking up your vehicle to the diagnostic machine to diagnose your problem. It's $90.00 and they seem to justify it's use under all circumstances. Also I would recommend ABS because my brakes seem just a little soft when stopping at higher speeds.

The Fusion is an awesome car. It's light years ahead of Camry and Accord. As for Ford service...well, unfortunately it is not very good. In our area only Toyota has a worse reputation for poor customer service. I love Fords and have never had any trouble with any of the more than a dozen we've owned, but I refuse to let the Ford dealer even do the maintenance. I do it myself. Luckily I've never had a problem under warranty.

It is not light years a head of the Accord at all. It is only a head of the Camry because Toyota builds vanilla cars. Other than that the Fusion is just another one of those midsized cars that will be forgotten. I have never heard of anyone ever calling the Fusion better than an Accord.

Most Fords are much more reliable than the current disasters from Toyota. Even the highly biased Consumer Reports rates Fusion as better in reliability than Camry or Accord. Car and Driver (also in the back pocket of the Japanese car makers) rated Camry DEAD LAST in a comparison with the Fusion, Accord, and Hyundai Sonata. Recent reports of massive recalls by Toyota for defective airbags and sticking accelerators, as well as endless complaints about defective brakes and faulty transmissions are NOT the mark of a "quality" car maker. I've looked at the new Camry and Fusion, and not only is the Fusion more dependable, it looks much more pleasing. It also rides smoother, is faster, corners better, and costs several grand less. In our area I'm seeing a new Fusion everywhere I go. I've seen a total of ONE 2007 Camry (appropriately driven by an elderly lady). Of course our state is still somewhat more patriotic than much of the country, and American values are still important to our people here. We don't care for sending our hard-earned dollars to other countries and putting our fellow citizens out of work.

Um, the Fusion is built in Mexico, and engineered in Japan, according to "automotive.com". So the previous poster, and folks who agree with that sentiment, might want to find another kind of car to buy. To help out, I searched and found a site (http://www.usstuff.com/cars2005.htm) that seems to have some info on what cars are mostly US-made. No idea if the Fusion's innards come from the US. As always, take internet info with a grain of salt, though. There are probably other sources of info.

I own a Grand Marquis; that's assembled in Canada, but much of its content comes from the US.

<< In our area I'm seeing a new Fusion everywhere I go. I've seen a total of ONE 2007 Camry (appropriately driven by an elderly lady). Of course our state is still somewhat more patriotic than much of the country, and American values are still important to our people here. We don't care for sending our hard-earned dollars to other countries and putting our fellow citizens out of work.>>

It's good to see patriotic Mexicans supporting their home country by buying cars made there. Thank God he didn't buy a Camry, you know, since it's designed, engineered, built, and sold BY AMERICANS.

And around here Camrys are everywhere driven by all sorts of people. Fusions are a rare site. Guess my part of the country is more patriotic than yours, you know, keeping Americans instead of Mexicans working and all.

Ford is an American company, putting money into the American economy. Toyota, Honda and Nissan are all foreign owned. The profits these firms earn in no way benefit Americans. The small handful of U.S. citizens employed by Japanese car makers can in no way be regarded as benefiting our country when all the corporate profits are funneled out of the country. That's comparing pennies to millions. Buying an American car (whether it is assembled here or not) directly benefits the parent company and encourages more domestic production thru an infusion of profits. If you want to put Americans out of work, then buy a Toyota. If you care about your fellow citizens, and want them to continue to be able to feed their families and pay for their homes, buy domestic. It's as simple as that.

<<Ford is an American company, putting money into the American economy. Toyota, Honda and Nissan are all foreign owned. The profits these firms earn in no way benefit Americans. The small handful of U.S. citizens employed by Japanese car makers can in no way be regarded as benefiting our country when all the corporate profits are funneled out of the country. That's comparing pennies to millions. Buying an American car (whether it is assembled here or not) directly benefits the parent company and encourages more domestic production thru an infusion of profits. If you want to put Americans out of work, then buy a Toyota. If you care about your fellow citizens, and want them to continue to be able to feed their families and pay for their homes, buy domestic. It's as simple as that.>>

Sorry, but you're going to have to prove that statement. The Toyota Camry, the bestselling car BY FAR in America for the past few years (with 400,000 plus units sold per year) was designed, engineered, built, sold, and maintained by Americans in America - that means at every step Americans are being put to work.

Let's compare that to the Ford Fusion, Focus, Crown Victoria, and others that are designed in Europe or elsewhere, manufacturered in Canada or Mexico, and are only sold and maintained in America - depending on model.

Ford also continues to lay off workers right and left and close plants. Toyota announced it will build five new ones.

Sounds like if you want to employ americans you buy Toyota. If you want to put them out of work you buy Ford.

With all of Toyota's current problems, such as massive recalls for life-threatening issues such as steering and front suspension problems, defective airbags, sticking accelerators and defective brakes, as well as many problems they are dragging their feet on issuing recalls for (oil leaks, coolant leaks, peeling paint and defective transmissions to name a few) I'm doubtful that they will be opening 5 new plants anywhere. You can't maintain a myth of superior quality in the face of that kind of poor build quality. People are rapidly waking up to this.

<<With all of Toyota's current problems, such as massive recalls for life-threatening issues such as steering and front suspension problems, defective airbags, sticking accelerators and defective brakes, as well as many problems they are dragging their feet on issuing recalls for (oil leaks, coolant leaks, peeling paint and defective transmissions to name a few) I'm doubtful that they will be opening 5 new plants anywhere. You can't maintain a myth of superior quality in the face of that kind of poor build quality. People are rapidly waking up to this.>.

I see, so the Camry is no longer the bestselling car in America because people have woken up to the inherent superiority of domestic products.

Please. Plus the fact there have been several articles on how Toyota has gone to great lengths to eliminate quality problems that have popped up, unlike Ford that took 12 years to rectify the design flaw in the Explorer that made it the most unsafe vehicle on sale.

<< Like Nissan, who was almost bankrupted by the horrible reliability problems of the Titan and Armada, this onslaught of problems with Toyotas is bound to do some damage to Toyota's market share>?.

Do some research. Your Nissan statement is 100% untrue since Nissan's financial problems and its Titan/Armada problems were totally separate.

And people are going to still be buying Toyotas, since the domestic crap still is mediocre at best. Just read the reviews on this site.

><<Now that Ford is openly acknowledged as building superior quality vehicles that market share is even more challenged>.

Yes, disgruntled workers that are probably going to be fired as their plant closes down make the best vehicles.

<< Contrary to what you might think, some American auto buyers DO read.>.

Really? Guess you'll have to explain why SUVs continue to sell even though every source including the US government confirms they are deathtraps.

Only a mediocre DRIVER makes an SUV dangerous. Like trucks, SUV's are top-heavy. The laws of physics dictates that top-heavy things tip over easier. However, virtually 100% of ALL deaths in SUV's are caused by the driver/occupants NOT wearing seat belts. Even in roll overs SUV's protect their occupants MUCH BETTER than smaller cars IF the occupants are properly belted in. My wife and I have driven 3 of the VERY WORST roll over-prone vehicles (the Short wheelbase Ford Explorer Sport). We never had an accident in the 10 years we drove them. We are both former stunt drivers and KNOW how to drive. We KNOW the vehicles limitations and respect them. As for safety, my family will continue to ride in SUV's because they are SAFER THAN SMALLER VEHICLES WHEN PROPERLY DRIVEN and WE KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!!! SUV's don't fold up like a slice of wet bread when hit by a similar vehicle. Toyotas and Hondas DO!!

<<Only a mediocre DRIVER makes an SUV dangerous. Like trucks, SUV's are top-heavy. The laws of physics dictates that top-heavy things tip over easier. However, virtually 100% of ALL deaths in SUV's are caused by the driver/occupants NOT wearing seat belts. Even in roll overs SUV's protect their occupants MUCH BETTER than smaller cars IF the occupants are properly belted in. My wife and I have driven 3 of the VERY WORST roll over-prone vehicles (the Short wheelbase Ford Explorer Sport). We never had an accident in the 10 years we drove them. We are both former stunt drivers and KNOW how to drive. We KNOW the vehicles limitations and respect them. As for safety, my family will continue to ride in SUV's because they are SAFER THAN SMALLER VEHICLES WHEN PROPERLY DRIVEN and WE KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!!! SUV's don't fold up like a slice of wet bread when hit by a similar vehicle. Toyotas and Hondas DO!!>.

You can post all the disinformation you want, but it doesn't make the fact SUVs are deathtraps any less true.

It is surprising that someone who should allegedly know something about physics and vehicle safety would be so foolhardy as to post something that is contradicted by every piece of evidence out there.

And you are, once again, going to have to explain why highway deaths went UP when SUVs became the most prevelant vehicles sold. Your argument is that people wore seatbelts in cars, but not in SUVs? Please.