By
JERRY GARRETT Published: June 18, 2009.
I am going to detail all the great attributes of the 2010 Ford Fusion
Hybrid and explain why you might want to buy such an economical car
with so many cool features. Then I’m going to explain why you will
probably ignore me and decide not to buy one.
More on This Car 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid First, let’s talk fuel
economy: it is stellar for a car this large and useful. The
Environmental Protection Agency rates the Fusion Hybrid at 41 miles a
gallon in the city, 36 on the highway and 39 in combined driving. That
is an incredible 8 m.p.g. better than the similar-size Toyota Camry
Hybrid in city driving and 2 m.p.g. better on the highway. The Fusion
Hybrid is also refined and comfortable. Like most of today’s hybrids it
combines a gasoline engine with electric motors, but it drives and
performs pretty much like a conventional car, without many of the
quirks — squishy brakes, abrupt power transitions, odd noises — that
hybrid owners take for granted.
Indeed, the new gas-electric Fusion is
not only a standout among hybrids, it may well share honors — with the
redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius — as the most well-rounded hybrids yet. At
last, consumers have a choice of no-excuses hybrids that leave little
to be desired. What message does this Detroit-bred standout send us
about the beleaguered American auto industry — you know, the one that
reportedly can’t build high-mileage cars, the one that supposedly can’t
compete with foreigners or take a lead in high technology, the one
whose hybrids are routinely dismissed as years behind Honda’s and
Toyota’s? Perhaps the Fusion Hybrid suggests that Ford, the only
Detroit automaker to decline a government handout, really can deliver
the advanced fuel-saving technology that it has been promising for
years. (Remember Bill Ford’s unfulfilled pledge to raise the mileage of
S.U.V.’s by 25 percent by 2005? ) The Fusion Hybrid and its
mechanically identical cousin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid — which, for
simplicity’s sake, I won’t mention again — sit atop the midsize hybrid
segment. All right, that’s true only if you don’t count the redesigned
2010 Toyota Prius hatchback, which recently went on sale and is rated
at 51 m.p.g. in the city. (The Prius is smaller, but because its
interior volume has expanded a bit, the new model is classified as a
midsize car by the E.P.A.)
But beating the Camry Hybrid is what really
matters to Ford. The less capable (and recently suspended) Chevrolet
Malibu Hybrid was never really in the game. The Fusion Hybrid is
powered by a 156-horsepower 4-cylinder 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle
gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission without
fixed gears. The electric boost from two battery-driven motors raises
net horsepower to 191, compared with 187 for the Camry Hybrid. The
system is similar to the one in the Escape Hybrid, but is tweaked to
produce 20 percent more power from its nickel-metal-hydride battery
pack. Variable timing for the engine’s intake cam helps the system
transition fairly seamlessly (no clunks!) between electric and gas
modes. While most hybrids can operate on electric power alone only up
to about 25 miles an hour, the Fusion Hybrid can be coaxed up to 47
m.p.h. before the gas engine kicks in. But all-electric mode will take
you only a mile or so before the batteries need a recharge. In my
test-driving, I was able to beat the mileage estimates for both city
and highway by 3 to 5 miles a gallon. But the Fusion Hybrid proved less
capable of racking up the hypermile-type numbers (65 to 70 m.p.g.) that
I managed through careful manipulation of the new Prius and the 2010
Honda Insight. Ford seems to have engineered the Fusion Hybrid for
consistent mileage in real-world conditions, rather than the stellar
results that can be obtained only from gimmicky driving techniques.
Outside, to differentiate the Hybrid from other Fusions, there is a
small road-and-leaf badge and multispoke 17-inch wheels. Inside, the
Hybrid has distinctive displays meant to coach a driver toward better
economy. Gauge-minders are rewarded with mileage, like mine, that can
exceed E.P.A. ratings. But some people may tire of the driving style
required to achieve the best results, reverting back to their old,
fuelish jackrabbit starts and abrupt stops. The gauge screens can be
configured to show different levels of information, including fuel use,
battery power, average economy and instantaneous m.p.g. There’s also an
animation of vines that grow representational leaves as the driver’s
efficiency improves. But beyond the array of economy readouts, the
Fusion Hybrid can masquerade as a regular car. Despite its 3,805-pound
curb weight, the car accelerates from a stop to 60 m.p.h. in a little
more than eight seconds. Though the chassis is tuned toward providing a
cushy, Crown Victoria-caliber ride, the Fusion Hybrid is reasonably
responsive and still entertaining to drive. That is refreshing among
hybrids, because most in the genre sacrifice driving fun on the altar
of minimalism. That reminds me: an eco-friendly fabric seat made from
recycled materials is standard. Heated leather seating is an option,
but if you start adding upgrades like that, along with a sunroof, a
powerful stereo and a navigation system, the price zooms from $27,995
to more than $33,000. Without all the budget-busting extras, Ford notes
that the Hybrid costs about $3,300 more than a comparable gasoline
model, the 4-cylinder Fusion SEL. Consider not only the price but the
economy, too. The gas-only Fusion also gets impressive mileage; the
Fusion S’s 34 m.p.g. highway rating is just 2 m.p.g. less than the
hybrid. Do you drive enough in the city to foresee a payoff from the
hybrid’s higher urban mileage (41 m.p.g. vs. 23 for the gasoline
4-cylinder)? Therein lies the dilemma that may keep potential customers
out of the Fusion Hybrid. There are cheaper hybrids and even some, like
the Prius, that get better mileage. But the Fusion Hybrid’s worst enemy
could turn out to be the conventional Fusion, which offers many of the
same attributes for less money.
