Ford Fusion - 3 Years, 22000 kms Update

[brainscooper]

I know that it is slightly ridiculous to start a New Car thread on a vehicle that was launched nearly a year ago, and has only enjoyed limited commercial success. However, the fact remains that there is not a single comprehensive analysis of this vehicle on this forum (at least none that I could find, so apologies in advance!)

The Car

Launched in December 2004 as an Urban Activity Vehicle, the Fusion is an amalgamation of a sedan and an SUV, offered for the price of a mid-size sedan. One of the biggest reasons why this vehicle really failed to capture the hearts of the customers is that Ford priced it a little too high, forcing comparisons (especially on the mileage front) with the New Honda City. However, it remains one of the best vehicles for those who do a lot of travelling, and disdain a diesel.

Compared to the sedans in the same price range, it appears to be behemoth, mainly because of the tall and wide body. In actual fact, it is almost the same height as a Santro, and only a few centimetres wider than an Accent. It is actually shorter than the Accent, being based on the same chasis as the Ikon and Fiesta. The front appears to be very muscular, with a mean look being imparted by the grill. Sides are very conventional, with no individualistic markings, and the rear unfortunately resembles the Tata Indica a little too much. The flat back, however, is useful while parking.

The car is shod with low-profile 15-inch tubeless tyres from Goodyear, which do a good job at high speeds, but render the ride a little uncomfortable at low speeds on pot-holed roads. Mind you, the competition may not even be able to traverse these roads!

The Interiors

Ford chose a uniform gray for the dashboard, panels and upholstery, and one of the priorities of any new owner would be to get good seat covers! While the front seats are comfortable and support the backs and legs well, the rear seats are a little too upright and could do with more cushioning.

A large number of Mondeo switches and parts find their way into the interiors, the most notable being the steering wheel and gear knobs, with their aluminium inserts. The driver's seat height is adjustable and there are any number of cubbyholes scattered around the car, most of which are good only for tiny items like coins or mobile phones. An in-dash single CD player is standard, and the Fusion+ boasts theatre dimming and reading lamps for all passengers, which are fairly useless. The speakers that come as OE are excellent.

The car has intelligent wipers (the rear wiper switches on automatically if the car is put into reverse with the front wipers on, and the speed of intermittent wiping can be user adjusted), two power sockets, electronic throttle control (no cable leading from the accelerator pedal), power windows, digital odo and fuel meters, fog lamps, remote locking (Fusion+) etc. The Fusion+ also has electrically adjustable side mirrors and remote boot opening.

Test Drive and Engine

The car comes with a 1.6 litre engine of the Duratec family that also powers the Mondeo in its 2 litre avatar. It is basically a SEFI (sequential electronic fuel injection) engine. These are a newer generation than the MPFI engines, in which the injectors are timed like spark plugs, to spray the fuel immediately before or as their intake valve opens.This results in an improvement in efficiency of the engine.

The first thing that I noticed when I got into the car was the ease of ingress and egress. As it stands tall and has loads of leg space, you dont have to wriggle into and out, as in a small car. You are not forced into a squatting position, as in most low sedans and dont have to climb up, as in an SUV. The steering feels good to hold and gives a good feedback while driving, imparting a feeling of security during high speed turns that is not matched by any other vehicle I have driven so far. This is aided by the fabulous brakes and excellent handling at high speeds. Many people have reported body rolls at low speeds, but I never experienced it myself.

The gear box is fairly good, but the engine develops a flat spot at 1000-1500 RPM, which is probably due to the high ratio of the second gear. Not a big problem, except on sharp inclines. The engine is unbelievably quiet with the windows rolled up, and you have to check the tachometer to ensure that it is really on! Acceleration is fantastic. The fuel economy is best at a speed of around 100kph, when she returns nearly 15kpl. In normal city conditions, dont expect anything more than 10kpl.

Grievances

1. The car lacks a dead pedal for resting the left foot, when it is off the clutch. This is a basic facility offered even on the Santro.
2. The fuel cap lid is plastic, and has a very weak locking system. This can easily be broken by miscreants or children.
3. The factory fitted remote locking system does not have a burglar alarm incorporated.
4. ABS is offered as an option only for the Fusion+ and not for the base model.
5. No diesel engine on offer.
6. The mudguards in the initial cars were covered with a fabric, which tended to get heavy and work loose after rides through muddy terrain, resulting in the fabric rubbing against the tyres and producing a noise. I believe that fibre glass covers are now used for the wheel wells.

Verdict

If you are a tall guy, and want a car with plenty of leg and head room, whether you are sitting in the front or the back, then this is the car for you. Provided, of course, that you dont mind forking out a bit extra for all the electronic toys that are included. Of course, since you can get a discount on the MRP if you are good at bargaining, you will probably wind up with a better bargain than you would get if you opted for an NHC or an Accent!

[muni]

nice detailed revu there..the fusion has failed because of an identity crisis and its Price tag.

[ramkya1]

Bravo....... brianscoop for that insigntful review.

The fusion is a marketing failure...... failure to price it right and position it right. With the discounts its good value for money ....... no sedan can come anywhere near it on majority of the features. Every single person who has driven it, even test drivend is satisfied with it. People are also put off by the spare part cost - highlighted recently in magazines. If someone takes hte 3 years comprehensive warranty, this worry is also reduced for 3 years. Yes ford should have improved the interioros like they did for the fiesta.

Heard roumer its going to be relaunched with a diesel....... we'll see how that goes.

-- Ramky
--------------

[Dippy]

Great review brainscooper

The price and the inabiltity of the Indian customer to digest the Fusion looks has been the reason for failure of this car. So far the diesel versions of the cars launched by Ford in India havent had much success the Escort and the Ikon of course sharing the same powerplants.

The Fiesta is new so no comment on that though GTO has given a positive feedback on it. If the diesel Fiesta succeeds, the Fusion might come in with a diesel option.

How it goes down with the Indian car buyer, only time will tell

[ballkey]

BrainScoop,

A few questions:

Which variant do you own?
Is the rear centre armrest standard on the fusion+ or is it an additional accessory? Is it an useful gadget?
Do any other goodies come with Fusion+? Like puncture kit,mats,q etc.
A few photos will be appreciated too..

Thanks!

[filcord]

I did a testdrive of the Fusion before I bought my Baleno. Owned a Ford for four years, and liked their cars. Fusion is cleverly put together, and a really innovative product. It's got all sorts of new features which the techoriented will love. It looks really butch too.

However the ride is bumpy in the city, and spares are expensive. The extended warranty does not help in the case of collisions to the bumpers, breaking of mirrors, etc.

I also had bad experiences with the Ford dealer in Goa whose bills were always high.... hence I finally decided against it, a case of the pocket-book winning against the heart!

If Ford lowers the price by around a lakh, and lowers the price of spares, they will see much more demand, since the product is intrinsically really good

[Steeroid]

Hey Doc

Nice review there!

Good to see you're enjoying your car, even if I was one of the people who tried to (I was too late, but the others werent) dissuade you from the purchase !

I wish you many more miles of motoring joy!

[brainscooper]

Which variant do you own?
Fusion+

Is the rear centre armrest standard on the fusion+ or is it an additional accessory? Is it an useful gadget?
It is not standard. No idea of the usefulness because I dont have one.

Do any other goodies come with Fusion+? Like puncture kit,mats,q etc.
Mats are included. Puncture kits, I am told, cost nearly Rs. 700 at Ford Dealers, and around Rs. 200 with Goodyear dealers

A few photos will be appreciated too..
Sorry, dont have rights to include attachments!

Spares are expensive
I have a total maintenance plan from Ford, which covers everything except accident work

[ported_head]

Originally Posted by brainscooper

A few photos will be appreciated too..
Sorry, dont have rights to include attachments!

Nobody gets to upload files to the server, the bandwidth usage would probably run us bankrupt. So we use Imageshack to share pictures with the other forum members.

You may use this thread for further help: How to post pictures

[Surprise]

It looks so small when u take a look at fusion from outside. But once you entered inside its a different story, you should be wondering where Ford has kept all these place secret. Very spacious car. Good response & you dont feel that U drive such a big car ( u feel when your'e inside)

But again the steering is stiff ( might be the case with all Fords)

[kkr2k2]

I know this is a old thread, but I want to metion this link here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...tml#post345982 (My new car Fusion or SRV EDIT: Now booked Fusion)

[brainscooper]

I have now had this car for 3 years, but have managed to drive only 22000km, maybe a reflection of my job, as I cant pick up and drive off whenever the bug bites me! Anyway, I thought that people may be interested in the long term performance of the car, considering the fact that the diesel version is selling fairly well, at least in the metros.

On a personal basis, I am very happy with the car. The engine has been absolutely faultless, and I dont mind the fact that it gives only 9-10kmpl in the city and 12-13kmpl on the highway, because of the sheer responsiveness of the engine. I never have to shift gears in an incline or when slowing down in heavy traffic, as the engine pulls really well.
The metal parts of the body have not raised any problems, and I have been very happy with the absolute lack of internal rattles which gave the Fusion a bad name in the initial few months (my own car had to be re-worked by the service centre for 3 days after the rattles appeared soon after purchase. The car, however, has been absolutely silent since then).
Problems
The tough times that I had were not really very tough as I had purchased a total maintenance plan (TMP) and was covered by warranty for 1+2 years. So, what took me to the service centre in the last 3 years?
1. Sounds from the rear suspension-both shock absorbers were changed and a shock absorber mount had to be welded back as it had broken loose.
2. Plastic parts on the body (cladding running all round the car, decals on the B-pillar) falling off by themselves. This tended to occur as they were all clipped on with tiny plastic clips or glued on with 1cm spots of glue, which would work loose on our roads. This required multiple visits, as and when a part would work loose.
3. Vibration on the steering wheel which subsided after the discs were machined to smooth out some scoring by grit.
4. Oil in the driver's foot well-this was due to a crack in the clutch master cylinder, which was replaced.
That is it!

[srini09]

Hi Guys,

I took delivery of a paprika red Fusion Diesel day-before yesterday.
Got a fantabolous deal, the mention of which I am sure will create
pangs of jealousy.

Bought 3 Fusion Diesels, one for me and two others for colleagues. Had
my friend in Ford to get us a corporate discount (Rs 20K for each car
on the invoice price). Got the dealer to give me Leather Seat covers +
3rd yr warranty + body colored bumpers and mirror + all mats free over
and above the free MP3 player (which incidentally is quite good). Also
got a fantastic insurance quote for the same insured price of the car
as against the one offered by the dealer. All in all, a fantastic buy.

I bought the car fully aware of the pro's and con's (thanks to the multiple owner-reviews in here). And I think I
have made my best buy for sometime. The car has been fantastic the
last three days. Still in the honeymoon period though, will keep you
guys posted.

One thing is for sure, all the new Fusions have got rid of the tyre
noise and suspension problems. The car is much better on both these
fronts. The pick-up is terrific and the ride quality is on the money.
Add to this the new TMP prices. Ford Fusion makes all the more sense now.

Srini

[sanjayatarizona]

Guys,do keep us updated.There are not enough of Fusion owners on this forum, but it looks like the tribe is growing ..

[esteemer]

Hmmm, The Fusion club is slowing growing bigger.
Enjoy your rides and do keep us posted.