Took a test drive Saturday

[Steel2686]

I'm going to be in the market for a car soon. Quick back story - My wife's Volvo is way up in mileage and things are failing on it at a rapid pace. I've repaired everything on it myself that I'm capable of doing without a lift. The suspension is getting loose now, and the turbo is whining like it did before it went down the first time. She loves my Acura and wants to take that over from me (she really already has because of her 1 hour commute and the Volvo isn't reliable enough anymore). I'll pick something up for myself.

I wasn't initially interested in them, but I test drove a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport because the dealership is right down the road from me and I was intrigued by the new redesign. What a car. It really floored me with the interior and the overall performance for the price. The one I drove was the AWD version as that's what I need here in New England. It launched better than the turbo Volvo and pushed me back in my seat well past the 40 mph mark where the Volvo's turbo lag kicks in. It also handled far better and felt tighter.

The interior has the same initial measure of quality I found in my Acura. No gaps, quality materials, and it has a really nice layout. It's great seeing American cars finally doing these things after neglecting these small but important details for so long.

I hope GM starts realizing AWD is a growing segment in cars. The new Malibu is supposed to have AWD as an option when it's redesigned next year as is the new Buick Regal. Unfortunately, I'll need a car sooner than that.

Here's the 2010 Fusion Sport...

[Trans Am]

the fusion looks ok , I am not familiar with them , only saw one and it was the earlier model and that looks like a mondeo , think it is an american version of the mondeo.
If you are looking for a 4wd car, I d recomend audi , I have one and I think its great. not sure about prices over there compared to the fusion. Mine was pretty reliable, only had to replace the maf and o2 sensors and a temperature sensor and drove it like 30000 miles or so. Its a 2000 model a6 with the 4.2 and quattro , and 5 speed auto with steering wheel controls. has elecronic brake distribution and electronic stability program, airbags everywhere, brakes are great , stability and decent power. Also looks pretty good , elegant car I d say , so are the new models too .

If I was an american I d probably buy an american car though, or if I was to get a new car it would be american , if used then anything.

[Trash man]

audi in america are like saturns, they are hit or miss. but ford was ranked #1 in quality im not sure if thats just cuz what happended to toyota or what, i thought you were gonna say the SHO i was gonna tell you to go buy a vette for the same price haha

[Z Ya Later]

Oh just give your wife the Acura and get another F-body.

Or, suffer me continuing to call you VTEC boy. lol

[Gary94Formula]

I read a review on the 2010 Ford Fusion Sport and they rated it very well. I have a friend that bought his with the Mercury version and they really like it. Good luck...

[Steel2686]

Thanks, guys.

We almost bought an Audi A6 when we got the Volvo a few years back. It was used, but in really nice shape. Unfortunately, the dealer wouldn't budge on his price AT ALL so we went with the Volvo. Audi makes a beautiful car but they are pretty pricey here in the states, and even used ones hold their value well enough to still be a bit out of my price range.

The Fusion Sport AWD can be had for $25K brand new. I was always anti-Ford for most of my life but I really like where Ford is going lately. The Mustang is finally getting the powerplant it deserves, and the F-150 is one of the nicer trucks I've ever driven (post-2004 anyway). GM seems to be heading in that direction as well. I've been reading about the return of the Regal and it looks to be a great car, especially the GNX version slated to come out the following year after the Regal's re-release.

Steve - Even when I give up the Acura to the wife, I have a feeling you'll come up with another name for me. Trader? Judas? I don't know... You'll think of something.

[Z Ya Later]

Steve - Even when I give up the Acura to the wife, I have a feeling you'll come up with another name for me. Trader? Judas? I don't know... You'll think of something.

I don't know what you're talking about...

[raroZ28]

Those fusions are super sweet, but I gotta say the Malibu's are great. Our winters are pretty bad here in MI and I know a handful of people with Malibu's that have no problems in the winter.

I personally like to stay away from AWD as it's just more stuff that can break, and I'm not convinced it's all that much better than FWD, as my mom's Maxima and my EX's Celica have never had a problem in any snow storm we've had here in MI.

[Steel2686]

I hear ya on FWD, but I live at the bottom of two hills. I've driven (and currently own) FWD cars with traction control. They always got me up the hill, but there were times I had to get a little creative. The Volvo, on the other hand, eats those hills up, even during the worst of the storms. Also, I've grown to despise torque-steer over the years. It's gotten a lot better in newer cars, but when you put your foot into the accelerator, it's still prevalent.

I've always had an outlook on FWD vs. AWD... FWD will get you home in a snow storm, AWD will make you want to go back out in it.

The Malibu is a nice car. I rented one last year and liked the interior and overall feel. Two things keep me from considering it though. It's FWD and comes in automatic only. The Fusion has a 6M option. Again, I don't blame GM for not including this as an option for the Malibu as 98% of it's buyers would probably opt for the auto.

[FroSSty]

I don't know about drivability but the gaudy grille is enough to make me wanna vomit...

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

There's a reason the Ford Fusion was awarded Motor Trend Car of the year for 2010. My sister traded in her Infiniti for the Fusion. In my opinion, the Ford interior is far nicer than the Infiniti was...no question.

[Steel2686]

There's a reason the Ford Fusion was awarded Motor Trend Car of the year for 2010. My sister traded in her Infiniti for the Fusion. In my opinion, the Ford interior is far nicer than the Infiniti was...no question.

That's exactly what was the highest selling point for me. The interior is where you spend all your time, yet many people buy a car for the exterior looks alone. The Fusion interior, especially with the color inserts on the seats, is a thing of beauty.

Ford did a really nice job with this redesign. I wasn't crazy about the 2009 and earlier Fusions. They were nice, albeit a little boring.

Hopefully I can get a deal done for this soon. I'm looking at sometime in July.

[Joe 1320]

I've seen them on the road, not bad looking. Wouldn't mind an SHO, but that seems to be a bunch of dough for a sedan.

[Steel2686]

I've seen them on the road, not bad looking. Wouldn't mind an SHO, but that seems to be a bunch of dough for a sedan.

Agreed. The Taurus SHO is impressive, but it's a lot of money.

Rumor has it an SVT Fusion is in the works. Unless it comes out before the end of summer (not likely), I can't wait around for it. Plus it probably won't be the most practical car in the world.

Anyone have any other suggestions of AWD vehicles with decent MPG ratings and a stick? I'm going to look around again this weekend and want a few options going into it.

[FroSSty]

My FIL had a Subaru (1998 Legacy) that he put 250K on before it needed clutches. He traded that in on his current car (01 Eclipse). It ran well but didn't like ice