Did I Miss Something Important the First Time Around With Ford’s Fusion?

This makes no sense whatever. Ford is selling less than half as many Fusions thus far this year as Toyota and Honda are moving Camrys and Accords. Yet, as good as they are and the Camry and Accord are the benchmarks, they aren’t that much better than the Fusion.

Having just spent a week in an all-wheel-drive Fusion SEL, my perception may be a bit biased here, but my previous experience with the Ford sedan when it was introduced was only a little above lukewarm. Maybe I missed something the first time around.

Adding the AWD to the Fusion makes a big difference. The Fusion was already a tightly packaged American interpretation of a traditional European sedan, combining a confident and composed poise with precise steering, excellent brakes and a driver-oriented interior.

Somehow the addition of AWD enhances the positive aspects of the Fusion’s driving dynamics without exacting a noticeable penalty. My tester pulled consistent 7.5 second 0-60 mph times with its 3.0 liter, 221 horsepower Duratec V-6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Yes, the Camry and Accord are quicker but that doesn’t count so much with most family sedan buyers.

The Camry and Accord offer a little more performance in some areas but aren’t available with AWD.  Putting the power to all four corners is a definite Fusion advantage in climates where snow is a factor, even though a front-drive Camry or Accord with traction control is also quite competent on wet roads.

The Fusion interior is certainly up to snuff. The instrument panel looks and feels of a high quality and the switch gear and gauges do as well. The navigation screen is a bit low in the center binnacle and somewhat smallish, so it can be difficult to see, but that is my only significant gripe here.

Perhaps most significantly, the Fusion feels and sounds solid. Hit a big bump and the Fusion platform absorbs it with a thunk, but doesn’t transfer any secondary vibes or squeaks.

In short, the Fusion does well on the intangibles of fit, feel and finish. If the long-term reliability holds up, the Fusion could prove to be a milestone in the restoration of Ford’s credibility with family sedan buyers.

Certainly on the exterior styling front, the Fusion is wearing well. The three-bar front end and snarky headlamps are distinctive and there is crispness to the overall appearance that contrasts nicely with the Camry’s slightly odd contours.

Chevy is talking about putting Camrys in the showroom alongside of the upcoming Malibu . That move will generate headlines. Ford has a two-year head start with the Fusion. Make AWD standard on all Fusions and Ford just might see that sales gap closing more rapidly than anybody expected.

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