2012 Ford Fusion Review

2012 Ford Fusion Review

Bruce Sheridan

Overview

The mid size car class is one of the most competitive of them all. This is where some of the industry's top sellers come to play, and to get ahead you can't be good at just one aspect, you have to deliver on them all. The 2012 Ford Fusion is one of the most balanced vehicles around, not just in this class. It gives drivers exactly what they need in a family vehicle, and everything they want for their ride.

The Ford Fusion took the class by storm when it was first introduced, and has steadily been growing since, increasing in its new car deals every year. The 2012 model will be the last for this rendition, since next year it will receive a redesign. That means that this summer and fall will be prime time for finding low prices on the 2012 Fusion while Ford dealers try to make room for the new 2013 model.

[CTA1]

2012 Ford Fusion

Starting MSRP	Max City / Hwy MPG
$20,705	41 / 36

Pros	Cons
Very well balanced car	Expensive hybrid and AWD
High quality hybrid	Average non hybrid mpg
Handles great

Trims

With five different trims, two transmissions and four different engine types, there is certainly a Fusion that can be customized to your liking. The base S model comes well equipped, but moving up to the SE trim gets you more, like the optional SYNC system and satellite radio. The SEL trim gives you more, including a keyless security code entry pad and heated leather seats. The Sport trim is all about performance, and the hybrid is obviously all about the mpg.

Fusion Trims
Name	MSRP	Engine	Best MPG City / Hwy
S	$20,705	2.5L 4-cyl	23 / 33
SE	$22,975	2.5L 4-cyl	23 / 33
SEL	$25,425	3.0L v6	20 / 28
Sport	$27,225	3.5L v6	18 / 27
Hybrid	$28,775	2.5L 4-cyl hybrid	41 / 36

Performance

The Fusion somehow manages to deliver an incredible balance of almost every attribute that not only makes it a solid family sedan, but also just a flat out fun car to drive. Its handling is smooth yet responsive and agile. Its engines put out competitive power yet manage to keep its gas mileage at the top of the class.

Its 2.5L 4-cyl gives 175 horsepower and 172 lbs-ft of torque and gets 23 city / 33 hwy mpg. The next engine up, the 3.0L v6, gets 240 horsepower, 228 lbs-ft of torque and 20 city / 28 hwy mpg. Its bigger brother engine, the 3.5L v6, gets more performance without sacrificing much fuel economy. It gets 263 horsepower, 249 lbs-ft of torque and 18 city / 27 hwy mpg. The hybrid actually performs surprisingly well. Its 2.5 4-cyl hybrid engine produces 156 horsepower, 136 lbs-ft of torque, and gets a mid size car class best fuel economy; 41 city / 36 hwy mpg.

Interior / Exterior

The Fusion is not the most spacious car when compared to its competitors, but there is ample room to fit a growing family comfortably inside. The rear seats are even six foot tall adult friendly. The Fusion does have a considerably large trunk area compared to the rest of the class. While the exterior design takes a more conservative approach compared to the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata, it is certainly not as conservative as the Honda Accord, and it is aging quite well.

Features

All Fusions come standard with climate control, power locks and windows, a radio with a CD player and an auxiliary input, to name a few. Moving up the trims unlocks all the cool toys, like the Ford SYNC. The SYNC system integrates and allows voice control over the climate control and infotainment systems. To get come of the cooler features, however, you are required to move up to more costly trims and packages.

Safety

The Fusion was named a 2012 IIHS Top Safety Pick; scoring perfectly in front impact, side impact and rollover tests. It did not fare as well in its government tests, getting three out of five stars in front crash tests and four out of five for side impact tests, giving it an overall score of four out of five stars.

The Fusion, despite average government test scores, is still a very safe new vehicle for families. All 2012 Ford Fusions come with the usual array of standard safety features. Moving up the trims and safety packages can get you a lot of innovative technology. The Ford MyKey system is also standard, which allows parents to set speed and stereo volume limits for their teenage drivers.