JohnE

I've owned two Fusions now, a '07 and now a 2011. My 2011 has the 3.0 in it and I have to say the gas mileage is great and the extra power the 6 has is worth it. I average around 25 to 27 MPG between highway and city driving and 35+ on straight thruway. My '07 had the 4 cyl in it and the gas mileage was about the same. I have to say the 3.0 is well worth it as the performance is there when you want it. The only down side I can think of so far is the driving directions with Sync. Everything in the Sync is great except driving directions. Three times it took me the wrong way, once it put me 5 miles in the wrong direction to where I wanted to go. I put my GPS back in the car, much better. So if that's the only downside I can think of, I'd say go for it, you'll have a great car.

I'd have to say the best thing you can do to add HP and better fuel economy is the SCT tuner. Not only can you peak the engines HP, you can improve the shift points (automatic) for a faster and firmer shift. And there's a few more things the SCT Tuner can do to make things much better, but they are a personal preference thing.

Same here, about 1700-1800 for 55....60 is 1900-2000....65 is 2100-2200 and 70 is around 2500.

OMG...$250.00 for a diagnostic?? That's outrageous!!! Where I live (Western New York) there are auto stores here that will plug in and do a diagnostic for free! But the bottom line here is they didn't fix anything but their pocket book. I don't blame you for being upset. I'd be a bit more than upset with them. I can't help you with your problem, but I can suggest telling the dealer that if they can't fix the problem, they why are you being charged $250? (and fight it).

I think this topic has been well answered, but bottom line is any engine will run better when it's cold and can take colder air into it's engine. Why? Because cold air will detonate the gas better. That's just an old truth. But many things can be causing the car to be 'sluggish'. Changing to a cold air intake is a great upgrade, but it may not be that. Might be several things, vacuum hose not on, leaking, etc. Could be many different things, too long to mention here. I would have someone (or yourself) get an engine analyzer and see if the computer is throwing any codes. If so, it'll tell you what is wrong and then you can fix it. There's no reason for an engine to get sluggish just because it's been driven a bit and it's now hot. The designers knew these engines would be driven in many different climates and extremes and compensated for it. Having a sluggish engine after warm up tells me somethings wrong. Maybe something simple too. But you need to find out if the computer is telling you something. I'm not sure but I don't think it's all that expensive to have some shop hook up an analyzer and see if there's some codes being thrown. It's simple and easy too. The Fusion (like all cars) have the computer port usually right under or near the steering well below it in the dash. Worth finding out what it's doing so it can be corrected. Good Luck!

Wow, we have a lot of folks all near each other...except I'm on the other part of NY...the western part. About 500 miles from you guys...but we had that ice storm too. Nasty bit of weather. Hate when it does that as it snaps tree limbs and power lines and you never know what to expect next. Was going to say though, GB, you're welcome to come join us in the 'Snow' thread (I think above this one). Lot's of folks telling their driving tales with the Fusion in the nasty weather we've had this winter.

Hi Guys & Gals.... Haven't been around here in a few weeks. Sorry, but I had some major health issues which I am amazed at modern medicine and what the right doctors can do for you. I was diagnosed with CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy). I had a 4 day (3.5 hours a day) infusion (called IVIG) and within a couple of weeks the disease has went into remission and I feel great! I had a bad reaction to the IVIG, (rash over 75% of my body) but some steroids zapped it and it's almost gone now. What a nasty after reaction, but I still have to say it was worth getting this infusion as my CIDP is almost disappeared. There's no cure for it, but this treatment really did it's job. I was glad to have some very sharp (young too) doctors that knew what I had and got it early. I met some folks there that weren't so lucky and were diagnosed late and now they need that infusion five or six times a year. I should be good (hopefully) for the rest of my life with the one infusion because it was found early. Wow, guys...like cancer or any other debilitating disease finding it early is the way to beat it. Okay, sorry for being off the subject so here I go....Old Guy, I (like you) find the stock Michelin tires on the Fusion as some of the best tires around. But (just my opinion) if I were to get tires for a truck (your truck) I'd say go with a set of Blizzak's. I would guess either set (Michelin or Blizzak) are around the same price area. The Blizzak's may cost a bit more, but they are supposed to be "the tire" when it comes to snow and ice. With that said, the stock Michelin's I have on my '11 3.0 Fusion are fantastic. With the over 3 feet of snow we had here (then more storms after that bringing the total snow to un-godly levels) those tires and the Fusion preformed like a tank. Never stuck once, not even having to 'rock it', just a little gas and gone. Amazing car and tire. (Oh, and when I had my '07 Fusion, it too had Michelin's on it. Must be a Ford Fusion and Michelin deal of some sort. 5 years later and they still stock Michelin's on Fusions...Hmmmmmm) I see some folks still like the RWD over the FWD in the snow (and vice versa). As I pointed out in an earlier post, it's all a matter of the learning curve for a FWD car. You have to visualize that now you're being pulled instead of pushed. So in snow & ice turns, you give it a bit of power to 'pull' you through them. With the RWD you'd push and, well, you already know how to react with the car to get through the turn. I guess an easy way to put it is to do the opposite with a FWD over the RWD. It's a learning curve. I actually (and I think this is a great idea now) go to a empty parking (or store) lot when there's a good amount of snow and ice on it. Here's where you can practice. You may think it stupid, or someone out to have fun sliding around in the snow in an empty lot, but seriously, besides the fun factor you can learn a lot! I remember years ago when I was a bus driver for a few years. My company took us up to a place in Canada (I'm about 15 minutes from the Canadian border, near Buffalo, NY) to drive coach buses on a skid pad. Talk about fun! Whirling around with a huge passenger coach bus was a riot, BUT, it taught me a lot about handling of a vehicle. Even though large, most of the maneuvers applied to a car also. So don't be afraid to get out to some empty lot in the winter (whether RWD or FWD or both) and learn how to drive (react) in the snow and ice. You are doing yourself a big favor, and you may even save your own life with that knowledge some day. There's no substitute for the real thing. Talking about it is fine, but you don't learn how to drive (react) unless you actually do it a few times. Not trying to argue, just trying to help all of us whether we prefer RWD or FWD, we still all have to 'learn' what's going to happen in a snow & ice skid, turns, stops, goes and just driving in general. Hey, I see everyone got a taste of this bad, nasty winter. Some spots in the south (that never get snow, or just a dusting once in awhile) got dumped on! For some in the south that have never driven on snow & ice, it's a new experience. I read 'Oldguy' that you drove on Route 1 with all that snow on it. Been there, done that years ago. Don't think it was as bad as this winter has been though. This has been a long drawn out, hard winter. Cold too. But the point is we've all had to drive on snow this year and I hope we all learned something about handling our cars, trucks or what ever we drive and that the Fusion is one great car in the snow & ice. Sorry for the long drawn out post. Keeps it all interesting I guess. I'll be back more often too, to see and read what others think about the snow driving and other topics about our Fusions. Now that spring is right around the corner I'm sure we'll be cleaning all that 'winter' off our Fusions, not only outside but inside as well. Even though I bought some 'deep well'' rubber mats for my new Fusion there's still a small build up of salt that got on edges of the carpet. I know some tricks in getting that salt stain(s) off without having to 'shampoo' the carpeting. (Depending on how big the salt stains are.) I'll probably start a 'cleaning' thread as soon as the weather warms up. Lot's of different tricks and products out there and I like to read about what experiences you folks have with certain products for cleaning the 'crud & salt' off (and in) our vehicles. Later!

Not positive, but it sounds like the engines computer made an error when driving and it didn't clear by itself. I don't think it's anything to worry about IF that's the case. I have a new 2011 Fusion 3.0 and the other morning when I came out, started it and got an ABS and brake lights on. As soon as I put it in gear and moved the car, they went off. All I can think of is it was just too cold and maybe froze up a bit. (It has been in the single digits and below lately). I'm also thinking the snow and cold may have had something to do with the code it threw.

Anyone know if they have the same cover on 2011 Lincolns? The older ones must be different that the newer 2011 engines, therefore wouldn't fit (or I'd go with the old). But I have to agree, the cover adds a lot to the engine compartment, nice! Anyone notice any heat gain or problems with it on?

First thing I would do to increase the HP is to buy a Tuner. With a custom tune you will add 20+ HP overall. And the more you can get at the wheels the better. Then I would add a cold air intake. The Steeda is nice, but way too expensive. Same with the K&N, although a bit cheaper. (It always surprises me how expensive they make this product to be, there's not that much to it and I don't believe for a second it costs even a 1/4 of the retail price to manufacture. In fact with a bit of ingenuity and access to a machine shop you could build one yourself for a fraction of the cost.) Anyway, that's the second thing I'd do for more HP. Now the third thing starts getting expensive as there's a few third things you can do. One being to change the main pulley. A gain of almost 10+ HP can be had by doing this, but (again) they are expensive. (Reason being they are made of a better material and are harmonically balanced, etc.) Then there's the super charger, turbo charger and/or nitrous. But with this comes new injectors and (not sure, but I would) make the exhaust better by either adding headers, or better cat's and mufflers to make the exhaust more open, but you could do this without those items and probably add a few HP by just upgrading the exhaust. Unfortunately there isn't much out there for me yet as I recently got a 2011 Fusion w/V6 3.0 engine. It has picked up 20 more HP from the factory for a 240HP rating. Yes, they make a tune for mine, but not much else. Not even a drop in K&N air filter, which by itself with give you 2 or 3 HP more. But these things will come out and if I can get into a shop I'd mind my own words and build one myself. But I am in agreement that it needs some suspension help. so I'm going with a tower brace first, then the springs and shocks. Which can also be an expensive layout, but if you want to run, you have to pay the bucks. Good luck with the HP raise.

Oldguy...That's pretty funny, but very true. The Fusion seems to be a tank in winter weather. Everyone has their own style of driving and preferences on FWD or RWD. I prefer the FWD. It's a new learning curve, but once learned it just may push one into liking it better. And trust me, I'm a very old school guy when it comes to RWD. Heck, I was raised with it..(lol).. But things change and so have cars drive trains. On the horse power thing, yea, what I was getting at was why did Ford ever bother putting an old technology 4.0 in them? They should have had the new engines in them from the get go, or at least from 2007 on ward. I have driven the new v6 and the 5.0's and they are amazing. Even more amazing will be the Boss-302's coming out. I really want one, then I decided that there's no place to really run it around here and what would I do in the winter? Can't afford even a second 'beater' type of car so I'd be stuck. Besides I think the price factor on the Boss-302R would be over my head anyway. The standard versions may not be too bad price wise, but I'm sure the 302R and 302S versions will be well over the 40-50K mark (and I think I maybe dreaming on that low of a price) but time will tell. But I (we) can still dream. The Fusion's Durateck 3.0 engine is an amazing engine in itself. With a simple tune you can add more horsepower to it then the 'Sport' Fusion has. And with a change of suspension you could have a ride that could take on a lot of the higher priced sporty type vehicles out there. And then you'd still have a nice ride (if family orientated). Personally I think the Fusion is one hell of a car and so much can be done to it (after market wise) to make it that much better, without breaking your pocketbook. But, back to the snow...we sure seem to be getting our share this winter. Even the extreme east coast is getting walloped these past few days. And if you've ever been south you know these folks shut down everything with just an inch or two of snow, I can't even imagine how they'll be with a foot or two....lol....Maybe they should all get Fusions....

Sorry, I am a bit lost on this thread. A chip or a tune? On a tuner, they should have a tune available for 87 octane as well as a higher octane (usually an octane that's available in your area). Anyway, the tuner should come supplied with at least two tunes, one for 87 and one for (lets say) 93. Most of the Mustang tunes come with tunes for 3 octanes. It shouldn't be any different for a Fusion 3.0. Just my opinion but it sounds like they're dropping the ball on this one. I'd like to see a K&N air system (I've got a 3.0 2011) but there's so many other companies out there that make these kits (and at a much cheaper price) I guess it's a waiting game, or not enough supply and demand. Kind of a shame considering a lot of folks would like to add these items to their Fusions. Yea, the Fusion is geared towards a 'nice mid sized car' but then there's guys and gals like us that want more and don't have the $$$$ to buy a Sport. Oh well, just my 2 cents....

I can see this thread is going back a bit (time wise) but I'd like to chime in a bit. I have been watching the drag tracks, etc; and find a big interest in making the Fusion into a fairly good race/drag car. Now these folks are going pretty much all out. But like you guys (and gals) I want my Fusion to be a bit more than it is on the street. I have a new 2011 3.0 Fusion SE (didn't quite have the capital for the Sport). There's a suspension package out for the Fusion (which would be a good place to start). But I fail to see any tuners, air systems, etc. Oops, I take the tuner back, I believe SCT now makes a tuner for the 2011 3.0. So now a decent air intake would be next. I know Steeda might or might not have this, but I can tell you right up front I won't pay their price. Yes, they make quality stuff, but it's a bit too pricey for me. I'll wait for K&N or someone else (K&N can be pricey too). You have to admit there's not much to these kits and the material that goes into them can't be that expensive....(unless I'm missing something). I almost want to fabricate my own, but I don't have the shop or tools to do it in. Anyway, I guess my post is just about getting my '11 3.0 up to say 300-320HP. I don't know about the new 6-speed transmissions and how they'd hold up to that much more power. But I have to think Ford built them better. (Heck, I've even got the manual auto shift with the + & - on the side of the shifter to do it yourself if you want). Kinda of a neat thing Ford did. (Again I wonder if the tranny will take more thoough.) It's extreamly hard to find any info on the 2011 internals. I'm sure it'll trickle out, but I'm like everyone else, I wanted it yesterday.....lol...So I guess I'm hoping all you out there that's interested in doing the same will chime in here and say where you found some of the goodies we need to do this to our Fusions.

Wow, that is some crappy mileage. And in my opinion not normal. I had a 07 4-banger and now have a 2011 3.0 V6 and in both cars I experienced excellent mileage. I can't remember what the 07 got, but remember around 23-25 mph around town. The new 2011 30 is getting 25-27 mph around town which to me is amazing considering a bigger engine. Now winter has set in and the MPG has dropped a bit. But am still getting an average of 25 around town in the 2011. I have to think something isn't quite right with your 09. Maybe a tuneup might get you more MPH. Change the filters, air, fuel. Maybe switch to an all synthetic oil, or at least try a semi-synthetic. New plugs, etc, may help too. Just trying to think of things that would improve your around town driving MPH. It doesn't sound right, even with winter and the extreme cold. Good luck!

I agree with FusionFF, it didn't come with, nor was it an option. But, I too didn't know that the MKZ's had covers that would fit our Fusions. Got to tell you all that I have a new Fusion 2011 3.0 SE with just about every option I could get. I'm finding that there's not much out there for the 2011 to give it some 'omph' and better ride. I'll be looking for a better suspension, a tuner for the engine and an air system, K&N doesn't even have one out (yet). I would think there'd be more out there for the Fusion and if there is I'm missing it (unless there isn't any or it's going to be a long wait). Anyone have any ideas about obtaining this stuff? Thanks....