Blue Oval

Would someone please explain to me why anyone would want to replace a beautiful chrome grille, emblems and especially bright chrome or alloy wheel rims with black paint? I just don't get this new trend. Today's monotone painted cars are plain ugly and boring enough without painting the rims black also. It looks like the wheel covers fell off and the owner is too poor to replace them. Modern day cars desperately cry out for some contrast...to that I say bring back the chrome bumpers, bodyside moldings, brilliant chrome wheels and yes, whitewall tires!

OK, thanks for the update, Matt.

Hi Matt, I was just wondering how much the Ford dealership charged you for the chrome door handles and mirror caps. Thanks! John

For the life of me I can't comprehend why anyone would want to darken any of their car's exterior lights. My stock headlights are already painfully inadequate and I can't wait for the day I can replace them with more powerful bulbs. Tinting any lens just to make the car look different is insane. Personally, I want to see where I'm going in both forward and reverse and I want other drivers to see my car as well.

I'm not exactly sure either what the going rate is today on mounting/balance but it may very well be that amount. Try obtaining a couple more estimates just to make sure. I just took a look at the wheels you purchased and they really look great! I'm sure they're going to dramatically improve the appearance of your Fusion. I've been considering replacing my stock Hybrid wheel rims. Because of their design, they are quite time consuming to clean by hand plus I always preferred the look of chrome or polished stainless steel wheels. Well good luck with your new wheels and post a picture for us afterwards!

Last year I installed a flush mount spoiler myself that I purchased from Sportwing.com (http://www.sportwing.com/ford-fusion-flush-rear-deck-spoiler.aspx) Their price is less than 3dcarbon's and the white platinum color I ordered the spoiler in was a perfect match. Using 3M tape, there is no way the spoiler is ever going to loosen up on its own. What I especially like about Sportwing's flush mount spoiler model is the unique shape which contours the existing lines of the trunk mounted brake lamp and chrome molding surround. I also purchased bodyside moldings from them and would not hesitate to recommend the company to anyone. I will try to get some decent photos of my car showing those items installed and post them here soon.

I noticed that whenever my iPhone is in the car and the Sync Bluetooth is active, all incoming text message alerts are muted. The phone rings through whenever a call comes in and all the other audible features work the way they should through the car's Bluetooth system and likewise I do receive text message alerts through my iPhone whenever the car's ignition is switched off. Has anyone else noticed this or is there something I can do to turn on the text message alerts through either the iPhone or the car's Bluetooth settings so that I will know that my phone received a new text message while it is in my car? Thank-you in advance for any suggestions.

Ford is pretty good about replacing defective trim that's not holding up well, regardless of the cause.

For the life of me, I can't understand the fascination with the non-chrome look on today's cars. Removing the chrome bumpers, grilles, window surround, wheel opening and bodyside moldings was a cost-saving measure decided by the manufacturers' designers. The result was that all new cars instantly became nearly identical and in my opinion, quite boring. I say bring back the chrome contrast, two-tone paint and unique styling!

I've been very pleased with my FFH's handling in the snow also, using stock tires/rims and driving in northern NJ where we are having record-breaking amounts of snow as well. One time, though, I couldn't make it out of my friend's driveway where he has an extremely steep incline. Finally after 10 minutes of numerous failed attempts I turned off the traction control and, although there was a lot of tire spin and burning smell to deal with, the car surprisingly climbed the ice & snow-covered hill as if it had 4-wheel-drive. I don't understand why Ford doesn't make the Fusion Hybrid available with AWD when it is an option on the Escape Hybrid.

Once in awhile, I also observe false BLIS warning lights on my mirrors but they soon reset on their own. Interestingly, I can't recall ever hearing any sound indicating one was lit up regardless of whether it was an actual valid warning or a false alarm. For the life of me I just can't get excited over this feature...whether the light is on or not I always turn my head after glancing in the mirror just to make sure no other car is present and/or approaching at a high-rate of speed before I change lanes. To rely on BLIS alone is dangerous and even the manual warns you of this. Because of the printed warning, all liability rests with the driver in the event of a collision. Personally, I would rather have LED turn indicators mounted on or underneath the mirrors to warn other drivers and pedestrians of my intentions in addition to or instead of having a light telling me that there may or may not be another car nearby.

Unfortunately this is true about most of today's modern cars. Unless you're driving an SUV (which sits up higher off the ground) your car is subject to substantial cosmetic damage every time you park it. It has happened to me a few times so I feel your pain too. I got too close recently to a high curb while parallel parking and managed to scrape up my Hybrid's wheel rim. A similar low-speed curb contact with my previous vehicle, a Suburban, would have resulted in only a scuffed tire. I have seen numerous vehicles sustain the same front-end damage that yours did. We can all thank the industry design morons who decided to lower the cars, eliminate sturdy, protective chrome bumpers and cover hidden reinforcement bars with body-color painted vinyl . . . all the while knowing they would be prone to damage resulting in expensive repairs.

When DRL's first started to become popular I had mixed feelings about them. While the intention was a good one, unfortunately many manufacturers set their models up so that only the headlights come on and many even do so on reduced light output. We have all seen cars with DRL's riding down the highway or dark roads at night with only those lights on...wondering why the driver never turned his headlight switch on so that the tail lights were illuminated as well. Drivers often fail to realize that the DRL's are only meant to provide daytime protection. They mistakenly fail to realize that their tail, license plate and side marker lamps are not lit until the headlight switch is turned to activate them. Similarly, driver's who rely on automatic headlights to activate at dusk often don't realize that the lights do not automatically activate during rain and snow fall or just as importantly, under foggy conditions. While DRL's and automatic headlight controls are helpful, we would all be better off driving with our lights on all the time. Just remember to turn them off along with the ignition!

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The lease was about to end on my 2007 Chevy Suburban. The factory warranty had expired and that really worried me. I briefly considered buying it but for less money than GMAC wanted for the truck I wisely chose to purchase a fully loaded 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. What I miss at times is the ability to carry four or more adults comfortably for a long period of time...the Suburban could seat seven if needed and still had plenty of cargo room. Of course I will miss the 4-wheel-drive capability in the winter...wish the Fusion Hybrid was available in AWD. The Suburban also sat higher, not only providing a better view, but I never worried about scraping the wheel rims on curbs or damaging the lower edge of the front bumper cover on concrete parking lot stops. What I don't miss is having to take out a personal loan every time I had to fill the Suburban's 31-gallon fuel tank which was about once every ten days. When gas prices were pushing close to $5, a refueling stop was almost as painful as visiting a dentist. Now I refuel the FFH once every three weeks for much less money! Also, I am able to wash and dry the Fusion in record time! I no longer need to set-up a step ladder each time; worry about the ladder shifting, falling off and getting hurt or worse yet, damaging the truck! Except for those pain in the butt Hybrid wheel rims, the Fusion is a breeze and a pleasure to clean. Overall, I'm happy with my decision to switch into a drastically different vehicle. The 2010 Fusion is a remarkable car. Ford engineers and designers hit a home run with this model.