pghdon

I stopped by a dealer today and saw a 2010 Fusion SEL with a cloth interior. On the sticker it had "Cloth interior, -$1190 (or close to that number) showing a credit for foregoing the leather. This appeals to me since I would rather have cloth than leather, and would like to get some of the features of the SEL like the leather-wrapped steering wheel, alloy wheels, and the availability of a better sound system. There is no option to build the car this way on Ford's website. Has anyone else picked up an SEL with cloth?

I took a closer look and the mid-level's Milan's wheels are steel also, just like the Fusion SE. They just do not use wheel covers. Can't see paying extra for a Milan now.

This is kind of what I thought. Now I just need to decide if alloy wheels are worth another $800... I suppose they COULD make it handle a little better if they are lighter than the steel wheels with covers, but it may not be worth the extra cost. Wish I could get the 16" wheels with Sync as I would rather have the smaller, lighter wheels for better fuel economy.

I did notice in building identical cars on both the Ford and Mercury websites that the Milan has alloy wheels vs. the Fusion SE's 17" steel wheels with covers, which may account for some of the $800 difference. Unlikely to make a difference in the way the cars drive, though.

The Mercury salesman told me tonight that the Milan commands a higher price because it has more sound deadening material than the Fusion and overall it rides, drives and feels nicer. It was my understanding that they drove identically and the differences are cosmetic. It sounded like a sales line to me. Are there any perceivable differences in the ride and drive?

I am new here so perhaps someone can help. Is there a place on the forum or a sub-category where people discuss where they bought their Fusion and what the sales experience was like? I live in Pittsburgh and visited a few Ford dealers in the past week, and one Mercury dealer. The salesmen all made my skin crawl and the lies came out often and early, I felt so uncomfortable that I did not even ask for a test drive. I know skin crawl is a normal reaction for a lot of people when talking to a car salesperson but looking back at the past new cars I have purchased (in reverse order): 2009 BMW Z4 2007 BMW Z4 2004 Mini Cooper S 2003 Infiniti G35 1997 Mazda Miata Every single dealer experience for the past six cars was excellent, the salespeople were honest and did not exagerrate, no pressure or games and I got a great deal right from the get go. Arguably they were higher end brands and the experience is often different there. I know buying domestics and Japanese imports like Mazdas often puts you in a "controlled track" dealership with lots of bogus sales tactics and pressure. I do not have the patience for even starting to go there. Though it was the lowest price car, the Mazda experience was best of all... it was a small, family owned place that sold Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs too. They sold out to a mega chain and now sell only Cadillacs. I'd have to think there is a Ford dealer out there somewhere worthy of my business. Can anyone help me find one near me, preferably in PA? Perhaps there should be a "dealer discussion" forum.

What is a "Build 3?" If I get a 2011 will it have whatever a Build 3 has that minimizes or eliminates the problem?

I am a car guy (2009 BMW Z4 3.5i, 1997 Mazda Miata, 2000 Chrylser LHS) and am looking for something a little smaller and more economical to replace my aging Chrysler. A friend recently bought a 2006 Fusion and it was my first good look at the car... liked it a lot. Then I saw what Consumer Reports had to say and all the high reliability marks, and then met someone who was totally smitten with his 2010 Sport Blue I4 with Sync. Long story short, in the past few weeks I have become a Ford fan and want to support them... and think the Fusion would be a wonderful daily driver and enjoyable for road trips. I was pretty much decided on a 2010 Fusion SE I4 with 6-speed automatic and came across this forum... wowzers! Maybe not such a safe bet after all! Sloshing sounds and 33 page threads! Hard shifts in the new transmissions! NOT what I wanted to read. I guess I could go V6 but I want the best fuel economy possible. BMW has had a lot of HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) problems with the engine in my Z4, and I did not find out until I saw it mentioned online 4 months after I took it home. The car has been reliable and supposedly they have a new part that fixes the problem, but the not knowing for sure really sucks. i am trying to avoid that possibility with the Fusion. I still want to get a Fusion but I want to keep it a long time, like I did with my LHS. Would a lightly used 2009 be a safer bet engine-wise and transmission-wise? I could probably squeeze another year or two out of the LHS to give them time to sort out the new powertrain, but I was hoping to do something at the end of the summer or in the fall. If I go 2009, is the Sync system exactly the same?