bdrool Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I was disappointed in my Ford Fusion Hybrid due to the harsh riding qualities, but after logging seventeen hundred miles on it, it is really smoothing out. The front end is now fairly smooth and has a lot more movement than when new. The back end is still quite firm, but entirely acceptable. My mostly road mileage is 41+ at maximum legal speeds. My zero to sixty acceleration is much better than what a lot of testers suggest. It would appear that the Ford Hybrid gets better with mileage. In accelerating from a dead stop, flooring the go pedal is the worst thing that can be done as there is a pregnant pause before things get going. I start out with about half pedal which gives good, instant acceleration and then get on it. At sixty miles per hour there is a lot of acceleration left, just don't stomp the go pedal. When cruising on good road at sixty, I often turn the entertainment center off to marvel at the dead silence of the car, especially the total lack of tire and wind noise. True, it costs more than most, especially when Ford dealers like mine jack up the price by a thousand dollars, as if they aren't making enough as it is. The hybrid is the only Ford product that didn't offer free financing, so I paid cash for mine. In other words, you won't get any good deals on a Ford Fusion Hybrid, they're too slow coming....our local dealer has waited two months for one since I bought mine, and is still waiting. No special deals on the GT500 either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrool Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Hi Rodeo. :D First, just jokingly (well, semi-jokingly): Perhaps now you will believe that we were giving valid information and stop accusing people of "cheerleading", since you have finally confirmed for yourself what we earlier told you concerning the Fusion's ride? Okay, to your questions. First, the "sport tuned suspension" is included in the 18" wheel option on the SEL. This information has already been previously verified. So the ride quality (only speaking of ride quality, not engine performance) differences between a Fusion Sport and a V-6 SEL with the !8" wheel/sport tuned suspension option will be negligible. Next, the AWD question is one of personal preference and driving conditions. The AWD does hurt fuel economy and acceleration. However, it will give you slightly better handling traits. Do you live in an area where you need the AWD for the safety factor? Do you have a job where you must get to work, no matter what the conditions? These are just a few of the many questions that come into play in the FWD vs. AWD equation. Next, the 3.5L engine is geared "higher" because it has the power/torque to be able to be geared higher. The "higher" gearing allows it to achieve better mileage (without hurting acceleration/performance) than if it was geared the same as the 3.0L. The 3.5L engine is considerably quicker then the 3.0L engine, in both FWD and AWD configurations. Of course, there is also a slight mileage penalty for the 3.5l (EPA figures notwithstanding). Hope this information helps. Good luck. :beerchug: Whats all this got to do with the FFH ride. Maybe, if you compare the other Fusion models with the FFH, it would go along with the thread. Or did I miss something, in that case just call me a butthead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Whats all this got to do with the FFH ride. Maybe, if you compare the other Fusion models with the FFH, it would go along with the thread. Or did I miss something, in that case just call me a butthead. Hi bdrool. :D You are correct, and it has nothing to do with the FFH. However, since you are quoting me, in my defense I need to point out that you did miss something (although I will not call you a butthead). Please see post #47, where I clearly state to "Rodeo", (and I quote); "PS - Actually we are hijacking the OP's thread concerning the Fusion Hybrid. Now that you/we are discussing the Fusion SEL with 18" wheels/sport suspension versus the Fusion Sport, we should continue this discussion in the "Fusion, Milan, Zephyr, MKZ Discussion" sub-forum. It would be the polite thing to do." And then post #50, where Rodeo states; "Now back to the FFH suspension comments". So it looks as though he understands that we should let the OP (CmelChappy) have his FFH suspension thread back. Hope that makes the situation a bit clearer. Good luck. :beerchug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CmelChappy Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 Oh, come on! I just drove 600 miles (11.5 hours with stops) up to Maine and although I agree the suspension is not cushy the ride stiffness was not even a factor that I noticed. In fact, I drove the whole trip myself and was quite pleased with the overall comfort of my FFH. Congratulations, perhaps you should check to see if you've set a record! I drove 700 miles total last year, but I'm not bragging about it. I do believe that it does take a few miles for a new car to break in, suspension parts included, and not all cars are equal. Perhaps you've driven enough hard riding cars to accept them without question. My Fusion Hybrid is my first ever. Happily, things are softening up a bit and becoming more acceptable. When I read in this forum about "floaters," and have Lincoln Town cars and such compared to a high performance 71 T-Bird with a heavy duty suspension, I wonder how much experience the writers have. My dad and I made many trips to Las Vegas, a distance of over thirteen hundred miles with usually one or two pit stops in his "floater!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPWoodJr Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Congratulations, perhaps you should check to see if you've set a record! I drove 700 miles total last year, but I'm not bragging about it. I do believe that it does take a few miles for a new car to break in, suspension parts included, and not all cars are equal. Perhaps you've driven enough hard riding cars to accept them without question. My Fusion Hybrid is my first ever. Happily, things are softening up a bit and becoming more acceptable. When I read in this forum about "floaters," and have Lincoln Town cars and such compared to a high performance 71 T-Bird with a heavy duty suspension, I wonder how much experience the writers have. My dad and I made many trips to Las Vegas, a distance of over thirteen hundred miles with usually one or two pit stops in his "floater!" I had a 1998 Audi A6 before the FFH and wrote about how its suspension was softer here, so like you I was surprised by the harder ride on the FFH. However, unlike you I didn't go on to say, "I shall purchase a car that doesn't snap my spine on every tar strip, manhole cover and cigarett but it runs over. This is extreme suspension design gone crazy! I have cancelled all long trips in the immediate future........................" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrool Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Can we close this thread already? I think the debate on the FFH suspension has been covered and answered. The tangent and bashing is really not needed when most of us really want to express pride or disappointment on specific aspects of our FFH's. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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