...so.... the Fusion just got two steps closer to my driveway.
Seems very competent. Impressive.

I would like to drive the Sport AWD [SEL?] with the 3.5... seems like it would be more fun than...dare I say it?... a Contour SVT!! Minus the manual trans of course.

 

More hp I bet.

 

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0812_2010_ford_fusion_hybrid_first_drive/index.html

Seems like MT is amazed by he Hybrid.

 

It seems that Ford may be getting its act together. Last night a friend and I checked out the new MKZ parked inside the mall we went to to see 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'. I liked the new split wing grille, and we both liked the presence of the car. One thing that amazed us is that it is a BIG SUBSTANTIAL car when viewed from all angles. I can't help but wonder if whatever platform it is on could spawn a new-generation Crown Victoria. My friend has an older model Q 45 and the MKZ seemed to dwarf it.....yet I gather it gets "decent" mileage.....does it too have "EcoBoost"? Nice looking car in white.....I'd like to see it in black, deep metal flake burgundy or a deep metal flake Hunter's Green, all three with a beige interior. If Ford can put out something like this, I am really looking forward to the MKT! I wonder if the hybrid power plant in the Fusion will find application in the newer smaller Mercurys being talked about as coming down the pipe?

 

Are you sure you didn't see an MKS instead?

Perception of how large any given car is aside, the MKZ (below for comparison) is quite a bit smaller than the MKS or the current Crown Vic (or Grand Marquis or Town Car for that matter) and wouldn't be large enough for a suitable new gen Crown Vic.

The new 2010 MKZ will have a grille that's similar to the MKS but its overall size will be about the same. It's also not on sale yet.

In terms of specific dimensions, the MKZ is 190.5 inches long by 72.2 inches wide by 57.1 inches tall on a 107.4 inch wheelbase. The MKS is larger at 204.1 inches long by 75.9 inches wide by 61.6 inches tall on a 112.9 inch wheelbase.

 

I really dislike the new bulbous Saab nose on the Fusion. The old face was better.

 

Its interesting how Autoblod thought the 3.0 behaved a bit better. They also commented on it "seeming" to have the same amount of power

"After a break we switched to a 3.0L V6 Fusion, which Drew and I agreed actually felt even better balanced than the sport as a result of the lower drivetrain weight. The 3.0L has nearly as much power as the larger engine (240 vs. 263 hp) and the updated version has very linear power delivery thanks to its new throttle control and variable valve timing. The 3.0L is also flex fuel capable and running on E85 will bump the power up from 240 to 250 hp."

I like how with E85 that number jumps 10 HP! The numbers on the 3.0 were the benchmark in this segement 5 years ago with the '03 accord making the same 240 horses. I think the Fusion is a very compelling car that will be able to do well with a bit less HP then competitors in its non Sport models.

 

About that comment re: lower drivetrain weight of the 3.0L...the Sport didn't have AWD badging, and from what I understand the D35 isn't any heavier than the D30, so I'm not quite sure what they are talking about.

 

I like the new fusion the sport model would greatly benifit from an AWD drive setup to help reign in the horsepower but other than that I really like the fusion and the mustang so far

 

I think the next Fusion and Mustang are great, but does anyone think the Mustang's V8 engine is a bit underpowered?

 

Just wait for the 5.0.

 

Wow, they sure liked what they saw in both cars. That's a big confidence booster Ford needs. I'm anxious to hear what what the print publications say - CR, MT, C&D, etc.