Ford Fusion beats Prius MPG!!!

They use highway MPG for non-hybrids but not for the hybrid ads. For the Fusion hybrid, they are using/implying the combined MPG. Why the double standard?

 

Ordinary marketing, just like political ads. When comparing to Honda, they use City mileage, because that highlights Ford's strongest point against Honda IMA's weakest point. Against Toyota, Ford is comparing itself to the Camry Hybrid sedan, not Prius hatchback.

If anyone brings Fusion up with me (after I become a 2010 Prius owner), I'll just say that the Fusion Hybrid is too small for me --

Prius interior volume: 93.7 passenger + 21.6 cargo = 115.3 total;
Fusion interior volume: 99.8 passenger + 11.8 cargo = 111.6 total.

Despite being 15 inches longer, 3.5 inches wider, 678 pounds heavier, 11 mpg thirstier, and $3-4,000 more expensive, the 2010 Fusion is actually several cubic feet smaller inside than the 2010 Prius.

(The real reason -- I don't do sedans. Hatchbacks first, wagons if I have to.)

 

"America's" [product] is ambiguous.

Built in the US ?
Built by companies headquartered in the US ?
Built by Americans ?
Bought by Americans ?
Hyped by Americans ?
... ... ... etc

 

Read My Lips, The Prius is a hatchback. The Fusion is a sedan.

 

Hatchbacks can come in coupes or sedans, 2- or 4-door cars, as far as I can tell.

Yahoo's Reference Dictionary: "A closed automobile having two or four doors and a front and rear seat."

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: "A 2- or 4-door automobile seating four or more persons and usually having a permanent top — compare coupe."

Webster's New World College Dictionary: "An automobile with two or four doors, a permanent rigid top, and a full-sized rear seat."

And the piece de resistance:

Edmunds.com: "As you read, bear in mind our distinctive definition of sedan: 'a car with a four-door body configuration and a conventional trunk or a sloping back with a hinged rear cargo hatch that opens upward.'"

Don't forget that Edmunds lists the Prius (2009) as one of its top buys in the Sedan under $25,000 category.

Sure, some people want to say a "Hatchback" is a different category than a "Sedan" or a "Coupe" -- but I think they'll do it just so they can have more cars to recommend or reject. I'd rather compare by looking at vehicles with similar interior size and/or curb weight.

I think the only thing Ford can possibly go on here is that their car is being offered for sale through Ford and its dealers, which are American-based companies.

It's all a shame, because Ford just doesn't need to do this. The Fusion looks to be a great car, and the FFH should be able to stand on its own. Why not just say it is the great American alternative to the Toyota Camry Hybrid?

 

Prius interior volume: 93.7 passenger + 21.6 cargo = 115.3 total;
Fusion interior volume: 99.8 passenger + 11.8 cargo = 111.6 total.

"Despite being 15 inches longer, 3.5 inches wider, 678 pounds heavier, 11 mpg thirstier, and $3-4,000 more expensive, the 2010 Fusion is actually several cubic feet smaller inside than the 2010 Prius."

This is hard to believe! How will Ford sell any of these with the above stats? Huh??!! I, for one want to test drive one, but sheesh, all other opinions being equal (ha, ha), the above numbers do not add up to 'competition'.

 

Perhaps you and I don't see it as competition to the Prius, but the target audience probably would not normally consider a car like the Prius, anyway. They would buy a Camry or an Accord, so if the FFH can beat those two, it will win.

Don't forget: The FFH qualifies for the tax credit (currently at $1,700, I believe).

 

Detroit's marketing 'wisdom' holds that Americans are averse to station wagons and hatchbacks. Those were for mom & dad, or grandma & grandpa. The new generations want sedans. So the Fusion is a sedan, with a real trunk, and competes only against Camry and Accord, not Prius.

We don't need to rehash the quality of that 'wisdom' here. Detroit's financial condition answers that quite well.

There are also lots of domestic customers who will only buy American labels, even if the product is actually produced in Mexico. And the Fusion Hybrid really is an excellent product, much better than average for Detroit, and a good fit for a big chunk of the market. I just chose to highlight the numbers that support my choice.

 

While I'm normally quick to bash Hillary (especially for not dumping Bill), this one is completely defensible. For a variety of legal and practical reason, the U.S. and Canadian auto industries are mostly inseparable.

 

It has more passenger room. Most people don't ride in the trunk. I saw an ad that said most fuel effeciant and the small print on the bottom said among non hybrids

 

I just heard Ford is claiming the Fusion will get 700 miles to a tank of gas. I find this really hard to believe, maybe in ideal conditions, flat surface, nice spring day, no wind, etc. Does anybody know the size of the gas tank, 15 gallon?

 

Fusion: 41 mpg City X 17.0 or 17.5 gallon tank (I must have copied from conflicting sources).

This isn't the only one with 700 miles. Nissan Altima Hybrid does 35 mpg City X 20 gallon tank.

Of course, plenty of hypermilers are going to push their Prius G3s past 700 miles too, despite having an 'official' range of only 607 miles.

 

I get 45 mpg average with my Prius in the colder months, and 50 mpg in the warmer months. If Ford can match that, all the more power to them. But I doubt it. I say good luck to them and American jobs.

 

Many hypermilers will be able to match that in Fusions. But they are already doing much better than that in G2 Priuses and Civic Hybrids.

The reviews I'm seeing are that for people who want an American badged sedan with more power and better acceleration than a Prius, the Fusion Hybrid will be an excellent choice. It won't be my choice, but I very much hope the market is big enough to soak up all of these hybrids. Our energy policy needs this shift, and the competition should hold down the price of my Prius.

 

I'll reserve my final judgement until I get a Fusion Hybrid test drive. I'm all over having a hatch for utility. Some won't need that utility, but would like bigger passenger room. Plus one for Ford. They need to make more than the projected 20,000 though.

The 2010 Prius seems like it won't be cheaper than other comparable hybrids (or hybrid systems). At least from 'opinions/hearsay'. Time will tell. My feeling is the Prius name means quite a bit in the hybrid game (what, like 60% of TOTAL sales??). And if it is cheaper than a Fusion hybrid, a few might scratch their chins and say to themselves..."go for the cheaper, proven hybrid OR the more expensive 1st Ford hybrid sedan". My view being skewed as I already know the utility of a Prius!

 

Agreed. This thread seems to contain a little bit of envy. The Fusion is on paper a very interesting car that will push prices of the HyCam and consequently of the Prius down. Not good for us who have the cars, but good for the environment. Ford has made leaps with the construction of 85% post-industrial recycled material and standard equipped with recycled cloth.

 

In the 1000 Mile charity challenge fundraiser this weekend, the Fusion was at 787.6 miles and 82.0mpg just before 10 pm this evening. That means it is not much under half a tank. It now looks like it may break 1300 miles on one tank, on Tuesday.

Don't worry about this breaking any Prius records, it won't. Wayne & crew has done higher in a G2, and a Japanese commuter beat 2000 miles on a single G2 tank. But these are not ordinary drivers on average courses.

 

This is tremendous! I've heard they continued on to break 1,000 miles while still keeping the the MPGs above 80. It is possible they'll be able to get close to 1,500 miles on the tank.

Who's worried? If Toyota is worried, then it only mean better things for the next Prius -- perhaps even tweeks that we'll see as early as the 2011 model.

I'm all over the Prius, and I think it is the best production car available. Still, I am absolutely thrilled that Ford seems to have produced a real winner. I hope they can do it and still keep the costs down. How fabulous would it be to have hybrids getting into the hands of people who seem the cars as just regular ol' cars that happen to be quiet, dependable and, by the way, much less cheaper to operate!?!