Ford Fusion beats Prius MPG!!!

Al Gore ought to be happy. Ford finally made (in a way) the 80 MPG super car he envisioned 15 years ago for the PNGV.

 

Just posted by Ford:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WjKA7EarsI#"]Fusion Hybrid Exceeds 1,000 miles on a Tank[/ame]

 

1. The Fusion has a large tank relative to the Prius.

2. The Prius gets MUCH better fuel economy.

I could go 1,000 miles on a tank of gas IN AN ACTUAL TANK if it could hold enough fuel!

... Brad

 

Sure, the Fusion has a much larger tank. Yes, the Prius has better EPA numbers (nearly 22% better, I think).

I am not the Ford apologist here, but I think all of us should be pretty excited that one of the American car companies has actually produced a high-mileage mid-size car. It may not be the most affordable car, but it is nicely-sized and gets far superior mileage when compared to anything else out there produced by an American car company. (Even if the car itself is built in Mexico.)

The Prius gives me more of what I want in terms of a smaller footprint, larger storage, more accessibility (hatch), more electronics, greater reliability (history and Toyota experience), better mileage and lower cost. Hmm. . . no reason for me to switch, but there are others who will prefer the regular sedan look, the American name plate and a different ride. Great!! Let's sell more hybrids and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

 

Where is Ford getting their Hydrid power train???? I bet its Toyota!!!! They have bought several power train combos from Toyota. Can anyone verify this?

 

The ad is the truth. The Prius is not a sedan. The Fusion hybrid beats the Camry hybrid, Civic hybrid and Malibu hybrid on EPA mpg.

Misleading? Of course. Its a car ad.

 

No. That is false and has been rebutted in messages now more then five times. Nissan has bought hybrid power trains from Toyota.

 

Ford and Toyota cross licensed some of the tech years ago, but each independently developed their implementation of the planetary drive system.

 

Motor trend has the 2010 Fusion hybrid at 100.3 cubic foot interior volume and 16.5 cubic feet trunk which makes more sense then then #'s you posted.

2010 Ford Fusion Specs - 2010 Ford Fusion Specifications - Motor Trend Magazine

 

They didn't lose any space with the hybrid model? The specs you listed are exactly the same for the standard gas only model.

 

I trust Ford's own brochures over Motortrend. The brochure clearly shows the larger numbers for the non-hybrid, and the smaller numbers for the hybrid.

 

...in turn derived from a 1974 TRW patent.

Toyota was able to change the details sufficiently to get a new patent (probably invalid), Ford cross-licensed some diesel engine technology to stop lawsuits.

 

Well, here I am, replying to myself...anyway, got to test drive the Fusion Hybrid and in a word...awesome. This is a great driving car. Smooth gas to electric and back again transitions, comfortable, very nice highway feel, seemed a bit "large" in the cornering department, but, wow..this is what American hybrids should be! They'll need to sell more and sell cheaper (my test ride was $30,600). It is a sedan with a trunk, decently sized, but i'm not a good judge of a trunk anymore, having a Prius hatch utility. Adjustable power front seats, about the same room in the back seats as my Prius. Really, overall it is a great car. Made in Mexico. Transmission made in Japan (right on the sticker)...hmmm, is that the Aisin Mfg. that makes the Prius PSD?

For me, the Prius is the better deal, all-around. But for those not in that boat, the Ford Fusion Hybrid should be a real winner.

 

Yes. The hybrid transaxle for all Toyota HSD and probably Lexus Hybrid Drive are made by Aisin.

Ford Escape Hybrid also has the transaxle made by Aisin. They are proving to be very reliable.

 

Just to stir the pot a little// I was at a legal hearing and the lemon law Judge said he had a Ford that had a PRIUS hybrid drive train to prove he was capable to take the case. So what is the real truth and please provide links as I need proof that Ford never used Toyota hybrid drive trains.

 

Development
The Escape Hybrid uses technology similar to that used in Toyota's Prius, which led Ford to license a number of Toyota patents to avoid any legal disputes.
Both Ford and Toyota state that Ford received no Toyota technical assistance in developing the hybrid powertrain. Aisin AW, a Japanese automatic transmission manufacturer (belonging to the Toyota group), supplies the hybrid transaxle used in the Escape Hybrid. Sanyo of Japan builds the battery pack. The frequently stated story that Ford simply bought the Hybrid technology from Toyota may be left at each one's criteria.

 

Ford Escape Hybrid (2005) with pictures and wallpapers

 

Industry News

Toyota Grants Ford Hybrid Car License

March 11, 2004
Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan) announced that it is granting Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI) a license to use its patented technology for environmentally friendly hybrid cars for an undisclosed sum. The companies stated that Ford will be licensed to use Toyota’s hybrid technology in a system it is developing, which already is subject to more than 100 hybrid technology patents. They did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.
Ford and Toyota also agreed to license the other’s patents on other types of clean engines, including diesel and direct-injection. Ford is planning to launch a hybrid version of its Escape sports-utility vehicle later this year. Toyota launched its commercial hybrid Prius sedan in 1997, and has since sold more than 200,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide.

 

Would you mind sharing the jurisdiction you were in? I'm guessing this was in State court in FL, and not federal court, but I'd like to know. Were you talking with (or overhearing) the judge, a judge magistrate or the judge's minute clerk?

Sorry, but it is hard for me to believe there is a court devoted just to lemon law cases, and harder, even, to believe any judge would make such a statement from the bench. (And I've heard some real Deuseys in my day!!)

On a related note: I'm pretty certain this ground was covered before in one or more threads. I also believe that Ford has not used any licensed intellectual property (from Toyota) for many years. This situation applied only (my recollection is all) to the earlier Ford Escape hybrids, and does not affect or involve the more recent models or years.

 

Ford will use Toyota's hybrid technology

Article from: International Herald Tribune Article date: March 10, 2004Author: Todd Zaun | Copyright informationProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
Todd Zaun
International Herald Tribune
03-10-2004
Ford Motor will license key hybrid technology from Toyota Motor in a deal that could help establish Toyota's system as a standard for the industry, the two companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.The agreement is a coup for Toyota, which has been trying to sell its hybrid system to a variety of automakers to help offset its high development cost.Ford will incorporate the Toyota technology into a hybrid system it plans to introduce this year in a gasoline-electric version of its Escape sport utility vehicle. The Ford vehicle will be the first hybrid offered by a U.S. carmaker and the first application of hybrid technology in a sport ...