2010 Prius versus Ford Fusion Hybrid: My Review

Oh well, shut down the prius chat site... it's a "landslide!"

really, a few of these you admit that you don't have enough info to make an informed decision... 1 opinion a "landslide does not make."

 

Thanks for the comparison. Wow, is the FFH about the same price (or more, before Federal credit) as the Prius V? That sort of puts it out of my price range.

And while I would love to help out Ford by buying one of their cars, I really need the hatchback style. The last time I bought a sedan (a Honda), I really missed the flexibility of the hatchback.

 

As someone who's wife owns a 2010 FFH, and I own a 2009 Prius Touring, I find the review pretty close.

One of us needed to have a car with a hatch, so for us, having one of each makes sense in our case.

I really like both cars quite a bit. They both offer value for the money, save on gas, and make a statement that you are concerned about doing your part to help out.

The FFH and Prius are really going after two different markets (IMHO).

 

If you had a 2010 Prius then it'd be even better...

 

First I'll say that the Ford Fusion is a wonderful car, no one has to apologize for purchasing one. I'd also say that people may weigh the importance of aspects of a car with differing importance.

Personally I would say that the two most important aspects of a car are 1. Reliability and 2. Gas mileage. I imagine most PC'ers likewise have a similar opinion.

We could take a Ford Pinto and I'm certain I could find 100 categories in a Ford Pinto that I liked better than a Prius (better cup holders, for instance). Would I weigh better cup holders on the same level as reliability, better gas mileage, or not blowing up in a towering fireball? For me, no.

 

Not in this case. I prefer the 2009 Touring model I own to any of the 2010 base models. The combination of price break, package 6, and improved handling (yes, the 2009 Touring does handle better than the 2010 15") makes it not a clear cut comparison at all.

 

The FF is a nice car. I hope it does well. I like the looks of the Prius more. I like the FF from the front door back, but the front end is just too long, and looks bad in my opinion. Can you put the back seats down in the FF? I was told no, and this is a deal breaker for me as I need to be able to carry shovels, ladders, etc from time to time.

Safety? Reliability? Intangibles? I'd go with the Prius after having owned an American car for the last eight years!!! MPG? Should be a major concern for anyone buying a hybrid, otherwise, go with a non-hybrid vehicle. I hope the FF turns out to be a reliable vehicle and sells great, but it isn't for me at this point.

For me, its a Prius and the Prius easily wins over the FF and Civic Hybrid. But to each his/her own.

 

One of the points I tried to make is that the FFH and Prius are geared to different markets. You are correct about not being able to put the back seat down on the FFH, which was one of the reasons I went for the Prius.

Safety? I think the FFH is just as safe (perhaps more safe) than the Prius. Reliability? Ford has very good reliability over the past few years, so the FFH should be excellent. (I bet the headlights do not die as often as the HID, for example).

MPG is a big consideration. The FFH is better than the Camry hybrid, which is really the proper car to compare against.

Having said all that, I love my 2009 Touring!

 

I went over the same decision process and chose the Prius. Drove both back to back since the Ford and Toyota dealerships are in front of each other. Actually they brought me a 2010 Prius to the Ford dealership since they are owned by the same company. It is a tough choice and can easily go either way according to the buyer preferences. The unique Prius styling, higher MPG and better fit-and-finish made me choose the Prius. There is no clear winner, both are good cars priced about the same.

 

mirak,

Thanks for telling it the way you see it. A lot of folks won't be happy,
but so what? Shortsightedness and lack of true personal vehicle
diversity is part of reason for the current economic condition.

Despite the recent preponderance of new Gen III threads/posts, most
of the members here have Gen IIs and they bought their Gen II when
there really was no other viable choice. Now there are three; Insight
II, Fusion, and Prius. I am sure that in the future many folks will opt
for the other two choices. Good on 'em. It's their life and they should
choose their car based on their particular needs, circumstances,
pocketbook.

By 2012 there could be 6 or 8 new hybrids on the market, and with
luck some really capable EVs as well. A lot of folks will join the
hybrid/EV wave with cars other than the Prius. Good on them too.

The big picture isn't about worrying, fretting, or wailing about the
make of the car, but rather getting more and more Americans in cars
that get 40+ MPGs to start. And then moving to higher petroleum
based FE and finally somewhere off in the foggy future to renewable
energy "fueled" EVs.

But we had to start somewhere. The Prius was a very good start. The
Prius-Fusion-Insight trio is even better. We can be proud of the
groundbreaking that Toyota and Honda have done. We should likewise
cheer every new 40+ MPG hybrid and EV that comes on the market.

We're all better off for each and every one sold: us, our children, our
grand children... and on, and on.

 

I think the jury is still out on that. If the FFH can exceed it's EPA ratings then it wins over the TCH. The EPA for the Camry is so under stated. I averaged 37+ mpg and had no problems in normal driving of getting 39 (without the wife driving). Only a moron could drive the Camry with the intent of conserving fuel and not get at least 37.

Also, comparing loaded to loaded the TCH (currently with large discounts) is probably cheaper or at least close in cost to the FFH even after considering the $1700 (which will soon be cut in half again). I had the X-Plan available to me and still didn't consider the difference significant. (The Prius is a different issue since discounts don't exceed $500)

Your bias shows here. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Personally the FFH has too much chrome for me and the front bumper with the large plastic slots where a fog light should be is butt ugly. on the white car (my preference) it was unacceptable.

Here's where being close is not good enough. I sat in the back of the FFH and my head hit the roof. It's the same reason I ruled out the CTS. It either fits or it doesn't. While the car looks bigger than the Prius it doesn not have the passenger room of the Prius. Width is an important measure but since neither of them would be comfortable with 3 across seating then what good is a couple extra inches between two passengers?

Although from a conventional view the FFH trunk is adequate (so is the TCH)

Better? or just different. But you can have that one. I hope the green growing vine does not get out of hand Just a gimick. Personally on the TCH a small blue ring glow was all I needed (and didn't really need that).

Can't see why you critize the Prius features. It's not like you can't get features. They are available on different packages. Costly perhaps and not packaged as you would have them but feature for feature comparisons, the Prius has some nice features available. Critize the cost and packaging but not the feature. Personally I wouldn't have a sunroof so the old "beauty is in the eye" thing still applies. If the FFH does not have LED's fog lights, SKS; well those are useable items I would appreciate.

Correct, not even close.

My daughter bought (upon my recommendation) a FF 4cyl model. I like it a lot. I have not gotten to drive the Prius V (yet). I was satisfied with the drive of the 2009 and can only inagine the difference. Her FF has a lot of road noise. I'll have to see how it compares to the Prius but I can't imagine this being a landslide, possibly a tie but even with that I'll have to drive the Prius V before I will believe the FFH is comparable.

Possibly but I don't think there is significantly enough difference to matter. Neither would fare well against my Expedition at 60 mph.

My concern with the ford won't be with the hybrid system. My problem with Ford has been and still is with small things. Electrical, radio, A/C, rear ends. Irritating things that once off warranty can be expensive to fix.

Now you're fooling yourself. What makes an American company American? WHO are the largest stockholders? Trace the money. This is a wash at best. Considering the Prius will probably outsell the FFH by a considerable margin then I would say it has more impact in helping the American economy.

Uhhh, most of the people on PC (and I'm new here) place MPG and the hatch usefulness as probably the top two reasons for buying. I guess what you're saying then is if MPG's and Cargo capacity are not important.... the FFH is for you

It's the availability of the V that changed me from the FFH to the Prius. Had I considered a "stripped" Prius then I looked at the FFH as a viable option. But I want a loaded car (w/o sunroof) and in that comparison the FFE falls short for me.

If the Prius was not the "hands down" winner for me then I would be ordering the FFH instead of the Prius V

 

To me, the Fusion looks very traditional. Not particularly "fun" or "cool." Perhaps since I'm a few years from 50 I'm drawn to something more youthful and unique. For me, that "intangible" makes the Prius the clear winner when coupled with the Prius' impressive MPG. I'm waiting for my Prius II, which, I believe, is an excellent value as well.

 

Once you are looking at the Prius IVs and Vs, the prices start getting very comparable.

For anyone concerned about the front end styling of the Fusion enough for it to be a deal-breaker, there is the otherwise similar, but more conservatively styled Mercury Milan Hybrid.





I'm not sure I want to live without the cargo capacity of a hatchback, but it is really tempting. These cars a really nice and 40 MPG is "enough" for me.
The Milan is more expensive than the Fusion becase the "base" Milan is much more heavily equipped with standard equipment than the base Fusion Hybrid.
One advantage of the Milan is that it is often forgotten about so it will have reduced demand and likely better discounting than the more in-the-news Fusion Hybrid.

 

Brunette
Blond
Auburn
Red
Brown
Grey
Bald

Choices. Some not for everyone.

I did look at the Brunette -FFH. Even took her out a few times. Just wasn't my type.

I chose Red (My Prius V). Picked her up 2 weeks ago. We eloped. Liked her style especially the cute eyes. Think she's very pretty. She's fun to take out and eats less. We're still on our honeymoon. :car:

I like Red's hatch too.
Just didn't know how to fit that one into the above metaphor without going X-rated.

 

Well said. Thanx

 

I'd admit I like the Milan front end better although it reminds me of my Grandfathers Buick.

 

This would be interesting.