2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid vs. 2012 Prius c

My whole thing is that I think most people look to hybrid for the extended fuel economy. Fusion and C-max hybrids are getting around 36-39 per MOST people talking about them. I can get that in a regular gas car with a lower price point that is just as nice as the top of the line Fusion we drove.

Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/2013-ford-fusion-hybrid-vs-2012-prius-c.118929/#ixzz2EDMMBevK

I agree - except for the questionable real world mpg's vs EPA, I think it's a good idea to hold off until more data comes in. At least there is a lot of real world data on the Prius family so you know what you're getting in to.

 

Ha! I guess it makes a nice change from being called a Toyota salesperson by people who actually know me (including the BF)! LOL

We just calculated our fuel economy for the first tank where we were the only drivers of the Fusion Hybrid, and we got 42.9 MPG for that tank, and a lifetime MPG of 42 even. Not awful, and not as bad as some people have posted--but certainly not great. My 2005 Prius (which, BTW, was nowhere near as good as my '07--technology has hugely improved) got anywhere between 43 MPG and 48 MPG--average was 45.3. And we filled the Fusion after only 10 days--the Prius often went two weeks between fillups, and I think the Fusion's tank might hold more gas (?) in which case I'd have expected at least the same from it. I used to love pulling up while someone was filling their car, filling mine up, and leaving while the other person was STILL THERE filling their tank. The Fusion took 10 gallons where I really only put 8-9 in my Prius at most fillups, but I don't actually remember how big either tank is.

I'm still a little skeptical about the Fusion reaching its advertised 47 MPG. We love it so far, but if the fuel economy hovers at around 43 MPG, I'll be disappointed. I've read that the Fusion might want to be driven differently from the Prius to maximize fuel economy, and we'll certainly give it a shot, but the beauty of the Prius was that I never really felt like I was driving it all special--it just used less gas (and it shows--I know there are people who get way more than 48 MPG on a Prius--look at jhinsc on this thread, with 51.6 lifetime MPG--so clearly I wasn't a perfect hybrid driver).

The BF is learning to brake earlier and give the regenerative braking some love, but it's kind of against his nature. He still can't believe he's driving a hybrid...and I can't believe I'm not driving a Toyota after all these years. This whole purchase experience has given our friends (on both sides) lots of opportunities to say "he/she must REALLY love you, because a year ago, he/she would NEVER have driven that car."

He picked me up yesterday and was all proud of himself for getting the lifetime fuel economy up to 42 MPG. He was driving visiting tecchies from his office all over Silicon Valley yesterday and he was showing them the car, saying, "we'll have to take acceleration a little slow--I'm trying to get this up to 42 before I pick up my girlfriend." I think he's afraid that if the fuel economy is low I'll trade it in for a Prius...which just goes to show how well he knows me. I'll say it again, we love the car. I've never had a "luxury" car before, and it's nice to have some of the sexy things offered on the Fusion. But at the end of the day, it's a hybrid. I want to laugh as I drive away from the gas pump. And there I'm still on the fence. I still think we can do better than 43 with the Fusion, but I might be hoping for too much. And I'm pretty sure we'd be at ~50 MPG with a Prius with less effort than we've taken to drive the Fusion "properly."

If you're unconcerned about the tiny trunk on the C and the bells and whistles don't grab you, then go for it. I wanted the aqua one, and when we went to the lot they had a used aqua rental that was just a few months old--I was like, "it's FATE. We are going home with this car." The trunk was the only thing that stopped me.

As obnoxious as Bisco is for assuming I shill for Ford just because I actually tried a different hybrid (sacrilege! LOL!), I have to agree--buy what you want to drive. Everyone knows someone who's in love with their car even though it wasn't the most practical choice--and that's the worst case scenario as long as you're choosing among decent cars and you go with the one you really want. It'd be far worse to make a choice that was right on paper, but that you were secretly unhappy with for years. You will love driving a hybrid with any of the cars you're considering--so pick the one you think you will enjoy owning the most. And if what you want is less expensive than the loaded Fusion, so much the better!

Hope that helps!