thoughts on fusion hybrid?

I suggest that you test drive a Fusion Hybrid on the freeway. You'll be shocked at how quiet it is. It's truly incredible. One thing that is an advantage of the FFH over other hybrid sedans (i.e. Accord Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, et al) is that the rear seats do fold down. My wife & I have taken two road trips where we packed a huge cooler, a large suitcase each and tote bags of dry food for traveling and we were able to fit everything in the trunk. The shape of the battery pack means that you have to plan where to put items to get the most use of the space. However, there's nothing better than the Prius for the packaging of the HVB to not intrude on the cargo space.

The FFH should be reliable. There were some issues with early 2013 models, but overall the number of reliability concerns about the 2014s is basically zero. Ford has issued quite a few TSBs that apply to 2013 models only to fix issues. So far I don't recall seeing any TSBs posted that apply to 2014 models.

If cargo space is a concern you could consider the C-Max. It is also well insulated & quiet like the Fusion but has more cargo space, like the Prius.

 

I looked at almost every hybrid before going from the liftback to a Prius v. I was looking for the best balance in form vs function. I would have loved to have a Fusion or Camry hybrid, but the smaller truck space didn't work for me. Granted, while I got the v5, it's not a luxury vehicle, but it does have some nice features. I didn't realize how much I would use the cargo space as I do, plus the back seat is very roomy for two, or three for shorter trips.

 

If I were to buy a hybrid right now (my G3 is a work car) it would probably be a G3 because for me it hits a sweet spot with price, utility, and economy.

Still....
There's a lot to like about the Fusion!
It looks great, its interior is orders of magnitude more comfortable than my G3 (especially the seat!) it's quicker, it's faster, it has an adult-sized fuel tank, and you don't hit the glide wall at 42mph.

Base to Base MSRP it's about four thou more expensive, and in the real world it gets about 4 MPG less.

Like I said, it's not the car I would reach for, but If I were wanting a little more comfort and a little more range, or I just wanted to get away from the door-stop shaped hatch lifestyle for a little while, I'd have to consider one.

YMMV.

 

I owned the CT200h for a year before I traded it in for the Prius Vagon. The trade was for space, but I actually think Vagon drives quieter and smoother than the CT. I am not an aggressive or fast driver though, so both are'refined' so far as I was concerned.

You can fix a lot of cabin noise by choosing quiet tyres, at the cost of some fuel economy.

So my suggestion to you is Vagon or regular Prius, and quieter tyres if you want even more 'refinement.'

The 'wall' is about 45-46 in the Prius G3 series and it's variants.

It is not much of a wall in practice though, because a higher ceiling only really comes into play if you are coasting down a hill.

 

I had wondered why Ford hadn't lowered their MPG on the Fusion, and other cars. Maybe they had to meet some sales goals first?
"Ford has emphasized fuel economy in its marketing. A Super Bowl commercial in February, for example, trumpeted the Fusion hybrid as having “nearly double the fuel economy of the average vehicle.” With Thursday’s announcement, the rating on that vehicle was reduced to 42 miles per gallon from 47."


Ford slices mpg ratings, promises compensation

 

It was a rather obvious data error, regardless of the cause, but they've had so many changes. Especially arrogant since they used the mpg comparisons in very single ad they could. Probably made worse after they tried to school drivers. I've brought it up before because Ford seems to have some special Teflon coating that makes chit fall off their armor when hit. But instead, those that were reasonably close to spa estimates were still included in the ambiguous statements about "notoriously inaccurate epa ratings", which was a slam on those that reported correct numbers.

While their sales were good, no doubt due to totally ridiculous numbers, hybrids suffered a bit due to chuckles from everyone about mileage errors.

 

I just bought a new Avalon Hybrid XLE Touring. You may want to consider taking a look at this one. Rides and drives nice. Very plush interior. Has Michelin Grand Touring Primacy tires on it. Quiet ride with no road noise. I like this car.

 

I drove one of those in my shopping. It was OK but don't remember being as impressed as I was with the Fusion.
And IIRC, when loaded up with the features I wanted, the Avalon was priced about $4000 more; more in line with the Lincoln MKZ.

I have a Prius C and a Fusion Titanium.
I am 100% pleased with both......for slightly different reasons.

Prius in town and short trips: Excellent. (Wish it had auto headlights.)

Fusion is our "road trip" car. Looks like it will get about 10 MPG less than the C but is a LOT more comfortable.......and I'm really learning to like the "driving aids" like adaptive cruise.

 

2010 Prius III, not three, totalled 5 days after yours.
After 5 years of relatively enjoyable driving, considerations for replacement were very similar to those stated.
Went with the Ford Fusion Energi. In a week + of driving, it is a much more enjoyable experience: ride is light years smoother than the Prius, amenities as well.
Currently running 91.4 combined mpg per the dash; but haven't been able to calculate independently as yet as am only 1/4 tank down. At this rate, won't need to fill up until August.
Let's hope as few trips to the service department as with the Prius but, knowing Ford, purchased the extended warranty just in case. [For what it's worth, FMC financed EVERYTHING (purchase price, taxes, warranty) at 0.0% for 5 years; walked out without putting down one penny...COULD NOT believe that!]

 

and your monthly payment is about????

 

Payment is $600+.
Mitigated somewhat by the 14k+ that the insurance company gave for the Prius (bless their hearts!) that I put into the market (let's hope it doesn't tank anytime soon).

 

It looks like it has been some time since anyone posted on this thread, but it fits with my current "car buying" venture. We have a Gen 2 and a Gen 3 and have loved both of them - still have both, though the Gen 3 gets more miles due to more comfort features than the Gen 2. Up until last year our daughter was driving the Gen 2 - her "first" car - took it to college for two+ years. We decided last year that we wanted her to have a new car since she is driving more miles. Her dream car since she started driving was the Fusion - even more so when the design changed to the current version. So we looked at Fusion vs. new Prii. She loved the FFH and we ended up getting one with everything but the sunroof. She loves it! Interestingly our 2012 Gen 3 costs more new than her 2015 FFH - not much, but it was enough.

I never really drove it (or rode in it) until this past week. She took the Gen 3 back to school for the January term and left the FFH in our garage. But something happened and the 12 volt battery went dead in the Gen 3 this past weekend. After talking her through jumping it with her BFs Focus (successfully), my wife and I decided that we would drive her FFH and swap out with her so we could bring the Gen 3 back. While we only logged a little more than 100 miles I couldn't get over how much more comfortable it was over the Gen 3. Both have heated seats (a must) and cruise, but the ride is no comparison. Much quieter, more responsive, and I achieved 45.2 overall on the trip. Our daughter gets 40-44 consistently and she doesn't mind accelerating and braking - if you know what I mean.

My wife and I are thinking about a replacement car this spring. Sell the two Prii and get something else. I've been thinking about the Gen 4, but we don't have them yet. I'm also a bit concerned after reading some of the comments in the Gen 4 forum. So I started looking at the Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES300h, Volt, and the Fusion Energi. I think it has to be a hybrid! Even though gas continues to drop I cannot psychologically handle MPG of less than 35-40 except in the F-series (17 on a good day). The trunk issue isn't a big deal for me. I'm more interested in comfort and handling. Many of my friends have PIPs, Volts, Tesla S (can't afford it) and other plug-ins and go on and on about their eMPG.

I love my Prii, but I was impressed with our daughter's FFH - enough to give the Fusion Energi a serious look when I start shopping in a few months.

 

nice write up, thanks. congrats, great car! keep in mind the fusion is more in line with the hycam, not the prius. all the best with your decision.

 

Very true. I have a couple of friends with the hycam, but think the FFH is way better - especially the look. Not sure I can live with the front end look on the Toyota.

 

The FFE will be a great choice. I ditched the 2012 PIP 6 months ago and bought a 2013 FFE with very little miles.
I love it too, it has a great comfort as you said and it is roomier and luxurious.
I have not concerns using the A/C or heater and the great built in cellular service remote starter.
It recharges double the PIP battery in half the time at Level 2. You can step in the "gas pedal" and it will take off like a Tesla model S.
What not to like................