Ford Fusion is Well Mannered on the Outside, Driving Excitement on the Inside

The 2014 Ford Fusion enters the mid-sized sedan class with major completion such as the Nissan Altima, the Honda Accord and Mazda 6. The Fusion shines in this class with a bevy of great features to offer any driver along with a fantastic price. Names to the list of 10 Best Sedans Under $25,000 for 2014 the Fusion arrives with some nice hardware with this award as well as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Award for Top Safety Pick Plus when equipped with the optional front crash prevention system.

After a redesign in 2013, the 2014 version comes in even better than last year. New this year is a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a longer list of color choices for both the outside and inside of the car. Along with these features the lineup includes a new 1.5-liter turbocharged engine also makes its debut appearance this year.

Offering excellent quickness this nimble car feels like a small car with the super responsive steering and outstanding suspension that soaks up any road defects with ease. Even the base 2.5-liter engine offers plenty of power for passing and reaching driving speeds allowing any driver of the Fusion to experience a fun and athletic ride. With a host of engines to choose from, the Fusion offers a choice that should please just about any driver.

Starting with the base 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that offers 175 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque this engine offers enough power to be athletic on the road but give a decent amount of fuel efficiency. When paired with the standard six-speed automatic transmission the fuel efficiency comes in at 22 city/34 highway mpg, not bad for a larger sedan.

Next up is an exciting entry with the 1.5-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that even though smaller gives better power than the 2.5-liter model. Coming in at 178 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque this engine with the six-speed automatic transmission gives 23 city/36 hwy mpg for fuel economy and when equipped with the optional Auto Start-Stop feature boosts those numbers up to 25 city/37 hwy mpg.

An interesting addition to the lineup is the 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 178 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. The interesting part is this engine is the only one offering just a manual transmission bringing fuel economy for this powertrain in at 25 city/37 hwy mpg.

Up next is the largest of the turbocharged engines with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers great power with 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. When partnered with the six-speed automatic transmission this offering comes in at 22 city/33 hwy mpg for the front-wheel drive (FWD ) model and 22 city/31 hwy for the all-wheel drive (AWD) version. Really this is an easy tradeoff in some fuel efficiency to gain quite a bit of power if that is what the car buyer is after.

Starting off the Hybrids is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine which is partnered with a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor giving up 188 horsepower and 129 lb.-ft. of torque when powered by gasoline only. Using the same automatic transmission the fuel economy for this powertrain is a huge 47 city/47 hwy mpg which is really the best in the lineup.

The other electric partnered engine is found in the Fusion Energi. This is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine and permanent magnet AC synchronous motor which can actually perform at a top speed of 85 mph for 22 miles when powered by the electric motor alone. This power pairing with the same transmission will offer 195 horsepower and 129 lb.-ft. of torque and bring a very pleasing 44 city/41 hwy mpg. This combination is great if most of the driving is short city driving as the recharge time is around seven hours on a regular 120 volt outlet or 2.5 hours for a 240 volt outlet. A refill of gas isn’t required for almost 600 miles when the fuel efficiency and battery use are premium for this car.

Inside the Fusion offers Ford fans what they have come to expect from the Blue Oval over many years; well positioned controls and easy to use functions throughout the car. Offering plenty of trunk and backseat space everyone will be comfortable in the car and enjoy the excellent complement of materials used throughout the interior.

On the outside the Fusion shows off with a gorgeous horizontal grill, sharp and sleek lines, a well-designed hood to trunk angle, and really cool honeycomb inspired wheels. The headlights wrap from the front to the fenders nicely giving an elongated feel to the car and with the EasyFuel capless gas filler the gas cap doesn’t get lost anymore.

The Fusion, like many Ford vehicles, comes in eight trim levels with a difference in standard features for each one. Some of the standard features offered are a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a four-speaker audio system with an auxiliary port, 16-inch wheels, a 10-way power driver’s seat, rear air vents, dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera, and leather seating. Higher trims offer 17 and 18-inch wheels as standard options depending on the trim chosen.

To really add to the Fusion the optional features include a technology package with a host of safety enhancements (part of why this car won the IIHS award) including Active Park Assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, Lane Keep System, and up to a 12-speaker premium sound system. All this helps to really make the Fusion one of the safest and most fun cars on the road to drive.

At a base price of $23,000 the Fusion is really affordable for the size of car it is. A loaded top end Titanium model will ask for over $40,000 but adding all the features can be well worth it. The regular hybrid starts at $27,000 and the Energi begins at $40,000 to own.