New Vehicles ? Escape Hybird & Fusion, Input Wanted

[frayne]

Since moving from of a somewhat rural Ohio area to Chattanooga, Tn. last year I have been thinking about upgrading vehicles. Both vehicles (Explorer & Taurus) are 99s, and getting somewhat long in teeth and at some point will start to get to the nickel and dime stage. Have been a Ford guy for quite a long time and have been looking into getting a Fusion for my car and an Escape hybrid for the DW. Just wonder if anyone has experience good or bad with either of these types of vehicles and would also entertain any and all practical alternative suggestions. Always pay cash for vehicles and keep them for 7-10 years. Reliability, maintenance costs, fuel costs and safety are key inputs into my selection process.

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

 

[yakers]

The Fusion is a more 'fun' car that similar cars, say the 500. I have a Focus and I am amazed that it is as good as my previous 2 Hondas in all respects including handling. I had a Taurus SHO which I loved. If I were looking at Fords right now I would start with the Fusion, just a good combination of size, performance & price. I am not sold on Hybrids yet, except maybe the Prius. Mostly don't have enough benefit for the price.

 

[FinanceDude]

I have a Focus and I am amazed that it is as good as my previous 2 Hondas in all respects

You must have gotten one of the good ones.....

 

[travelover]

I just purchased an Escape Hybrid and am very pleased with it. I had previously owned an Escape V6 and I'm surprised at how similar the acceleration is between the two. Fuel economy is about 33 mph in warm weather, was down to 27 mpg in winter.

I got a good deal with a rebate, so that made the premium for the hybrid easier to swallow, and I do want to promote the technology.

Interior room is more than adequate for me, even having owned an Explorer in the near past. Room behind the rear seat is smaller though.

There is more than you'll ever want to know at greenhybrid.com

 

[lets-retire]

My MIL has the Milan. I liked the ride and features. I am also a Ford preferred car buyer so the Fusion was the car I was going to buy, now that my truck is no longer needed. A good point on the Escape Hybrid, if your a Toyota fan, is the hybrid system is Toyota's design and build. I thought the Escape was a little small for my purposes.

 

[travelover]

http://www.greenhybrid.com/wiki/index.php/Ford_Escape_Hybrid_FAQ

13. Doesn't the Ford Escape Hybrid use Toyota Technology?

No! While the patent sharing that goes on between Ford and Toyota has been rather loudly announced on their hybrids, this isn't a case of Ford using Toyota technology or parts. Most of the auto companies share patents; an agreement that they won't sue each other for coming up with similar technologies. This is all that's going on. Each and every system in the FEH is both designed and built in America, all the engineers developed the systems on their own, not sharing, using, or building upon Toyota's work; it's entirely original.

 

[dumpster56]

Why not just purchase a honda civic for 17,500 that gets 40 mpg??

These hybrids are just ridiculus. Oh I need the extra room. Please put the kids in the back tell them to be quite and fill the trunk with the stuff they need. If it does not fit, DON'T take it!

 

[Telly]

DW had a Fusion for a rental car on a recent trip. She liked it. It was a 4 cylinder, she said it got great gas mileage. The only things she mentioned as negatives were that the turn signal stalk was at the 10 O'Clock position instead of 9, and that with the back window's slope, she thought the area to see out of was smaller than she was used to. But she said both were just a matter of getting used to. She put a few hundred miles on it. I asked her if merging on expressway ramps was a problem with the 4 cyl., she said no.
Check the April Consumer Reports magazine for the Fusion. It got top recommendation by them, including reliability.

The Ford Escape will be redesigned for 2008, just something to be aware of. The old "do I buy the last year in a series as a known quantity, or do I wait and buy the first of a new series with improvements?"

 

[lets-retire]

Sorry for the hijack. I'll drop it after this one.

http://www.greenhybrid.com/wiki/index.php/Ford_Escape_Hybrid_FAQ

13. Doesn't the Ford Escape Hybrid use Toyota Technology?

No! While the patent sharing that goes on between Ford and Toyota has been rather loudly announced on their hybrids, this isn't a case of Ford using Toyota technology or parts. Most of the auto companies share patents; an agreement that they won't sue each other for coming up with similar technologies. This is all that's going on. Each and every system in the FEH is both designed and built in America, all the engineers developed the systems on their own, not sharing, using, or building upon Toyota's work; it's entirely original.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business...--hybrids-maybe/2006/12/27/1166895360437.html

"Aisin AW, a subsidiary of Aisin Seiki Co, supplies a hybrid system to Ford for use in two models. Aisin Seiki is 22.2 per cent owned by Toyota. Ford's hybrid vehicles feature a transaxle system developed by Aisin AW and Ford."

Although I have also read that both Ford and Toyota are able to develop their own systems using each others patents without the threat of a lawsuit.

 

[travelover]

Why not just purchase a honda civic for 17,500 that gets 40 mpg??

These hybrids are just ridiculus. Oh I need the extra room. Please put the kids in the back tell them to be quite and fill the trunk with the stuff they need. If it does not fit, DON'T take it!

Good idea, why not just ride a bike or walk and save the 17,500?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Have a Prius for 1.5 years. Flawless so far. I have an ideal commute for this car and average about 58mpg, varying between 55 and 60. Continuously variable transmission is very smooth. The care has a hatchback type design with more trunk room than it appears -- 60:40 split back seats help for loads that are longer than 3' or so.

Worth checking this vehicle out even if you prefer others, just to see what they have done with it. Consumer Reports rates it highly.

Other than this car, I'd probably also look at the conventional Civic, esp with manual transmissison.

 

[FinanceDude]

DW had a Fusion for a rental car on a recent trip. She liked it. It was a 4 cylinder, she said it got great gas mileage. The only things she mentioned as negatives were that the turn signal stalk was at the 10 O'Clock position instead of 9, and that with the back window's slope, she thought the area to see out of was smaller than she was used to. But she said both were just a matter of getting used to. She put a few hundred miles on it. I asked her if merging on expressway ramps was a problem with the 4 cyl., she said no.
Check the April Consumer Reports magazine for the Fusion. It got top recommendation by them, including reliability.

The data is deceiving, since the model is pretty new. If the ratings are STILL good after 3-4 years, I might consider looking at them. It's going to take more than ONE good year of low warranty claims to get a LOT of folks to go from Toyota or Honda back to Ford.........

 

[Telly]

I hear ya, but it is very unusual for CR to rate a new model as a highest recommendation with only one year's reliability data... the one year data is extremely good. They rarely go out on a limb. Just forget the car child-seat info