[camsdad]

Just wundering what other models you all considered before buying the Fusion:

Traded in '99 Grand Prix GT (fabled engine coolant leaking into engine) and my dad's 98 Sable LS

06 Accord: too annonymous on the road, $$$
06 Camry: Fugly, $$$
06 Chev HHR: too "truck like" driving position, Cobalt drivetrain, too PT Cruiserish
06 Pontiac G6: loud, thrashy 4 banger with no 5-speed, chintzy GM interior, decided I was done with GM products!!
06 Charger sxt/Magnum sxt: a bit too big/ wanted to downsize for better fuel economy, besides, I really wanted the R/T ($$$+insurance+gas+may become police cars), no manual
06 Hyundai Sonata: BORING, rave reviews about v6, but I wanted a 4

Shopping was easy. Fusion was only car that offered everything I wanted, all inclusive standard equip. at affordable cost. AND for first time in since 1978, my family is GM FREE!!!

 

[RandyR]

06 Camry--Boring and Expensive
06 Corolla--Too small
06 Focus--Too small & interior too cheap
Jetta or New Beetle--VW quality concerns, no dealer within 50 miles
Mercury Milan--the car that I originally wanted, but could not reach a deal with the dealer who had it
Fusion--drove great, great price, good offer for my trade-in, and an X-plan

 

[camsdad]

My sister-in-law has a Jetta 1.8T. Fun, fun, fun, but $$$....
We don't get any Mercs up here in Canada, so it was not an option, besides, I like the Ford more.

 

[BlackI4se]

Volkswagon jetta, Toyota corrola and yaris, mazda 3, Ford escape (hybrid),honda civic all were new cars of course. I was mainly looking for a fuel efficient car. Thats why I bought the I4 se. Wife fell in love with the fusion. First one we sat in was a dune pearl v6 sel with everything. $26000. It was sweet. She didn't like the wood grain though. I didn't like the color or the big engine. So we looked and looked for an I4 sel with a moonroof and we couldn't find one close. Looked for a month and then found the se.

 

[chris06fusion]

I looked at a few... :exnbpup:

07 Ford Sport Trac- Gas Guzler!
06 Dodge Caliber- Can't get past the fact its a DODGE!
06 Cadillac CTS- Too Much $$$ for what I wanted

 

[BlackI4se]

Also looked at a caliber r/t I really liked it and it was the same price as the fusion but it didn't get really nice gas mileage.

 

[pmoney]

Will be looking at an AWD, V6 Fusion next spring as an 07 model.

Main competition will be :

1. Subaru Impreza 2.5i Wagon or Outback Sport - Mainly in the running because of AWD, it is a much smaller more fun to drive car and has good amount of space with the wagon. (I actually think the fusion is a little too big for my needs but I am liable to end up spending 19k on an impreza with rebates vs 21k on a fusion with awd, v6.


Other competition:

1. Subaru Legacy 4 banger - too expensive, AWD is nice, but engine is trash for such a big car and we have had a less than pleasant reliability experience with our 2000 Legcay GT wagon.
2. Corolla - Trash. Relaible or not, it is garbage.
3. Mazda3 Hatch - Would be my #1 choice if AWD was available, but otherwise is the best car in the segment.
4. Cobalt sedan - #2 choice in class, tied with Impreza if AWD was available.
5. Ford Ranger - Post 2002 or 03 the ranger just became to high and unstable. Otherwise a 3.0 or 4.0 SuperCab with 4wd would be an option.
6. Civic - expensive as hell, we don't really buy hondas, and did I mention expensive?

 

[ming321]

I considered several but never did a test drive. I tend to make up my mind and then drive the car. If it doesn't suck, then I buy it. I also researched the Hyundai Sonata. Truth be told, I'd have a new Maxima or Infiniti if I could have afforded it right now. But my Fusion will probably be around a couple of years.

 

[Showtime]

Just one- BMW 325. I still wish I had bought it, but since I saved $20k I have money for other toys. I think that instead of buying an expensive daily driver, my next one is going to be a Yaris/Fit/Versa and then buy a sports car for the summer/weekends. But that's years off and I've got a new addiction to motorcycles.

 

[ceiph]

4 days away from a scion xa, i had my car ordered to spec and everything, while waiting im like well ford has deals i wonder if the fusion is affordable... it was i bought it and went stright to toyota scion in the fusion to get my deposit back

(this spring when i first sat in a fusion at autoshow i knew i had to have one. and now i do)

 

[ppdiaporama]

We weren't sure what type of car we wanted ... I wanted a large sedan and my wife wanted a mini-van or a small SUV. We had agreed on a Mazda 6 Sportswagon then opted for the 6 hatcback and finally spontaneously bought the Fusion.

We were also looking at the Xtrail, the Sportage & Tucscon, the Sonata, and the Mazda 5.

I'm really glad we chose the Fusion

 

[cos]

1) Focus - great car and less then $13K OTD, I almost bought one.
2) Civic - headrest was way to far foward - hated that. It is not worth $4k more then a Focus.
3) Cobalt - didn't like the balky short throw shifter (manual trans) at all.
4) Nissan Altima - My local Nissan dealership has sales tactics that make you want to smack 'em upside the head - they lost the sale 30 seconds after I walked into the dealership.

 

[Scape2]

Shopped and drove multiple times, a Camry, Accord, Jetta Pkg1. The Accord was spendy, dealer was arrogant. Camry was not much better. Came down to Jetta vs Fusion. Almost had a Jetta in my garage. In fact, had one all lined up at a VW dealer to be bought that weekend. Ford mailer for zero percent financing came in and that pushed me into the Fusion. I saved thousands in interest, go more car, more power, more room. I wanted something different. There are so many Accords/Camry on the road I wanted to stand out a bit. Fusion drove way better than the Camry. The Accord and Fusion dirve very much alike.

 

[kawter]

ALLLmost bought a Audi A4 but they were going to rape me in APR

 

[desertman]

I went to Vegas to buy a Corolla after considering also the Focus and Caliber. I really wanted a Fusion all
along. I bought a newspaper on the way to Vegas and they had a special at one of the dealers. Got my I4 just
a hair under 14K so I got what I really wanted anyways! I had to pay cash and needed the car now so
Im happy it worked out.

 

[Asthmatic]

I looked at cars "around" the 20k range. some used, some with end of model year discounts to drag it down to my price range.

- Used Audi A6 (to be honest, I never got around to actually looking at one)
- Used BMW 5 series ( a lot of different ones, none of the manuals were worth the prices asked though)
- Buick LaCrosse (I love giant GM's. Always have. Wish I could have afforded a Lucerne)
- Chrysler 300 (I wasn't as impressed with it as I thought I would be)
- Chevy Impala (too boring. fit and finish is lacking)
- Honda Accord (snoozefest)
- Used Lincoln LS6 w/manual (not enough legroom for me)
- Mazda6 (I got a better package for a better price with the Fusion)
- Pontiac G6 (no manual in the 4 door)
- Used Saab 9-5 (another used car that was farther down on my list, and I just never got around to test driving)
- used Subaru Outback Legacy (sure, AWD and manuals are cool together, but it just didn't really hold my attention.)
- Used Toyota Avalon ( Another big car that I love. I drove one for a week around Colorado last year. Great car. but Warranties are nicer)
- Camry (boring)
- used Volvo S60, V70, and S80. (S60/V70: it was really hard to find decent ones in my price range with a manual. Noone wants to sell those. S80: I just started to decide that I'd want a newer car, with a manual when I really looked at these)

What sold me on the Fusion was the two weekend trips that my girlfriend and I took in a Fusion that we borrowed. That coupled with my friend's enthusiasm for his Mazda 6 really made me look at the Fusion as a viable option. After about 700 miles of test driving those two weekends, I was a convert.

 

[cos]

Asthmatic,

I hear ya on the availability of manuals on some cars - when I a tell a polyester clad salesman that I want a stick the look on their face is priceless - it's like they just crapped their pants. And then they always ask: Why?

 

[Asthmatic]

Haha, no kidding.   Luckily my salesguy for the Fusion was pretty cool.  Although, I initially started talking to him over the phone, so I couldn't see the look on his face when I told him I wanted an SEL with 4 banger and the manual.  They probably thought I was really weird.   But,  I ended up with leather, and the titanium green, which are things not a lot of people I know that have gotten a I4 manual Fusion would even consider. 

But the best part is how much fun it's been to drive. I really missed having a manual.

 

[Guest]

The cars I considered before buying the fusion.

THE LIST:

EVERY MID SIZE SEDAN ON EARTH!

There is barely any car out there for a Six Foot Five mother fucker out there. Fusion is the only
comfortable one I liked!

 

[ltnprnczz]

i was considering a 2005 nissan altima 2.5. We ended up at a dealer on a saturday and test drove 2006 ford mustang but since i have the kids at all time we saw the fusion test drove it and like 6 hours later left the dealer with it. i am loving my fusion till this day!!!!no complaints