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AutoblogGreen Achieves 43.1 mpg in Ford Fusion Hybrid
AutoblogGreen ^ | 12/09/2008 | Sam Abuelsamid

Posted on 12/09/2008 3:44:49 PM PST by taildragger

We're in the City of Angels this week to drive a bunch of new Fords, including the new 2010 Mustang and Fusion. We started off Monday afternoon with a mileage challenge in the new 2010 Fusion Hybrid.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2009; arsine; automakers; autos; big3; energy; fordmotor; hybrid
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We can't share our driving impressions until Saturday, but we can tell you the results of the mileage contest. Ford hybrid applications manager Gil Portalatin used his intimate knowledge of the car to set some benchmarks the day before. Ford claims the Fusion will get at least 39 mpg city/ 37 mpg highway when the EPA numbers are calculated in the coming weeks. Portalatin got 46 mpg on the first segment of the drive route and 43.5 mpg on the hillier second part. Among the journalists on hand, Car and Driver's Steve Siler recorded a 43.6 mpg result on the first part. After Drew Phillips and I switched places for the second segment, I achieved 43.1 mpg, which is a very impressive number for Ford's new mid-size sedan.
1 posted on 12/09/2008 3:44:50 PM PST by taildragger
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To: taildragger

2 posted on 12/09/2008 3:46:24 PM PST by taildragger (Palin / Mulally 2012.....)
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To: taildragger

Awesome. The Fusion is a great car. This is about the same mileage as a Prius but with a much bigger car.


3 posted on 12/09/2008 3:47:29 PM PST by Frantzie
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To: taildragger

that is great! only 20mpg more until it’s as good as the Ford diesel car that Europe gets to drive and we dont.


4 posted on 12/09/2008 3:49:36 PM PST by stompk
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To: taildragger

Cool. What’s it’s 0-60mph time? That’s my determinant. Gotta be under 7 seconds or it’s a no go.


5 posted on 12/09/2008 3:50:32 PM PST by SaxxonWoods (Charter Member, 58 Million Club)
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To: Frantzie
"This is about the same mileage as a Prius but with a much bigger car."

Not very good then. My wife gets 42 mpg in her new non-hybrid Toyota Corolla (all highway, 45 mile one way daily commute).

6 posted on 12/09/2008 3:50:58 PM PST by Wonder Warthog ( The Hog of Steel)
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To: Understated

Ford ping


7 posted on 12/09/2008 3:52:44 PM PST by DeLaine (30 degrees to 300 in seconds. And I'm ccccold :P)
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To: Wonder Warthog

“Not very good then. My wife gets 42 mpg in her new non-hybrid Toyota Corolla “

that’s not a fair comparison! her car doesn’t have to cart around 200lbs worth of batteries! (GRIN)


8 posted on 12/09/2008 3:53:48 PM PST by stompk
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To: taildragger

“....IN a Yugo.....50 miles to the gallon, knees on your chest....IN a Yugo...”

Hit it Paul....


9 posted on 12/09/2008 3:56:34 PM PST by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: Wonder Warthog

Dude my 2007 Fusion S with a 4 cylinder and a 5 speed gets about 37 mpg on the hwy going 70+. It would do even better if Ford had a high gearing in 5th. If they gearded it right it would probably get 39 to 40 mpg around 60 mph.

In addition, a crash near Tampa had two youngsters in a Fusion with a head on with an F150. The kids were banged up while the guy in the pickup died (probably an older truck). The crash was so bad they had to cut the kids out and the fire dept used a few blades because the pillars were so strong on the Fusion. The kids had scratches and bruises.

The Fusion is a hell of a lot quieter and smoother than a Corolla and on par with an Accord. The Accord is quieter with a timing belt that needs 75 k miles replacement versus the Fusion timing chain good for 150 K miles replacement.


10 posted on 12/09/2008 4:01:20 PM PST by Frantzie
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To: stompk

Ya what is up with that? I had a Lynx Diesel station wagon in the 80s. 5 speed and got great milage. Did the environ MENTALS screw up the import of the small diesel? And why is the price of diesel so high?


11 posted on 12/09/2008 4:02:29 PM PST by 70th Division (I love my country but fear my government!)
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To: taildragger

My 1997 Honda Civic gets about 35 mpg, and it’s paid for!


12 posted on 12/09/2008 4:03:21 PM PST by Huntress (Proud owner of Norman/Norma, the transsexual attack cat.)
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To: stompk

It is ashamed that the diesel can’t be sold here. Part of the environmental fraud taking place. But in fairness, that car is a lot smaller than the fusion. Now imagine a plugin-Fusion that gets 175 mpg. Personally I would rather have an F-150 now that gas is under 2 bucks.


13 posted on 12/09/2008 4:06:43 PM PST by appeal2 (Brilliance is typically the act of an individual, but great stupidity is reserved for the Gov't)
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To: 70th Division

“And why is the price of diesel so high?”

diesel costs more because it takes less refinement.

wait, that can’t be right . . .?


14 posted on 12/09/2008 4:09:10 PM PST by stompk
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To: appeal2

“Personally I would rather have an F-150 now that gas is under 2 bucks.”

personally, I’d rather have an F150 DIESEL and DIESEL under 2 bucks.

remember back when diesel was cheaper than gas? I wish we could make it the same way we did back then.


15 posted on 12/09/2008 4:10:55 PM PST by stompk
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To: Frantzie
Awesome. The Fusion is a great car.

I recently rented a Fusion although not a hybrid. I would never buy one. The transmission is sluggish. The fuel economy is average. The controls are mediocre.

16 posted on 12/09/2008 4:12:55 PM PST by businessprofessor
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To: Wonder Warthog
Yeah, 42 mpg is good, but heck, I can (and have) hit 36 mpg in a 2007 Suzuki Reno - 4 dr hatchback, 4 cyl, 5 spd stick. That's not even trying hard to get good mpg. Day to day commute to work is about 33 - 34 mpg. The 36 came from a tank that was almost entirely highway driving.

The Reno is an inexpensive commuter car. You could probably buy 2, maybe 3 for the price of a hybrid. It would take a long time to make up the difference in initial cost by saving on fuel to make a hybrid worth it. Add in the environmental headaches of producing those big batteries, and properly disposing of them, and I don't think hybrids are worth it - yet. The engineering is getting there.

17 posted on 12/09/2008 4:21:17 PM PST by CodeMasterPhilzar
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To: stompk
diesel costs more because it takes less refinement.
wait, that can’t be right . . .?

Diesel is the same stuff as home heating oil. Lots of demand for that this time of year.

18 posted on 12/09/2008 4:41:28 PM PST by Yo-Yo
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To: businessprofessor
I recently rented a Fusion although not a hybrid. I would never buy one. The transmission is sluggish. The fuel economy is average. The controls are mediocre.

Hmm. Sounds a lot like the brand-new Nissan Altima that I recently rented. Anyone know of a small sedan that doesn't suck? VW Jetta, perhaps? I dunno - never driven one.

19 posted on 12/09/2008 4:47:53 PM PST by Charles Martel (Liberals are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: CodeMasterPhilzar

47 to 52 mpg in a ‘05 VW TDI Jetta wagon. Ford still thinks there is no market in the US for a Focus Diesel Wagon (or Fusion, or Taurus or F150).


20 posted on 12/09/2008 4:49:39 PM PST by Paladin2 (No, pundits strongly believe that the proper solution is more dilution.)
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