Well they are the same company and their stuff is good. Ford of Europe, especially in Germany, has to compete against BMW, Merc, Audi et al. If they cannot compete then they die in Europe.
Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear usually hates anything American and hates other things but they usually have favorable reviews for most Fords. He could also be getting payola. He said he bought a Ford GT 40 then returned it or something. They had said the Ford Mondeo for the money was better than the 3-series BMW.
I rented a Ford Fusion with a four cyl. for the ten days we were in Kentucky. My wife and I liked the car so much that we are considering picking one up when we move down there to replace the Chrysler 300M. Lots of power, great gas mileage, lots of room. Actually the amount of room was amazing. It also handled extremely well and was very comfortable.
If we do get one, it will be my first ford EVER, and I’ve had 26 cars so far.