Fusion hybrid vs Prius? USA Today picks the Ford
Ever since Ford revealed the Fusion hybrid at the LA Auto Show, the discussion has been hot and heavy among fans of the Prius. While Ford has proclaimed the Fusion as the most fuel efficient mid-size "sedan," Prius fanboys reiterate that the Toyota is classed as a mid-size car based on interior volume. While that is certainly true, based on body styles the Camry is truly the Fusion's natural competitor. Over at USA Today, auto critic Jim Healey has had an opportunity to spend some time with the new Ford and has made his call. Somehow, Healey managed to get 27.2 mpg over a week in the Fusion although he did top 40 mpg on a couple of trips. In spite of missing out on the Fusion's EPA numbers he still chooses the Fusion for the same reasons that I am partial to the Ford. Namely, the Ford is much more pleasurable to drive. Granted, we haven't yet tried the 2010 Prius, but while the current model is clearly efficient, the dynamics leave a lot to be desired. In the coming weeks, we've got the Fusion's sibling the Mercury Milan hybrid coming in for a full week and drives of the new Prius are coming as well.
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[Source: USA Today]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
noz 9:40PM (2/07/2009)
This is comparing apples to apples...NOT.
I'd still take the known reliability of the Pruis and WELL ABOVE AVERAGE MPG capability too. There's no comparison.
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Ackbar 10:57PM (2/07/2009)
It really isn't comparing apples to apples. The Fusion Hybrid has a more traditional sedan design, and it has better interior and better performance and handling than the Prius.
The reliability of the Fusion has slightly exceeded the Accord and Camry in CR reliability studies. If the hybrid version follows this tradition, the only real advantage the Prius will have is better fuel economy.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Ford_Fusion/Reliability/
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Toyota_Prius/
Sam Abuelsamid 8:51AM (2/08/2009)
The Fusion/Prius comparison really is not appropriate since the Prius is a car highly optimized for maximizing mileage. However, Toyota has been pushing the comparison because Prius has the mpg advantage.
noz 4:09PM (2/08/2009)
Ackbar:
The Prius has been around for years. The new Fusion is new.
The Prius already has enough headroom, legroom, and shoulder room for 99% of people in this country. Have you ever sat in one? I don't need a living room on 4 wheels to get around. The definition of mid-sized in this country has gotten out of hand. Cars are TOO LARGE here. Fusion/Camry/Accord all being in that overweight fat category.
As far as reliability goes. I doubt it...and I don't care what CR says. Years of reputation stand behind Toyota and Honda and no one is going to convince me that, all of a sudden, Ford is a better car.
Interior? That was one of the things I didn't like about the Fusion. It's already dated looking and flat in appearance.
Handling? Sure...I'm sure the Fusion is the better handler. But at 50MPG or more, I'd be buying the Prius for mileage and efficiency...not so I can beat a Matrix around the corner on an on-ramp.
The Prius chassis is fine...and anyone who'd like to upgrade can. And I'm sure it'll do fine then and still get better mileage than a Fusion.
Ackbar 7:12PM (2/08/2009)
Noz,
There is nothing revolutionary in the Fusion Hybrid that would indicate likely reliability concerns. The Fusion platform has been around for years with excellent reliability, and the hybrid system is an updated and improved version of the system used for years in the Ford Escape. Ford has been trending towards better and better reliability, while Toyota has been slipping behind, such as in the V6 Camry.
I rented and drove a Prius last summer. I do appreciate the achievement Toyota's made in MPG, and their ability to sell the vehicle based on just that one achievement. But I have to say, I wasn't impressed with the car in any other way. The interior felt cheap, the multiple displays were awkward and kludgy, and the handling was just plain bad. I'm happy that many people like the Prius, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Some people want a car that drives well, not a compromise car designed solely for the sake of higher MPG.
The Fusion appears to make the biggest stride towards a no-compromise vehicle that handles well and still gets excellent mileage. And considering that the LA Times was able to get over 52 MPG in the Fusion Hybrid, I have to imagine some of the other reviewers are not even trying to hypermile.
noz 8:00PM (2/08/2009)
Ackbar:
You are correct. There is nothing revolutionary...which says more about Toyota's ability to make a new product and make it more reliable than what Ford can make with already "proven" legacy design.
As far as the Prius is concerned, I driven a couple too...and found none of the issues you did. The interior is simple but the quality is very good. The car is solid bar none. Handling was more than adequate for a car in its class. Sure, it's no GTI hatchback but who really cares. The car is quite, smooth, and the acceleration is more than adequate.
The car drives fine...it depends what you want to compare it to.
If you want a fair comparison to the Fusion, compare it with the new Prius. Which is already years ahead.
Ackbar 9:13PM (2/08/2009)
But the evolutionary development of the hybrid system in the Fusion is now more advanced than Toyota's. That's why the Fusion hybrid gets significantly better milage than the Camry, which is a better comparison based on vehicle dimensions, power, and features. And the Fusion trounces the hybrid Camry in every category except for 0-60 time.
The biggest competitor to the Prius is the new Honda Insight. It will significantly undercut the Prius on price, and have the typically-superior Honda quality and handling. Honda is planning to sell 200,000 units a year globally (compared to Ford's plan for just 25,000 Fusion/Milan hybrids a year). If I was looking for a budget hybrid, the Insight would be my first choice. If I was looking for the best all-around high-mileage hybrid sedan, the Fusion would be my first choice.
noz 11:31PM (2/08/2009)
So you're comparing a car that has been in service with a hybrid system that has been around for a while and you believe that's a fair comparison?
Hmm. OK.
Out of a pool of about 650 owners, the Camry Hybrid seems to be averaging about 37 MPG...I'd like to wait and see what the new Fusion does. And as far as I know, have read, and have heard, the reliability is exemplary.
You see...this is the problem. If Toyota comes out with the next generation Camry in a few years with a hybrid that does 60 MPG and people compare to the new Fusion of today, people here will say..."Well...that's not fair, it's a new model." Doesn't seem to be a problem comparing a new American model to an already mainstream system now is it.
Your assumptions about the new Prius/Insight comparison are rather overdone. You know nothing about the new Prius dynamics, etc but do know that the Insight has Fit underpinnings and a slightly modified IMA system.
The quality of the Prius is top-notch...regardless of whether you think it is or isn't.
Ackbar 11:55PM (2/08/2009)
"So you're comparing a car that has been in service with a hybrid system that has been around for a while and you believe that's a fair comparison?"
Actually, my first reply was confirming that the Prius/Fusion is not an apples to apples comparison. But Toyota and it's fanboys are trying to make this a game about MPG and nothing else, and they are pitching the Prius as the direct competitor to the Fusion hybrid and ignoring the Camry hybrid altogether.
But I bet most shoppers don't view them as equals; they'll more likely compare the Camry or Altima or Malibu hybrids to the Fusion. Why be so ashamed of the Camry hybrid? Sure, it hasn't been updated in awhile, but it's a more realistic comparison in the minds of most shoppers.
I have no complaints about the Prius quality. Again, in my first reply is a link to a review showing the quality on par with the current-gen Fusion. My complaint with the Prius is with the interior and handling. It's just not a car for someone who enjoys driving. It's an appliance, and that's fine if that's all you want.
noz 1:17AM (2/09/2009)
I'm not hear to defend Toyota. I neither like the Camry nor would I buy one. With that said, I got some time to sit in the Fusion at the LA Auto show. The interior was the first thing I was very disappointed with. It looked out dated already. There was zero style aspect and looked like a vertical washboard to me.
The front looked interesting but anything with that much chrome out front is going to be eye-catching.
As far as handling goes, I guess you can thank the fact that it shares its platform to Mazda. Not sure how much better it is than any other sedan in its size though.
I'd like to see the new Prius up close. The interior looks great. The shape is far improved over the current model, and the technology has gotten better.
I just wouldn't touch a Ford because A) for years they've been making crap and B) they are far too late to the show.
Rain 10:33PM (2/07/2009)
USA Today is consistently a right wing rag,so much so that Media Matters even noticed.
Who else are they going to pick?
Ford is an American car it is slightly bigger,it looks like an american car,its every system is overboosted in the traditional ford style(Hey,look out,that tissue is blowing toward the brake pedal)but the fuel mileage is obviously the winner in USAT's book just because it maintains the status quo of the richest 400 in the world,oh yeah,I recall dubyuh dubbed them his base.
Besides not to get too heavy on the Ford family,they are at least trying to make it without a bailout.
Where are the 60 MPG Ford cars though,are those just for Europe and Asia?
I've got a 4WD but nothing to park underneath it.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:21PM (2/07/2009)
I like the Fusion a lot. But if I turned 27mpg in it, NO WAY could I pick it. I could get that in a Camry 4-cyl, with no battery replacement in the future and no chunk taken out of my trunk for batteries.
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Brn 12:00PM (2/09/2009)
The 27mpg thing bothers me too. I average 27mpg in my V6, 4-speed auto, Ford.
I don't like to compare individual experiences to individual experiences, so I'm not getting too bent out of shape.
John Hollenberg 11:26PM (2/07/2009)
Well, I get 28 MPG in 75% Hwy and 25% City driving in my V6 Camry, just by being easy on the gas pedal. Not impressed by the Fusion numbers. It will be the 2010 Prius for me. Once Peak Oil and Climate Change becomes more obvious, the better mileage and lower CO2 emissions of the Prius will carry the day.
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Luke 11:26PM (2/07/2009)
I've driven both, and I liked the Fusion much better. Better MPG on the Fusion would make the decision even easier.
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jpm 12:06AM (2/08/2009)
Wow USA today, that sure was an unbiased, fact-based decision. Thanks a fuckin lot.
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tifosiotaku 1:12AM (2/08/2009)
Wow, the Prius nuthuggers are out in full force.
Here's a more apples-to-apples comparision.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/sedans/2010_ford_fusion_hybrid_vs_camry_hybrid_altima_hybrid_and_malibu_hybrid_comparison_test
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why not the LS2LS7? 3:10AM (2/08/2009)
There's no Prius in that comparison, Ferrari nuthugger.
Brn 12:24PM (2/09/2009)
The article is extremely relevant. A primary issue being discussed is weather or not comparing the Ford Fusion to the Toyota Prius is a fair comparison. An article comparing the Ford Fusion to the Toyota Camry is an example of what might be considered a fair comparison.
Vin Caruso 10:42AM (2/08/2009)
Have a 04 Prius: 50mpg, 70-75mph, 4 people, AC on, Camping Gear, 6'3" son in back, all day long. 45mpg in town.
Has more rear leg room than a Lexus SUV, fold down rear seats, hatchback, very utilitarian. Will run for 150k or more easy.
Toyota spent 24/7/365x2 in a Manhattan style design effort on the Prius and it shows.
Lets get the facts right for real comparisons. MPG has got to be #1 if the ride is reasonable, which the Prius is well beyond reasonable, almost luxurious.
Detroit needs to do better and can do better. The Volt may be it, if the price could be cut in half.
When the Plug In's come out look out Detroit, 150mpg, and not a moment to soon,
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