New Fusion among best

By Derek Price
Automotive Writer

If you asked me which was the best mid-size sedan a few years ago, I would have put the Japanese stalwarts, Honda and Toyota, at the top of my list.
Today, though? My favorites are the Hyundai Sonata and this car, the Ford Fusion.
A lot has been written about the improbable turnaround of Hyundai and its Korean cousin, Kia, both of which quickly transformed from building throwaway cars to selling some of the world’s best machines. But Ford’s transition has been less flashy and more methodical, consistently ratcheting up its quality and refinement until it was matching and beating the Japanese brands.
That’s especially evident in the latest Fusion, a car that was redesigned for 2013 to be more efficient, comfortable and engaging to drive.

What puts it at the top of my list?
For starters, it looks dramatically better than most family sedans. The vast majority of cars in this class look like Ambien on wheels, with designed-by-committee body styling that puts people to sleep. They all look the same.
The new Fusion, though, stands out because it looks remarkably like an Aston Martin, the exclusive British luxury brand favored by James Bond. It’s sleek and sexy with taut lines and an athletic nose, helping it stand out from all the lookalike competition.

Beyond the looks, the new Fusion has a lot of substance. It drives with the sophistication and smoothness of a more expensive car, with outstanding steering and suspension tuning to keep the ride comfortable and compliant without crossing the line into squishy and limp. It’s actually enjoyable from the driver’s seat.

The cabin construction is similarly a notch above most sedans in this class, with a tight, well-built feeling and lots of soft-touch materials.
The car I tested was a 2013 Fusion Hybrid, and I liked it even better than the Sonata Hybrid I drove a few weeks ago. It has better acceleration and a more engaging driving feel than you usually find in hybrids, and it’s also rated for considerably better fuel consumption than its competitors — 47 mpg in both city and highway driving.
It exposes the Fusion’s biggest downside, though: an awkward braking feel in the hybrid version.
Most hybrid cars feel strange when you slow down at low speeds because they use their brakes to recharge the batteries. The Fusion Hybrid’s awkwardness is more pronounced than other hybrids — perhaps because it has an aggressive hybrid system to help it hit that amazing gas mileage number — but I think I’d be able to adjust to it if I had more than a week behind the wheel.
As a whole, the Fusion impresses in so many areas — styling, cabin quality, driving feel and value — that it deserves to be near the top of any sedan shopper’s list.

At a Glance