Years ago I owned--and loved--a Ford Contour SE V6. I've been waiting ever since for Ford to create a midsize sedan that was equally fun to drive. For 2010, they've refreshed the Fusion, adding a new Sport model in the process. With a 3.5-liter V6 and available all-wheel-drive, is this the car I've been waiting for?

Ford Fusion Styling

As with the typical mid-cycle enhancement, Ford has updated the ends of the Fusion, but has left the midsection largely unchanged. So viewed from the side the Fusion remains a subtly handsome midsize sedan. The new front end has an enlarged version of the three-bar grille that debuted on the Fusion--and will end here. It looks okay in some colors, overdone in others. At the other end of the car, the much cleaner tail lights are a huge improvement over the heavily chromed old ones. The Sport's 18-inch wheels look good on the car--you can't go wrong with a classic five-spoke design.

Inside, the instrument panel has a cleaner design and moderately better materials. The guages have a pleasant glow to them. In the Sport, the trim bits and the center panels on the leather seats are color-keyed to the exterior, which helps to lived the place up. On the other hand, the door panels haven't been upgraded to the same extent, and take the interior ambiance down a notch.

Ford Fusion Accommodations

Visibility from the driver's seat is the same as before, so quite good. For that matter, the seats seem the same as before. The front seats are passable, but could use more prominent bolsters in the Sport model. The rear seat is roomy, but as before the cushion is uncomfortably flat and firm. The trunk is roomier than in the average midsize sedan, and the rear seat folds in two sections to expand it.

Ford Fusion Performance

A decade ago, a 263-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine in a midsize sedan would have been mindblowing. My 1996 Contour's 2.5-liter V6 kicked out just 170. Today, though, 263 horsepower is just competitive--nearly every competitor offers a similarly powerful midsize sedan.

The Fusion's advantage: optional all-wheel-drive. If you want an all-wheel-drive midsize sedan with a price under $30,000, it's either this, a Dodge Avenger, or a (not quite midsize before 2010) Subaru Legacy.

Combine the 3.5 V6 with all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manually-shiftable automatic transmission and...the result is less exhilarating than I expected. Ford's 3.5-liter V6 has never felt as powerful as its specs suggest it should. Too flat a torque curve? Overly pedestrian soundtrack? And, in this case, the additional mass of all-wheel-drive. The Fusion Sport AWD gets up to speed easily, but without anything in the way of shock and awe. Maybe it does its job too well?

A manual transmission would increase driver involvement, but as in most competitors one is not offered. The automatic is manually shiftable, but reacts slowly to inputs. I've sampled this transmission in a few Fords, and it's not well-suited to enthusiastic driving.

Handling is similarly devoid of drama, good or bad. Lean in turns is moderate, and the chassis always feels composed and utterly predictable. The steering is accurate and and not overly light, but not as quick as I'd like. Thanks to wide performance tires, grip is plentiful. So what's not to love? Well, the feel remains that of a semi-sporty nose-heavy front-driver, just with less torque steer. All-wheel-drive does little to counter the Fusion's tendency to understeer. More to the point, there's not enough of an edge to this car. It handles corners well, but doesn't feel eager to carve them.

The upside: a quiet, comfortable ride. My old Contour had a much sharper feel, but it was punishing on Michigan's potholed roads.

Ford Fusion Price Comparisons and Pricing

The Ford Fusion Sport AWD I drove had few options, and listed for $28,000. Not bad for a midsize sedan with this much power and all-wheel-drive.

It's not easy to compare the price of this car, since few competitors offer all-wheel-drive. Compared to a Toyota Camry SE V6, the Fusion Sport without AWD lists for about $1,400 less when both are similarly equipped. Invoice-to-invoice, the Ford's advantage shrinks to about $300. Adjusting for remaining feature differences bumps the gap by about $1,400. Upshot: you'll save about as much on the Fusion to pay for the all-wheel-drive not available on the Toyota.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, TrueDelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Ford Fusion:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Fusion.php

Last Words

Though thoroughly competent, the Ford Fusion Sport AWD was not as fun to drive as I'd hoped it would be. That said, I've had a similar reaction when driving its competitors. None of them has the frisky character that I loved in my Contour.

On the other hand, there's a lot of car her for the price. If I had to buy a moderately-priced midsize sedan, I'd certaiinly consider this one.

A Note on Ford Fusion Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've been collecting my own data. Results are posted to TrueDelta.com, with updates every three months. Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy a Ford Fusion rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats.

To report results, TrueDelta needs reliability data on all cars--not just the Ford Fusion--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants pay an access fee.

Details here:

http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php

Alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Amount Paid (US$): 28,000
Model and Options: Sport AWD