2014 Ford Fusion SE 2.0T FWD: The Oppositelock Review

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 01/26/2015 at 19:04 • Filed to: None

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The family's first non-GM product in over 20 years is turning out to be a good one so far.

( Full Disclosure : Ford wanted me to drive the Fusion so bad, they cursed the transmission in my mom's 2008 Saturn Vue to start failing, caused us to start looking for sedans, and had a local Ford dealer have a left over 2014 model that was exactly how my mom wanted it deeply discounted.)

The second generation Ford Fusion (Ford Mondeo to you Europeans) was released in late 2012 as a 2013 model year car. This generation is a departure from the old one by a long shot. Gone is the optional V6, being replaced with the 2.0L Turbo EcoBoost motor like ours has. Also gone is the somewhat bland design of the old one, which has been replaced with well, a great design.

In other news, I'm terrible at introductions.

Exterior: 9/10

Ford really hit it out of the park with the Fusion this generation. Nearly everything about the exterior just looks right. I think it's the best looking mainstream mid-sized sedan for sale right now.

Our model has the SE Appearance Package, which adds fog lights, 18-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle LS-2 rubber, and a rear spoiler. All of which adds some sporty flair to an already great looking sedan. The metallic "Tuxedo Black" paint looks amazing in the light as well.

I do have one complaint though, and that's that the bottom grille should be chrome to match the top, and the front and rear overhangs are a bit long.

Interior: 7/10

The interior in the Fusion is nice. Nothing about it really stands out though other than the red stitching on the seats and arm rests that the SE Appearance Package throws into the mix. But, it is by far the nicest interior of any car my parents have owned.

The seats are supremely comfortable in both the front and back. The cloth material on them stays pretty neutral temperature wise, which makes the loss of the seat heaters the Vue had a little more bearable. The steering wheel is wrapped in leatherette but feels nice in your hand with divots at 9 and 3 for your thumbs. Ours having MyFordTouch takes away a lot of the clutter of buttons on the center stack, leaving just a couple knobs for tuning and volume and the touch-sensitive buttons for the climate control.

I do have to deduct a point though because it has a light-colored headliner, shiny black plastic on the center console, and we've had to have two plastic trim pieces on the pillars realigned for horrible fitment.

Acceleration: 7/10

The 2.0L Turbocharged mill under the hood of the Fusion gets the car moving to 60 in about 7 seconds. Which is about .6 seconds quicker than the 3.6L V6 got the Vue to 60. Really though, it feels a lot faster than that. You put your foot down and it will actually shove you back into the seat. It's slower than V6 competitors and the turbocharged Malibu, but better than most. We'll call it "better than average."

Braking: 8/10

I'm so impressed with these brakes. I always thought the ones on the Vue were great, these showed me wrong. The initial bite when you press on the pedal takes some getting used to, but these work better than all others I've experienced so far. They've already saved me from rear ending a rather idiotic driver that I'd have probably rear ended if I was in any other car at the house.

Ride: 6/10

The ride is pretty average. You can feel a lot of bumps, but no so much that you're going to get uncomfortable. It's a lot smoother on the highway than my Safari, so there's that. I blame some of how it rides on the 18-inch wheels.

Handling: 9/10

Damn son, this thing handles great. It's definitely the best handling car I've driven as of now, and that list includes an E36 328i. The steering is tight, precise, and very communicative for an electric unit. The Goodyear Eagle LS-2s grip the road well with minimal under-steer. There's barely any body roll, way less than the Vue had, which wallowed back and forth like a ship at sea.

No mainstream sedan should handle this well.

Gearbox: 6/10

( Not my picture, our's doesn't have that side toggle)

It's a 6-speed auto with paddle shifters, which are exclusive to 2.0T models. It does it's job well. Not much more to say.

Audio: 8/10

The stereo sounds really good for a basic stock unit. Everything is clear and crisp and there's plenty of bass if you do so want to shake the whole car.

But, as good as the stereo sounds, the engine sounds ever better. I'd never expect a little 4-pot to sound this good. It's throaty and burbly and you can hear the turbo whistle so clearly with the windows down. I can't help but smile like an idiot when I hit to go pedal and let the RPMs climb.

Toys: 8/10

(Not my picture)

Touchscreen infotainment? Check. Power driver's seat? Check. Backup camera and sensors? Check. Homelink system? Check.

What I'm getting at here, is that the Fusion has a lot of toys. Way more than the car it replaced, and some I'm sure I haven't even found yet. That said, it's missing a couple things. Namely heated seats as I mentioned earlier and an auto dimming mirror, something I thought was pretty much standard fare on cars by now.

Value: 10/10

I mentioned at the beginning that this was a leftover 2014 that was deeply discounted. What I didn't say was how much. After rebated and our trade in, we got a car a few hundred dollars under $30,000 for a few hundred over $20,000. Getting a mid trim level car with some options and the biggest motor for less than the absolute base model? That's worthy of 10/10 value.

78/100

Engine: 2.0L Turbo EcoBoost

Power: 240 HP at 5,500 RPM/270 LB-FT at 3,000 RPM

Transmission: Six-Speed Automatic

0-60 Time: ~ 7.0 seconds

Top Speed: 124 mph (governed)

Drivetrain: Front-Wheel Drive

Curb Weight: 3,431 LBS

Seating: 5 people

MPG: 22 City/31 Highway (EPA Est.)

MSRP: $29,515 (As Tested)

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:09

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I want these wheels

Steve in Manhattan > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:13

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Nice car. And the blacked-out lower grill looks fine.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 01/26/2015 at 19:15

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I bet they'd look even better in gloss black.

bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:15

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"The family's first non-GM product in over 20 years"


I'm so sorry. (kidding)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 01/26/2015 at 19:17

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I think I'd rather have the Titanium's 19" ones honestly.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:19

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did you guys ever get that remote starter system fixed/TAKEN OFF?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro 01/26/2015 at 19:20

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It goes back Wednesday to have the right, won't fuck the car up one put on.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bob and john 01/26/2015 at 19:20

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Hey! They were all good to us. If the Malibu would've been a little roomier we'd probably still have all GM products.

Nibby > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:21

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FUSION DRIVERS OF OPPO UNITE! Nice review. My mom drives a Fusion Energi, which I drive a lot these days when I am home. Agree with a lot of the points you said, especially dat design and the interior is very comfy. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/2013-ford-fusi…

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:21

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'Bout how many dead hookers you think fit in that there trunk?

Nice review!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jkm7680 01/26/2015 at 19:24

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I'd say 5 if you stacked them right. The trunk is huge .

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:27

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Noted. That's a good figure.

bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:38

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the fusion is roomier then the mali? huh. weird. I though the mali was bigger?

No Prius Needed > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:41

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What are you going to do with the van once the M3 arrives? Le mons?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > No Prius Needed 01/26/2015 at 19:49

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Sell it, presumably. My mom's scared to take in on her bi-yearly trip to the lake with her friend's in April, so I doubt it's around much longer.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bob and john 01/26/2015 at 19:50

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Less rear leg room, I'm pretty sure. Which is vital because I have to fit in the back.

Yossarian > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:56

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I like the Fusion my Grandma has. The 1.6 is pretty peppy and likes to rev surprisingly.

Only thing I really don't like is how thick the trunk is if that makes sense.

bryan40oop > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 19:57

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"The family's first non-GM product in over 20 years is turning out to be a good one so far."

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Yossarian 01/26/2015 at 19:58

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The thickness of the trunk lid where it meets the bumper? Yeah, it's ridiculous.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bryan40oop 01/26/2015 at 19:59

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The GM's were/are perfectly fine. They're reliable and treat us well.

bryan40oop > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 20:03

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Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bryan40oop 01/26/2015 at 20:06

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I never said they were grand, just good cars/trucks that don't leave us stranded and are cheap to maintain.

Lemonhead > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 20:20

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They didn't have to curse the transmission. It's a Saturn - they do that. That's the reason that I love the design of the Sky, I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy another Saturn anything.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Lemonhead 01/26/2015 at 20:24

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It wasn't just Saturn though, it was any GM car with the transverse 6-speed auto made before 2010. There was a manufacturing flaw that fucked them up at about 75,000 miles.

bryan40oop > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 20:25

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This was my life story when I had my trans am, and with my moms olds..... and 3 of my inlaws silverado's......

And i'm talking stranded, not nit picky stuff.

Meanwhile, dads ole buff (big ugly fat fuck) is pulling away from 200,000 miles.

His 5.4 truck is just shy of it, and it's a tow pig.

Not trying to be a dick, but I never had luck from a GM. And they're just a bitch to work on. So is everything, but GM, they're on another level.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bryan40oop 01/26/2015 at 20:28

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Yeah, the only time we've ever had to be towed is when the fuel pump died in the Safari from overheating, on the hottest day of the year. Other than that, they've never hiccuped. Dad's '04 Silverado is approaching 140k and hasn't needed anything outside of routine maintainence. My Safari hasn't needed anything really that isn't considered a wear item that would eventually need changing on any car.

bryan40oop > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 20:33

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Ha, my fuel pump died in my T/A. I somehow limped it to the dealership I worked at.

Cut a hole in the trunk, inserted a walboro. It took 3 more breakdowns before I said fuck it and got the STi.

And now that I think of it, the olds was a northstar, -1. The t/a had the 7.5 10 bolt rear end -1,056. But you could argue those aren't run of the mill GM cars. But neither is dads lincoln for the model year 1993 it was new tech for ford. The only issue it had was the air bag suspension, it got immediately switched to springs when they died.

Rico > Steve in Manhattan 01/26/2015 at 21:15

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Same thing I thought, more chrome would be too gaudy.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 21:16

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Congrats again man, this and the M3 will be great stable mates.

Steve in Manhattan > Rico 01/26/2015 at 21:34

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Blacking out stuff is one of the few modifications I would make to a car. Forget lifting, stancing, improperly sized wheels, or engine mods, give me something subtle.

44444444444 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/26/2015 at 22:40

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The brakes are good because they're probably Volvo brakes... Seriously, the structure of the Fusion is almost identical to an S60 underneath.

GunBad > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 10/26/2016 at 16:16

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It’s actually governed at 131 mph and also runs better and faster with 91 gas or better. That’s how they tested it at the factory and you can loose out on some performance with 87 or “regular” gas.

Just a side note if you push once and hold the unlock button on your key fob your windows will roll down and vise versa with lock button. Nice feature for summer.