Ford's midsize family sedan remains one of the best choices in a crowded and competitive field. The Fusion is a very attractive combination of ambitious styling, refined driving characteristics, and impressive value.
What's New for 2016
In the interest of keeping up appearances across the board, an Appearance package -- composed of 18-inch wheels and a collection of body-trim pieces -- is now available for the base S model. Otherwise, the Fusion is unchanged.
Choosing Your Ford Fusion
The Fusion is available in three versions: a traditional gasoline-fueled model, a gas-electric hybrid, and the Energi plug-in hybrid. The two electrically-driven versions are covered in separate articles.
Since its redesign for model-year 2013, the Fusion has solidified its place at the top of the family-sedan class. The eye-catching sheet metal that was so distinctive a few years ago is rapidly being copied by other manufacturers. Handling is much better than should reasonably be expected from a mainstream midsize sedan. It gives up nothing in materials quality, everyday convenience and all-around goodness to its competitors.
The Fusion can be had in three trim levels: S, SE, and Titanium. Standard equipment across the line includes a six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, a backup camera and Ford's SYNC voice-operated infotainment system.
If you don't want or need the tech features available on the upscale lines, an S with the Appearance package will do it all just as well as its fancier siblings -- which is very well indeed - and look good in the process at an attractive price. At the other end, optioned-up Fusions pose a credible challenger to entry-level luxury models on the features and driving-dynamics fronts without the entry-level luxury price. The Fusion's pricing structure avoids the big jumps of other Ford lines, so picking what you want (and want to pay) is more of a reasonable balancing act in this case.