MSRP: $19,035 - $25,605
Invoice: $17,707 - $23,429
MPG: 20 City / 29 Hwy
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U.S.News Scores

Overall:9.0
Performance:7.9
Exterior:8.6
Interior:8.6
Safety:9.9
Reliability:10.0
Research we analyzed for this review

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 Fusion's interior is well-liked, with seats most reviewers find comfortable and class-competitive space throughout -- with class-leading trunk space. There is consistent disagreement, however, over the functional layout of the Fusion's controls. While some find the layout logical and easy to use, others complain of badly located or confusing controls.

  • "Small on the outside, big on the inside, and with pleasantly upscale styling to boot -- what's not to like about the Fusion?" -- The Auto Channel
  • "Fusion's and Milan's interior designs are understated, blending soft-touch surfaces with available rich-feeling leather upholstery. This is offset, particularly on the Fusion, by some plastics that look and feel cheap. Milan is decidedly more upscale, with even more generous use of soft-touch surfaces and a choice of real metal or wood trim." -- Consumer Guide
  • "Inside the cabin, ergonomics are a mixed bag. Most controls are easy to use, but the instruments are a bit rudimentary and there's no display for the automatic transmission, forcing the driver to look down at the shifter to confirm gear selection. The standard "brick" stereo faceplate with its tiny green readouts is outdated and looks cheap, and seems at odds with the otherwise advanced Sync system." -- Edmunds

Seating

The Fusion offers class-competitive living space, not significantly larger or smaller than its rivals in any dimension. It seats five, but only four comfortably. The seats are well-liked, and ergonomics from the driver's seat seem to please most test drivers. The rear, most say, is comfortable for two, but not for the three Ford claims it will carry.

  • "From a driver's viewpoint," writes the Washington Post, "the front cabin is an ergonomic delight, with everything where it is supposed to be, everything in reach."
  • "Its front seats are soft, but with plenty of lumbar support, and the back row, while feeling too narrow, has considerable toe and foot room." -- Motor Trend
  • "The seats...are top-notch, both good-looking and comfortable. Seats often make a first impression and Ford seems clued into this. In the front and back, the seats look plush and well-made even at a distance. Up close, detail stitching is a nice, uncommon touch." -- Business Week
  • "The Fusion's spacious cabin offers plenty of room for all passengers. A pair of adults will be content in the back of the Fusion." -- Edmunds
  • " In SEL trim, with optional heated (front, anyway) leather seats, it could almost be mistaken for a European entry-luxury car." -- The Auto Channel
  • "Long doors with large handles open wide to allow easy entry to front and rear seats. The Fusion easily seats four 6-footers, or five in a pinch. But the hard center of the rear seat is best left to a fold-down armrest that contains dual cupholders." -- MSN
  • "Ample leg and head room for six-footers. Seats supportive, a bit larger than class norm, and relatively high-set to contribute to fine outward visibility." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

Reviewers spend a lot of energy discussing Ford's SYNC multimedia system. SYNC allows drivers to control cell phones, MP3 players and similar devices through voice commands. While SYNC impresses most, shoppers should be aware that it is standard only on more expensive SEL models, optional on SE models, and not available at all on the Fusion S. Beyond SYNC, most in the automotive press say the Fusion has all of the features buyers expect of a midsize family sedan, but its ergonomics earn mixed reactions -- you'll need to sit in one and test the controls before you make up your mind.

  • "Ford's SYNC system allowed even this sometimes-technology-challenged driver to integrate a cellphone into the car's system. Not only did the car recognize the phone, but it also downloaded its address book into the system's memory. That was a surprise that added functionality to the driving experience." -- Boston Globe
  • "Ford chose materials wisely, selecting those that lend the cabin style and class without making the MSRP too high." -- Motor Trend
  • "We've found that Sync works very well, and judging by positive consumer feedback, it's definitely a major reason to consider the Fusion." -- Edmunds
  • "The control panel is simplicity itself. A clear effort has been made to avoid electronic overkill, which I'm sure most buyers will appreciate." -- About.com
  • "The ventilation controls are too low and require the driver to take too much attention off the road to adjust them. While it's true that this is less of a problem in cars equipped with automatic temperature control, we still had to f
  • iddle far too much to fire up the defroster one morning."  -- MarketWatch
  • "Reflections sometimes make the gauges difficult to read. The climate controls would be easier to locate if they were higher on the dashboard's center stack." -- Newsday
  • "A feature unique to Ford in 2008 is an ambient-lighting option...It gives drivers a choice of lighting color for the footwells and cupholder accent lights. Seven colors can be selected with a dashboard switch."  -- Cars.com

Cargo

The Fusion's cargo capacity is well-liked. Its 15.8-cubic-foot trunk is larger than what most of its rivals can claim -- easily beating the Honda Accord's 14 cubic feet. Just as important for shoppers, it's fairly easy to get large items in and out of. Several reviewers take the time to point out that the Fusion's seats actually do fold flat, which is fairly uncommon.

  • "An unexpected measure of utility is provided by the Fusion's 15.8-cubic-foot trunk, split-folding rear seat and fold-down front passenger seat (SE and SEL models only), allowing bulky items to be transported inside the car. " -- Edmunds
  • "The roomy trunk has a low, wide opening. Its lid has a felt-type liner that looks and feels cheap, but it raises well out of the way on hydraulic struts." -- MSN
  • "The rear seat [offers] a spring-loaded split folding feature. The releases are in the trunk, which is large and has a low liftover for ease of loading and external hydraulic struts to prevent crushed luggage. "-- The Auto Channel
Review Last Updated: 4/7/09