Fusion knocks out Camry in Lienert review
Husband-and-wife team Paul and Anita Lienert compared the two popular mid-sized sedans and, to their apparent surprise, the Fusion came out on top.
The two tied in exterior sheetmetal, with the Fusion appealing to those who like bling, bold, and American. The Camry, due to its redesign, moved up a segment for those desiring near-Lexus looks without the price tag. But the Fusion then proceeded to stomp Toyota's best-seller in subsequent rounds. The Lienerts were shocked at the lack of fit and finish in the Camry, the automaker's usual strong point.
Fusion then drove all over the Camry in the categories of ride, handling, and value. At a similar price, Ford's offspring offered a 221 horsepower 3.0-litre V-6 coupled with a six-speed automatic to the Camry's respectable 158-horsepower 2.4-litre I4 and its five-speed automatic. Agility? The Fusion is a driver's dream next to the oh-so comfortable Camry thanks to the sporty Mazda6 platform that underpins it. Only in safety features did the Camry score its lone win, offering airbags, side curtains, and many other features that cost extra in the Fusion. That won't be the case, however, for the 2007 model year as the Fusion will soon have those safety features standard.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
jorge 7:18PM (3/04/2008)
My fusion is OK. I would like it faster. if I had to do it over again, I would have chosen a G-35. My old contour was a bit faster and handled way better. At 75 to 95, the Fusion is all over the road in light wind. I would say the handling is terrible. I have taken it back to dealer twice and they aligned it for free, but did not take away the problem totaly. the issue is in the rear end. it fish-tails with the slightest bump or wind, etc. with all the reviews saying it is so great, I must have a problem. Dealer can't not find a problem with it.
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BSB 12:42PM (5/04/2006)
I own a fusion , I traded in my 2001 camry to get it and I am loving it.
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Optimus Prime 12:48PM (5/04/2006)
This is like saying the Mazda6 is better than the Camry ... it doesnt matter. Beleive it or not, not everyone wants a sporty family sedan .. otherwise the Mazda6 would have been a top seller years ago.
And by making the Fusion sporty (and smaller) and the 500 too big, they have nothing that competes directly with the Camry.
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CHL1 12:49PM (5/04/2006)
V6 vs. I4? how is that a comparison?
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Eric L. 12:51PM (5/04/2006)
While the review is fair in that it compares to a price point ($25,000), Toyota has shown that it can get away with charging more for the same product time and time again. Edmunds.com did a review (also to a price point, about $21,000) comparing 4-cyl Accord LX and Camry LE to the Hyundai Sonata with a 230hp V6. The Hyundai won that one. Then they did a comparison of V6 family sedans - top of the line models (this time with V6 versions of the Accord and Camry against the Sonata and Fusion) - and the Camry won that one. So it kind of goes both ways, depending on how the comparison is staged.
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cellularcoffee 12:51PM (5/04/2006)
Check http://www.iihs.org/ for Ford Fusion crash safety information: http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=561
It is not very good...you are better off with your old camry. Good luck.
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Peter W. 12:52PM (5/04/2006)
CHL1: "V6 vs. I4? how is that a comparison?"
For less than the Price of a LE Camry (with and I-4) you get a Fusion SLE (with the V-6)
It's the same as a Hyundai/Camry comparison. The Hyundai and Ford are much cheaper (about $1000) for a lot more stuff (bigger engines, leather, superior interior trimlines and finish).
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joe scaramuzzo 12:54PM (5/04/2006)
good for ford. if more pepole buy ford,gm, cars there would not be so meny lay offs with the us. car compenys and the profits would stay in the usa. chrysler is not a us. compeny if more custumers would have bought them when they where a us. compeny they could of bought daimler.
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Jeff 12:55PM (5/04/2006)
...And the rapair bills to go along with your Fixed Or Repaired Daily
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Mike B 6:02PM (1/31/2008)
not true, in 2007 according to edmunds ford was one of the most reliable cars more reliable than toyota, with 98% of their cars having no problems.
Peter W. 12:56PM (5/04/2006)
CellularCoffee: "It is not very good...you are better off with your old camry. Good luck."
The "poor" rating is for the Fusion tested without side-impact airbags.. which you can easily buy with the $1000 cost-savings over the Camry.
And in the meantime, people who aren't planning on getting broadsided by SUV's and 18-wheelers can save their money... and the superior handling of the fusion will probably help them avoid more accidents then the newly upbloated camry.
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required 12:57PM (5/04/2006)
bigger engine is not necessarily a selling point these days. the I4 has better fuel economy which makes the $3+/gallon a little easier to swallow.
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jas28 12:59PM (5/04/2006)
#4 - remember that the crash test results are for the base car. Since the 06 Fusion does not have those safety features as standard equipment, it performed poorly. Expect to see a SIGNIFICANT improvement in its showing for 07 when they are standard equipment. I believe it was the Malibu did the same thing a couple of years ago for the same reason.
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Elliott 1:00PM (5/04/2006)
The Lienert's are idiots. That being said, I've driven both of these myself and came to the same conclusion. The Fusion is better from an interior/driving point of view. And as far as the exterior goes, I don't think it's a tie at all. The more and more Fusions I see the more and more I love it.
I'm skeptical of domestic cars, but Ford has a winner here.
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hj 1:04PM (5/04/2006)
Why did Toyota have to copy the mazda 6 when they redesigned the Camry? Just look at that thing! 07 camry = mazda 6 clone. It just goes to show how LLLAAAMMMMEEEE toyota is when it comes to automotive styling.
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Sgt. Hulka 1:05PM (5/04/2006)
Face it Toyota Pod-people, the days when your cars got automatic comparo wins are coming to an end.
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Rob 1:06PM (5/04/2006)
Nooooo not this again! I thought I had left this argument a few entries back!!
"The article.. pitted an almost base-level LE 4-cyl. camry to the top-of-the-line fusion SEL V6. Hardly fair. They complain about the plain interior of the Camry...DUH-- its not the top of the line XLE so you wouldn't expect it to be upholstered in leather like the Fusion was. Powertrain --same, they compared a V6 fusion against the 4-cyl. camry. Again, ridiculous comparison. Now try the Camry SE V6, or the XLE V6..."
"And regarding the top-of-the-line Fusion still being cheaper than the base Camry...thats not the only reason people buy cars. They also look at other factors, such as reliability, etc. Maybe thats why the Camry is the top-selling sedan regardless of price."
I'm NOT hating on the Fusion by any means...I think it is a VERY attractive car and was very glad to see it replace the Taurus. I'm also glad to see it has been selling very well (at least in my area). However, my problem is with the comparison in this article...I just don't think its fair to compare a top-of-the-line V6 Fusion with an almost-base-trim Camry. That's like comparing a V6 Camry XLE with a 4-cyl. DX Accord and then blaming the base accord for not the amenities the Camry does.
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Rob 1:08PM (5/04/2006)
i meant...
for not HAVING the amenities the Camry does.
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Tool 1:13PM (5/04/2006)
It's got to be a little scary for Toyota when yet another article comes out dissing their vaulted quality. (Remember the Avalon article out just a few days ago???)
As I've said before . . . Toyota's quality--while very good--has been declining for years. And, with its goal to dominate the global auto industry, Toyota can not keep its quality up to standard.
This--and Toyota's arrogance--will be its downfall.
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Christian J 1:14PM (5/04/2006)
Near Lexus looks? HAHA. Lexo/Toyota can't make a design that's doesn't make me retch, esp. Toyota labelled models. Lexo-Toyo have Blah-nowhere styling to VERY obvious copies of segment leaders (Tundra, IS-series, Camry, LS-series, etc.)
Also, Camry, must be one of the worst handling cars in the world. Driving difference with Fusion must be very noticable. The Mazda6 is very popular for its handling. Hands down Fusion wins. The Camry is a strut design. While Fusion/Mazda6 has gone with unequal arms. Nice try by Camry marketers to steal some Mazda6 sales with a lookalike, but different product. As a matter of fact most of the Toyota model lineup has poor poor handling characteristics, compared to the competition.
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