AutoblogGreen achieves 43.1 mpg in 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
We're in the City of Angels this week to drive a bunch of new Fords, including the new 2010 Mustang and Fusion. We started off Monday afternoon with a mileage challenge in the new 2010 Fusion Hybrid. We can't share our driving impressions until Saturday, but we can tell you the results of the mileage contest. Ford hybrid applications manager Gil Portalatin used his intimate knowledge of the car to set some benchmarks the day before. Ford claims the Fusion will get at least 39 mpg city/ 37 mpg highway when the EPA numbers are calculated in the coming weeks. Portalatin got 46 mpg on the first segment of the drive route and 43.5 mpg on the hillier second part. Among the journalists on hand, Car and Driver's Steve Siler recorded a 43.6 mpg result on the first part. After Drew Phillips and I switched places for the second segment, I achieved 43.1 mpg, which is a very impressive number for Ford's new mid-size sedan.
Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Seminole 10:32AM (12/09/2008)
Unbelievable! Great job Ford, keep it up!
NOW GET ME MY DAMN FOUR DOOR FIESTA DAMNIT!!!!! How do you expect me to outrun baddies in Corvettes?
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Hike15 10:35AM (12/09/2008)
+1 on the fiesta
id take that over the fusion anyday
the fusion is to big to outrun a corvette through a shopping mall
Sea Urchin 11:46AM (12/09/2008)
I agree, but Ford should have had this car about 3 years ago.
Cellien 11:49AM (12/09/2008)
+2 on the Fiesta. Getting one on day one, but a 2 door hatch. Trading in/selling the 05 Focus. UNLESS, Ford announces a 4 cyl Mustang at NAIAS that gets good mileage.
happy_penguin 3:32PM (12/09/2008)
Ford couldn't sell this car three years ago.
jcar302 10:33AM (12/09/2008)
Those are some huge numbers for a 4 door sedan.
Leaves no reason to drive one of those horrifically ugly prius's.
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Josiah 11:55AM (12/09/2008)
Except when the new Prius comes out it will prob avg in the 50's, resetting the bar a bit. But kudos to Ford!
Zaphod 12:45PM (12/09/2008)
i agree but sadly i think sales will not be as hot as you may think initally. as the poster below me noted, the Prius will likely be getting a bump in FE. IMO though, the largest reason the prius is the best selling hybrid is taht it LOOKS like a hybrid car. sure its ugly but people want recognition for being 'green' driving a prius is a billboard that says "hey, i deserve a pat on the back because i care about fuel economy/greenhouse gas emissions" people want recognition. if they're gonna pay a premium for a hybrid they want more than a badge to show off. it basic materialism 101. it dosent matter if its ugly, so long as you get recognition from it.
Sea Urchin 1:00PM (12/09/2008)
@ Josias
This is the problem that Detroit groupies have, they always compare Detroit cars that have not yet come out to old Japanese cars, and they always assume that Japanese will not improve their cars.
Tagbert 1:20AM (12/10/2008)
Zaphod,
I don't believe that that is actually the attitude of all Prius owners. I have two friends with Priii. They both said that they see so many people driving monstrous SUVs that they felt that they needed a car that said that "we don't all need such a big-assed vehicle."
for them, it is not so much a "look at me" statement as a "wake up and do something" statement.
TigerMil 10:34AM (12/09/2008)
It still sux if it doesn't achieve at least 8 seconds zero to sixty with a full load.
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Ligor 10:36AM (12/09/2008)
oh phuleaseee
it's way better than the Prius and achieves better real world mpg that the prius and all you have to come back with is - it still sux if 0-60 is not less than 8sec
i'll have mine in black please
henrykrinkle 10:42AM (12/09/2008)
Yeah, one of the best handling, most reliable mid-sized family sedans now apparently can't achieve less than 43 mpg and it sucks. If you want to drag race get the sport model with the 3.5.
Kotse 10:47AM (12/09/2008)
"AutoblogGreen achieves 43.1 mpg in 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid"
This is attainable...but only if one has no dead weight, real world JUNK in his/her hybrid Fusion trunk.
karmakid 11:34AM (12/09/2008)
I wonder if those numbers were attained with the other said jounalist as passengers
geo.stewart 11:47AM (12/09/2008)
do you think the prius mileage is with a load of hot air journalists and camera gear? NO
and how many people commute to work every day with a carload of folks?
not many judging by the HOV lanes I see.
I think this is awesome mileage for very little additional cost. better value prop than the prius and volt, and as mentioned a helluva lot better looking than the prius.
Still a fan of the Volt btw.
Frank 10:37AM (12/09/2008)
Pretty impressive numbers. Isn't that about the same as a Smart Car? I'd take this any day over a Prius.
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Ubizzle 2:01PM (12/09/2008)
No. A Smart Car has a claimed combined average considerably higher than that.
The Fortwo mhd (stop start) has a claimed average of 65.7, so the minimum to be expected is 58 or so.
The Fortwo CDI will do 85mpg - so at least 75 in the real world.
The Alfa Romeo 159 1.9JTDM has been tested by Autocar at 48mpg.
Mercedes C250CDI BluEfficiency was tested at 54mpg...
I commend Ford, but we should start hoping for more by now, or at least not get so hugely excited.
Also, i was previously asked - what type of gallons are these??
Anyway, keep up the good work Ford, it's great to see the Yanks try to step their game up
Jobu37 3:42PM (12/09/2008)
The Smart only gets 33/41. Which is ridiculous for such a small overpriced vehicle. But their are more idiots born everyday which would explain why they can sell what they sell.
Stuka 4:18PM (12/09/2008)
@Ubizzle: This test was conducted in the USA with a car ment for the USDM. Asking what gallons are being used is kind of retorical.
As for the cars you mention, they are all diesel. And as everybody knows, diesels are hard to sell in the USA not just because of demand, but because getting them 50 state legal is not easy due to our higher emissions standards than europe (which has very low standards).
If some company bother with a diesel hybrid, the fuel economy would be pretty spectacular. But they have all stated they do not see a market for such a car yet.