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2008 Ford Fusion Quality Review

August 1, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10

CarandDriver.com: "intuitively laid out [controls], but unremarkable in their appearance"
Edmunds.com: "easily one of the best [trunks] you'll find in a family car"
BusinessWeek: "top-notch, both good-looking and comfortable"

Most reviewers admired the amount of room in the 2008 Ford Fusion's cabin and its construction quality. Toward the smaller end of today's crop of family sedans, the Fusion nonetheless is comfortable for adults even in the rear seat, and has a quality feel about it, though some textures and shapes could be improved in the Ford.

Car and Driver felt that all the controls, include the steering-wheel audio buttons, were "intuitively laid out, but unremarkable in their appearance." FamilyCar complemented the "soft touch surfaces on the dash and door panels." But Cars.com complained that the controls in an SE version were subpar: "the manual climate controls felt flimsy and imprecise compared to the ones in the base-model Camry and Accord."

There was a wide range in the ratings on the seats in this Ford. Cars.com added that the seats "seem narrow and stiff"--but Edmunds.com called them "well-shaped and supportive, even for taller folk." BusinessWeek agreed, saying its test car's seats were "top-notch, both good-looking and comfortable." And the New York Times noted that the front passenger seat can fold forward, "making it possible to haul extra-long items."
ConsumerGuide explains that it likes the seats because they're a "bit larger than class norm, and relatively high-set to contribute to fine outward visibility."

In back, the rear-seat passengers are "treated well," Autobytel says, with good room and comfortable cushions and easy access. And though it didn't like the seats, Cars.com (along with Edmunds) admired the 2008 Ford Fusion's big, big trunk, "easily one of the best you'll find in a family car."

In our test car, a four-cylinder with red leather inserts on its seats, the seats felt flat but supportive enough for a long ride. The truly impressive aspect was in legroom: a six-footer in the driver seat can still play chauffeur for a six-footer sitting behind them. The Fusion's rear-seat room is all the more impressive when much larger cars like the Chevrolet Malibu offer little more usable space.

Conclusion

It's slightly smaller than some four-doors, but the 2008 Ford Fusion is adult-sized and nicely finished inside.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10 CarandDriver.com: "intuitively laid out [controls], but unremarkable in their appearance" Edmunds.com: "easily one of the best [trunks] you'll find in a family car" BusinessWeek: "top-notch, both good-looking and comfortable" Most reviewers admired the amount of room in the 2008 Ford Fusion's cabin and its construction quality. Toward the smaller end of today's crop of family sedans, the Fusion nonetheless is comfortable for adults even in the rear seat, and has a quality feel about it, though some textures and shapes could be improved in the Ford. Car and Driver felt that all the controls, include the steering-wheel audio buttons, were "intuitively laid out, but unremarkable in their appearance." FamilyCar complemented the "soft touch surfaces on the dash and door panels." But Cars.com complained that the controls in an SE version were subpar: "the manual climate controls felt flimsy and imprecise compared to the ones in the base-model Camry and Accord." There was a wide range in the ratings on the seats in this Ford. Cars.com added that the seats "seem narrow and stiff"--but Edmunds.com called them "well-shaped and supportive, even for taller folk." BusinessWeek agreed, saying its test car's seats were "top-notch, both good-looking and comfortable." And the New York Times noted that the front passenger seat can fold forward, "making it possible to haul extra-long items." ConsumerGuide explains that it likes the seats because they're a "bit larger than class norm, and relatively high-set to contribute to fine outward visibility." In back, the rear-seat passengers are "treated well," Autobytel says, with good room and comfortable cushions and easy access. And though it didn't like the seats, Cars.com (along with Edmunds) admired the 2008 Ford Fusion's big, big trunk, "easily one of the best you'll find in a family car." In our test car, a four-cylinder with red leather inserts on its seats, the seats felt flat but supportive enough for a long ride. The truly impressive aspect was in legroom: a six-footer in the driver seat can still play chauffeur for a six-footer sitting behind them. The Fusion's rear-seat room is all the more impressive when much larger cars like the Chevrolet Malibu offer little more usable space. ConclusionIt's slightly smaller than some four-doors, but the 2008 Ford Fusion is adult-sized and nicely finished inside. 2008 Ford Fusion Styling | 8 out of 10 Cars.com: “lean and athletic” FamilyCar.com: “instrument cluster was clean and easy to read” Car and Driver: "the best looking Ford sedan in years" Reviewers generally liked the 2008 Ford Fusion's combination of sharp edges and soft ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

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Comments (4 total)

  1. By Bill Stammers #1, Posted: 5/21/2008

    A great car!!

    I have driven over a million miles in my lifetime, I have driven most modern cars, the most comfortable was a Mercedes 560SEC, well the Fusion whilst not having the raw power of the Merc is as comfortable corners much better (the 560 ate it's front tyres for breakfast) I have been so impressed with the build quality, the engine's flexibilty (I have the 4 cyl with manual 5 speed transmission, the quiet ride and the fuel economy I am getting 31.4 mpg over 5,500 miles at an average speed of 45 mph. I drove a Honda Accord for a long time, it does not compare to the Ford, the fuel economy was better, but the build quality (driver's window collapsed) comfort and noise levels were disappointing. Living in the wild west of Canada, where the roads are mainly long and straight, I have not as yet had a chance to put the Fusion through any hard cornering, but the feel of the car gives me absolute confidence in achieving complete satisfaction ehen I do! All in all a great car, Ford have taken a really good car in the Focus and taken it to the next level a pat on the back for them!!

  2. By Bob #3, Posted: 1/12/2009

    Let's rock

    This car rocks!

  3. By Doug #4, Posted: 7/8/2009

    My 2010 Ford Fusion has an annoying NEED OIL CHANGE message on my reader board on the dash. The problem is, I just got my oil changed. Anyone know how to remove that message? THANKS.

  4. By Eric #5, Posted: 9/6/2009

    I get the same Problem with my 2001 Alero, so what you have to do is look in your manual and it should tell you how to turn it off there. usually you have to enter a code to get it to turn off. I would take it back to wherever you got your oil changed and they should be able to show you how to turn it off. You can always call the dealership you bought it at and ask them how to turn it off too.

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