Hi, Guest
We were out for a run today after breakfast and ended up going right past the Ford dealer. This was great, as I had just had the thought this morning - "What about a new Focus?"
Sara thought it would be a great idea (read: she likes the Focus still, even after 3 years), so we stopped in at Stockfish and took an 07 ZX5 SES out for a boot.
After driving the Focus and seeing that the great incentives on the Fusion actually made for the same monthly lease/buy payments as the Focus... I have the following conundrum: WHICH CAR???
Here are my summary impressions and observations on each car:
2007 ZX5 SES - It has the Canadian Winter Package Plus (heated seats, heated mirrors, ABS, traction control). It has a great suspension (not too far off of the S2 suspension, has front/rear anti-sways), makes decent noise and output from the 2.0L Duratec, enjoys the "pick a gear" capabilities of the shift gate and O/D select button. I find the new foglights are growing on me.
Downsides - the audio setup is pathetisad (has the duplicate controls on a stalk on the left of the column, but where has all the bass gone?), the classic 4-speed and 4-banger lack of pull (although it's admittedly snappier than the SPI, especially up top) and the fact that there still aren't rear disc brakes! The heated seats work really well, and after having tried them in the Rabbit and the Fusion, they're really growing on me. The cruise control is a welcome addition as well. Plus, 6-speed intermittent wipers (again) with pull-to-mist. The Fusion lacks those extra levels of choice.
2006 Fusion SE (2.3L, auto, alloys) - black, camel interior (perhaps it'll grow on me, it seems really, really sandy). I love the brakes (4 wheel discs with ABS) and I love the extra pull of the 2.3L Duratec with the 5-speed auto - the first two gears are nice and short and that goes a long way towards shoring up my confidence in the car's performance. The suspension (for obvious reasons) is quite a bit softer than the Focus, but the body roll is well tamed. The brake dive does seem a tad excessive, though. The stereo is good for "just" a single CD with 6 speakers. The power seat is a nice touch, and I'm actually glad the recliner is manual - that seems to break most often with power seats. The trunk is a good size and the seats still fold down.
What annoys me is the almost-unbearable growl of the 2.3L Duratec. This was my first experience with this engine and I actually find the intake/exhaust note of the 2.0L to be superior. Also, there seems to be way more "harsh" noise coming from the engine bay of the Fusion vs. what I had expected, especially after having driven the 2007 SEL V6 AWD in the same night.
So, in my mind, do I want a better-equipped Focus or a snappier-performing Fusion? They both have cruise, air, tilt/tele steering, power doors/windows/mirrors/entry/trunk, 16" wheels, front/rear anti-sways, CD/MP3 stereo, good headlights and excellent fit/finish. The ZX5 performs better overall than the SPI (but I had fun modding it!), but then again the Fusion outruns the Focus.
I'm also waiting for the catcalls about possibly abandoning the Sedan Faction. :D
Seriously, please post your good and bad experiences - let's keep the really OT stuff to a minimum, thanks.
Sara thought it would be a great idea (read: she likes the Focus still, even after 3 years), so we stopped in at Stockfish and took an 07 ZX5 SES out for a boot.
After driving the Focus and seeing that the great incentives on the Fusion actually made for the same monthly lease/buy payments as the Focus... I have the following conundrum: WHICH CAR???
Here are my summary impressions and observations on each car:
2007 ZX5 SES - It has the Canadian Winter Package Plus (heated seats, heated mirrors, ABS, traction control). It has a great suspension (not too far off of the S2 suspension, has front/rear anti-sways), makes decent noise and output from the 2.0L Duratec, enjoys the "pick a gear" capabilities of the shift gate and O/D select button. I find the new foglights are growing on me.
Downsides - the audio setup is pathetisad (has the duplicate controls on a stalk on the left of the column, but where has all the bass gone?), the classic 4-speed and 4-banger lack of pull (although it's admittedly snappier than the SPI, especially up top) and the fact that there still aren't rear disc brakes! The heated seats work really well, and after having tried them in the Rabbit and the Fusion, they're really growing on me. The cruise control is a welcome addition as well. Plus, 6-speed intermittent wipers (again) with pull-to-mist. The Fusion lacks those extra levels of choice.
2006 Fusion SE (2.3L, auto, alloys) - black, camel interior (perhaps it'll grow on me, it seems really, really sandy). I love the brakes (4 wheel discs with ABS) and I love the extra pull of the 2.3L Duratec with the 5-speed auto - the first two gears are nice and short and that goes a long way towards shoring up my confidence in the car's performance. The suspension (for obvious reasons) is quite a bit softer than the Focus, but the body roll is well tamed. The brake dive does seem a tad excessive, though. The stereo is good for "just" a single CD with 6 speakers. The power seat is a nice touch, and I'm actually glad the recliner is manual - that seems to break most often with power seats. The trunk is a good size and the seats still fold down.
What annoys me is the almost-unbearable growl of the 2.3L Duratec. This was my first experience with this engine and I actually find the intake/exhaust note of the 2.0L to be superior. Also, there seems to be way more "harsh" noise coming from the engine bay of the Fusion vs. what I had expected, especially after having driven the 2007 SEL V6 AWD in the same night.
So, in my mind, do I want a better-equipped Focus or a snappier-performing Fusion? They both have cruise, air, tilt/tele steering, power doors/windows/mirrors/entry/trunk, 16" wheels, front/rear anti-sways, CD/MP3 stereo, good headlights and excellent fit/finish. The ZX5 performs better overall than the SPI (but I had fun modding it!), but then again the Fusion outruns the Focus.
I'm also waiting for the catcalls about possibly abandoning the Sedan Faction. :D
Seriously, please post your good and bad experiences - let's keep the really OT stuff to a minimum, thanks.
Daily driver 1: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport "S"
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.