Hi guys, been thinking seriously about this car

[ladyginger]

Hi guys,
My name is Ginger. I have been thinking very seriously about buying this car. I went to the dealer this week and all I heard was good things. I loved all the bells and whistles. Can you guys give me the pros and cons of this car? Be honest if you can.

Thanks in advance,
luv Ginger

[xmech2k]

Well, first let me say, did you expect to hear anything BUT good things from a car salesman? They're like a teenage boy on a date. They'll tell you WHATEVER you want to hear...

Anyways, I have a 2010 Fusion SE, 4 cyl, auto xmssn. I've been very happy with it. I've had it for almost 18 months now, and the only issue I had was a small leak where the water pump meets the engine block, caused by the pump seal, and replaced under warranty. It was such a small leak it was only found by the dealer when I was getting an oil change. The coolant level had hardly lowered.

All those buttons on the center console can be overwhelming, especially if you're going down the highway and the window starts fogging, and you have to look way down low to find the little defrost button. Best learn which is which early on.

The trunk line is a bit high, so it limits the view when backing a bit. But I have the backup sensors, which I didn't want originally, now I'm glad I got them. But of course this does mean you have a huge trunk!

Some have had problems with the transmission. I experienced a few hard shifts when the car wasn't warmed up yet, but that was long ago, and haven't had any problem any more.

There are a few (I think VERY rare) cases of a waterfall/gurgling sound at the passengers feet cause by air in the cooling system gurgling at the heater core. So just make sure when you test drive your car, you start it cold, and if you hear something like that, get another one. Extremely unlikely, but just in case. When I had my water pump changed, it made that noise on the way home, then when I went to pick up my son from school, then was totally gone the next day. It's a big mystery.

Some also think the headlights have something to be desired. Some have raised their aim, some install HID's. The foglights are also notoriously aimed low to the point of being useless, so they'll probably need adjusting. (Don't know if they got this straight on the 2011's.)

Also go in knowing it's a firmer riding car than others like the Camry.

Anyways, I'd recommend poking around the http://www.edmunds.com/ forums(Sorry to push another forum! ), and browse throw the ones on the cars you're interested in. You'll get lots of viewpoints, see the common issues, etc.

Good luck!

[Gizrat]

Hi I bought a 2011 Fusion and once again the head light and the driving lights are aimed very low. I have a good bit of slipping in the tranny when cold. Thinking of contacting the dealer about car has only 4000 miles. Once your a mile or 2 down the road its good.