Does anyone own a Jeep Patriot or a Ford Fusion? If so, how do you like it, and is it a good value?

Answer 1

I've owned the Fusion V6 SEL for almost a month now. The Fusion is very roomy front and back, and has a nice big trunk. It is very stylish looking and I've drawn looks from people when driving it. It has a great feel to it and is fun to drive.

So far I am very impressed with the quality of design and workmanship on the Fusion. I've had mine for a little less than a month and I have found no flaws whatsoever. The fit and finish are excellent.

There are several nice little extras like perimeter lighting by the front doors, a flip up storage compartment on top of the dash, and flip down rear seats for expanding the trunk storage

Consumer Reports April issue gave the 2007 Fusion their highest ratings on predicted reliability and safety. They also gave the V6 their highest buy recommendation.

Car & Driver also ran 2 competitions between the Fusion, Camry and Accord, and after the participants drove each of the cars, the majority in both tests chose the Fusion as their favorite.

The only drawbacks are that fuel economy is a fair amount less than the EPA rating. I know several Fusion owners getting 18 mpg or less for their average driving. I'm getting about 19 mpg myself for a 50/50 mix of expressway/city driving. The turning radius is also fairly wide.

I also recommend going with the V6 instead of the I4. The 4-cylinder engine is just too underpowered for a mid-size car this large.