Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
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On the road the Ecoboost 2.0L engine certainly makes the Fusion more entertaining than the Hybrid powertrain did. With 240 horsepower and a wallop of 270 lb-ft of torque at just 3,000 rpm it is no wonder.
Today I concentrated on road noise and feel – I like cars that have a good chassis feel, but I like them to be quiet on the highway – I must be getting old.
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Anyways, the Fusion is remarkably quiet on the road, wind noise is very minimal and tire noise barely audible. With the radio on there are no external noise intrusions that are noticeable.
Power delivery is smooth but the transmission is rough shifting from first to second gear. Other shifts seem to be perfectly smooth, but the first-to-second shift happens nearly every time you leave a stop sign or red light so it is a little annoying; if test driving one of these vehicles watch for this.
The chassis dynamics are lively, so the Fusion is fun to drive and toss into corners. Although the steering is somewhat vague and it is a little difficult to get an exact read on what the tires are doing when the g-forces climb, for all but those that want to go racing with their Fusion (so everyone) the Fusion offers plenty of smiles and grip.
