Ford Fusion marches past Toyota Camry - Detroit News . . .
05-03-06, 06:43 PM
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Ford Fusion marches past Toyota Camry - Detroit News . . .
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Ford's power, fit and finish trump Toyota's warhorse
Anita and Paul Lienert / Special to The Detroit News
The Fusion's interior was luxe and refined
while the Camry's assembly was surprisingly slipshod.
The Fusion's cabin is upholstered in rich perforated leather.
The midlevel 2007 Camry SE's interior features cloth seats and few amenities.
ANN ARBOR -- When we decided to stage the definitive showdown between two of the top family sedans in North America, our choices quickly narrowed to the newest and most popular designs on the market: The 2006 Ford Fusion and the 2007 Toyota Camry.
The historic battle in this segment between Ford and Toyota, which dates back nearly two decades, has been so fierce that when the Taurus edged the Camry for the U.S. sales crown one year, Ford's public-relations department hired a marching band to trumpet that fact up and down Jefferson Avenue.
Our premise for this historic rematch was simple: If you're a family of modest means, with about $25,000 to spend on some new everyday wheels, which car offers the best value?
With the all-new Fusion supplanting the Taurus for model year 2006 and the long-lived Camry (the reigning sales champ) getting a major redesign for 2007, one of the two rivals is about ready to strike up the band once again.
The '06 Fusion starts at $17,795, including shipping. We tested a top-of-the-line Fusion SEL with lots of equipment and a sticker price of $25,650. The '07 Camry is priced from $18,850. We drove a midrange Camry LE with a modest number of extras and a bottom line of $24,266.
Exterior
Bold. In your face. And very, very American. The Fusion boasts a distinctive exterior that Ford designers like to refer to as "go-Daddy" -- shorthand for hip and edgy. With its big chrome grille, flanked by wrapover headlamps, and other Ford family styling cues, Fusion has a brash and sporty personality that has struck a responsive chord with buyers since its debut last fall.
The redesigned Camry adopts precisely the opposite tack. In a dramatic stylistic departure from its bland predecessor, the '07 model takes a huge step upmarket. Now, the Camry looks an awful lot like a little Lexus, not a garden-variety family schlepper, with a new elegance and sophistication that the Fusion lacks.
Depending on your personal taste, this one's a toss-up.
Winner: Tie
Interior
Oddly enough, where the Toyota had the more luxurious exterior, Ford came up with a ritzier cabin.
The Camry LE was outfitted in a very subtle two-tone interior scheme, with cloth seats and not a lot of amenities. Considering that the base Camry starts at under $19,000, we were surprised that the midlevel LE model didn't seem that much fancier, especially considering the $24,000-plus sticker on our test vehicle.
Moreover, we were startled, and disappointed, by the less-than-sterling assembly quality on our test Camry, which was actually built in Japan, and not in Toyota's huge assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky. Regardless of location, there is no excuse for the poor trim fits we encountered inside our test vehicle -- especially not in a segment that's as competitive as this, and certainly not with the golden reputation for quality that Toyota has enjoyed for so many years.
The Fusion, on the other hand, proved to be a pleasant surprise, with an upscale cabin upholstered in rich perforated leather, with handsome piano-black trim. The pieces fit together neatly (the Fusion is assembled in Mexico), and there were enough standard and optional features to give you the impression of driving a near-luxury vehicle.
Winner: Fusion
Ride & handling
Handling tends to be a fairly subjective issue, and it often takes a back seat to ride quality among family buyers. Both our test sedans displayed a very comfortable ride that should be quite acceptable to most shoppers in this segment.
When it comes to agility and maneuverability, however, the Fusion has a clear edge over the Camry. While most midsize family sedans feel neutral, if not a little soggy, in terms of handling, the Fusion is crisp and lively, sharing a delightful nimbleness with its cousin, the Mazda6 (both cars employ a common underbody). It's certainly no BMW, but enthusiasts will appreciate the more sporting flavor of the Ford over Toyota's middle-of-the-road approach.
Winner: Fusion
Powertrain
Between our two test vehicles, the Fusion was the clear winner in this department, by virtue of the fact that it offered two more cylinders, one more transmission gear and 63 more horsepower, for not much more money.
While a DOHC 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine is standard in the base model, our range-topping Fusion SEL was equipped with a responsive twin-cam 3.0-liter V-6 that delivers an ample 221 horsepower and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
In comparison, our Camry LE was fitted with a very sturdy DOHC 2.4-liter I-4 and smooth-shifting five-speed automatic. The Toyota four-cylinder engine makes 158 horsepower -- perfectly adequate for everyday driving, but nowhere near as quick and powerful as the Ford V-6.
Moreover, the Camry's fuel economy isn't much better than the Fusion's. The EPA ratings on our test Camry LE were 24 mpg in city driving and 33 on the highway; the Fusion SEL was rated at 21 and 29 -- very respectable figures for a V-6 with automatic.
Winner: Fusion
Safety
You have to pay extra for most of the safety equipment on the Fusion, even the high-line SEL. Side air bags and side curtains are part of a $595 package; antilock brakes cost $595 and traction control adds $95.
Virtually all that gear comes standard on the Camry LE, including ABS, side air bags and curtains, plus a driver's knee air bag, which is something you'd expect to see on the more expensive Lexus models. Traction control comes bundled with stability control for an extra $650.
Winner: Camry
Summary
Considering the $1,384 price difference between our two test vehicles, the Fusion SLE seemed to offer so much more than the Camry LE, in terms of engine size and performance, as well as creature comforts and -- most surprising of all -- assembly quality.
Overall Winner: Ford Fusion
Ford's power, fit and finish trump Toyota's warhorse
Anita and Paul Lienert / Special to The Detroit News
The Fusion's interior was luxe and refined
while the Camry's assembly was surprisingly slipshod.
The Fusion's cabin is upholstered in rich perforated leather.
The midlevel 2007 Camry SE's interior features cloth seats and few amenities.
ANN ARBOR -- When we decided to stage the definitive showdown between two of the top family sedans in North America, our choices quickly narrowed to the newest and most popular designs on the market: The 2006 Ford Fusion and the 2007 Toyota Camry.
The historic battle in this segment between Ford and Toyota, which dates back nearly two decades, has been so fierce that when the Taurus edged the Camry for the U.S. sales crown one year, Ford's public-relations department hired a marching band to trumpet that fact up and down Jefferson Avenue.
Our premise for this historic rematch was simple: If you're a family of modest means, with about $25,000 to spend on some new everyday wheels, which car offers the best value?
With the all-new Fusion supplanting the Taurus for model year 2006 and the long-lived Camry (the reigning sales champ) getting a major redesign for 2007, one of the two rivals is about ready to strike up the band once again.
The '06 Fusion starts at $17,795, including shipping. We tested a top-of-the-line Fusion SEL with lots of equipment and a sticker price of $25,650. The '07 Camry is priced from $18,850. We drove a midrange Camry LE with a modest number of extras and a bottom line of $24,266.
Exterior
Bold. In your face. And very, very American. The Fusion boasts a distinctive exterior that Ford designers like to refer to as "go-Daddy" -- shorthand for hip and edgy. With its big chrome grille, flanked by wrapover headlamps, and other Ford family styling cues, Fusion has a brash and sporty personality that has struck a responsive chord with buyers since its debut last fall.
The redesigned Camry adopts precisely the opposite tack. In a dramatic stylistic departure from its bland predecessor, the '07 model takes a huge step upmarket. Now, the Camry looks an awful lot like a little Lexus, not a garden-variety family schlepper, with a new elegance and sophistication that the Fusion lacks.
Depending on your personal taste, this one's a toss-up.
Winner: Tie
Interior
Oddly enough, where the Toyota had the more luxurious exterior, Ford came up with a ritzier cabin.
The Camry LE was outfitted in a very subtle two-tone interior scheme, with cloth seats and not a lot of amenities. Considering that the base Camry starts at under $19,000, we were surprised that the midlevel LE model didn't seem that much fancier, especially considering the $24,000-plus sticker on our test vehicle.
Moreover, we were startled, and disappointed, by the less-than-sterling assembly quality on our test Camry, which was actually built in Japan, and not in Toyota's huge assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky. Regardless of location, there is no excuse for the poor trim fits we encountered inside our test vehicle -- especially not in a segment that's as competitive as this, and certainly not with the golden reputation for quality that Toyota has enjoyed for so many years.
The Fusion, on the other hand, proved to be a pleasant surprise, with an upscale cabin upholstered in rich perforated leather, with handsome piano-black trim. The pieces fit together neatly (the Fusion is assembled in Mexico), and there were enough standard and optional features to give you the impression of driving a near-luxury vehicle.
Winner: Fusion
Ride & handling
Handling tends to be a fairly subjective issue, and it often takes a back seat to ride quality among family buyers. Both our test sedans displayed a very comfortable ride that should be quite acceptable to most shoppers in this segment.
When it comes to agility and maneuverability, however, the Fusion has a clear edge over the Camry. While most midsize family sedans feel neutral, if not a little soggy, in terms of handling, the Fusion is crisp and lively, sharing a delightful nimbleness with its cousin, the Mazda6 (both cars employ a common underbody). It's certainly no BMW, but enthusiasts will appreciate the more sporting flavor of the Ford over Toyota's middle-of-the-road approach.
Winner: Fusion
Powertrain
Between our two test vehicles, the Fusion was the clear winner in this department, by virtue of the fact that it offered two more cylinders, one more transmission gear and 63 more horsepower, for not much more money.
While a DOHC 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine is standard in the base model, our range-topping Fusion SEL was equipped with a responsive twin-cam 3.0-liter V-6 that delivers an ample 221 horsepower and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
In comparison, our Camry LE was fitted with a very sturdy DOHC 2.4-liter I-4 and smooth-shifting five-speed automatic. The Toyota four-cylinder engine makes 158 horsepower -- perfectly adequate for everyday driving, but nowhere near as quick and powerful as the Ford V-6.
Moreover, the Camry's fuel economy isn't much better than the Fusion's. The EPA ratings on our test Camry LE were 24 mpg in city driving and 33 on the highway; the Fusion SEL was rated at 21 and 29 -- very respectable figures for a V-6 with automatic.
Winner: Fusion
Safety
You have to pay extra for most of the safety equipment on the Fusion, even the high-line SEL. Side air bags and side curtains are part of a $595 package; antilock brakes cost $595 and traction control adds $95.
Virtually all that gear comes standard on the Camry LE, including ABS, side air bags and curtains, plus a driver's knee air bag, which is something you'd expect to see on the more expensive Lexus models. Traction control comes bundled with stability control for an extra $650.
Winner: Camry
Summary
Considering the $1,384 price difference between our two test vehicles, the Fusion SLE seemed to offer so much more than the Camry LE, in terms of engine size and performance, as well as creature comforts and -- most surprising of all -- assembly quality.
Overall Winner: Ford Fusion
Last edited by Gojirra99; 05-03-06 at 09:03 PM.
05-03-06, 06:53 PM
#2
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jun 2003
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give me the accord instead.
i went to the auto show today and sat inside an EX model with nav. it was downright nice inside! the instrument lighting and the touch screen nav were awesome. exterior be damned though.
i went to the auto show today and sat inside an EX model with nav. it was downright nice inside! the instrument lighting and the touch screen nav were awesome. exterior be damned though.
05-03-06, 08:44 PM
#3
Detroit News huh, wonder how much Ford paid them, person reviewing it has no idea how to review a car
yea and you still have to pay 600 for ABS, awesome just awesome
The Fusion, on the other hand, proved to be a pleasant surprise, with an upscale cabin upholstered in rich perforated leather, with handsome piano-black trim. The pieces fit together neatly (the Fusion is assembled in Mexico), and there were enough standard and optional features to give you the impression of driving a near-luxury vehicle.
05-03-06, 08:48 PM
#4
Lexus Test Driver
I saw the Camry at the car show and it looked cheap and it was still very ugly..........The Fusion is a nice car for a Ford, but i still think the Camry is the better car overall especially with the 3.5 V6 that the Fusion cant touch.
05-03-06, 08:55 PM
#6
Lexus Connoisseur
Originally Posted by LexArazzo
The Fusion's cabin is upholstered in rich perforated leather.
The midlevel 2007 Camry SE's interior features cloth seats and few amenities.
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05-03-06, 09:15 PM
#8
Speaks French in Russian
What the hell did they add to the Camry LE model that totals to 24,600?? A whole bunch of accessories?? V6 LE's with the moonroof package, alloy wheels, and JBL is about 25,900?? Or even a base V6 SE for 24,800??
05-04-06, 12:59 PM
#10
Moderator
Ford Fusion = Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus was just plain bad and unreliable. Ford just reskinned the Taurus and changed the name to Fusion. I would go for the Camry...
The Ford Taurus was just plain bad and unreliable. Ford just reskinned the Taurus and changed the name to Fusion. I would go for the Camry...
05-04-06, 01:13 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
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Originally Posted by Trexus
Ford Fusion = Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus was just plain bad and unreliable. Ford just reskinned the Taurus and changed the name to Fusion. I would go for the Camry...
The Ford Taurus was just plain bad and unreliable. Ford just reskinned the Taurus and changed the name to Fusion. I would go for the Camry...
05-04-06, 01:19 PM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
While I doubt I'd go for a Fusion over a Camry, I must say its a pretty good car compared to what Ford has put out in the past. The interior has a sort of Euro-flair styling that looks good IMO. Sharing an underbody with the Mazda6 is a good thing too.
05-04-06, 01:36 PM
#14
Originally Posted by LexArazzo
Bold. In your face. And very, very American. The Fusion boasts a distinctive exterior that Ford designers like to refer to as "go-Daddy" -- shorthand for hip and edgy. With its big chrome grille, flanked by wrapover headlamps, and other Ford family styling cues, Fusion has a brash and sporty personality that has struck a responsive chord with buyers since its debut last fall.
