mmarshall

In CL, especially on CAR CHAT, we have all types of auto-enthusiasts, across the spectrum. For almost any type of auto buyer, from the Prius or Insight eco-ite to the road-burning Dodge Viper-jock, the main "drugery" part in auto-shopping is haggling and struggling with the salespeople over price and then dealing with the buisness-rep, who tries to get you to sign up for a bunch of additional packages/options. That's why Saturn, over 20 years ago, and more recently Scion, went to a more customer-friendly system that skipped at least part of that nonsense and sold cars at list-price only, plus tax/tags/dealer-approved accessories.

I myself, by auto-enthusiast standards, am somewhat on the conservative side. I can toss a car around if I have to (and sometimes do so in moderation, on a car-review, to reasonably gauge acceleration/handling/braking). But I generally dislike aggressive driving on public roads....that is not the place for it, and can be dangerous. To my way of thinking, some of those hard-driving guys in the enthusiast-mags are a bunch of cowboys (the late Brock Yates, IMO, was a classic example). I consider myself a car enthusiast....not a speed/drifting/burnout enthusiast (there is a difference). I do like bright and unusual colors on a car, though...that's one area where conservative grays, silvers, blacks, and other dull colors just don't appeal to me. My favorite has always been Amythist-purple.

CDNROCKIES

Good review as always Mike.

The Fusion is a really solid car. I was really blown away with their new Cmax hybrid, however. 4.0 L/100km (that would be 60 mpg) BOTH city and highway. Available nav, leather, park assist, Mytouch, rear view cam, panoramic roof, hands free tailgate, etc. 185 hp. Really impressive and almost bought one.

mmarshall

Thanks. Wasn't actually a full-review, though....just a casual test-drive and brief write-up.

From what I gather in the specs, the Fusion and C-Max use the same hybrid-drive system. In general, though, for some reason, I just liked the feel more of the way it was set up in the Fusion.

Fly4u

While the dealmaking aspect of purchasing can be onerous, there is a cathartic pleasure in declaring an impasse and heading for the door. This is easier done when living in a locale with competing dealerships and you have settled on a specific vehicle. Once the process is started early in the day and good chemistry exists with the sales advisor, I very rarely need to walk.

My driving characteristics have changed from assertive to ultra-conservative directly as a result of owning a hybrid. There is an alternative joy to consuming the lowest amount of fossil fuel aided by helpful graphics and a trip summary reward. I have also embraced technology (Nav, blind spot, etc) in lieu of brute power and aggressive handling capability. The tri-mode selector of the ES300h has appeal for the transient desire to regress - need to test drive again to evaluate how distinct the settings are.

I share your sentiment regarding bright colors; blue and red exterior hues bring the vehicle to life. Far too many mfgrs design drab interiors with minimal contrast and strictly limit what is paired to the external color. (VW is the worst offender IMHO) BMW is an exception; it is possible to order a Le Mans Blue exterior with Coral Red interior! Might be a detriment to resale value, but at least the option is available! Tailoring this to the Fusion Hybrid, my recent test drive and discussion with the advisor suggest a red exterior with dune (tan) interior is not a popular combo, but it is the only option should I go this route!