2008 Ford Fusion Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The Ford Fusion is a unique midsize sedan that offers a refreshing deviation from the "ho-hum" norm in the segment.
For decades, the Ford sedan lineup was highlighted by the popular Taurus sedan, which halfway into the 21st Century was in need of an update. Its replacement came for the 2006 model year as the Fusion, a sporty, European-inspired sedan.
Much of the Fusion’s sporty nature is derived from sharing a platform with Mazda’s Mazda6, a refined and athletic sedan. The Fusion shares much of this nature, and it adds a distinctive style all its own. This helps it stand out from tough competition, such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu.
You won't be confusing the Fusion for any of those aforementioned rivals. Only the Accord can touch the Fusion on progressive styling. The Camry and Malibu go far more conservative, and as a result, you could lose them in a crowded parking lot. Meanwhile, the upright headlights, angular three-box design, and stout rear end convey the Fusion's sporty nature.
The cabin is not as exciting, but it matches the exterior in terms of sharp, angular design language. The centre stack of controls is very straightforward and all the functions are easy to locate and use.
Standard features include a six-way power driver seat, air conditioning, cruise control, power door locks, remote keyless entry, variable-speed intermittent wipers, and power windows. Upgrading to the SEL adds automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and more. A sunroof is an extra-cost option.
The Fusion's look can be enhanced with the newly available Sport Appearance Package. It provides a rear spoiler, fog lamps, a smoked-out grille, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, the Sport Appearance Package adds leather seating surfaces with red inserts and red stitching.
The base engine is a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine, making power specs of 160 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. If that’s just not enough, Ford also offers a 3.0-litre V6, putting out 221 horsepower and 205 pound-feet of torque.
The four-cylinder engine routes power to the front wheels through either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 powertrain comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, and can be had with either a front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain.
The four-cylinder provides adequate acceleration and the manual transmission pays fuel economy dividends, but the V6 makes more robust acceleration, and the added capability of all-wheel drive will provide peace of mind in winter driving.
Despite being called the Sport “Appearance” Package, it actually adds some performance substance, in the form of a stiffer suspension. No added power, but no worries, as the Fusion has refined handling that even errs on sporty at times.
The Fusion provides 447 litres of trunk space, which is better than the Honda Accord, Chevy Malibu, and Toyota Camry. The trunk space can be accessed via a helpful 60/40 split-fold rear seat.
The Fusion provides a decent amount of backseat legroom, and the angular design of the car allows for a straight enough roof to maintain solid rear headroom. Adults can sit in this roomy backseat comfortably for a couple of hours.
Standard features on the Fusion include a Bluetooth connectivity, a four-speaker stereo with AM/FM/CD player, as well as an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio capability. The SEL trim adds a six-disc CD player and steering wheel audio controls.
Buyers can select options such as a moonroof and an upgraded Audiophile stereo with six-disc CD changer and eight speakers.
The Fusion is also optional with Ford’s SYNC communications system which provides hands-free connectivity with your smartphone. This allows for hands-free calling, as well as the ability to stream your music from your phone. A voice-activated navigation system is optional.
For 2008, the Fusion adds previously optional safety features such as an anti-lock brake (ABS) system and a tire pressure monitoring system as standard equipment. This joins the full array of front- and side-impact airbags that come standard on the Fusion.
Traction control is offered with the V6 engine on the Fusion in Canada. The Fusion also includes standard rear parking sensors.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2008 Ford Fusion a Good rating in its moderate overlap front and side crash tests, but it rates roof strength as Acceptable and head restraints and seats as Marginal. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Fusion five starts in its frontal crash tests, five stars on the driver’s side and four on the passenger side, and five stars for rollover with AWD but four stars with FWD.
The most fuel-efficient version of the Fusion is the four-cylinder with the manual, returning 10.1 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 6.9 on the highway. The four-cylinder with the automatic transmission returns 10.2 L/100 km city, 7.0 highway.
If you are considering the V6, the more efficient version is with FWD, returning 11.7 L/100 km city, 7.7 highway. With AWD, that goes up to 12.4 L/100 km city, 8.1 highway. That’s not great fuel economy, but it is the trade-off for V6 power and AWD.
Base MSRP for the 2008 Ford Fusion SE in Canada is $23,899. The Ford Fusion SEL trim starts at $26,399. A V6 Fusion SE starts at $27,299, while the SEL V6 with AWD starts at $31,399. These prices actually undercut the 2008 Honda Accord, making the Fusion a solid value both as a new car and a used car.
Note: Images show a US model.
