Life Is Good With A Hybrid Ford Fusion

When you’re behind the wheel of a hybrid Ford Fusion, it’s like driving a computer. If you’re a geek like me, you’ll love it.

For over two years we searched for the best, most affordable hybrid or electric vehicle. If there had been a mainstream electric convertible on the market, we would have grabbed it. We can’t afford a Tesla. I couldn’t bring myself to buy a regular car with average gas mileage. I poured over the stats for all the hybrids and we test drove several. Although we could use a larger SUV for camping trips, none fit our requirements for trunk space. When we gave up on the idea of a SUV, the 2012 Fusion ruled.

During the first test drive of the Fusion, we immediately were impressed with the smooth ride as the vehicle shifted from gas to battery and back. The boys were comfortable in the back seat which had more room than many of the vehicles we considered. A great sound system and easy handling made for a good ride.

After buying the car, I like it even more than I thought I would.

Although the 2012 hybrid Fusion was rated by the EPA to get between 36 and 41 miles per gallon, I routinely get over 50. When you turn off the ignition, an analysis of the trip displays on the dashboard. I don’t like to go below 40 mpg.

The family named it “Ninja” because no one ever knows we’re coming. I’ve had someone leaning on the hood when I started the car and she didn’t notice. I had to bang on the windshield and call out the window to get her to move away.

The image from the rear camera pops up in the rear view mirror when the car is in reverse. This could be a lifesaver for small kids behind the vehicle, but it also alerts you to the fact that a car is passing when you’re trying to blindly back out of a parking spot between larger vehicles.

The Fusion has been added to my smart phone as a blue tooth device. When the phone rings in my bag, I push one of the buttons on the steering wheel and speak to the person through the car speaker system. In fact, I can ask the car to make calls for me from my phone contacts too. The voice-activated Sync system turns on a radio or Sirius station, gives turn-by-turn directions, and even provides my horoscope, movie showings, and stock quotes. Most of the controls are on the steering wheel so you don’t have to move your hands and can keep your attention on the road.

This might be silly but my favorite feature is the colored lights around my cup holders and the lower interior of the entire car. You can change the color! The whole car has a glow when you drive at night, enough to find things without turning on one of the lights.

I’ll also admit I’m enjoying the six months of free Sirius radio. One station mimics my college radio station where I was both DJ and Station Manager in the 80’s. Happy memories abound every time I drive with these bands I’d completely forgotten.

My father owned a service station and told me never to buy a car which hasn’t been on the road for five years. I broke this rule once and paid a heavy price. The Fusion is now in its sixth year but the hybrid version is only at four. All the surveys show the hybrid with perfect scores across the board during its third year and we couldn’t wait two more years.

Although I don’t know how the car will hold up in the long term, we couldn’t be more thrilled right now. I used to have to gas up every week and now it’s every month!

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