The wife is looking to buy a new car.
She likes the Focus, but I have heard good things about the Fusion safety-and performance-wise.
I have not done any hard research myself because it will be her car and she can do as she pleases.
I would just like to report to her any comments you folks might have regarding pros/cons and good/bad experiences.
Thanks for taking the time to post on the matter!

 

If you don't mind price difference, go with Fusion.

 

A base fusion with a 2.3l and a stick is your best bet in my opinion.

 

The Fusion is a much better car in almost every way. I would pay the difference and go with it.

 

My wife bought a '05 focus brand new two years ago, it's been a very good little car. Absolutely no problems to date with 30,000kl on it. The fusion came out just after She purchased the focus or I might have tried to sway her away from the car she bought. The fusion is a little bigger and I find it a little tight in the focus for longer trips.

 

My wife has an '06 Fusion 3.0 with the 6 sp auto. The car is very smooth and fast. It has one of the best ride and handling comprimises of any car I've driven. The platform is the same as the Mazda 6, but with a 2" longer wheelbase. The Fusion is a much more advanced car than the Focus, which was designed nearly a decade ago and has had no significant upgrades since. (cosmetic upgrade slated for '08)

 

Drive them and see which one you like. I found a 2.3 Fusion to test drive and was a little disappointed. Too much of a "rental car" feel, interior plastics are particularly cheap, but still superior to a Chysler Sebring, the ulitmate rental car. On the other hand, if you can get over the styling, I actually like how the Focus drives, for an FWD car. A friend has the SVT model, and it is one of the few cars that is as fun to drive as my BMW. You need to decide for yourself, but if you go with the Focus, drive a hard bargain, since a new style is coming soon.

Jim

 

Exactly right. I just drove a 4 cylinder/5 speed manual & it's very quick and the 5 speed has nicely spaced ratios. Clutch is smooth as silk.

The body is tight as a drum & theres very little road noise at 80 MPH.

Just received the March edition of Consumer Reports in the mail & you gotta love this. CR has given the fusion it's highest rating for predicted reliabilty.

Looks like theres a Fusion in my wifes future.

Now if only I could convince her NOT to ruin a perfectly good car with an automatic transmission.

She always tells me "I just want to put in in D & go."

Oh well.

 

A manual transmission in a 4 door car the size of the Fusion is very difficult to sell and you take a real beating when you try to trade it in. 95% of families have at least one member that can't or won't drive a standard transmission car so your market is very limited when you want to sell it. When I go to a car auction and a nice car comes through, the buyers flock to it but when they see it is not an automatic, they back off and don't bid on it. The actual real world price difference is more than the book difference. The penalty is not as great with standard transmissions on sporty or small cars and working type trucks.

 

And that is why you find one that is a year or two old - and it already has aformentioned depreciation factored in

 

Exactly. The problem is finding one as they are rare. When you have one, you can't sell it and when you want one, you can't find it.

 

So buy what you want new and keep the damn thing. Problem solved.

 

i bought a 06 focus back in august, i love that little car, i got the manual and love it. i got the street appearence package "body kit" is basically what it is. but i love it, i would do it again if i had the choice.