Ford's Pleasing Fusion

I managed to take a 2010 Ford Fusion http://bp2.forddirect.fordvehicles.com/2010-Ford-Fusion#page=/Style/ for a spin today, and found it, to my surprise, rather pleasing. I drove the SE I4, equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission mated to a four cyliner powerplant.

Nice, tight ride, well-controlled, not underpowered, but not overpowering either. Better interior surfaces than the prior model, better integration overall. There's less brand identity in this Fusion, and the friendly Ford rep touted the connection to Volvo and the prevalence of the multiple safety systems. I can't say I was thrilled with the blocky bulkiness of some of the interior spaces and spots - like the high center mounted bin on top of the dashboard - but it all seems to have function, if not form.

It was not quite as quiet as I anticipated, especially after the rep pointed out the silicone seals and the presence of sound-deadening inserts throughout. I could clearly hear the perky powerplant working out with the smooth transmission to get us down the road - not growly and snarling, however, just buzzing away doing its work. I'll give you my impressions in the next post to Chevrolet's highly competitive Malibu 2LT, which has a similar I4/six-speed setup, but gave a very different flavor to the driving experience.

So, Ford, bravo to the updated Fusion - even without the added zoot and high profile the much-more-expensive Fusion hybrid provides, this Fusion proved that Ford, indeed, may have a better idea.