Cutaway view of a Ford Fusion V-6 engine and front drivetrain as…

console and oor shift. That alone is a big change from most Taurus sedans in eet use. The visibility with the Fusion is very good. Around the A-pillar to the front quarter, past the Bpillar to the driver's side and out the rear glass, it was all pretty open. The tilting and telescoping steering wheel. however, is an excellent feature. Iranlt III-ill: Then we took the Fusion around tlte road racing course at Las Vegas Speedway. The V~6 Fusion ran very well. It had good to very good bottom end responsiveness. The Mazda6 platform was very capable, very repeatable, and very predictable. On the brakes early, on the gas early and late apex. the car was easy to drive hard. Not that acceleration is a big deal with an admin car. but we hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, 100 mph in 24 seconds. We did not test for the top speed. The steering is rm and responsive. Emergency lane changes (suddenly move over one lane) and evasive maneuvers (suddenly move over one lane. then quickly move back) are downright sporty. All of this is thanks to the excellent Mazda chassis. The sus- pension is certainly precise. The ride I also sporty. In fact, the sus pension is taut enough to make us wonder about spending a day on the streets tn it. The Fusion has slightly larger front brake rotors than the )luzdu. On both the EVOC course and the extended street ride, the brakes were excellent. The brakes were not taxed at all, nor did they The Fusion uses the front wheel drive, Mazda chassis. The V6 engine, ABS brakes, automatic transmission and side airbags are all extra- from the softer (retail) suspension. However, this was not an issue. The body roll is much less than the Taurus. cast options. I'I'il:lll Heads up...in the low-end trim level, where the Fusion initially appears so price competitive, it comes with a 4- cylinder engine and a MANUAL shit't transmission. An automatic transmission is an extra-cost option. On the Fusion. both ABS brakes and side-impact air bags are extra-cost options. By the time you add a V-6 engine, an automatic transmission, ABS and side air bags, the Fusion loses much of its price appeal. The Fusion is not available with stability control. On the topic of side airbags, the Fusion has a signicantly different crash rating than the Five Hundred. The III-IS crash standards are (in order) Good, Acceptable, Marginal and Poor. The Fusion has Acceptable front and front offset crash results, Marginal rear crash results and without side airbags, Poor side crash results. In comparison, the Five Hundred has the top rating (Good) in all four crash tests. The Fusion might have somewhat better fuel economy Five Hundred (and certainly better than the Crown Victoria) but this, too, may vary, With the 2.3L lnline Four and Auto, the Fusion has an EPA City rating of 24 mpg, while the 3.0L V6 and Auto has an EPA city rating of 21 mpg. The Five Hundred also has an EPA city rating of21 mpg. Overall, the Fusion appears to be an able mid-size sedan. but only average in most ways. We actually found that to be a surprise since in the retail market. the mid-size sedan segment is so intensely competitive. For police fleet use by detectives and admin staff, the Fusion isnt a signicant improvement over the Taurus. and perhaps not even a true replacement. The Five Hundred pleasantly sure prised us...a lot. The Fusion...not so much. Fusion is a midsize car and good for what it is. Most cops will not find this to be a great replacement for the Taurus for the tasks that LE does. The Fusion simply does not have the interior room of the Taurus, let alone the downright spacious Five Hundred. The Fusion is nice...and small. For your detectives and administrators, instead of the Fusion, bid the Five Hundred, the true replacement for the Taurus among cops. Drive the Fusion. Drive the Five Hundred. Price them both. Then decide. The 210hp, 3.0L DOHC V-G produces plenty ofpawer for this mid-size car. The Fusion With this V-6 is rated at 21 mpg city, the same gas mileage as the Five Hundred. act like it. Of course. the retail car had a bit of body roll. which is to be expected www.pfmmug.com 103