Best Reviewed
Hybrid Cars
- Most fuel-efficient hybrid car 2011 Toyota Prius *Est. $21650
- Best hybrid family sedan 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid *Est. $28600
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- Excellent fuel economy
- Roomy, comfortable interior
- Quality fit and finish
- Available Ford Sync system
- Good crash-test ratings
- Predicted reliability
- Price premium over nonhybrid models
- Small trunk
- Rear seat does not fold
Free Price Quote for 2010 Ford Fusion HybridThe 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid blows away all other midsize hybrids in reviews.
Although it's not as fuel-efficient as the
"If it wasn't for the dazzling, customizable gauge cluster in the Fusion Hybrid, it would be difficult for drivers to tell this car packs an extra electrical system under its hood," Cars.com concludes, naming it the Best New Car of 2010. That's just one of the Fusion Hybrid's honors; it's also won Automobile magazine's All-Star award, MotherProof.com's Best Hybrid for Families designation and Motor Trend's Car of the Year along with the rest of the Fusion lineup. Except for some styling differences, the five-passenger Fusion Hybrid is identical to the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid (Base MSRP: $28,180)
The Ford Fusion Hybrid's powertrain pairs a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for a peak 191 horsepower. Like the Prius, the Fusion Hybrid can launch from a stop solely with its electric motor. That helps the Ford Fusion Hybrid achieve better fuel economy than any other midsize hybrid car, including the 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Base MSRP: $26,675) and 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid (Base MSRP: $26,780), which is available in only nine states. The Fusion Hybrid's estimated 41 mpg city/36 mpg highway/39 mpg combined still trails the Prius' 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway/50 mpg combined, however.
Although reviews say the Toyota Prius offers all the passenger room of a midsize car, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is even roomier overall, with an inch more legroom and 2 inches more hip room in the back seat. The Prius' hatchback, on the other hand, provides nearly twice as much cargo space as the Fusion Hybrid's 11.8-cubic-foot trunk, especially since the Fusion Hybrid's rear seatbacks don't fold down for additional storage capacity.
A significant drawback mentioned in several reviews is the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid's substantial price premium over the 175-horsepower, four-cylinder nonhybrid 2010 Ford Fusion (Base MSRP: $19,695 to $24,655), which the Environmental Protection Agency rates at a respectable 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway with an automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
Critics like the smoothness with which the Ford Fusion Hybrid transitions between electric and gas modes. Sara Lacey at MotherProof.com writes: "At traffic lights, the engine's starting and stopping was undetectable; there was no loud engine start noise and no lurching as the engine jumped to life. It was impressive." Remarkably, Ford's hybrid family sedan can run on pure electric power up to 47 mph, though doing so requires the driver to keep a feather-light touch on the throttle. While reviewers say that is difficult to accomplish, they note the Fusion Hybrid generally enters and stays in fuel-saving electric mode longer and more frequently than most other full-hybrid cars.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid's unique gauge cluster includes useful, customizable color displays on both sides of the speedometer that monitor the operator's driving behavior and encourage more fuel-efficient driving techniques. For example, animated vines grow on the display the more efficiently you drive. Reviewers say there is a busy-looking cluster of buttons arranged on the dashboard's center stack, but the design is sufficiently functional and attractive. The Ford Sync hands-free communication and entertainment interface is a highly recommended option, according to reviewers.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid also earns high marks for its standard safety equipment: front, side and curtain airbags, antilock brakes, electronic stability control, traction control and rear parking sensors. A backup camera and blind-spot warning system are optional. Most crash-test scores are high; the Fusion Hybrid earns perfect 5-star government ratings in frontal crashes and for protecting the driver in a side crash, with 4 stars for side-crash passenger protection and rollover resistance. In tests at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Fusion Hybrid earns the highest rating of "Good" in front, side and rear crashes, with an "Acceptable" rating for rollover roof strength.
Ford is voluntarily fixing the brake software on thousands of Fusion and Milan hybrids. Ford says the braking system could switch to backup hydraulic braking unnecessarily, necessitating a harder press on the pedal. The cars have not been recalled.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid carries a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, with five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain and eight years/100,000 miles for hybrid components.
Car and Driver tests the Ford Fusion Hybrid against its biggest midsize competitors, the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid (as well as the now-discontinued Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid). Motor Trend pits it against the Camry Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid is also ranked against other cars at ConsumerReports.org, Cars.com, Automobile magazine, MotherProof.com, About.com and ConsumerGuide.com. In-depth road tests can be found at Edmunds Inside Line, The Wall Street Journal, LeftLaneNews.com and TheTruthAboutCars.com. Crash-test ratings are available from the IIHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with official fuel-economy estimates at FuelEconomy.gov. Other sources test the Fusion Hybrid's real-world fuel economy; Popular Mechanics tests the Fusion Hybrid against the Toyota Prius and 2010 Honda Insight (Base MSRP: $19,800-$21,300) in normal weather, with cold-weather tests at Motor Trend and Autoblog.com.
Our Sources
1. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
Car and Driver's typically thorough comparison test pits four midsize hybrid sedans against each other. The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid beats each of the others for its "superb quality," well-planted suspension and enjoyable driving character. The Fusion Hybrid gets the best fuel economy during the test, averaging 34 mpg. Drawbacks include a "loose-feeling" continuously variable transmission and a "growling" engine.
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid vs. Camry Hybrid, Altima Hybrid and Malibu Hybrid, Patrick Bedard, February 2009
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org thoroughly tests the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, ranking it against other 2010 hybrid and nonhybrid sedans based on price, performance, safety, reliability and fuel economy.
Review: Sedans, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
In this full road test, Daniel Pund calls the Ford Fusion Hybrid "probably the best driving hybrid sedan on the market." Pund makes some comparisons between the Fusion Hybrid and the conventionally powered Fusion family sedan, as well as the Toyota Camry Hybrid. In a 177.9-mile suburban driving loop, the Ford Fusion Hybrid averaged 35.7 mpg while a Camry Hybrid returned 41.8 mpg and a 2009 Toyota Prius hatchback scored 51.9 mpg.
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Full Test, Daniel Pund, Jan. 5, 2009
4. Motor TrendDetails/Subscribe
Before Motor Trend named the entire Ford Fusion lineup its 2010 Car of the Year, it conducted this head-to-head test between the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Tester Kim Reynolds achieves an average of only 33.5 mpg in mixed driving with the new Fusion Hybrid, lower than the Environmental Protection Agency estimates. The Camry produces similar fuel-economy numbers, matching its EPA figures. The review praises the Ford Fusion Hybrid for its superior driving dynamics over the Camry, however.
Review: Comparison: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid vs. 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid, Kim Reynolds, January 2009
5. Cars.com
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is Cars.com's overall best new car for 2010. Editors also have high praise for the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid, but the Fusion Hybrid holds a slight edge with its more refined ride. With the Fusion Hybrid, it's hard to tell you're driving a hybrid, editors say.
Review: Cars.com 2010 Platinum Awards, Editors of Cars.com, Jan. 13, 2010
6. Automobile MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Here's another source that appreciates the Fusion Hybrid's regular-car demeanor. Automobile magazine says the Fusion Hybrid is more fuel-efficient than the Toyota Camry Hybrid and unobtrusively well powered, making it a 2010 Automobile All-Star award winner.
Review: 2010 Automobile All-Stars: Ford Fusion Hybrid, Robert Cumberford, December 2009
7. PopularMechanics.comDetails/Subscribe
Tester Ben Stewart likes the Ford Fusion Hybrid's traditional-sedan feel, but it can't match the other hybrids in this review -- the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius -- when it comes to fuel economy. In a week-long test, the Fusion Hybrid averages about 38 mpg in both city and highway driving, while the Insight and Prius reach the 40s and 50s.
Review: PM's Ultimate 5 Car MPG Comparison Test, Ben Stewart, November 2009
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is the best hybrid for families, MotherProof.com's mom-testers decide after testing several hybrids including the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2010 Toyota Prius. They like the Fusion Hybrid's quiet, roomy cabin and excellent hybrid powertrain.
Review: 2010 Mother Proof Awards, Jennifer Newman, Jan. 13, 2010
9. About.com
Reviewer Aaron Gold names the Ford Fusion Hybrid to his list of the 12 best new and redesigned cars for 2010. He compares it with the competing Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry hybrids, saying the Fusion Hybrid is both more fuel-efficient and more entertaining to drive. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Best New Cars of 2010, Aaron Gold
ConsumerGuide.com test drives several versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion family sedan, including the hybrid. Acceleration from the "exceptionally smooth powertrain" is called sufficient, although the hybrid car's continuously variable transmission is sometimes slow to respond. Ride and handling are listed as strong points.
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
11. Autoblog.com
The Ford Fusion Hybrid gets much worse gas mileage than expected -- only 29 mpg -- during a cold Detroit winter in this test. In warm-weather tests, it hovers around its federally estimated 39 mpg combined.
Review: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid -- What a Difference 60 Degrees Makes, Sam Abuelsamid, Aug. 19, 2009
12. Motor TrendDetails/Subscribe
In an extensive and detailed blog entry, Motor Trend technical editor Frank Markus discusses driving the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid in a fuel-economy run around cold and snowy Detroit. After driving identical routes, the Fusion averaged 45.6 mpg versus the Altima's 43.7 mpg.
Review: Cold-Weather Hybrid MPG Test: Ford Fusion Hybrid vs. Nissan Altima Hybrid, Frank Markus, Jan. 9, 2009
Joseph White discusses the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid family sedan along with some observations on the hybrid-car market in general. During test driving, White got a wide variation in fuel consumption and explains that gas mileage can improve with some education and use of conscientious driving techniques.
Review: Ford Hopes Fusion Hybrid Can Help Remake Brand, Joseph B. White, Jan. 5, 2009
14. LeftLaneNews.com
This balanced road-test review provides driving impressions and technical detail. Writer Andrew Ganz likes the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan's interior and concludes that the ecologically themed family car "is a no-compromises, high-efficiency sedan that looks and feels just like its gas-only brothers."
Review: Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, Andrew Ganz, Dec. 23, 2008
Unlike other critics, Edward Niedermeyer finds himself bored by the Ford Fusion Hybrid's neutered performance and homogeneous demeanor. He recommends either buying a gas-powered Fusion instead and driving it carefully to conserve gas, or getting a cheaper, more fuel-efficient Toyota Prius.
Review: Review: Ford Fusion Hybrid, Edward Niedermeyer, Nov. 4, 2009
16. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The 2010 Ford Fusion sedan earns the highest rating of "Good" in front-, side- and rear-crash tests here, with an "Acceptable" rollover roof-strength rating.
Review: Midsize Moderately Priced Cars, Editors of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
17. SaferCar.gov
In government crash tests, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid earns perfect 5-star ratings in frontal crashes and for protecting the driver in a side crash, with 4 stars for side-crash passenger protection and rollover resistance.
Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov
18. FuelEconomy.gov
This chart from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy ranks 2010 hybrid vehicles based on fuel economy. The Ford Fusion Hybrid ranks near the top of the chart, with 41 mpg city/36 mpg highway/39 mpg combined.
Review: 2010 Hybrid Vehicles, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
19. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
After a ConsumerReports.org tester "experienced a perceived brake failure" with a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford replied that a known brake problem caused some Fusion Hybrids to trigger the backup hydraulic brakes unnecessarily. This makes the pedal drop an inch, causing drivers to feel that the car isn't braking. Ford says all 2010 Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids made on or before Oct. 17, 2009, could be affected (about 18,000 cars), and it is notifying owners by mail that a braking software update is available.
Review: Ford Issues Prompt Fix for Fusion Hybrid Brakes, Gordon Hard, Feb. 4, 2010
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