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The Fusion, new for 2006
and based on the Mazda6, has a comfortable interior, decent pricing, and a
good ride/handling compromise. However, it has not excelled in crash testing,
is not especially powerful or refined, and doesn’t offer as many features as
many competitors. It offers aspects of a very strong overall package, but
comes up short in some areas, without enough of a price advantage to
compensate.
The Fusion rides
comfortably. The ride is absorbent, and is generally well-controlled, though
it doesn’t always recover quickly after passing bumps. The car handles quite
well for a family sedan, and the accurate steering returns good feedback. Body
roll is more pronounced than in the Fusion’s sport-focused cousin, the Mazda6,
and it doesn’t feel nearly as nimble in fast cornering, but it also rides more
comfortably. The 3.0-liter V6 provides adequate acceleration, but doesn’t
match the better cars here. The engine is somewhat noisy under hard
acceleration, and road noise can be excessive. Gas mileage is good for this
class.
Inside, the Fusion has
high, firm, comfortable, and well-shaped front seats with impressive leg and
head space. The rear is mounted high for good thigh support, but isn’t as
roomy as some competitors’, and isn’t angled properly to make maximum use of
the available space. The interior uses high-quality materials that fit
together well. The  gauges are
clear enough but could be larger, and there was no reason to have replaced
knob-style controls with annoying-to-use buttons. Climate controls could be
higher as well. The high seats and fairly high roof ease entry/exit. Drivers
sit very comfortably, and have very good visibility. The trunk is reasonably
well-shaped, but not particularly large.
The Fusion earned four
stars for both the driver and for the front passenger in the NHTSA frontal
crash test, a mediocre score for a new design, but it earned a good five stars
for the driver and four for the rear passenger in NHTSA’s side crash test with
the optional side airbags. It earned a disappointing Acceptable rating for its
performance in the IIHS offset crash test, and was Poor in the side crash test
without the optional side airbags. Its head restraints were rated Marginal.
The Fusion reviewed here
came in at a reasonable $24,395. At that price it is fully loaded but missing
such features as stability control, satellite radio, and a power passenger
seat.
Overall,
the Fusion is a very nice car with good ride and handling and interior
comfort. But the V6 is neither refined nor especially, crash test results have
not been impressive, and the car is not available with several features found
on its competitors. Its blend of reasonable driving enjoyment and some of the
basic family-car values make it worth a look, but it still needs improvement.
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