• Pros

• Good mileage. The plug in portion of the Fusion gives you about 15 miles of smooth, all electric power, before it turns into a regular hybrid pumpkin. Still, even as a standard hybrid, the mileage is pretty good. We saw about 87 MPGe, which factors in gas and electricity. Just using gasoline and the hybrid battery without plugging in, we saw about 38 mpg, which is damn good for a full sized sedan.
• Good handling. The steering is sharp. The Fusion is a no-wallow zone. And the sophisticated suspension does a good job of absorbing bumps and providing a very comfortable ride. It’s got more of a Euro feel than an American luxury feel. It makes the Fusion easy to drive and enjoy. Handling is really quite good.
• Sync 3 works well. The audio system (with the exception of a nice, large volume button) is accessed through the touch screen, which is quick and pretty well organized. The heating and ventilation on our (non MyFordTouch) test car is handled through hard, permanent buttons on the center stack. We appreciated the permanent controls. It all worked well. Apple Car Play is part of the package, which is useful, unless you prefer Google Maps, with which Apple refuses to play nicely.
• Available safety. Our $40,000 tester came with the good stuff: automatic emergency braking and blind spot monitoring. These are optional features on many Fusion models, so shop carefully.

• Cons

• Touchy brakes. Obviously, they’re set to collect regenerative energy in the hybrid, but you’ll find yourself frequently apologizing to passengers for the welts on their foreheads.
• Visibility. Sleek looks = poor visibility. The A-pillar is practically in the driver’s face, and view out the back is squished to the point of being minimally useful. The quick responding backup camera is helpful and necessary.
• Trunk room. I think it’s fair to say that the best placement for batteries in electric vehicles is beneath the floor. That keeps the center of gravity low and the battery out of the passenger and cargo areas. But for vehicles, like the Fusion, which have been modified to use electric power (rather than designed to use electric power), the batteries have to be squeezed in wherever they’ll fit. In this case, taking up between and third and a half of the trunk. So you end up with a full size car with a half size trunk. So how can you tell a plug in Fusion hybrid from a regular fusion? If you pass one on the way to the airport, and the back seat passengers have luggage on their laps, it’s the hybrid.

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