Ford: Fusion, Milan hybrids beat Camry hybrid in mpg

[DainBramaged]

Ford Motor Co. expects its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid sedans to get better fuel economy than the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The restyled, re-engineered Fusion and Milan will be company's first sedans with a two-mode hybrid powertrain. Ford now offers a hybrid powertrain only in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossovers. The hybrid sedans were set to debut today at the Los Angeles auto show. Sales begin in the first quarter of 2009.

"We expect to be up to 5 mpg more than the Camry hybrid in the city, and we will also beat the Camry hybrid on the highway," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs.

The 2009 Camry Hybrid has an EPA rating of 33 mpg city/34 highway. Gioia says Ford's hybrids would get about 38 mpg in the city.

The Fusion and Milan hybrids will have a two-motor system developed by Delphi Corp. and Ford's new 175-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine.

The battery pack, supplied by Sanyo, is different from the one on the Escape and Mariner hybrids. The battery pack in the Fusion and Milan has 17 percent fewer cells, is 23 percent lighter and has 20 percent more power.

The Fusion and Milan hybrids can go 47 mph in electric mode. At a Michigan press briefing before the auto show, Gioia said the Escape and Mariner manage only about 28 mph.


http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081119/ANA02/811189948/1186

[ogneopasno]

1. HOW could this BE? Ford only makes CRAP, and Toyota makes vehicles for the ANGELS!

Kidding. People need to wake the fuck up.

[DainBramaged]

2. I know, thanks for using logic.

:hi:

[amdezurik]

7. logic accepts the "expectations" of a company known to lie

(Pinto) and not give a rats ass if people live or die because of their design flaws? I don;t think that word means what you think it means...

[Name removed]

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[ogneopasno]

10. Do you hold all companies to things that happened 30 or 40 years ago? Just checking.

[amdezurik]

12. AFAIK no statue of limitation on murder

do you forgive them all because they make nice commercials now?

[ogneopasno]

14. LMAO.

[Name removed]

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[phantom power]

5. Wake up about what? They aren't for sale yet.

[ogneopasno]

8. In the meantime, pick up a 46 mpg Focus. It's good looking, zippy as heck, and

union made in the USA.

[Nihil]

29. I'd second that: a standard Focus is a good car (in the UK at least)

Not enough height in the back for my family but it was great for a commute
vehicle.

Not sure where the UK models are made but they seem to be pretty good.

:thumbsup:

(See Dain? I don't "always" slam Ford :P)

[DainBramaged]

11. In the spring, is that soon enough????????

Sales begin in the first quarter of 2009.

[phantom power]

18. I don't know. Soon enough for who?

I'm probably not buying my next car for at least another few years yet. Assuming I can afford a car at that point. I suppose it's soon enough for whoever is going to be buying cars next spring. I wonder how many people will, if the economy continues to crumble.

I imagine an economical high-mileage Ford hybrid sedan will sell as well as anything else. Maybe better. A lot better than a $70K hybrid escalade, I'll wager.

[Benhurst]

4. Yes, we can!

[MineralMan]

6. Great...I'm heading for my Ford dealer.

Oh, wait...I can't buy these cars until sometime next year. OK, I guess its a Prius for me, then.

Too little, too late for the Big 3, as usual. I don't want them to fail, but they really should have been producing these cars already, so I could buy one.

Worse, even when they're introduced, they'll be in very short supply and very hard to find. Too bad.

[DainBramaged]

13. Give me a fucking break

[MineralMan]

20. A break?

What did I say that was incorrect? I cannot buy any of those cars. I need a new car to replace a pigdog of a 1999 GMC Jimmy. Parts are falling off it almost weekly now, and every trip to Mr. Goodwrench seems to cost me $1000. No more. I'm going to dump it before something else blows up. So, I need a vehicle, and it's not going to be an SUV.

I'd like to buy a hybrid, for a number of reasons. So, which one do you suggest that I can buy now?

How long has the Prius been on the market, now?

I understand that you work for one of these companies and that your job is at risk right now. But you have not given me any reason not to buy something made elsewhere. What do you suggest I buy?

[DainBramaged]

21. Go buy your Japanese car and go bother someone else.

[ramapo]

17. I love my Prius

I needed a car in September and was lucky to get one. Probably might be able to get a bit of a deal now. The Prius is an amazing piece of technology. It is a shame our domestic big three are so far behind (10+ years).

I've owned many Fords but none for seven years. The Taurus was a great car so it was discontinued. We really liked the Windstar, despite some problems, and that one pretty much went in the crapper too.

I tried to convince myself that the existing Focus was a good car to get but couldn't do it. I now own VW, Volvo and Toyota and feel slightly guilty. The Volvo has to be replaced in the spring and I'll likely get another Prius.

I hope our big three get their act together and when they do I'll be more than happy to buy their products (although it'll be a long time until I have a need).

[DainBramaged]

19. Good for you.

[DainBramaged]

22. Try and post something positive about the Domestic car industry

and the morons come in and piss on the parade. This isn't about how good your Peeus or Japanese TRANSPLANT is, it's about a new FORD. Jesus Christ on a stick.

[phantom power]

23. You know, I agree it's good news. I hope they are successful.

[MineralMan]

25. When those vehicles are available...

I'm sure they'll get reviewed by the magazines. If they're good, they'll get praised. If they're not, they'll get dinged.

I'm 63 years old, and have owned a heckuva lot of cars and trucks. Some have been good and some have been horrible. Some have been imports and some have been made in this country. One of my rules is that I never buy the first year's production of any model. I've made that mistake before and regretted it every time.

Maybe this is good news from Ford. But...until the things are in production and have been on the market for a year or so, it'll be impossible to judge them. In the meantime, similar cars are available now...and have been in production for some time.

Right now, I have a 1999 GMC Jimmy. It is a cosmic piece of crap. Even the dealership admits that they have been a problem vehicle. It has just 112,000 miles on it, and crap falls off it it or breaks without warning, like the ball joint that failed at 65 mph, despite absolute adherence to the maintenance schedule, with all service done at the dealership. I also have a 1991 Volvo, with over 200,000 miles on it. I've had both for about the same amount of time. I've spent over $5000 in repairs on the Jimmy. I've spent $600 on the Volvo.

Tell me why I should buy another GM product. Please. I'll listen. Ask me why I'd buy another Volvo. I'll tell you.

I'm just not one for blind loyalty. I buy, based on experience and research, not on where the car I'm spending $30k for is made. You build vehicles, or have something to do with building vehicles. Apparently, you do that for GM. So...convince me that I should buy another GM product, given my experience with them, and I don't just mean that crappy Jimmy.

[DainBramaged]

27. More horror stories, yadayadayada

change someone's mind and send them to a Transplant because YOUR 1999 GMC was bad. My neighbor had one of the Toyota's with the sludge problem at 65000 and they told him to pound salt. Everybody has a horror story. I just don't care. Like I said before, there are a cadre of people who piss on any good news about the Domestics every chance they get, and I am tired of it.

I'm just going to grow my ignore list again.

[One_Life_To_Give]

30. Volvo was sold since 91

Volvo is no longer an independant company as it was in 91 when your current vehical was made. The changes to top management can have significant impact in how a 2008 Volvo compares to the competition today.

My 2000 Silverado has some things I don't care for. But there is no comparison to the quality of a 1975 Chevy Pickup with 9yrs and 140k miles. Then again 1970's Datsun, Toyota, Honda were known for being rust buckets.

Point is the vehical quality is not constant. It changes by year and by model within the same year. Each vehical needs to be judged on it's own merits. Just because Brand X makes a great Y doesn't mean that everything else they make is also great.

[TheCowsCameHome]

26. Expects to get?

[DainBramaged]

28. Don't you think the already did preliminary testing this close to release?

[tinrobot]

31. Love my Ford Escape Hybrid

Best car I've ever owned.

I hope they can use this technology to make the Escape even better.