Ask the Car People.SM


Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

5819 messages,  Last post on Sep 24, 2011 at 9:01 PM

You are in the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion, Sedan

Messages Page 467 of 583

#4658 of 5819 Re: 2007 Fusion [jeffyscott] by hercules00

Dec 27, 2006 (2:50 pm)

Replying to: jeffyscott (Dec 27, 2006 12:31 pm)
First of all, to get the price difference correct I priced a 2006 Fusion SE w/AT and 2006 Accord LX SE w/AT on Edmunds.
 
The Fusion SE (after adding AT, 6cd changer with MP3, ABS and DRL) comes to $19,221 - which includes the $1,000 rebate and is below MSRP. It is the TMV price which broadly reflects what is actually being paid.
 
The Accord SE with AT comes to $21,419 (no options added because everything is standard).
 
Now to get a hang of real world depreciation (and not projections 3 years out which may/may not be true) I got the TMV used private party price of 2006 models of both cars with exactly the same options as the above new cars and 15,000 miles (I used the color black everywhere).
 
The result
 
Ford Fusion
New: $19,221
Used: $14,578
Depreciation: 28% ($1000 rebate has been added back to the base to calculate depreciation because it did not exist when the currently prices used car was purchased new)
 
Honda Accord
New: $21,419
Used: $17,573
Depreciation: 18%
 
So for the extra $2,200 that you shell out for the Accord over the Fusion, you get a car which
- Has much better resale value
- Is a proven reliable car (any new car will carry additional risk premium around it)
- Mileage better by at least 4-5mpg
- A more powerful engine (marginally so, but noticeable)
- A much better interior, not scrapped from crappy trucks
 
On the flip side, you get somewhat dated styling. Handling wise both are reasonably good.
 
You can do your own math around these numbers. For me it is worth a deal, especially when you also look at the current state and projected future of both companies. For all you know, a year from now Ford will be in dire straits and start another round of employee discount pricing and mass sales to rental fleet to demolish the value of your car. I dont see that happening with Honda. I would still pay the premium for the Accord.
 
Of course you may chose differently.
 
Note: The discounted dealer financing is a trade-off with the $1000 off. You get this or that, you dont get both. This is standard across all manufacturers.

#4659 of 5819 Crappy Trucks? by ANT14

Dec 27, 2006 (3:48 pm)

Considering the F-150 is the segment benchmark, rated as THE best interior of any truck available, and has one many awards (even interior awards) for it. And it has a crappy interior? I think such a comment would require some serious thought since 800K buyers were convinced otherwise....
 
Plus, the Fusion was nominated for "Best Interior" awards last year, but gee...unfortunately it lost it to the Lincoln Zephyr, it's luxury sibling.

#4660 of 5819 Re: Why not one? [hercules00] by jodar96

Dec 27, 2006 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: hercules00 (Dec 27, 2006 12:32 pm)
Very good point.... The best selling car platform in the US 1998-2003 was GM W-car; Chevy Lumina/Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Century/Regal, and Olds Intrigue. In 1999, they peaked at 787,800 vehicles. They should have two GM divisions Chevy and Cadillac like..... Honda and Acura.

#4661 of 5819 Re: 2007 Fusion [hercules00] by jeffyscott

Dec 27, 2006 (4:15 pm)

Replying to: hercules00 (Dec 27, 2006 2:50 pm)
Note: The discounted dealer financing is a trade-off with the $1000 off. You get this or that, you dont get both. This is standard across all manufacturers.
 
According to information here on edmunds.com it is not an either/or in this case. Perhaps this is an error on edmunds part, but there certainly is nothing that prevents a manufacturer from structuring these offers whatever way they choose to. For example, when we purchased a VW it was discount financing or nothing.
 
The average mpg difference is about 1-2 mpg, depending on whether you use CR numbers or government numbers. Accord is higher on the highway, but there is little to no difference in city or mixed figures.
 
Not that I really want to debate depreciation, since I am not one who trades cars in, but...
 
Depreciation: 28% ($1000 rebate has been added back to the base to calculate depreciation because it did not exist when the currently prices used car was purchased new)
 
So in other words the real depreciation of Fusion would be 20%, using your numbers (and a couple hundred less that Accord when measured in dollars, which is what really matters). Fusion has had rebates and/or discount financing since its introduction.

#4662 of 5819 Re: Crappy Trucks? [ANT14] by hercules00

Dec 27, 2006 (5:11 pm)

Replying to: ANT14 (Dec 27, 2006 3:48 pm)
Considering the F-150 is the segment benchmark, rated as THE best interior of any truck available, and has one many awards (even interior awards) for it. And it has a crappy interior? I think such a comment would require some serious thought since 800K buyers were convinced otherwise....
 
If you have seen the center console in the Fusion (and the Taurus) and also seen the center console in the new Camry, for example, and would still in some way like to justify the former by quoting sales statistics of trucks, may all your future cars come with the same interior.

#4663 of 5819 Re: 2007 Fusion [jeffyscott] by hercules00

Dec 27, 2006 (5:21 pm)

Replying to: jeffyscott (Dec 27, 2006 4:15 pm)
The average mpg difference is about 1-2 mpg, depending on..
 
I quoted mileage numbers depending upon what I observed on on my own drives in multiple cars along the same route (mostly highway). I find most of these quoted numbers to be quite unreliable. For example, this weekend I drove the Mazda6 to and from NYC from DC (clean highway miles) and got 20mpg! On the same route I have gotten 22 out of the Fusion and 27 out of the Camry (also 17 out of the Sonata).
 
I have not followed Fusion prices from the start so I am unaware of the discounts. I would also be VERY surprised. What kind of new, potentially revolutionary, car launch needs discounts from the get go?
 
I think therein lies a story.

#4664 of 5819 Re: 2007 Fusion [hercules00] by jeffyscott

Dec 27, 2006 (8:50 pm)

Replying to: hercules00 (Dec 27, 2006 5:21 pm)
Okay, so I guess we can tell CR and the Feds to stop bothering to test gas mileage. From now on they can just save their money and contact you for the "correct" numbers.

#4665 of 5819 Re: Better but not good enough [jeffyscott] by scape2

Dec 27, 2006 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: jeffyscott (Dec 26, 2006 5:45 pm)
What do you mean $2700 more than a Fusion??, Camry is like $4,000 more for a like optioned Fusion SEL V6 loaded...

#4666 of 5819 Re: 2007 Fusion [hercules00] by scape2

Dec 27, 2006 (9:20 pm)

Replying to: hercules00 (Dec 27, 2006 2:50 pm)
Where did you get your depreciation percentages from?

#4667 of 5819 A: by ANT14

Dec 28, 2006 (12:21 am)

"If you have seen the center console in the Fusion (and the Taurus) and also seen the center console in the new Camry, for example, and would still in some way like to justify the former by quoting sales statistics of trucks, may all your future cars come with the same interior."
 
The Taurus has a different layout (radio and A/C and everything else) than that of the Fusion or F-150. Plus, the F-150 was last redesigned in 2004, and the Fusion in 2006. Yes, the new Camry will be better since it's a newly introduced vehicle. Usually when a vehicle is redesigned, it tries to better the competition one up. When the Fusion gets it's next redesign, then I'm sure it'll aim to the top for it's segment, AT THAT time.
 
As it was, I'm reporting the information for 2006. But when the 2007 awards are given, I'll post the info as usual. AIC Link
 
But to say Ford trucks have crappy interiors is absurd and a malinformed statement.

Messages Page 467 of 583

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement