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Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Design: Love It or Not?

28 messages,  Last post on Jul 15, 2008 at 12:07 AM

You are in the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Forum.

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

Messages Page 4 of 4

#27 of 28 Ford scores high in Consumer Reports by scape2

Oct 30, 2007 (8:33 pm)

Check this out.. spread the word!! Please! http://www.consumerreports.org/
Consumer reports had some very good things to say about Ford. Toyota slips.. AGAIN..

#28 of 28 Milan still draws looks by basiliskst

Jul 15, 2008 (12:07 am)

We have a new 2008 Mercury Milan Premier I4 with most every option but navigation.
 
The Milan still looks athletic and elegant. The interior is perhaps a bit plainer than the new Malibu or the 2009 Sonata, but it is functional and comfortable. I'd like to see updates to the interior with fewer cut lines and more elegant door panels, but the exterior is still strikingly good looking for a mid-size family car.
 
Styling and ride/handling balance won my wife's choice. For me value was important too. A luxuriously equipped Milan was in practice more like the entry price level for some competitors. Style opens the door (is it acceptable?) but value seals the deal.
 
Our I4 5-speed automatic is deliverying 27 mpg + in a 60/40 highway/city mix (average speed about 31 according to the driver's information center). That's very respectable for a new engine in a near luxury mid-size car.
 
I personally prefer the Milan's waterfall grill and wider headlights to the three-bar Fusion grill. I like the Fusion, but the Milan is more sophisticated and elegant with the same basic body panels.
 
Among midsize competitors I like the exterior styling of Malibu the best, the Milan/Fusion second, and the Sonata third. I dislike the new Accord and find it to be a negative departure from a lean and generally attractive last generation Accord. The last generation Accord and Fusion/Milan have some styling similarities, especially in the headlights and front fenders. The Fusion/Milan have a stronger more athletic C-pillar and rear fender area. Similarly, I liked the last Altima better than the new Altima. The new one took what was good about the last Altima and went too far (e.g., the tail lights). The Camry is a bit muddled with a few too many inconsistent surface details. I especially dislike the grill with the Toyota logo dripping down off the hood.
 
Generally, the Fusion/Milan sport cohesive or unified styling that is lean and strong. To this basic formula the Milan adds a touch of elegance and sophistication with the waterfall grill, unique alloy wheels and wider tail lights.
 
As some evidence that we're not alone, we've received multiple unsolicited positive comments in parking lots, including one from an Altima driver (the last version, which is itself attractive). The bad news for Mercury is that only one of those commenting recognized the Milan as a Mercury. (He credited the Jill commercials.) The Altima driver was a late 20s, early 30s woman who asked my wife what type of car it was, because, "it's really good looking. I love those wheels (14 spoke alloys) and that color (the vivid or claret red). It's sporty." Neither knew it was new. A couple of others asked what it was in the grocery store parking lot, but shorter conversations, "That's nice, what is is?" And one, what kind of gas mileage do you get? He liked the answer.

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