Sign In Join 



Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid

1054 messages,  Last post on Nov 01, 2009 at 2:52 PM

You are in the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

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


Messages Page 101 of 106
1
...
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
...
106
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion

#995 of 1054
Re: Question on interior trim color on FFH [dmathews3] by cary28
Sep 20, 2009 (4:22 pm)
Reply

Replying to: dmathews3 (Sep 20, 2009 2:28 pm)

My concerns about the silver trim is that over time, it will look dull and degraded, as compared to a wood trim. I'm also somewhat bothered by the hard plastic material along the shift column and the center stack trim. The wood trim on my Town & Country Ltd held up very well in 6 yrs, and the real wood trim on my MB is really nice. I had the same hard plastic material on my old Corvette' shift column, and the surface appearance gets dull over time.
 
Its not a big deal, but its one aspect of the trim which looks "cheap" as compared to the rest of the interior. I really like the quality and design, as well as the feel of the leather seats. Its quite upscale, on par with the T&C Ltd, much better than the Camry, and just a step below that of the MB.
#996 of 1054
Something that bothers me about the battery by skiposwald
Sep 21, 2009 (1:01 pm)
Reply
I have only driven about 800 miles on my Fusion Hybrid, but there is something that I don't like. The EV battery usually only charges up to about 55%, or at the very top the battery logo. For example, I have never seen it get as high battery pictured here:
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2010FordFusionHybrid- InstrumentCluster01small.jpg Because it is never charged very high, I can't go very far in EV mode without it needing to start the engine to recharge the battery. Right now I am at 37 mpg on average, with about half my miles on the highway and half in the city.
 
My simple question is, how high does your battery charge?
#997 of 1054
Re: Something that bothers me about the battery [skiposwald] by WyattNichols
Sep 21, 2009 (4:43 pm)
Reply

Replying to: skiposwald (Sep 21, 2009 1:01 pm)

skiposwald,
 
Sounds like your EV battery meter is working correctly. There are other guys on the forum who can give you the technical info behind recharging the EV battery, but most of the time the battery's charge will fluctuate between the points you mentioned. Whenever the charge decreases, you are using the electric motor to assist the ICE.
 
I have close to 10k on my FFH. The only times I can remember the EV battery charge being above 75% is when I've gone down an extended decline, like a large hill or small mountain that required considerable braking. If you have the a/c on it will drain the EV battery.
 
The car will go into EV mode without the EV battery being charged at a high rate.
 
Your car will not go into EV mode unless the ICE is warmed up.
 
Hope that helps.
#998 of 1054
Re: Something that bothers me about the battery [skiposwald] by acdii
Sep 22, 2009 (5:02 am)
Reply

Replying to: skiposwald (Sep 21, 2009 1:01 pm)

Hybrid batteries are computer controlled, they will never charge over 80%, or deplete under 30%. This is to extend the life of the cells. Usually you can get a full charge on the highway, at least I did in the Camry, and if you play the brakes just right, you can get a nearly full charge in under 40MPH traffic. I rarely ever got over 70% charge on the Camry, and only once did I get a full charge on the display, and I dont even remember how I did it. After about 10K on the clock, you will start to see an increase on economy as everything loosens up. 37 isnt bad, not what the EPA claims, but rarely do they ever get it right. The ratings on the Camry were 33/34, lifetime average was 35. I got rid of the TCH last week for a Fusion Sport, and lost 10 MPG, but gained a REAL car! I wanted to get the Hybrid, but they are just too expensive with regular financing, and with the 0% for 60, I actually am paying less for the Ford than I did for the Camry, which was less expensive than the Ford.
 
Two Thumbs up for Ford, they built a car that is BETTER than the toyota, Much better.
#999 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [dmathews3] by cary28
Sep 22, 2009 (9:55 am)
Reply

Replying to: dmathews3 (Aug 27, 2009 1:31 pm)

I just ordered an Ice Blue w/stone leather and 502A option on 9/18, but my accountant had a problem with delivery after the Oct 1st deadline qualifying for the $1700 tax credit. Can someone provide references or a link to what documents I need to keep for the record in order to claim the full $1700, even if I take delivery in Nov? Perhaps someone who have placed their order prior to Apr 1st to claim the full $3400 tax credit, but took delivery after that deadline. I tried to search the IRS gov sites but could not find any specific reference on order vs delivery(maybe I didn't look in the right place).
 
I understand I need to verified the order from the factory, have the dealer purchase order, and possibly a cancelled check or credit card receipt as proof of the order. But it would be helpful to have an IRS document which confirms ordering the vehicle by Oct 1st will qualify. Thanks.
#1000 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [cary28] by akirby
Sep 22, 2009 (10:14 am)
Reply

Replying to: cary28 (Sep 22, 2009 9:55 am)

The date of purchase determines the amount of the credit available for a vehicle, i.e. whether a vehicle is eligible for the full credit or whether a portion of the credit is phased-out. The placed in service date determines the taxable year in which the credit may be claimed.
 
For example, if consumer A purchases a Prius on Sept. 30, 2006, and takes possession in February 2007, consumer A can claim the full credit for 2007, the year in which the vehicle is placed in service. On the other hand, if consumer B purchases a Prius on Oct. 1, 2006, and takes possession of the vehicle in February 2007, Consumer B can claim 50% of the credit in 2007, the year in which the vehicle is placed in service.

 
Based on the wording and examples from the IRS document above, you would be eligible for the $1700 credit because you purchased (ordered) before the cutoff and took delivery in 2009.
 
Note that the IRS considers purchase date and delivery date separately and their example shows 5 months between the purchase and delivery date - which could only really happen if the vehicle was ordered.
 
Here is the official document:
 
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157557,00.html
#1001 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [akirby] by cary28
Sep 23, 2009 (10:02 am)
Reply

Replying to: akirby (Sep 22, 2009 10:14 am)

Thanks for the link. I've asked my accountant to do some more research and get her interpretation of this IRS publication. Her initial reaction was that form 8910 only asked for in-service date, which may or may not be used to determine the tax credit amount.
 
I guess I'll keep as much documentation from the dealer as possible to validate the claim, and cross my fingers that the IRS won't challenge this when I file the return next April
#1002 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [cary28] by acdii
Sep 23, 2009 (10:35 am)
Reply

Replying to: cary28 (Sep 23, 2009 10:02 am)

In addition to the Hybrid tax credit, there is the stimulus tax credit for buying a new car.
 
Stimulus Tax credit for Cars
 
Basically if you make less than $250K you deduct what you paid in taxes right off your AGI even if you don't itemize. Its good for up to $49500.
 
I just bought a Fusion Sport, so I get to deduct ~$500 off my Gross. Previous years I have been deducting my state a local taxes paid, but only a percentage of it is actually deducted from the gross, in this case though, the entire taxes paid are deducted.
#1003 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [cary28] by akirby
Sep 23, 2009 (11:59 am)
Reply

Replying to: cary28 (Sep 23, 2009 10:02 am)

The form is confusing, but what I described is also Ford's interpretation. Speculation is the 2009 form will be updated to clarify the 2 dates.
#1004 of 1054
Re: The Wait Begins [akirby] by cary28
Sep 25, 2009 (11:31 am)
Reply

Replying to: akirby (Sep 23, 2009 11:59 am)

Thanks for all the help. I guess there are quite a few buyers who ordered the FFH before the Oct 1st deadline, but will take delivery after Oct. We are all in the same boat so hopefully we all keep proper documentations to substantiate our claims come tax time next year.
 
On another question, what does a DORA look like? I have a computer printout the day I order the vehicle (9/18), and it says "Vehicle Order Confirmation" at the top. It has details of the car I'm ordering, including Order #, Priority, Order type, and Price level. It also has the MSRP & dealer invoice, along with A/Z/D/X Plan pricing at the bottom. I just want to ensure I have the correct document along with my dated receipt as backup. Thanks.

Messages Page 101 of 106
1
...
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
...
106
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion
To POST a message, please Sign In.

New? Join Now!

Forum Tools

Please sign in.
Email Address:

Password:

Forgot Password?

Search Forums

Enter Keyword(s)

Advanced Search

Browse by Vehicle



View All Vehicles
Advertisement
Ask the Community
See What People Are Asking

Browse by Board

Browse by Topic


View All Topics

Today's Chats

Advertisement