2013 FORD FUSION, A HANDSOME CHAP!

Yesterday it was me and the boys (okay, there were other women there too). I had the pleasure of attending the Motor Press Guild Conference at the Ford Design Center (in Irvine, CA) to showcase the 2013 Fusion. The ever-so-knowledgeable Erich Merkle, U.S. Sales Analyst for Ford, opened with this statement: "Ford is redefining the mid-size sedan segment, they're trying to create something much more inspirational". To that I say, "finally".

I've never been a huge fan of Ford (not even Mustang - no growls please) but after seeing the fully redesigned Fusion, this may be a game changer for me.

Immediately I was taken aback by the sleek styling and wide, athletic stance. The front grille resembles the Aston Martin (Ford sold Aston Martin in 2007) while the tail resembles the VW Pasat.

I love the fastback rear end and the narrow headlights. Overall, it has the look of a Jaguar (Ford sold Jaguar in 2008), a handsome chap it is.

The interior is open, roomy and sporty with soft leather seating and a high center console. It looked and felt like "quality", a term often used during Mr. Merkle's description of the Fusion. He emphasized one of Ford's main goals is to engage all five senses, although he couldn't come up with how "taste" would be engaged. hmmm.

Some techy and convenience features for the Fusion are:

Lane-keeping system
Blind spot warning
Active park assist
Adaptive cruise control (uses radar to slow vehicle down when traffic is detected)
MyFord Touch system (I've heard about ongoing issues with this)
SYNC - newest version (voice activated control system)

Buyers will have their choice of 3 models: 1) Gasoline, 2) Hybrid and 3) Plug-In-Hybrid. Three trims will be offered: S, SE and Titanium.

With an estimated 47mpg city and 44 mpg highway, Ford is claiming the Fusion hybrid can outperform the 2012 Toyota Camry hybrid and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. According to Erich Merkle, "Ford is trying to take share of the Japanese and Korean markets". What took them so long?

As far as safety goes, the Fusion has a 10% increase in body strength (boron is used) and added 1st row knee airbags (Ford Fiesta has knee airbags for driver only; VW Routan also has 1st row knee airbags.)

Delivery of the Ford Fusion won't take place until the fall. No pricing is available yet, but when I "built my own" 2012 Fusion hybrid it was close to $35k. I have a hunch the 2013 will be closer to $40k.

I give it a thumbs up on style, safety, convenience/techno stuff, efficiency and practicality. I'll have to take a test drive to make my final determination on whether the 2013 Fusion will take Ford to the top of the mid-size sedan market.

PICK ME, PICK ME, PLEASE PICK ME

I've made it clear time and time again that I'm turned on by sexy, beautiful carz that get my endorphins rolling. I like clean lines, dreamy headlights, European interiors and nice butts, to name a few. I must be attracted to the outside of the car before I get to know the inside. I know, so shallow.

Yesterday my shallowness dissipated some. And I owe it to the Subaru Forester. That's right, the Subaru Forester. That geeky, rugged looking cross-over vehicle that screams "pick me, pick me"!

I didn't wake up yesterday morning and decide to test drive a Subaru Forester. It was never on any of my automotive "must" lists: must see, must test drive or must buy. My gal pal Annie asked me to accompany her on her quest to find the perfect vehicle for her daughter and son-in-law (both doctors, both outdoorsy). Both are interested in the Forester but don't have time to run around test driving carz (boards are coming up). Annie had a Subaru back in the day, was crazy about it and felt this could be the one.

We arrive at South Coast Subaru in Costa Mesa (http://www.southcoastsubaru.com/index.htm) and were greeted by Jehu Alvarado, our friendly and somewhat knowledgeable salesperson. Jehu's fiance just purchased a Forester. Isn't that a coincidence?! Annie tells him she wants to test drive the most maxed out Forester. Five minutes later he pulls up in a turbo charged version with a funny looking, bulbous hood. Looks like a rhino to me.

After Annie and I gawked at the hood, I sarcastically questioned Jehu, "this car really comes in turbo, why?" He chuckled and said, "Subaru doesn't sell many turbo versions".  Understood. We asked Jehu to swap the rhino for a Limited trim. "Sorry", he says, "we don't have any in stock". I asked him to bring us a Forester, any Forester with the standard engine (gas flat 4 cylinder, 2.5L, 170 hp). He arrives with a medium blue Touring trim. We're ready to roll.

Annie takes a quick test drive and loves how it feels (although the braking sensitivity threw her for a loop). A Chinese fire drill ensues and I'm now at the helm. I'm completely taken aback. Although I'm not a fan of the bland and mediocre interior (with the exception of the extra large sunroof), the Forester makes up for it in other important areas (safety, comfort, cargo space, overall roominess).

Now for the ride. I love the balanced and sporty handling and the softness of the ride. The strong acceleration allowed us to climb a hill with ease and I even beat the car next to me right off the line. It felt very stable when taking tight corners and winding roads. The soft cloth seats enveloped me as if I were ready to curl up with a good book (i guess too much comfort can be a bad thing when driving). Am I really driving a Subaru Forester? Yes, yes I am.

Other specs for the Forester Touring:

Standard AWD (great for ski trips)
Gas Mileage: 21 mpg city/27 mpg hwy  (pretty decent)
17" wheels
Heated seats (cuz you need that in California)
USB connection
Back seat folds down flat (room for surfboards)
Sunglasses storage (love)
Consumer reviews: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
Pricing: around $28,000 (excellent price point)

The Forester I drove yesterday whispered to me, "see, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover".

So Sarah and Noah, what color do you want?

5 WEEK SABBATICAL FOR CHEVY VOLT

I've seen a few Chevy Volts on the road and only once did I take a second look - I didn't know what it was when it first entered the market. It wasn't love at first sight. It doesn't have the sexy lines, cute butt or pretty halogen lights. The interior is bland at best. But overall, it isn't a bad looking vehicle.

What the Volt does have is the ability to help save the environment, room for a family of four and stellar fuel economy. It received rave reviews on handling and its' high-tech power train. According to Consumer Reports, the Chevy Volt tops the list in customer satisfaction. So what the heck happened?

In 2011 only 7,700 units were sold. That's 2,300 units shy of GM's targeted goal for that year. So far for this year only 1,626 units have been sold. That's not nearly enough to keep pace with the targeted goal of 45,000 units for 2012.

Sluggish sales have caused GM to temporarily suspend the production of the Volt for 5 weeks starting March 19th, laying off 1,300 workers. This is the 2nd production halt in 3 months. GM claims the lagging sales is caused by the negative publicity (an isolated post-crash battery fire in a test vehicle). Although no actual Volts purchased by consumers have set fire, the media did some major collateral damage.

Another major concern, albeit an important one, is the pricing (base price $40k): not very attractive to the average consumer. And how about the fact that it only goes 35 miles before it taps into the gasoline engine? Perhaps GM needs to take a look inward and stop pointing fingers.

In the television commercial, Tim Allen insisted the Chevy Volt is the car "America had to build". Obviously it's not the car Americans want to buy.

Chevy Volt Commercial with Tim Allen