97svtgoin05gt

I am so not totally sure how a 3.0 221 horse motor is on it's last legs or gasping for life. Let's be realistic. How much horsepower does the average American need in a car this size? Yes the Altima has tons, and the Honda has a little more. How many people buying those vehicles actually USE that power? I submit that there aren't too many that buy it that actually need it. The 3.0 probably has more within it, but to keep pricing where it is, why bother? The issue here is not about horsepower. The issue is people hear the word FORD and they go yeck, I'm buying a Honda or a Nissan. It's been documented that in all reality, the build quality off the line between the manufacturers is really not that much of a difference anymore. Peoples perception right now really isn't reality. Nissan and Honda have both been revising their engines for years. The VQ is at least 8 years old. I don't see you raggin on that one.

1999 Black 35th GT

You bring up a very good point. Plus the Honda V6 in the Accord needs to be revved to 5200 RPM's to achieve its full HP, how often does that really happen with the avergae driver?

SVTJayC

uhhh...you have to rev the heck out of the duratec to make any power as well (trust me, i have one). And with its lack of displacement, its inability to make low end torque becomes very apparent in a larger car.

I also would not call the Fusion's build quality up to par with Nissan or Honda. Ever review i've read sighted "mile wide" panel gaps.

I think it's a pretty good looking car. The chrome on the front is a little loud for me, and i like the color keyed rear trim of the SE over the chrome of the SEL, but considering it's pretty much a mazda 6 reskin, with the styling ripped mostly from caddy...they should have been able to do a better job on powertrain options, and interior. The interior of this thing looks like a 1986 Grand Marquis.

SVT should be able so spruce it up quite a bit. They did wonders for the Contour, but that was also at the end of the model run, and proved too little too late. With the Focus they went the other way, and still failed. It sucks, but it seems Ford simply can't sell a performance car in the US that doesnt have the word Mustang on it.

Ive had a 92 SHO, 93 Tbird S/C, and now the 00 Contour SVT. Every one was much more of an overall performer than the Mustang that year. Yet not a single one did terribly well sales wise.

mustang_sallad

i don't buy the whole caddy style thing... so many people have made that comparison... the only thing the fusion has in common with any caddy's is the fact that the headlights are slightly more vertical than most cars. I thought of it too, initially, but after seeing the fusion in person, its obvious this car doesn't have much to do with cadillac styling. I also looked for these mile wide panel gaps, nothing noticeable to me, but then i don't talk about cars for a living.

can you really compare the engine in your car to the one they've got in the fusion? a couple years of development have gone into that thing. The fusion puts out 205lb-ft at 4800rpm while your contour gets 165lb-ft at 5625rpm, is that right?

I dunno, I just find you're being pretty harsh on the fusion before he's even had a chance. CAN'T YOU GIVE HIM A CHANCE!? HE'S TRYING SO DARN HARD! lol...

but seriously, maybe you should give it a test drive some time, then you can make some concrete judgments. I'm sure andy would be more than happy to give you that chance.

bigred0383

Where do I begin?

It's not simply a Mazda 6 reskin (which you should know after reading all those articles). It's been stretched in length and width, and has a different suspension.

I don't know if you have been in one yet, but the interior is miles beyond the Taurus it replaces (although I am still not a fan of their choice of faux wood applique). And I certainly don't see the correlation between the new Fusion and a Mid-80's Grand Marquis (interior wise)...I think you might be imbellishing it just a little.

Convient that there was no SVT Cobra in '00 to compare your Contour, though.

And as far as Ford making perfomance vehicles for the U.S. , they make this car, dang, I can't remember the name, oh yeah, the GT. And as far as more affordable performance cars, why not take your time making a good performance car out of your new design (Fusion), especially considering the perfomance car you do have (Mustang), is currently selling 150,000 plus a year.

Again, I will ask, why do you come to this website? I understand it is a public forum, and you have every right to be here, but in all the time I have been a member, I have only seen you praise your Contour, tell us how much better the GTO is, and rain on Ford's parade. There is nothing wrong with contrustructive critisicm, but at what point does it just become a nusiance for everyone who actually wants to be here?

SVTJayC

I am merely taking the educated customer's viewpoint. Why would I buy the Fusion, when i can get the Mazda 6? It has better build quality, more options, and a much nicer looking interior (where you spend most of your time). Beyond that, the offerings from Nissan provide more power, more features, and are not made by an American company (which your avg consumer just eats up.) Ford has to go above and beyond what the others are offering to make this car really take a bite out of market share, and not just be another taurus. Im certainly not anti-ford, i just dont have blue blinders on, and it pains me that they continue to come up short on quality and performance.

mr-mstng

Agreed 110%.