Autopinion-Ford Fusion

Ford used to know what it felt like being near the top of the sedan heap.From the mid-80s into the 2000's, the Taurus was one of America's best selling cars. Though just mediocre and not as modern or refined as the Japanese competition, the Taurus offered the right size and options for it's price. Despite solid sales, it was dropped in favor of nicer, more modern cars (500 anyone?). The name has returned on a slightly more upscale sedan, and in its old spot is the Fusion. It was enough to return Ford to the top-10 "best-selling" list and a competent American competitor to the perennially top-selling Toyota Camry, if not the great looking Honda Accord.While well-received, styling just wasn't as pretty as that of similar foreign cars and was just as boring.
Not so anymore.
One of my complaints about the Fusion, until now, was the front-end styling. It looked odd and rather unattractive. Ford has cleaned it up with a less imposing grille and long,wide headlights.A much smaller, and vastly better-looking, Ford oval has been properly placed so as not to cheapen the appearance or detract from the more upscale styling.
In back, the tall, odd taillights have been made smaller and wider. As a result, the 2 least attractive elements of the design have been remedied.The low,sleek roofline doesn't actually look bad because the European-styled headlight and taillight designs are very compatible with the cars overall shape.
Inside, there is a sloped dashboard that might take some getting used to for some drivers, but is an effective combination of luxury and sportiness. Gauges have been properly designed to reflect the car's style and position in the lineup. Unlike of the cheap, basic Taurus of old, the new Fusion seems to have more in common with mid-grade sport-sedans like the Chrysler 300 or departed Pontiac Grand Prix.This is the realm in which the new Taurus is supposed to be,so Ford may have oversaturated it's lineup with comparable cars that sort of overlap each other.
Honda may still be the king of this category with the Accord. Toyota sells bundles of Camry's but those are dull.Chevrolet had a great product with the Impala but its also been bland and ugly over the last few years.Ford has taken their bland car and transformed it into a Jaguar clone.As a guy who always thought Fords were boring and Chevy's were cooler, I have to come clean and say that Ford outdid Chevy here and are offering their nicest design ever.They could have badged this as a Lincoln and nobody would have complained.Prices start at around $22,000 but can go well beyond the $30,000 mark. The Fusion looks every bit a $22-30,000 car, but will people be willing to pay the higher prices for a car known as a generic family sedan? And how will it impact Taurus sales (and vice versa)? All good questions to ponder.From a sheer styling perspective, though, Chevy and Toyota need to be afraid. Ford has hit a home run and outdone themselves.