2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid

S-n-L wrote:
Thank you all for your responses,

I love all of the positive info on this car. Tomorrow we will test drive the car and see what we think. Next question, what brake system to buy. I like the reviews of the SMI air force one.

Stuart

I highly, highly recommend the ReadyBrake system. You just can't beat it, IMO - Very simple, cable-operated braking system with ZERO electronics to worry about failing and burning up your brakes (like is known to happen with some electronic box type systems). Costs waaaaaay less than anything else, especially if you haven't bought a tow bar yet, and you get their ReadyBrute Elite kit that comes with tow bar AND brake system for 'bout the same as you'd pay for just a tow bar from anyone else. Fairly simple installation, too - no tapping into vehicle's brake system or electronics, you just run/install a physical cable from brake pedal to front bumper, thats it.

I see that the Fusion is off your list, and you're debating between the Equinox and Jeep Cherokee. Can definitely understand that if you need a lot of storage space, the Fusion wouldn't work, as its batteries do take away some of the trunk space. I think of the two you've boiled down to, I'd prefer the Jeep, but obviously its your decision. Good luck, whatever you decide. :)

Remember, the Consumer Reports comparison is not current. The Cherokee is all new. Chrysler delayed introduction of this vehicle due to what they called "quality control" issues with the new transmission. Personally I do not want to be an unpaid test monkey for Chrysler. Maybe the second year would be a better time to consider this Jeep?

There is no Focus hybrid. Currently Ford's only two hybrids are the C Max and Fusion Hybrid.

Hello again,

Thank you all for your responses.

My wife and I just came back from a day of test driving cars. This is a tough decision as there are so many great vehicles out there. The bar is set so high even compared to a few years ago. The last time we purchased a new car was in 2002.

Here are my impressions;

I loved the driving experience of the Focus hybrid however there was just not enough storage room to make it feasible, so it is off this list.

There was so much to love about the CRV however there was one thing that I just could not get past, and it was such a simple but annoying thing. The emergency brake pedal located on the left side of the foot well trapped my lower leg in such a way that I could not move my leg the way I would like to. This would be a problem on longer drives when I like to move my leg around and the placement of the pedal was in the way when I tried to straighten out my leg. What a dumb place to put this. I may need to omit the CRV as a choice based on this.

The Chevy Equinox was a very impressive car. It was the largest of the bunch and drove very nice. It is your typical crossover doing nothing outstanding but everything pretty good. It had the best choice for bells and whistles. Auto rear hatch door, power passenger seats, you name it it had it. It could a choice that we go with.

Last was the new Jeep Cherokee, the smaller sibling of the Grand Cherokee. Great car with lots of potential. It drove very nice and was very comfortable. There are lots of choices of models in the Cherokee lineup. If this was our choice we probably would go with the Limited model. Less off road capable than the top of the line "Trail Hawk" model but more capable than any other cross over in it's class. We would not be doing any hard core off roading, just easy stuff so more than enough capability.

It will be a tough decision but we are between the Equinox and the Cherokee. I do not think we can make a bad choice. The Cherokee has consistently receives better ratings than the Equinox so that may be the push we need. The price is fairly similar for either.

If anyone has any opinions on these I would love to hear them.

Best,

Stuart & Leslie

As indicated in my "signiture" line, I use a Brake Buddy. I've had my Brake Buddy for 15 years now and never had a significat problem with it. I've had 2 minor issues and Brake Buddy sent me replacement parts for FREE. (Both issues had to do with the break away switch, not the main unit.)

There are many other types of auxilliary braking devices out there now, so just do your homework and check them out. As for me, I'm VERY happy with my Brake Buddy!

We use Blue Ox Patriot with our 2011 FFH and it has worked well (just set to #2 for the active brakes). I agree with all of the above, great car to tow!

I have a Blue Ox Patriot. One of only a couple brake systems specify compatibility the Patriot being one. I am very satisfied with mine.

Thank you all for your responses,

I love all of the positive info on this car. Tomorrow we will test drive the car and see what we think. Next question, what brake system to buy. I like the reviews of the SMI air force one.

Stuart

Just go on line and dowload the owners manual for this car. I just ordered a 2014 F-250 and actually ready through the manual before I ordered. It should tell you for sure.

Also have a 2013 C-Max we tow. My understanding the only change to the drive train in 2014 is software & a higher gear ratio attempting to get even higher mileage. We had a BMW before, purchased new, and we love the C-Max just as much. Great Cars!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

I had a 2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid that I towed for over 30,000 miles and now tow a 2012 Ford Fusion hybrid. As has been already stated, Ford hybrids have always been towable since the 1st Ford Escape hybrid was introduced in 2006.

They require no fuses to be pulled or battery cables to be disconnected - - and the fuel economy is great (except in cold weather as has been noted). Battery replacement is probably not an issue as they will last much longer than the warranty (8 years/100,000 miles). They are designed to operate under low stress (never allowed to fully charge or fully discharge) so that leads to longevity.