Why you should buy this car: Handling, handling, handling, five-speed manual and handling. And while I find the appearance of the Fusion only half-baked, I know there are those out there who think it snazzy looking. The low price and relatively large size are a rarity in today's autodom. A similarly equipped Accord LX costs $2,000 more. The back seats are for real people. Even driving like a rev-happy dummy, the mileage was consistently better than advertised. The Fusion SE really is an outstanding value.

Why you shouldn't buy this car: Where's the beef? 9.3 seconds to get to sixty is not good. While the handling is top shelf, you'll never get going fast enough to exploit the chassis through quick, back-to-back turns. The upmarket SEL's V6 is an old dog. The engine from the Mazdaspeed6 is not an option. Neither is the wagon. It looks like a safety razor. The taillights look like they came off an Accord owned by a 17-year-old Korean kid. The interior makes Honda chuckle with schadenfreude and an Accord is worth the extra $2000. You are a big UAW booster and don't like that the Accord is built here, while the Fusion is hecho en Mexico.

Suitability Parameters:
· Speed Merchants: No
· Fashion Victims: Yes
· Treehuggers: Yes
· Mack Daddies: No
· Tuner Crowd: No
· Hairdressers: No
· Penny Pinchers: Yes
· Euro Snobs: No
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: No
· Poseurs: No
· Soccer Moms: No
· Nascar Dads: No
· Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Vitals:
· Manufacturer: Ford
· Model tested: Fusion I4 SE
· Model year: 2007
· Price as Tested: $20,460
· Engine: 2.3L 16V I4
· Horsepower: 160 hp @ 6250 rpm
· Torque: 156lbs. ft. @ 4250
· Redline: 6500 rpm
· Wheels and Tires: 17" aluminum painted wheels; P225/50R17 V Rated tires
· Drive type: Front-wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 9.3 seconds
· 1/4 mile: (don't ask)
· Fuel economy city/highway: 23/31
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: 4/4/4

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Ford Fusion SE, Part 1, Part 2 [internal]

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