Ford Fusion

Gas Mileage Averages Climb But New Rules Loom

It’s still a decade away, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and federal government a few years ago mandated a pending regulation. By 2025, new vehicles sold in the United States will be required to attain a combined 54.5 mpg. The automotive industry is improving, with a few surprising improved gas mileage averages in performance-oriented cars. But there are also disappointing mpg results, particularly among expensive sedans and sports cars. In one recent tally, the EPA reported new cars sold in 2013 averaged 24.1 mpg. That was more than 5 mpg more than new cars sold in 1995 averaged. Consider some improved 2015 individual totals: The most efficient versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger all get

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TheWeeklyDriver.com names Best 12 Vehicles of 2015

For the ninth straight year, TheWeeklyDriver.com has selected its Best 12 Vehicles of the Year. Ford, Honda and Hyundai each have two vehicles on the 2015 list, which this year has expanded from the usual top-10 list to a dozen selections. As editor and publisher of the TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I fully reviewed 38 cars and trucks with 2015 model years. I also drove a half-dozen other cars briefly at manufacturer preview days. This year’s list has expanded to a dozen vehicles for one simple reason: Manufacturers keep making better machines. For the first time since the end-of-the-year list began, our list includes a pick-up truck. For the 2014 list, we selected a single top vehicle, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

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Ford paces pick-up dominance in 2014 vehicle sales

Paced again by Ford F-Series trucks, sales of cars and trucks increased by about six percent in 2014 from the previous year with about 16.5 million vehicles sold in the United States. The total vehicles sold marked the automotive industry’s best sales total in nearly a decade with the Ford F-Series accounting for 753,851 sales. The Ford F-150 sells about two-thirds of the popular trunk’s family of vehicles. Overall, sales of the Ford F-Series of vehicles fell 1.3 percent from 2013, but the ever-popular truck, which has led sales for nearly 40 years, was still the dominating top selection. Pick-up truck overall had a superior sales year in 2014. Beyond the Ford F-Series, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Ram pickup and GM’s

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Ford recalls 375,000 cars, trucks, including F-150

Ford Motor Company has issued five safety recalls and one safety compliance recall in North America on a diverse group of vehicles dating to 1998 and totaling about 375,000 vehicles. The recalled vehicles range from 18-year-old from Ford Windstar vans to some models of the 2016 Ford Fusion. Here are the details: 1998-2003 Ford Windstar — About 340,000 units have been recalled for rear axle inspection for a potential issue with a previous safety recall repair. The risk is the combined effects of corrosion and stress that can lead to cracks and fracture. The previous recall repair involved installing a rear axle reinforcement bracket to mitigate the safety risk in the event of an axle fracture. A bracket incorrectly installed

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Tesla gets another (obvious) honor: quickest electric car

The Tesla Model S and Chevy Volt have little in common beyond their respective segment shares in the electric vehicle industry. The Volt is a wise choice in the entry-level electric car segment. It may the slowest among the top-17 electric vehicles in the standard 0-60 mph acceleration test. But it offers a good balance between performance, comfort and price. The Tesla Model S is a wise choice in the high-end electric segment. It’s the fastest vehicle currently available in the mainstream automobile market and it’s among the fastest cars, electric or gas, street legal or not. Motor Trend recently named the Tesla Model S as one of the top-10 American cars in history. The Tesla has also been designated

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Ford Fusion three times isn’t charm in recalls

One recall is bad enough, but 2014 Ford Fusion owners have gotten the unsettling news that three times in the past week their cars have been recalled for steering problems. Adding further worries, Ford has also recalled Lincoln MKZ (2013-2015), Ford Edge (2015), and Ford Fiesta (2013-2015) pushing the manufacturer’s car and truck recall list in the past week to nearly one million units. The largest of the recalls is 520,000 units of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ from 2013 to 2015 model years, and some 2015 Ford Edges. All of the defective models have a steering gear motor problem that could result in a loss of power steering. Ford said it is not aware of any accidents related

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VW Jetta TDI tops TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2014 top 10

For the eighth straight year, TheWeeklyDriver.com has selected its top-10 cars of the year. Honda again leads the list with the three selections, followed by Chevrolet and Ford, each with two selections. The Honda Accord is the only vehicle to make the list every year. This is the first year we’ve picked a single automobile to top the list. It’s the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It’s the most economical, best priced, best designed and best- performing car available in the United States for $25,000. As editor and publisher of TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I drove 49 cars this year to consider for the top-10 list. Most automotive publications pick their top choice early in the model year. I think it’s to

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2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid: Green Car of the Year

Now in its fifth year and second generation, the Ford Fusion Hybrid debuted with its twin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid, in March 2009. The Mercury Milan hybrid has been defunct since 2010. But the Ford Fusion Hybrid continues to improve and build larger audiences as a top choice in the gasoline-electric hybrid segment. The 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid includes small changes, but in major areas, the three trim levels remain the same as the inaugural second generation unveiled in 2013. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly test vehicle was the top-line Titanium trim. It includes all of the features on the standard and optional list present on the SE trim. But it also adds: remote start, sport front seats

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Toyota Camry: Top sedan through the years

Since its humble debut nearly 32 years ago, the Toyota Camry has been a hit. It wasn’t touted much, but soon after it replaced the Toyota Corona, the public responded. As such, with impressive quality, comfortable ride and durability, the Camry has been near the top or the top-selling sedan in the United States for more than 25 years. It’s been the sedan sales leader for the past 12 years. While impressive, Toyota made several surprising changes across all trims for the 2015 Camry, available at dealers since September. The changes include: a stiffer body, new grille, softer interior materials, new controls and, according to the manufacturer, about 2000 new parts. The surprise is that Toyota also revised the now

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Ford F-150 again tops best-selling vehicle list

The Ford F-150 pick-up truck and the Toyota Corolla don’t appear to have much in common. But they do. The Ford-150 had been made for 67 years; the Toyota Corolla is now 43 years old. The two enduring vehicles are perennially on the top-10 selling vehicle list in the United States. Although 2014 totals won’t be tallied until early January 2015, the Ford 150 will again lead the top-10 vehicle sales for the year. It will mark the 44th consecutive year the F-150 will lead truck sales. The Toyota Corolla may not lead the pack, but its enduring popularity is remarkable. Several years ago, it became the best-selling vehicle in history. Here’s a synopsis of the Ford F-150 and Toyota

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The 2014 Lincoln MKZ: Strong luxury car contender

Maybe you’d rather have a Lincoln. The 2014 Lincoln MKZ sedan turns heads, and it’s been a long time since this automaker has built a car that does that. MKZ is part of Lincoln‘s attempt to put it on the lists of more luxury car buyers. It has the looks, ride and handling to make it competitive with some Cadillacs and foreign luxury car models. Steering is sharp, an adaptive suspension makes the ride comfortable, and the car handles as well as some top-line European and Asian luxury sports sedans. The brake pedal has a good feel and causes the anti-lock brakes to bite early and surely. So why hasn’t Lincoln offered a car such as the MKZ several years

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PREVIEW: 2015 Toyota Camry gets sporty redesign

The 2015 Toyota Camry features a new design. It’s longer and wider, has a large, aggressive grille and chiseled sides. The change is the result of sportier rivals providing increased competition for the best-selling car in the United States. The Camry, the top-seller for the last 12 years, has plenty of loyal buyers. But Toyota representatives stressed at the car’s debut at the recent New York International Auto Show that buyers’ tastes have changed. Known for it reliability, the 2015 Toyota Camry will be available in the fall of 2014. It will now also emphasize style, comfort and performance. Bill Fay, the U.S. Toyota division chief, said the carmaker began to redesign the Camry in 2011. It was influenced by

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2014 Hyundai Sonata: Firmly in family sedan mix

Now in the fourth year of its current generation, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata is no longer an outsider trying to find a sliver of the market share. The Sonata is well established and holds its own in the crowded pack of family sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Mazda 6. While not a newbie in 2014, the Sonata has been tweaked enough to stay fresh. The changes include: driver-selectable steering effort, a sport-tuned exhaust (SE 2.0T only), available xenon headlights and LED taillights (Limited only), a ventilated driver seat (Limited) an optional blind-spot monitoring system, an improved stability control system and two new touchscreens. The interior styling has also been refreshed, and Hyundai has

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2014 Ford Fusion Energi: Euro-styled hybrid surprises

Now slightly more than a year old, the Ford Fusion Energi, a gas plug-in electric hybrid, further adds to the Fusion hybrid lineup. The family debuted in the spring of 2009 as 2010 models for Ford and Mercury. The latter brand is gone, but the Fusion hybrid is now available in eight trims. The 2014 Fusion Energi can travel 21 miles in pure-electric mode and as far as 620 miles total before the battery needs recharging or the gas tank filled. Recharging is estimated at seven hours with 120-volt outlet or 2 1/2 hours with 240 volts. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Plenty of hybrids look like cars I don’t want to own. The original Toyota Prius comes to mind.

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Honda shines in TheWeeklyDriver’s 2013 top-10

For the seventh straight year, theweeklydriver.com has selected its top-10 Cars of the Year. Honda continues its streak as the only manufacturer represented in each year of the list. We’ve picked 70 cars, of course, in the past 10 years, and now 13 Honda models have been featured, including in 2013, the Honda Odyssey and Honda Accord. As editor and publisher of the site since its debut in 2004, I wrote 34 full reviews of 2013 model year cars and trucks. Contributors Dan Jedlicka (www.danjedlicka.com) and Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) also contributed reviews to the site in 2013, pushing the total reviews to more than 100 for the year. Aldrich also filmed and produced all of the videos on the site

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2014 Volkswagen Passat: Conservative, sturdy, versatile

The reasonably priced 2014 Volkswagen Passat is among the top German sedans. Successfully redesigned for 2012, the slow-selling Volkswagen Passat was “Americanized” to satisfy desires of motorists here without losing its “German car” appeal. The made-in-America Passat confronts mid-size sedans, such as the Chevrolet Malibu, increasingly popular Ford Fusion, highly popular Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata and established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Some rivals have adventuresome styling, while the Passat has a handsome but mostly conservative design—inside and out—that is typical of Volkswagens. But the 3,230-3,481-pound Passat has the sturdy feel one expects from a German auto. The front-drive Passat has a variety of prices and models and costs from $20,845 to $33,895. Passat engines include a new 1.8-liter turbocharged,

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