Fusion Energi Owners - Please Look

[flamingoezz]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and looking at the FFE Titanium as an option for my next car.  I love the look of the car, but am a little concerned that with $1.69 gas in New Jersey, that the overall cost of the car will outweigh any benefits I'll see in fuel savings.

 

If people wouldn't mind sharing out the door price paid and included options on their FFE, it'll help me figure out if the cost difference is low enough to make financial sense.  I saw in another post that the 2017's are available for order and even cheaper this year.  I'm wondering how that'll affect the pricing on 2016's that they are trying to get off the lot.  I actually prefer the body style on the 2016, and though I'd like sync 3 I think I may try to negotiate on a 2016 instead as they try to clear them out.  Does anyone know when 2017's are due to hit dealers -- I'm guessing that will be the best time to see my local dealer? 

 

Also, if there are any benefits in driving a plug in that I might not know about, that'll help in making a decision.

 

 

 

[Hybridbear]

Also, if there are any benefits in driving a plug in that I might not know about, that'll help in making a decision.

1. Reducing air pollution - I don't know the statistics for your area, but here in Minneapolis the MN Pollution Control Agency estimates that at least half of our local air pollution comes from vehicle exhaust. By driving on electricity you remove the tailpipe emissions that are produced in heavily populated areas & move the emissions out to a power plant. Power plants are usually located in sparsely populated areas. Additionally, the air pollution from the electricity generation is much less than the pollution from the tailpipe when you burn gasoline. If you use Value Charge profiles to charge at night you are likely charging at a time when there is excess supply on the grid & thus your electricity consumption results in ZERO additional pollution because there is already excess supply. Our grid has excess wind power at night that is not added to the grid due to excess supply. Increasing nighttime demand on our grid results in improved utilization of clean, renewable wind power. Living in a heavy trafficked part of the Twin Cities metro area I can personally attest to the effects of tailpipe emissions on the air quality. The amount of dusting we have to do is ridiculous & every night while parked our cars get covered with a layer of soot from the tailpipe emissions. If a car sits at home during the day it gets a much thicker coat of dust than from sitting home overnight.
2. Smooth, silent operation - the silence when driving in EV mode is awesome.
3. Remote control of your car  - you can access your car via cell phone app or web browser & lock/unlock the doors, view trip data, view where the car is on a map, etc.
4. Cabin preconditioning - you never have to get into a cold car when leaving home in the winter or a hot car in the summer since you can program the car to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin with the aforementioned phone app/web browser connection.
5. Remote starting - you never have to get into a cold car when leaving any location in the winter or a hot car in the summer since you can remote start the car from the aforementioned phone app/web browser, if you still have charge left in your HVB you can remote start & pre-condition the cabin without burning gas & polluting.

This is just a starting point, I'm sure others can add more benefits.

 

 

Hello, I'm new to the forum and looking at the FFE Titanium as an option for my next car.  I love the look of the car, but am a little concerned that with $1.69 gas in New Jersey, that the overall cost of the car will outweigh any benefits I'll see in fuel savings.

 

If people wouldn't mind sharing out the door price paid and included options on their FFE, it'll help me figure out if the cost difference is low enough to make financial sense.  I saw in another post that the 2017's are available for order and even cheaper this year.  I'm wondering how that'll affect the pricing on 2016's that they are trying to get off the lot.  I actually prefer the body style on the 2016, and though I'd like sync 3 I think I may try to negotiate on a 2016 instead as they try to clear them out.  Does anyone know when 2017's are due to hit dealers -- I'm guessing that will be the best time to see my local dealer?

Are you factoring in the $4007 tax credit on the Energi? This often reduces the price of the Energi to be comparable with the price of the Fusion Hybrid. We have owned both & have not found the Energi to be any less efficient than the hybrid on long trips using gasoline.

 

Be aware that this is a tax credit, not a tax rebate & not a deduction. The tax credit reduces your tax liability. You will want to evaluate what this means for your particular tax situation to understand its impact on your financials.

[jeff_h]

Also, if there are any benefits in driving a plug in that I might not know about, that'll help in making a decision.

 

How far is your typical commute, and would you have the capability to charge at work (if the commute was more than just a few miles each way)?

[shaggy314]

For me the key to the decision was that I live 19 miles from work where I can charge so I go 2 (winter) to 4 (summer) months on each tank for gas. I stopped looking at gas prices 2 years ago. If I'm filling up so rarely, the price matters less, so I go when the 50 miles gas light comes on.

 

This car is a stop gap until you can either there is a long enough range EV that I don't feel the need to carrying around gas and a second engine. The Bolt and Model 3 are a start and infrastructure will be the winner. Can I go wherever I want when I need to do so.

 

This car wasn't a good financial payoff choice (gas vs. electric) in 2013 when I got it. Now Ford has dropped the price nearly $8,000, 2017s might actually payback in the life of the car. Once oil prices get back over $75 a barrel, having a car that runs on electricity will be nice.

 

That left two stronger reasons for the 2013 purchase, lowering the US oil demand and spending more to better the environment. The $ payoff may happen, but may not before I sell the car or it needs a new battery.

[mrmikel]

Gas prices won't always be this low.  Something will happen and we will be paying $3.00+ per gallon.  Then this car will be in high demand.

[flamingoezz]

@hybridbear - yes, I'm factoring the federal credit into my math.  Part of the issue is that the other car I'm considering is 15K less in MSRP and average 33MPG.  the $4000 back helps close the gap a bit and i will see some fuel savings but that will take years and may only recoup another $1200 - 3000.  So if I buy the car it'll likely have to be a decision to pay a good chunk of change towards preserving the planet.  That is part of the reason I'm considering a 2016 model with the 2017's hitting lots soon.

 

@jeffh - My commute is 15 miles round trip so I wouldn't use gas during the week for the most part.

 

@mrmikel - I realize gas prices won't stay this low forever.  I calculated the average price at $2.50 to get an idea on my fuel savings.  If it takes a year to start moving up again and reaches $3 range, I figure on the average over 6 years owning the car will be $2.50 or so.

 

 

Any idea what kind of discount can be had on last years models with ford?

[Hybridbear]

Part of the issue is that the other car I'm considering is 15K less in MSRP and average 33MPG.

What is the other car? Are there cars for $15k less that have all the features that the Energi Titanium has?

[flamingoezz]

Other car I'm considering is the Honda HR-V.  

 

It certainly isn't an apple to apple comparison -- we're talking about a crossover vs an electric/hybrid...and each has some features the other doesn't have.  collision detection and leather for the energi titanium, AWD for HR-V.  

 

If after rebates and incentives, i could get within 4K of what the HR-V goes for, I'd rather the ford -- which is part of the reason I'm considering a 2016 fusion at the end of their model year. Just not sure I can get a dealer down close to 20% off MSRP.

 

 

 

 

What is the other car? Are there cars for $15k less that have all the features that the Energi Titanium has?

[Hybridbear]

If after rebates and incentives, i could get within 4K of what the HR-V goes for, I'd rather the ford -- which is part of the reason I'm considering a 2016 fusion at the end of their model year. Just not sure I can get a dealer down close to 20% off MSRP.

Have you considered a 2015 Fusion Energi? You might be able to find a better deal on a 2015. Or even a 2014. We bought our 2013 Fusion Energi Titanium in September 2014 (when they were clearing out the 2014s). We got about 30% off MSRP and then we were able to claim the tax credit in addition to that.

[stevedebi]

Other car I'm considering is the Honda HR-V.  

 

It certainly isn't an apple to apple comparison -- we're talking about a crossover vs an electric/hybrid...and each has some features the other doesn't have.  collision detection and leather for the energi titanium, AWD for HR-V.  

 

If after rebates and incentives, i could get within 4K of what the HR-V goes for, I'd rather the ford -- which is part of the reason I'm considering a 2016 fusion at the end of their model year. Just not sure I can get a dealer down close to 20% off MSRP.

Have you actually sat in the HR-V? I believe it uses seats from the Fit, which were really bad when we tried them.

[flamingoezz]

@Hybridbear -- I wouldn't mind going with a 2016 as they phase into the 2017 model, but I'd be reluctant to go much further with a car that relies pretty heavily on that battery lasting.  It would be ideal to get at least 15 miles range out of it over the next 6 years...I don't know how long the batteries hold their max charge.

 

Wow, 30% off?  If I can manage that, I'll be a ford owner for sure.  Even 25% will likely get the job done for me. 

 

@stevedebi -- i haven't sat in the HR-V yet.  I'll probably test drive the fusion first and if I can't find a deal that works for me, I'll try the HR-V when their new model comes out -- I'm not that keen on buying a first model year of a car.

[meyersnole]

Adding a couple thoughts.

 

My purchase was not really economics, especially the first year (2013) as the price tag was pretty high and has dropped considerably from there. For the most part I just really liked the car and I wanted an electric car but was not ready to limit myself to 70 or 80 mile range and did not want to drop the kind of money required for the Tesla. I cross shopped the Volt and liked it somewhat, but it was not a good fit for me.

 

I really liked (still do) the technology in the car.

 

• As much as MFT can be frustrating (Gen 2 -- the new ones are much better) it is still the best infotainment system that I have purchased that was was OEM. HD radio, bluetooth stereo, and USB music is great... I let my sirius subscription go as I did not need it anymore. The Honda is probably similar to this now though.
• Driving Assist -- I ticked all the boxes on my order so I have BLIS, Park Assist, ACC, Collision Alert & Lane Keeping. While the lane keeping and park assist are either not used or used much (I never use park assist and only use lane keeping on trips) I absolutely LOVE adaptive cruise control. Once you try this you will never want to go back to the old style cruise again. I still check the mirrors for cars in my blind spot... but I like the BLIS system to confirm that I am really clear to move lanes.
• Another thing not mentioned is that this car has a bunch of screens that help you maximize your driving efficiency. You can find thread after thread of people on here doing everything they can think of to squeeze just one more mile of range out of the car... it is fun and addictive.  Even to people who formally hit the accelerator at the light and dusted everyone there (like me).   

I also really like the styling of the car... it is a looker.

 

There was a huge multi page thread early in the life of this forum where the members went after the topic of economics of hybrids & plugins vs gas cars. Lets just say there are strong feelings on the topics and if you put it to a spreadsheet you can justify the cost with enough considerations... in the end though, what is it worth to you? I am firmly in the camp that a car is not an investment. While it has some utility it also is an emotional purchase which has very different drivers for each purchasor.

 

My main drivers were the new PHEV technology experience and aesthetics, although when gas approached $4/gal the whole not going to the gas station every week was real nice too.  

 

In the end what gives you value? Drive both vehicles and see which one makes you happy. 3 years into this vehicle and I am still happy with my purchase. My previous vehicle was a 2006 Acura TL and this is my first Ford / American brand purchase. 

[lonzo71]

There are also post from myself and others that you can compare gas/electric prices to give you an idea. I wouldnt buy a plugin/hybrid just for the savings/cost of gas. It should be a combo of reasons why. Esp if you are looking for a commuter car...