2009 Ford Fusion

Based on the Mazda6 and launched for the 2006 model year, the Fusion is assembled in Mexico, along with its near twins, the Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. It replaces the Contour in Ford's lineup, which itself was a rebadged Ford Mondeo lifted from Europe, and smaller in size than the Fusion.

Standard fare for all 2008 Fusion models includes an anti-lock braking and tire pressure monitoring system, a keyless entry keypad on the SEL, an optional reverse sensing system, and optional Sync hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system. Sync, developed exclusively for Ford by Microsoft, enables the integration of cell phones and portable media players into the audio system via Bluetooth and USB connectivity. A newly available Sport Appearance Package along with five new exterior color options and the choice to upgrade to ambient interior lighting round out the changes for 2008. The ambient lighting system consists of a choice of seven driver-selectable colors to light up the cupholders and the front and rear footwells. Sync and ambient lighting will be available late in 2008.

There is an S trim with the inline-four engine and front-wheel drive, along with an SE and SEL trim. The V6 model can be had in base SE, and uplevel SEL, with the option of all-wheel drive on both . The powerplants are familiar to those who've perused Mazda's offerings as well, with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder also doing duty in Mazda's 3, 5, 6. In this application, it's rated at 160 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 156 lb-ft at 4,250 rpm, and can be hitched either to a manual or automatic transmission, both with five forward cogs. The V6 displaces nearly 3.0 liters, and produces 221 hp at 6,250 rpm and 205 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. It puts the power down exclusively through a six-speed automatic.

Fuel economy ratings are 20 mpg city / 28-29 mpg highway for the four-cylinder models, while the FWD V6 are rated at 18 mpg city / 26 mpg highway. The V6 AWD variants return 17 mpg city / 25 mpg highway.

Some standout stand-alone options we haven't mentioned yet include an audiophile eight-speaker sound system, Sirius satellite radio, traction control (on FWD models), rear spoiler, leather seating surfaces, heated seats, voice-activated DVD-based navigation system.