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Ford Fusion Energi Titanium vs. Chevy Volt (2013)

17K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  MrIanB 
#1 · (Edited)
Chevy Volt vs. Ford Fusion Energi Titanium (2013)



Last week I test drove a Ford Fusion Energi. I've been drooling over the ample headroom and legroom and options list of the Titanium model, and wanted to see one for myself. I love my Volt but I'm 6'7", and it's the smallest car I've ever owned. It's a bit cramped inside for me- Of course I knew that when I got it, and I chose to lease a Volt anyway. My plan is to stick with the Volt until a more roomy EREV/PHEV-ish thing comes along. I now realize that the Voltec's performance and range has spoiled me. I wanted to love the Fusion Energi, but its performance as in EV-only mode is sappy. The Fusion Energi needs to use the gasoline engine as a crutch to get decent acceleration and maneuverability, especially on the freeway and only has a 20 mile range. I liked the rest of the Fusion, but its EV-only performance is a show-stopper for me. I left the test drive even more happy with my Volt. I wish GM would hurry up and produce a wider selection of Voltec vehicles.

Steverino started an excellent discussion thread this week, Unbelievable! Why doesn't the $40k Volt have this? He addresses the question of why does the Volt lack several popular features. After driving the Fusion Energi, I totally get it. For around the same price-point, GM has built a decent car with a superior electric drivetrain. Ford produces a more elaborate car, but puts it on top of a mediocre drivetrain. It will be interesting to see which strategy prevails in the market.

Some random observations about the Energi:
- Moonroof on the Fusion reduces headroom by about 2 inches. I don't fit in one with a moonroof (at least when it's closed).
- The fuel filler has no gas cap, but the tank is pressurized- there's a fancy one way valve that the gas nozzle sticks in to add fuel.
- The charge port door is a press to release and it pops out and swivels- no inside button to press.
- Drive modes cross-walk: L=L, EV-Only=Normal, EV-Later=Hold, Auto mode allows parallel gas & electric for increased power. There's a grade assist button that I'm not sure what it does and I forgot to ask.
- The battery is in the trunk and takes up a lot of room- but 2 or 3 suitcases can fit in there if cleverly arranged.
- Ford's salesman was not pushy, very knowledgeable and excited about the car. He explained that at least one "Energi" expert salesman is at each dealership and they go through extensive training, and that the service department when through a similar extensive training program.
- There is a 110V outlet located at the bottom of the base of the center console, so rear seat passengers can blow-dry their hair.
- Rectangular A-Pillars are cleverly rotated 90 degrees compared to the Volt- so the wide side of the pillars angle away from the driver, allowing for better visibility.
- Gas filler and charge port are both on the left side, no more short line at Costo.
- Trunk can be popped from inside, for smoother curb-side airport pickups/dropoffs.
- The Energi also has a low air-dam in front that scrapes driveways.
- Spare tire is not available- just a compressor and goop machine like the Volt.
- Turn signal lever has only momentary positions like some German cars.

I put together a comparison chart, below. Before ripping me to pieces over my comparison- please note that I am only interested in comparing the cars fully equipped, with every option right down to the cargo nets. The Volt wins in all "meat and potatoes" categories, while the Fusion offers much more robust list of features and technology gadgetry:

 
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#2 ·
The Fusion isn't even a consideration for me. I'm 5'8" and the room in the Volt is plenty for me and I much prefer the styling of the Volt over the Fusion. In fact, I think of all the plug-in cars on the market, the Volt is either the most attractive, or ties with the Tesla Model-S.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Feature rich, though. Looks like with that price, the income average of someone buying this ford will have to be higher than the volt's 175,000. :)

It is showing the volt at 47k and that is way way high. What is the highway mpg of the heavier fusion with the 2.0L?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Hi Bonaire! When you go on the Chevy website and use the build feature to completely load up a Volt, it lands exactly at 47,065- including fancy wheels, fancy paint, cargo net, sun shade, etc. I loaded both cars the same way to compare maximum top-end pricing. The Energi's MPG is claimed to be 40 compared to the Volt's 38. The Energi's ICE uses an Atkinson cycle 4 with variable intake camshaft timing paired to a funky 35 kW power-split CVT.

The Ford Fusion Energi is more like a Prius with a big battery than Volt with a small battery.
 
#5 ·
Joule, that is a great comparison chart. I actually really like the Fusion Energi styling. And as you say it is very feature rich. But for me there's a few clear advantages to the Volt, highlighted in your table. With the Fusion E, for essentially the same MSRP as the Volt, you get half the battery, half the range, half the tax credit, air vs. liquid battery cooling, compromised EV performance, and you gain a 5th seat at the expense of trunk space. I for one load up my trunk a lot more frequently than I carry 5 people.

Given the Volt's range advantage, the slightly better hybrid MPG of the Fusion and use of regular fuel is negated. If you drive electric most of the time anyway, it doesn't matter that much. BTW, I just noticed you didn't include hybrid MPG in your chart. Given Ford's recent MPG claims, I'm not sure the Fusion will actually get better MPG than the Volt in real world driving anyway.
 
#8 · (Edited)
... With the Fusion E, for essentially the same MSRP as the Volt, you get half the battery, half the range, half the tax credit, air vs. liquid battery cooling, compromised EV performance, and you gain a 5th seat at the expense of trunk space. I for one load up my trunk a lot more frequently than I carry 5 people.
Well said!
BTW, I just noticed you didn't include hybrid MPG in your chart. Given Ford's recent MPG claims, I'm not sure the Fusion will actually get better MPG than the Volt in real world driving anyway.
Yes. I omitted it because I believe one is more likely to get 40 MPG in a Volt than in a Fusion Energi, even though GM reports 38 for Volt and Ford claims 40 for the Energi. I suspect Ford's 21 mile AER is a soft number too, while GM's claim of 38 is frequently exceeded.
 
#7 ·
I think the Volt being a hatchback is also a big advantage.. fold down rear seats and a trunk dont accomodate a bicycle or larger flatscreen TV as cargo whereas a hatchback gives you the full width of the car and the extra height to take larger items...

the energi having a a sunroof is definitely an advantage. as is OnStar which ford sync doesnt have....

energi having a a sunroof is something I wish Volt would get.!! I severely miss it!!

the 20 mile electric range for me is a deal killer.. as my average day is 35-40 miles.. wit ha chance to MAYBE charge for a short time in that day at times.. so i would defimitely be burning up more gas whereas I rarely burn any gas in the volt.
-Christopher
 
#11 ·


I liked the rest of the Fusion, but its EV-only performance is a show-stopper for me. I left the test drive even more happy with my Volt. I wish GM would hurry up and produce a wider selection of Voltec vehicles.

Steverino started an excellent discussion thread this week, Unbelievable! Why doesn't the $40k Volt have this? He addresses the question of why does the Volt lack several popular features. After driving the Fusion Energi, I totally get it. For around the same price-point, GM has built a decent car with a superior electric drivetrain. Ford produces a more elaborate car, but puts it on top of a mediocre drivetrain. It will be interesting to see which strategy prevails in the market.

Some random observations about the Energi:
I've started to realize this too. The whole electric driving experience is a "feature" in its own right and a huge one - certainly more significant than any typical "option package group". It reminds me of why I bought an M5 after having driven my wife's 530i for a couple of years. The basic 5 series was great, but the M5 "drivetrain" made all the difference (a lot more than the other "features").
 
#12 ·
Great job on the comparison chart. Perhaps you could add a link to a larger version of it. Little hard to read. I saw one the other day at the sports club. I didn't realize they had so many "ELR" features. Once you drive a Volt on electric for 40+ miles it would be hard to go back. In fact, it makes you want to move to a long range BEV (200+ EV miles).

- Turn signal lever has only momentary positions like some German cars.
I think it is on the Volt as well. From the 2013 manual (I think it is on the 2011 tho)

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster will flash in the direction of the turn or lane change. Move the lever all the way up or down to signal a turn.

Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to flash to signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane change is complete. If the lever is moved momentarily to the lane change position, the arrow will flash three times.
 
#13 ·
Great job on the comparison chart. Perhaps you could add a link to a larger version of it. Little hard to read.
Thanks Scott! Sorry about that, here's a link: http://s20.postimg.org/ipej2ryf1/Energi_vs_Volt.jpg I went back and added the url to the table also.

Sorry I wasn't more clear about the operation of the turn signal lever: When you move the turn signal lever, say for a full turn, as you move the lever you feel one stop (lane change), then the second stop (turn), and when you let go, the lever returns to center immediately (for full turns and lane change). In the Volt (and most cars), when you move the turn signal lever for a full turn it "sticks" there until the turn is completed and then the lever returns to center as the turn is completed.
 
#14 ·
I like the hatch on the VOLT as it makes it more practical for hauling a lot of things that I could get in a trunck like the Fusion. I would rather have the performance of the VOLT and the much better range of the VOLT than to have some electronic features.
 
#15 · (Edited)
There is another "feature" that is more of a deal-breaker than even price: availability.

I am a GM fan and owner since 1972, and all my present vehicles are GM, but here I cannot buy a Volt at any GM dealer. Not one will sell me a Volt! But two Ford dealers (one just three miles from my home) offer the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and will offer the Energi vesion when it arrives. One dealer gave a showroom exhibition in the parking area of the shopping center near my home. I took two test drives in the Fusion Hybrid (one White, the other Silver), and even tested the "Parking Assist Feature" which no GM vehicle has, not even the most expensive Cadillacs. This convinced my wife to want this instead of a an "invisible" Volt, since this Ford dealer went over its way to get the Fusion Hybrid close to potential customers (in my case, just 450 feet away from my home). I am six feet tall (72 inches) and I fit comfortably in front and in the rear seats (all five).

So if you can't buy the Volt, the Ford Fusion Energi is the next best value because it is also American. And as a clarification, Ford developed its CVT on its own. It is NOT a copy of the Toyota system! When Ford was developing the Escape Hybrid, they discovered how similar their ideas was to Toyota's patents, so they negotiated an agreement to pay for the patents that Toyota had, and this information is what caused the false news that Ford "copied" the Toyota ideas. If you hear this false news from anyone, including Prius fans, please correct them! You can also access Ford Forums, their engineers, or even investigate Ford's development history on the Web, and see for yourselves that what I state here is true.

So if I cannot buy a Volt, my next choice is the Fusion Energi. And if I buy it, I will be one less member here, thanks to GM dealers.
 
#16 ·
Hi Raymond!

Thanks for clarifying that about Ford's eCVT. I find the design of it somewhat odd, in that, as I understand it, when it's engaged in parallel hybrid mode, the battery's contribution is limited to 35 kW.

If Volts weren't available in my market, I'd get the Fusion Energi too. It's ridiculous that GM would ignore a market, and worse how they've allowed so many bad dealers get away with refusing to support and sell the Volt.

I hope that you stick around here even if you get the Energi because I enjoy reading your posts.
 
#17 ·
Follow up from Ford salesman

Update: The Ford salesman was very knowledgeable about Ford's Energi line. He recently followed up with me via email. I figured I'd close the loop by sharing my reply with you:

Hi,

Thank you for contacting me and for meeting with me a few weeks ago. As an electric car geek, I very much enjoyed speaking with you about the Energi and how exciting these innovations are in the market. It’s rare to find someone in any new car dealership who is as knowledgeable about their EV line as you.

As you may recall, I was initially interested in finding out how well I fit in the Energi, given that I’m very tall and that I only fit in the model without a sunroof.

During the test drive however, I was disappointed in the EV performance of the Fusion Energi. The battery has only half the capacity of the Volt and the vehicle seemed underpowered when driving in EV-only mode on the highway. I am able to drive my Chevy Volt at all speeds without using any gasoline for months while enjoying sporty performance. I wouldn’t be able to do that with the Fusion Energi.

I love the comfort and features of the Fusion Energi and will wait and see if Ford introduces a more robust battery and EV drive train in the future. At that time I will come to you first to check one out.

Best regards,
 
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