Ford Fusion

The Fusion�s powertrain lineup has been completely overhauled for 2010 and offers more choices, starting with the four-banger, now enlarged to 2.5 liters from 2.3 and blessed with 15 more hp and 16 additional lb-ft of torque for a total of 175 hp and 172 lb-ft. The manual and automatic transmissions that mate to the four-cylinder each have an additional forward gear this year, too, for a total of six. In spite of its frugal intentions�Ford claims 33 mpg on the highway, but had no figures for city-cycle mpg at the time of this writing�we found the motor to be willing, revvy, and smooth. Ultimate acceleration is on the lazy side of adequate, but the midrange punch is quite satisfying. Ford claims a 0�60 time of 9.5 seconds, but that was the pokey time we recorded in a 2.3-liter car with a five-speed automatic. Additionally, a 2.3-liter Fusion with a five-speed manual was clocked at 8.1 seconds to 60, so we expect the 2010 model to handily outpace Ford�s estimates.