2017 Ford Fusion Sport
2017 Ford Fusion Sport in Burgundy Velvet (a $395 option)

2017 Ford Fusion Sport   Consumer Guide Test Drive

Class: Midsize Car

Miles Driven: 204

Fuel Used: 11.5 gallons

Real-world fuel economy: 17.7 mpg

CG Report Card
Room and ComfortB+
Power and PerformanceA
Fit and FinishB
Fuel EconomyC
ValueB+
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.
Big & Tall Comfort
Big GuyB
Tall GuyB+
Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.

Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 17/26/20 (city/highway/combined)

Base price: $33,605 (not including $875 destination charge)

Options on test car: Sport Upgrade Package ($2000) special paint ($395)

Price as tested: $36,875

 

Quick Hits

The great: Acceleration, handling

The good: Cabin comfort, ride quality

The not so good: Fuel economy

More Ford Fusion price and availability information

 

John Biel

The new Ford Fusion Sport my lull you into a sense of complacency when you first lay eyes on it. Sure, it’s got a black-diamond grille surface, distinct 19-inch alloy wheels, and a subtle decklid spoiler, but any bucks-grabbing “sport appearance” option package could do that for any modest midsize sedan.

2017 Ford Fusion Sport
The subtle quad-outlet exhaust is unique to Sport models, as are the smoke-finish 19-inch alloy wheels.

Get the Fusion Sport out on the road though, and complacency is shattered. Its 325-horsepower turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 will sweep out the mental cobwebs the first time you power up an expressway entrance ramp or swing out to pass slower traffic. The fact that it does this without an abundance of engine or exhaust noise (the Fusion is pretty quiet on the road) just adds to the car’s sneaky-fast vibe.

Test Drive: 2016 Chevrolet Malibu

2017 Ford Fusion Sport
The Fusion cabin is both roomy and nicely appointed. As with the exterior, there is little inside the Sport to distinguish it from other Fusion trim levels.

There’s a slight penalty at the pump for this; an EPA-rated 17 mpg in the city is more like what you’d expect from a midsize SUV. In a small sample size—59.9 miles, 65 percent of them in city-type driving—this tester averaged 19.6 mpg, which is pushing the car’s 20-mpg combined-mileage projections.

Other quick impressions of the all-wheel-drive Sport are alert handling and an overall nice ride, a tidy control layout with an easy-to-work infotainment system, and pretty good personal-item storage in the cabin. Passenger room is quite good in both rows, with nominal space for three adults across the back seat, and the trunk is usefully sized and shaped. If anything disappointed this driver about his brief turn in the Fusion Sport, it was poor satellite-radio reception.

Test Drive: 2016 Honda Accord Sport

Tom Appel

2017 Ford Fusion Spoiler
A subtle rear decklid spoiler is one way to distinguish the stealthy Fusion Sport from lesser Fusion trim levels.

If you can accept a small twin-turbocharged V6 as a stand-in for a large V8, then you can accept the Ford Fusion Sport as a modern-day muscle car.

The math is pretty simple: With a power-to-weight ratio of around 11.3 pounds per horsepower, the 2017 Fusion Sport matches up nicely with a 1969 Dodge Charger with a 375-horsepower 440-cubic-inch V8, or a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS with a 360-horsepower 454. (Both the Charger and the Monte come in around 11.0 horsepower per pound of car.)

Of course, neither of those classic-era muscle machines came anywhere close to returning 18 mpg, nor did they offer the safety and security of AWD.

Sadly, no other mainstream automaker sells a high-performance midsize sedan. As such, the Fusion Sport resides in a class of one, and it’s really a very entertaining class to be shopping in. If you still enjoy the commute, this potent Fusion packs a lot of muscle into a perfectly responsible and comfortable package.

2017 Ford Fusion Sport
The term muscle car generally conjures images of big V8 engines, bold exterior trim elements, and lousy fuel economy. But, with a power-to-weight ratio that rivals classic performance machines, the Fusion Sport is very much a modern muscle car.

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