Ford Fusion??

knightstyle

DD is thinking of getting a 1.4 petrol with durashift transmission and i wondered if anyone has experience of one?
It is cheap, low miles and full Ford history so looks a decent buy.

ontheroad1970

Automated manual system.  Others may have experience.  it is pre power shift which on small cars was a little problematic

GunJack

I like Fusions (I'm 3 months into my second one, following 3.5 years of the first one), they're a good all-round car with higher driving position and are a bit of a TARDIS - with the back seats down you'll be surprised at how much you can get in them

I would, however, if you can, go for the 1.4 diesel version - running costs so much lower than the petrol (£30 a year road tax and ave. 60+ MPG), no DPF so short journeys not an issue, and manual gearbox would be better.

Goudy

Durashifts are, as Ontheroad mentions, Automated Manuals and do suffer quite a lot from actuator problems.

The clutch actuator is the most common, when it fails and the car gets stuck in gear as it can't select neutral. This leaves you stranded as the car won't retart in gear. The selector actuator can also be a problem as they fail pretty regularly as well.

Automated Manuals don't drive particularly well either, so they tend to be cheap to buy.

AdrianC

This shape?

Even the newest are nine years old.

"Low mileage" is not necessarily a good thing, especially in something as quintessentially Grandma-who's-now-given-up-driving as a slightly taller automatic Fiesta.

GunJack

AdrianC said:

This shape?

Even the newest are nine years old.

"Low mileage" is not necessarily a good thing, especially in something as quintessentially Grandma-who's-now-given-up-driving as a slightly taller automatic Fiesta.

Ain't it cute?? in mileage terms, my first one went to scrap at 164k miles due to clutch & DMF needing doing (19 year-old) and my new one has 84k on it and it's 17y-o. For £700 if I get 30k out of it (about 3 yrs-worth of mileage) with no major expenditure it'll owe me nowt

Oh, and for the OP, most repairs are pretty cheap (your typical suspension, joints, exhaust, brakes, etc.)
however, clutch & DMF would have been around 700, still cheaper than most but still a wedge (hence my first one getting scrapped )

lincroft1710

Having driven one and also a Fiesta, I'd go for a Fiesta, the Fusion seemed much less agile

BOWFER

lincroft1710 said:

Having driven one and also a Fiesta, I'd go for a Fiesta, the Fusion seemed much less agile

I don't think your average Fusion owner gives a damn about handling.
If ever there was a car that said "I want to get from A to B and that's all" it's the Fusion.
Nothing wrong with that, of course.

GunJack

lincroft1710 said:

Having driven one and also a Fiesta, I'd go for a Fiesta, the Fusion seemed much less agile

Tbh, the higher driving position is much more important than a minor difference in handling, the improved visibility in the fusion allows you to anticipate better. Plus, if like Mrs G-J you have a bad back, the Fusion is so much easier to get in and out of, she finds it easier than getting in and out of her Pug 3008..

lincroft1710

BOWFER said:

lincroft1710 said:

Having driven one and also a Fiesta, I'd go for a Fiesta, the Fusion seemed much less agile

I don't think your average Fusion owner gives a damn about handling.
If ever there was a car that said "I want to get from A to B and that's all" it's the Fusion.
Nothing wrong with that, of course.

You do not appear to have a high opinion of Fusion owners

lincroft1710

GunJack said:

lincroft1710 said:

Having driven one and also a Fiesta, I'd go for a Fiesta, the Fusion seemed much less agile

Tbh, the higher driving position is much more important than a minor difference in handling, the improved visibility in the fusion allows you to anticipate better. Plus, if like Mrs G-J you have a bad back, the Fusion is so much easier to get in and out of, she finds it easier than getting in and out of her Pug 3008..

Well some people will prefer the Fusion's higher driving position. Fiesta felt all round more responsive and if you don't need the higher driving position, the Fiesta would be car to go for. I also have a bad back and have had little problem getting in/out of the Fiesta.  Contemporary reviews tended to favour the Fiesta over the Fusion