5 of 5
BACKNEXT
Fusion Hybrid
Fusion Hybrid
Ford boasts that the Fusion Hybrid is the most efficient hybrid sedan on the market. That depends on your definition of a "sedan." If it means having a trunk, yes. If it doesn't, then the Prius still beats it.But with 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway, the Fusion Hybrid easily tops anything that most of us would call a family sedan. Like the current non-hybrid Fusion, the Hybrid is also a pleasure to drive. It's more fun the Camry Hybrid, but maybe not quite as much as the Altima Hybrid, based on an hour-long test drive.

A lot of the fun of driving the Fusion Hybrid has little do with steering and accelerating, though. The Fusion engages the driver in a pleasant, and relatively non-distracting, game of "virtual gardener."

As you drive, a picture of a budding vine appears to crawl up the side of the gauge cluster. The more efficiently you drive the more leaves begin to sprout. Slam the gas pedal or come to a brutally quick stop, wasting gas, and leaves begin to disappear, one by one.

There's a sense of achievement as your vine begins to fill with leaves and crawl across the top of the gauges. I'm told there may be - possibly - flowers that bloom if you do really well. Only time will tell.

NEXT

Last updated May 06 2009: 11:11 AM ET
Email | Print | Digg this story | RSSRSS
Find Your Next Car
More Galleries
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits
When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
7 startups that want to improve your mental health
7 startups that want to improve your mental health
From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work
From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More

Special Offer
Contact Us Closed Captioning Manage Cookies+ Site Map

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.