[Mr 5 0]

The Ford Fusion looks more like a replacement for the unlamented Tempo and Contour than the fabulously successful and long-running (almost 20 years) Taurus. It comes with a four cylinder engine and an optional six and is priced in the low $20,000. range - right along with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, making it a tough sell for many Americans.

The Taurus was a solid, if uninspiring 'family' vehicle that just got old and tired, mostly because Ford stopped trying. That didn't have to happen. Both the Camry and Accord have been around longer than the Taurus and both enjoy an excellent reputation as well as sales numbers Ford can only dream of, today. They have evolved and stayed fresh, even though their styling is pedestrian and their performance is just average. However, unlike the now-departed Taurus, the Accord and Camry do not look basically like the same car they were 10 years ago. Honda and Toyota have constantly tweaked the design, especially the interior and the drivetrain, and even if that tweaking isn't all that noticable to the average car-buyer, the quality sure is.

These Japanese sales leaders are built to run 200,000 miles (or more) with minimal repairs and average maintenance. Few Taurus buyers ever expected that kind of quality from their Ford....and they should have. That Ford was content to get by on a brand name and a ho-hum product, cutting prices and dumping the Taurus on rental fleets, making it a car to avoid for many folks, is indicative of the lack of foresight and marketing creativity that has often plagued the Ford corporation. Here was their premier family sedan, a best-seller for years (millions were sold over it's 19-year run) and basically, Ford just sat on it and allowed Toyota Camry and Honda Accord to blow by the Taurus in design, quality and, ultimately, sales and popularity. It didn't have to be that way.

Will the Ford Fusion step up to the quality bar that the Japanese cars have set and help revive the faltering Ford Motor Company? We'll see. However, it may be awhile before buyers are ready to jump on the Fusion bandwagon, considering the wealth of similarly priced foreign cars vying for the new-car buyer's dollar. Still, the Fusion does look like a sharp car for what it is and I wish it well.