2015 fusion energi

[Larry Tye]

Morning

 

I'm automotively-impaired, and wondering if there's any reason anyone smarter than me knows of -- price or feature-wise -- to wait for the 2015's before buying a Fusion Energi.

 

Also wondering when they're likely to show up in showrooms.

 

Last thing: one of the 2014s I have been looking at has the driver assist package. What I've been reading about it is unappealing to me, but wondered if anyone who has it loves it, and why.

 

Thanks

 

Larry

[looking372]

Larry,

 

I believe the only difference between the 2014 and 2015 models is the addition of daytime running lights.  There are some new color choices but for features I believe that's it.  I did select the driver assist package as I do see the benefit of the blind spot warning(BLIS) when changing lanes.  I didn't want the lane departure warning and the rest of the options in the package but you couldn't just get the BLIS by itself.  I have done some reading and it seems that some of the advanced warning features such as BLIS do actually reduce accident rates.

 

If you can get a 2014 at a discount vs the 2015 and you can get the colors etc you want, I'd go for it.

[Cody Permann]

The backup camera is standard now.  The Titanium has a 10-way power passenger seat and there is a new version of MySync.  Finally there are a few new colors and a few old ones have already been retired.  I might have missed one or two things, but rest assured there is nothing really big.  I would say that none of that is worth waiting for.  The incentives for 2014 models are really good so if you find what you want on the lot then pick one up.  If you can't find one then you will have to buy a 2015 as they are no longer allowing orders for 2014 models.  Good luck!

[Eric4539]

Hi Larry,

 

I have the Driver Assist Package.  My opinion is that it depends on what you think about these features.  Some might feel they are annoying; I wanted these features for safety and convenience.

 

BLIS has helped me when reversing out of parking spaces when a large truck or SUV was parked next to me blocking my field of view.  It also helped me when I was exiting an under building parking structure with concrete walls on both sides and having to drive over a sidewalk and then into the street.  BLIS alerted me that an object was approaching from the Right Front.  These situations do not occur often but BLIS is nice to have.

 

Lane Keeping Assist can be annoying and I do not always turn it on.  But on long drives on the Interstate it can be nice to steer you back into your lane should you drift.  

 

I love the auto high beams and the rain sensing wipers.  Again, it depends how often you drive in areas that is not well lit or in wet weather. 

 

I can tell you that I am spoiled with these features.  When I drive a vehicle without them I actually miss them!  And the cool factor of showing your friends how your car keeps you in your lane is priceless!   :)

 

One feature you did not mention but I highly recommend is the Adaptive Cruise Control.  I won't buy another car without it.

[HotLap]

Hey Eric, I just bought a new 2014 Fusion Energi Titanium with the driver's assist package.  I thought this package only came with the Lane Keeping  System and Bliss?  That's all the window sticker lists, but I did see setting for the rain sensing wipers...how can I tell if I have the auto high beams or not?  Also, is the Lane Keeping Assist the option that comes with the driver alert function?  In the information view I have the pic of the steering wheel with the dotted lines to the cup of coffee on the right, but it says "unavailable", is that because the car is stationary or is that feature not enabled?

 

Sorry, just trying to learn all of this new technology and the OM is not one of the best I've seen, rather vague in many areas.

[Eric4539]

Hey HotLap!

 

You can turn on your Lane Keeping Assist from the button at the end of the turn signal stalk.  Then in the left gauge in your instrument cluster you'll see 2 parallel dotted lines appear.

 

You will want to get into Settings for the left gauge (Settings > Vehicle Settings > Driver Assist > Lane Keeping Sys) and set the Lane Keeping Assist for Alert Only, Aid Only, or both.  You can also set the intensity of the Alert, which is the vibration of the steering wheel.

 

You have the Auto High Beams since you have the Driver Assist Package.  In order for it to work you have to keep your main headlight control on Auto.  Then the fun begins.  Drive down a dark street and as long as there are no other vehicles in front of you or approaching you, and no vehicles parked on the side that might be reflecting your headlights, the high beams will come on.  I can be driving on the interstate and my high beams will come on at times.  I like it.

 

The rain-sensing wipers are a little trickier since nothing tells you that they are on or not.  You'll see the letter A on your wiper stalk which means you have them.  To turn that feature on, make sure the wiper stalk is in the lowest position = Off.  Then raise the wiper stalk one click.  That is the auto wiper On position.  Just remember to turn them off if you use an automatic car wash.

 

Here are links to Ford instructional videos; you'll see an alphabetical list and find Auto High Beams and Rain Sensing Wipers.

 

http://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/OwnerVideoPage&year=2013&make=Ford&model=Fusion%20Energi

[HotLap]

Eric, awesome information and thank you for taking the time with an Energi newbe to explain!!  Since it wasn't listed on the window sticker under the Driver Assist option I didn't realize it came with the additional options!  I did see the "A" on the wiper stalk and will check out the Auto High Beams tonight! :happy feet:

[Joatnm]

Hi Larry,

 

I have the Driver Assist Package.  My opinion is that it depends on what you think about these features.  Some might feel they are annoying; I wanted these features for safety and convenience.

 

BLIS has helped me when reversing out of parking spaces when a large truck or SUV was parked next to me blocking my field of view.  It also helped me when I was exiting an under building parking structure with concrete walls on both sides and having to drive over a sidewalk and then into the street.  BLIS alerted me that an object was approaching from the Right Front.  These situations do not occur often but BLIS is nice to have.

 

Lane Keeping Assist can be annoying and I do not always turn it on.  But on long drives on the Interstate it can be nice to steer you back into your lane should you drift.  

 

I love the auto high beams and the rain sensing wipers.  Again, it depends how often you drive in areas that is not well lit or in wet weather. 

 

I can tell you that I am spoiled with these features.  When I drive a vehicle without them I actually miss them!  And the cool factor of showing your friends how your car keeps you in your lane is priceless!   :)

 

One feature you did not mention but I highly recommend is the Adaptive Cruise Control.  I won't buy another car without it.

 

 

Are their limitations on the Adaptive Cruise? Forward Range? Can it see cars ahead that are off center on a curve in the road? Other limitations?

[murphy]

Are their limitations on the Adaptive Cruise? Forward Range? Can it see cars ahead that are off center on a curve in the road? Other limitations?

Mine shut down as I was driving south on I95 in Maryland in very heavy traffic with rain pouring down.  I think it was the combination of rain coming down and water being thrown up by the car in front of me.  It decided that it couldn't get a good measurement of the distance to the car in front.  Once shut down you don't get ACC back until the car is turned off and back on.  It doesn't drop to regular cruise control either since if you didn't pay attention it would run into the car in front.

 

There is a road that I drive a lot that comes down hill and then back up in the space of a couple 100 feet.  It sometimes starts slowing down when it sees the rising road as an obstacle.

[Eric4539]

Hi Joatnm,

 

Like Murphy experienced, the only time my Adaptive Cruise Control shut off was during a horrendous storm.  The interstate was very wet, a lot of water on the road, so there was a lot of spray from vehicles in front of me.  I figured the sensor where the radar is couldn't "see" ahead due to the rain and the spray from the road.  So I had to go into the Settings menu and turn on regular cruise control.  I did NOT like using regular cruse control; I am really spoiled by ACC.

 

I think about 30 minutes later I was able to use ACC again.  The road was still very wet but there was less road spray and it wasn't raining hard.

 

I don't know what the forward range is, but it does read far enough ahead that vehicles on a curve can make your car slow down.  There are several curves on the interstate that I drive on.  If there is a semi or panel truck ahead of me in the right lane (3 or 4 car lengths ahead), the interstate curves to the left, as the truck follows the curve to the left and I approach the curve, my car will slow down thinking the truck is in front of me.  I hope that explanation made sense.

 

It's an odd feeling when that happens but I'm used to it now.

[Joatnm]

Eric and/or Murphy: Do you have to turn it off in order to pass other vehicles on the interstate? Ever have any hickups with oncoming traffic or passing on 2 lane highways while on ACC?

[murphy]

No, once I change lanes it ignores the other lane.  ACC can be overridden by pressing the accelerator pedal.  I sometimes have to do that when a car ahead is making a right or left turn.  When the car in front turns it looks to the computer like it has stopped.

[Eric4539]

It functions like regular cruise control.  Step on the accelerator if you need to pass someone, when you let off the accelerator, your cruise control resumes the speed you had set.

 

Or you can manually Cancel and then Resume via the button on the steering wheel.

 

If you want to play with it before your car arrives, I would suggest test driving a Fusion that has that option.  I was able to test drive an Energi with ACC and Lane Keeping Assist and the dealer didn't know to work those options!

[Doug0716]

I think it's worth noting that the turning off in heavy rain shouldn't catch too much slack since most owners manuals say not to use cruise control in wet conditions or on gravel type surfaces.  Though, the turning off until you re-start the car (or re-set the cruise mode in the menu?) is a bit annoying.  In any case I'm looking forward to the ACC for road trips mostly!

[Hybridbear]

The BLIS will also fail in heavy rain if a sensor is blocked by water.

 

We love the Driver Assist features (especially Lane-Keep Assist)!

[Joatnm]

Has anyone had this problem? I had a week where the engine ran nonstop. As soon as I started the car the engine came on and this message came up and I had to acknowledge it to make it go away. The engine would stay on in park driving around at any speed and stopped at stoplights. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzrf8VPPIZdlelQyQUE1WXUwRlU/view?usp=sharing

[Russael]

Has anyone had this problem? I had a week where the engine ran nonstop. As soon as I started the car the engine came on and this message came up and I had to acknowledge it to make it go away. The engine would stay on in park driving around at any speed and stopped at stoplights. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzrf8VPPIZdlelQyQUE1WXUwRlU/view?usp=sharing

 

Looks like they renamed Oil Maintenance Mode.

 

See this thread:  http://www.fordfusionenergiforum.com/topic/2859-engine-oil-maintenance-message/?hl=%2Bmaintenance+%2Bmode

 

:)

[looking372]

Has anyone had this problem? I had a week where the engine ran nonstop. As soon as I started the car the engine came on and this message came up and I had to acknowledge it to make it go away. The engine would stay on in park driving around at any speed and stopped at stoplights. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzrf8VPPIZdlelQyQUE1WXUwRlU/view?usp=sharing

 

I had this issue this past Friday (The day before I was driving in 0 degree F weather.  If you go to the main display, to the Power screen you'll see where is says "engine on for oil maintenance".  My car also wouldn't turn off so I called the dealer.  They didn't have a clue and told me to make an appointment to bring it in.  I finally found the info below buried in the manual:  It took 26+ miles of the engine running constantly for it to reset.

 

Low Engine Use (If Equipped)

The low engine use mode is equipped on Fusion Energi models only. The low engine use mode will activate automatically when you drive your vehicle with limited engine use. The mode will maintain proper engine

lubrication at sufficient temperature. If your vehicle is in low engine use mode when you start the vehicle, a message will appear in the information display. When your vehicle is in low engine use mode, your vehicle will automatically run the engine as necessary.If you select the EV Now mode while the vehicle is in the low engine use mode, EV Now mode will be suspended for as long as you are in low engine use mode The low

engine use mode will resume the next time you start your vehicle and will automatically stop when no longer needed

 

Note: Cold temperatures will affect the engine warm up time and the low engine use mode may operate more frequently.

Note: An oil change is not required but gives you the option of not running a low engine use cycle. Resetting the oil life monitoring system will suspend the low engine use mode.

Edited January 12, 2015 at 12:26 AM by looking372