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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas Mileage2020 Ford Fusion Review
More than 15 years ago the Ford Fusion sedan was released to major success. Now in 2020, it's leaving production with one final mid-range model.
2020 Ford Fusion – media.ford.com | Shop 2020 Ford Fusion on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2020 Ford Fusion
Ford hasn’t done much to make the final Fusion more attractive than the last. Gone is the potent turbocharged V6 from the 2019 model year. Paddle shifters are no longer available on the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder which frankly, makes sense. Ford has decided to offer the Fusion in some new color codes including Iconic Silver, Alto Blue Metalic, and Rapid Red. FordPass Connect is now standard across the entire trim range. The feature that allows for remote starting, locking, and unlocking your Fusion.
The Breakdown
Good value across the lineup
Excellent standard safety tech
All-wheel-drive is a great option
Base model is incredibly sparse
Interior reminds you how old this platform is
Not sure why the 1.5-liter engine is available
Turbocharged V6 shouldn’t have been discontinued
Sad to see the Fusion end without a cool final edition
2020 Ford Fusion Specs
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- 181 horsepower from base engine
- 185 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 4 available trims
2020 Ford Fusion Powertrain
The Ford Fusion has managed to soldier on for so long in part because of its excellent road-going characteristics. It’s confidence-inspiring and capable. That’s not to say it’s sporty at all, that’s no longer a focal point, but it won’t detract from what most Fusion owners are looking for. Braking is surprisingly sharp and easy to modulate, the feedback from the steering wheel is a bit more numb on center than we’d like, but for the most part, the Fusion handles turns with minimal body roll.
The all-wheel-drive is a front-biased system only sending power to the back in a meaningful way when the front starts to slip and it shows. Push the Fusion hard into a corner and it plows hard. For us, the only acceptable engine is the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder as both of the other options are sub-200 horsepower dogs. All engine options are routed through a 6-speed transmission that does a nice job of responding to throttle input. Overall, this is no sports sedan, but it was never really meant to be. It’s here to take sales away from the Honda Accord and the Kia Optima, but we doubt it’ll make much of a dent considering its aged platform.
2020 Ford Fusion Fuel Economy & MPG
This is where the 2020 Ford Fusion’s optional 1.5-liter engine comes into its own as it provides a combined rating of 27 mpg, considerably higher than that of the 2.0-liter which only scores 25 mpg. Add on the optional all-wheel-drive and that drops even further to 23mpg. For those with the base 2.5-liter engine, they’ll see the difference split at 25 mpg combined so if it’s in the budget, the much better 2.0-liter engine carries no penalty.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Perhaps one of the largest detractors to the 2020 Ford Fusion is the lackluster and outdated interior layout. That’s to be expected from a vehicle that was released some 7 years ago and has never seen a major upgrade during that time. For a good example of this, take a look at the center control stack and compare it to the steering wheel. Over the years Ford has been able to easily upgrade the steering wheel and has done so, leading to its modern and fitting design. The center control stack isn’t so easy to improve and so it has an odd layout, an old-looking aesthetic, and feels cheap in the SEL and Titanium trimmed Fusion models.
In terms of comfort though, the Fusion does a fair job. The sedan is a nice place to be even on some incredibly rough roads, and perhaps most impressive was how quiet it is. Most cars in this price point are noticeably devoid of sound-deadening materials, but not so with the 2020 Ford Fusion. Its climate controls do the job they’re asked to in both hot and cold weather, drivers will just have to learn to use them properly.
Entertainment & Technology
The Sync system found on Ford vehicles for more than a decade has continued to improve over that time. With the 2020 Ford Fusion, owners will get the 3rd version (Sync 3) and overall we like it very much compared to many other options. By taking the time to simply improve the product, Ford has built something reliable, easy to use, and pretty fast actually. While other companies have revamped and rebooted infotainment interfaces, Sync 3 responds to voice commands incredibly well and connects to your device more seamlessly than most.
The 8-inch touchscreen is clearly the one to have when it comes to infotainment. The 4-inch unit in the base model is laughable. While the base sound system is also terrible, the SEL and Titanium cars get a huge boost that sounds fantastic with either 11 or 12 speakers respectfully.
Safety Features
Ford does a great job of putting safety first by making multiple features like blind-spot monitoring, forward collision mitigation, and lane-keep assist. In addition, drivers can opt for adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert. The 2020 Ford Fusion also received a 5-star crash test rating from the NHTSA.
2020 Ford Fusion Trims & Pricing
S – $24,365
When it comes to basic trim levels, not many get as few features as the S. A total of 4 speakers are installed, which might seem like a minor gripe, but it strikes a tone for the rest of the trim level. Ford installed the largest and somehow weakest powerplant, a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder under the hood, and provides a 4.2-inch center control screen. That’s likely smaller than the cellphone in your pocket folks. No Android Auto or Apple CarPlay either, drivers will have to settle for simple Bluetooth. Nevertheless, we applaud Fords installation of multiple standard safety features like forward-collision mitigation across the lineup.
SE – $25,695
The SE is the no-brainer if you’re on a budget since it gets an 8-inch touchscreen with the aforementioned Android and Apple products, but it doesn’t stop there. Ford includes power front seats, 6 speakers with satellite radio, and the option of upgrading to all-wheel-drive, the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and heated front seats. All of those extras come at just over a $1,000 price bump over standard. There’s no reason to stick with the S.
SEL – $29,885
Bumping up to the SEL package will give customers a more modern and luxurious feeling interior with heated seats as standard as well as memory functions for the driver. In addition, the Fusion will come with LED headlights, keyless ignition, and an 11-speaker premium audio system.
Titanium – $35,645
The Titanium trim package basically pulls out all the stops to include everything we’ve talked about as standard, but adds to it with heated and ventilated front sport seats, ambient interior lighting, and a sunroof. In addition, the CoPilot360 Assist package that’s optional on the lower trims becomes standard as well with safety features like adaptive cruise control as well as dual-zone climate control.
Warranties
Ford is pretty run-of-the-mill when it comes to warranty coverage. The powertrain is covered for 5-years or 60,000 miles while the vehicle itself is covered with a limited warranty for 3-years or 36,000 miles. What we do like is that for those 5-years and 60,000 miles, Ford provides complimentary roadside assistance so you can be sure that for that time you’ll never be stranded by your Fusion without help.
What we think
2020 Ford Fusion – media.ford.com | Shop 2020 Ford Fusion on Carsforsale.com
It’s incredibly sad to see the Fusion go and what makes it worse is that it’s not even going out with a bang so much as a whimper. Don’t get us wrong, this is still a good sedan and many will buy it and love it, but we wish that there was a larger place in the world for a new version of the Fusion. Ford clearly has other plans and that’s just one reason that this final model lacks any real moxie when compared to its rivals. It’s hard to justify getting the 2020 Ford Fusion over a lightly used 2019 model with the turbocharged V6, but if our arm was twisted we’d opt for the SEL model. It’s available with all of what you might need but nothing that you don’t actually care about. All-wheel-drive is a great benefit that not all in the segment have either, so surely as its last act, the Fusion will turn a few more folks into Ford owners.
