[OX1]

Figured since my daily driver has been a 15 AWD 2.0 for almost a year/14K miles,
a direct comparison might be nice (for me and everyone else). My sales guy claimed he
owns an low 11 second car and told me I could push it as hard as I want, so I did.

For reference, I currently also own

14 Stang GT-auto (stock)
03 EVO 8 (modded for low 12's)
86 Capri 5.0 (w/turbo, runs 11.30's)


Throttle Response- Huge disappointment. Was hoping with .7 Liter more motor and
theoretically, two smaller turbos (than single on 2.0), low end would be significantly
improved. It wasn't. I run my 15 on Wawa reg, so it wasn't a premium vs regular
thing between cars.

Power- nice kick over 3000, but no faster than my 2.0 below that. Again pretty disappointed.
Did not feel like even 5.0, 0-60 to me, not even close really.

Handling- about the same as the 2.0, which I admit is above average overall. Turn in is excellent in both
and both get a bit unsettled in the really quick lane change maneuver.
Also, both, upon fairly aggressive spirited driving on uneven curves, show the floaty shock valving.
I live with that compromise on my 2.0 as it is so smooth and quiet at speed, we call it "the couch".
Expected more from the electronic suspension, but maybe it is only for potholes,
and does little for overall performance handling improvements.

Brakes - much better than 2.0, which is really saying something since 2.0 brakes are excellent.

Sound- Dead quiet just like 2.0. Some kind of piped in burble in Sport mode (on Sport). Was annoying at best,
hope there is a way to turn it off.

Overall I am no longer super eager to get killed on my 15 ($$wise) to get this car. I plan on driving 4 more Sports
in hopes of it being better than I thought or maybe I just caught a Monday morning car.

 

[don]

Did you drive the Sport in the sport mode? I agree the suspension is a bit "floaty," but that goes away entirely in sport mode. I haven't seen a list, but several things change in sport mode.

 

[OX1]

Did you drive the Sport in the sport mode? I agree the suspension is a bit "floaty," but that goes away entirely in sport mode. I haven't seen a list, but several things change in sport mode.

Yes, about halfway through I switched over.

I am by no means writing this car off, it was just going to kill me with a trade on my 15. Galves (a subscription only car auction guide book, used by most dealers in my area for trade in values) lists my car at $15K, UGH!!!

That means a car that stickered @ $29,800 a year ago, which I considered I stole at a hair under 23 (not including tax, tags, etc) now has trade in for close to half of it's sticker??

Not saying the sport is not a good value, but for me, it had to be "knock it out of the park" good over and above my 15 to make me spend that much money over my trade.

I will drive it again over the next couple months and see if it grows on me. I may be better off buying one down the road with with less than 10K miles and then selling mine after I get it.

 

[falkin42]

Unfortunately it seems you haven't gotten your money's worth then. Trade-in is never as valuable as selling out-right anyway; I've been offered some silly amounts on my cars before. I did let the one go for $500 although they wanted to give me less. I wouldn't consider a Sport if I had just bought a 2.0, but since I haven't bought a car since '12 I think the next year will be a good time to decide.

I have been considering that a used 2.0 is going to be about half to slightly above half of the cost of a new Sport.

 

[OX1]

Unfortunately it seems you haven't gotten your money's worth then. Trade-in is never as valuable as selling out-right anyway; I've been offered some silly amounts on my cars before. I did let the one go for $500 although they wanted to give me less. I wouldn't consider a Sport if I had just bought a 2.0, but since I haven't bought a car since '12 I think the next year will be a good time to decide.

I have been considering that a used 2.0 is going to be about half to slightly above half of the cost of a new Sport.

Agree, but then you see a 15 SE FWD (2.5) for over 20 @ the dealer I use for service.

Used 2015 Ford Fusion For Sale | Lakewood NJ

My plan was to consolidate the 15 and my 03 EVO, hopefully getting something in-between.
As fun and raw as the EVO is, back problems just don't make me want to drive a stick that rides
like a brick, very often these days.

 

[falkin42]

It is a '15, and certified, but no, I would never consider that myself. I like to look at CarMax just because they'll ship cars from different stores for much cheaper than you'd be able to ship a car privately, and that gives you many more options. Could probably get a fully loaded Titanium with awd for about the same price or just a little more; it might be a 13 or 14, but the mileage would still be low. Certification is worth an amount of money.

Been considering getting a separate racing car but that's another 5-10k I don't have. I'll save the jarring ride and manual shifting for that one.

 

[lskarha]

My wife and I test drove a 2017 Titanium 2.0 AWD (19 wheels) and a new Sport. She said the Sport had a rougher ride (bumps were more pronounced) and preferred the 2.0 Titanium. The Sport was in normal mode for the test drive. I knew better than to put it in sport with her in the car. Has anyone else found this to be the case? The handling was much better on the sport. We take long trips and I am thinking the 2.0 would be more comfortable than the Sport. Can anyone comment on the ride?
I’ll be trading in my 2012 Fusion SEL.
-Lee

 

[nlaak]

My wife and I test drove a 2017 Titanium 2.0 AWD (19 wheels) and a new Sport. She said the Sport had a rougher ride (bumps were more pronounced) and preferred the 2.0 Titanium. The Sport was in normal mode for the test drive. I knew better than to put it in sport with her in the car. Has anyone else found this to be the case? The handling was much better on the sport. We take long trips and I am thinking the 2.0 would be more comfortable than the Sport. Can anyone comment on the ride?
I’ll be trading in my 2012 Fusion SEL.
-Lee

I had a '14 Titanium AWD (that I just returned to get my '14 Sport) and while it's possible the suspension changed from '14 to '17 I personally don't feel the ride is notably different between the two vehicles. IMO the Sport is a nice ride. However, I'll also say I don't feel the pothole detect is anything to write home about either. I don't feel any difference between the two there either. YMMV

It's very possible she's very sensitive to the ride, or I'm very insensitive to the ride (though comparisons with friends in their rides leads me to think otherwise).

 

[lskarha]

The 2017 Sport has a beefier sport suspension with stiffer springs. And yes she is sensitive to the ride and she has to have at least an 8 way adjustable seat (back issues). Because of that it rules out a lot of cars. Even the top of the line Honda only has 4 way for the passenger.

 

[OX1]

I had a '14 Titanium AWD (that I just returned to get my '14 Sport) and while it's possible the suspension changed from '14 to '17 I personally don't feel the ride is notably different between the two vehicles. IMO the Sport is a nice ride. However, I'll also say I don't feel the pothole detect is anything to write home about either. I don't feel any difference between the two there either. YMMV

It's very possible she's very sensitive to the ride, or I'm very insensitive to the ride (though comparisons with friends in their rides leads me to think otherwise).

I agree, very little difference in ride of sport (not in sport mode) vs my 15 2.0 AWD. I was actually all psyched up to feel "nothing" after
hitting a pothole filled road, but I still felt the bumps pretty much the same as my 15. I don't have 19's on my 15, so the fact the sport
rode as nice with 19's vs my 15 with 18's might say something.

Either one is very supple compared to many other cars, IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[17Sport]

It's very possible she's very sensitive to the ride, or I'm very insensitive to the ride (though comparisons with friends in their rides leads me to think otherwise).

All guys are insensitive! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[lskarha]

I just went to a dealer and drive a Sport and a Titanium AWD with 19” wheels. I also checked tire pressure in both cars. They usually come off the truck over inflated and it’s amazing how many dealers miss this. (No low pressure light, good to go.)
The rides for both are extremely good. However, I could tell a difference. I drove about 25 miles each, same route. I paid close attention to all but bumps and rough spots on the road. In SE Michigan the roads are usually pretty bad. I drove the Sport first then the Titanium.
The handling in the Sport is far better. Corning is amazing with all maneuvers being crisp and controlled. In normal and sport modes. But even though the ride is good, it is not a smooth as the Titanium. When traveling down the highway at 75 plus the Sport lets you feel more bumps than the Titanium.
I am still considering the Sport but I just wish I lived somewhere that had more exciting roads to drive. Driving thru farm country is not that exciting. The Titanium is still fun and might server me better.
-Lee
PS I always thought the Sport seats in the both cars was the same except for the Miko surface. But now I’m thinking the Sport has a slightly firmer seats which could give better road feel but not isolate the bumps.

 

[Chad3179]

I find that compared to my 14 Titanium, the ride in the Sport feels like the rear is on marshmallows when cornering hard. I don't like it and thought the 14 Titanium the handling was far stiffer and suitable for hi- performance. Not so with the sport, can't bring myself to trust the feeling that the rear end is going to slide out. Might need to check air pressure however.......

 

[lskarha]

I find that compared to my 14 Titanium, the ride in the Sport feels like the rear is on marshmallows when cornering hard. I don't like it and thought the 14 Titanium the handling was far stiffer and suitable for hi- performance. Not so with the sport, can't bring myself to trust the feeling that the rear end is going to slide out. Might need to check air pressure however.......

Where you in normal or sport mode when you felt the “marshmallows when corning hard”?
Was your 14 an AWD? If not this may be the difference you feel. My Subaru Legacy would let the back end slide out when pushed it hard. The car could feed more power to the rear wheels than the front. I believe the most the Sport will put to the rear wheels is 50%.

 

[Chad3179]

Yeah. My 14 was an awd 2.0 turbo. I am going to try some hard cornering tonight in sport mode. Can't recall if I was in sport mode or not when I originally felt that the suspension was a little soft.
I will be going into Toronto next weekend, and plan on pushing it hard in sport mode on the 401. I will post an update after this trip.


The sport mode in Canada has a display screen which shows how much power each set of wheels is getting, and I have not seen it go past 50 front and 50 rear.

 

[JaredC01]

The sport mode in Canada has a display screen which shows how much power each set of wheels is getting, and I have not seen it go past 50 front and 50 rear.

The US spec'd Sport also has this.

 

[Kevin74]

A couple comments regarding recent posts here.
I have not experienced any "marshmallow" feeling in the suspension. Suspension feels great. You can absolutely feel the active suspension at work when cornering hard. And so far most all of my 1000+ miles have been in D. I can't say whether or not Sport mode does anything to the suspension, I would need to make some direct comparisons under exact situations. As already noted Sport mode most definitely changes transmission settings and certainly seems to tighten steering response.

Yes there is a display that shows a graphic representing power to front and rear wheels. I too have not seen it where there is any rear bias. I don't expect to under normal road conditions, unfortunately this isn't focus rs system here. That being said I have not felt any torque steer. We'll see come winter it affectiveness there.