My number one concern with the new car was gas mileage.  I needed the car to be significantly better than the Malibu (25-27 mpg on commute) for it to be cost effective for me.  When I started looking I glanced at the foreign hybrids (Prius and Insight) but quickly learned that while I could squeeze my 6′4″ frame into them, there was no way a child’s seat was going in the back after that.  After flirting with a couple of full-size cars and crossovers I finally tried the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.  After one test drive I was hooked and have since purchased one.  These are my impressions after about 750 miles.

Size

The Malibu was a nice car.  The model I had (the first model of the 2000’s reintroduction) had a lot of interior room, easily fitting me and passengers.  The Fusion is a good compromise.  It is a smidge smaller in the back seats than the Malibu (sorry Uncle Jim, no riding in the back for you) and there is about an inch less headroom.  Overall it is a good fit.  The shoulder room is amazing (something the new GM models do not have) and the ergonomics of the seat make for a comfy ride.  The car is your standard mid-size sedan, but the trunk is small, a large chunk is taken by the battery pack.

Mileage

Here is where the car shines and in my opinion out competes the Prius.  On my daily commute I have averaged a solid 41-43 mpg at 55 mph (I take back roads).  On the Interstate it makes the EPA estimate of 39-40 mpg (70 mph).  I know Consumer Reports said the car gets less than the stated milage, but I have been beating the stated milage on a consistent basis.  Of note, the car’s active feedback system (it puts more virtual leaves on the base as you drive more efficiently and the tach goes completely green when you enter EV mode) does make you much more aware of your driving style and I have found myself working towards better numbers.  In addition, the 47 mph EV mode and the electronic speed control that works as low as 25 mph really help the milage.

Driving Experience

The car is peppy.  You would never know there is a fule-sipping 4 cylinder engine under the hood.  When you need to accelerate the car can do it (by adding torque from the electrical system I think) and it handles curves well.  I wish the suspension was a little smoother, but it is a mid-sized sedan… there is only so much you can ask for.

The cabin lets in next to no road noise, even at highway speed.  Everything you need to access is right at your fingertips (through on wheel controls) or within easy reach on the center console.

Here is one place I must comment on Ford’s overall design.  First, kudos for not going overboard on the central console.  The Taurus has a third of the front seat room taken up by the center console and I was glad to see that this design asthetic wasn’t carried over.  However, if you are going to add changable ambient lighting, why not make all the interior lights changes rather than just the cup holders and some under dash lights.

Entertainment

This is a win for Ford.  The car has Sirius satillite radio, an FM/AM tuner where channels can be directly entered via a keypad (why did that take so long), a six-CD changer in dash, and both an auxillary and USB port hidden in the armrest console.  The USB port can be directly linked to an iPod or better yet a USB drive (I’m mention why in a moment).  The whole mess is linked together by Ford’s Sync system (a modification of Microsoft’s voice command from their Windows Mobile cell phones).  The sync system works well, once you learn the commands, and makes it easy to control the media.  In addition the system can connect through Bluetooth to your phone, indexing the phone book and making it voice dialing capable.

There is one problem with the Sync system, but I think it is unique to the iPhone.  When the phone is connected through the Bluetooth system and the USB port, the system gets confused on how music is supposed to be outputed (yes it can do BT streaming).  Typically you end up being able to access the iPod functions, but get no sound.  Apparently you can work around this by selecting on your phone the output you want, but I have had limited luck with that.  It is easier to go get an 8, 16 or 32 GB flash drive (portable HDD also work) copy the music to it and then plug it in the armrest console and forget it.

Pros

• Mileage
• Driver comfort
• Entertainment Options

Cons

• Back seat room
• Trunk space
• Rough ride at times

1.  Little Big Planet – The epitome of platforming on a portable system.  Super Mario Brothers may be the granddaddy of the genera, but recent portable iterations have been nothing more than rehashes of the glory days.  LBP takes the genera in new directions with originality, expandability, and detail.  If you get no other game for the system I would recommend this one above all others.

2.  Killzone Liberation – Too many franchises tried to port themselves directly to the PSP from the big-brother PS2 and PS3 systems, keeping the gameplay intact.  For a few this worked (LBP, GoW) but most failed miserably.  The genera most often meeting with failure was the first person shooter (FPS), a huge segment of the PS3 arena.  The lack of a second analog stick limits the FPS abilities for the system and the genera seldom worked well with it (exception Resistance: Retribution).  Killzone, a huge FPS property on PS3, realized this limitation and decided to rethink the idea from the ground-up.  The resultant game is an excellent third-person shooter that captures the essence of the franchise but still delivers spectacular gameplay.

3.  Prinny: I can be a hero – A game that knows the meaning of “Hard Core.”  It may be a platformer, but I challange you to more grueling, yet satisfying experience on any system.  The property is a great expansion of a classic PS franchise and wins major points for humor, detail and just good old-fashion gameplay.

4.  Jeanne d’Arc – There are tons of turn based strategy games on the DS and PSP, but most are rehashes of older titles that show little original thought.  This game is a new property that really makes for a fun game in the genera.  The play is spot-on and the fact that it was built from the ground up for the PSP shows in its level of utilizing the system without compromise.

5.  God of War, Chains of Olympus - The only game of the above I do not own, not a fan of the property, but I will acknowledge that it is probably the most technologically advanced game on the system.  Again, one of the rare portable versions that succeeds in bringing the game unaltered to a portable system.

14 Miles Road Cycling – 75 minutes

5 Miles Speed-Walk – 85 minutes

Transition – 5 minutes

365 Picture Project

1.  Facebook – This is quite easily the most addictive app on the iPhone.  The app allows near complete access to the social networking site and has caused me to waste a lot of time.

2.  Wordpress – The newest iteration of the Wordpress app allows me to quickly post materials to my class blogs so that I can always update students while on the move.

3.  Pandora – A great music app that creates custom stations based on your tastes, and it is free!

4.  Documents to Go – It isn’t mobile Office but pretty good for quick work.

5.  Dropbox – If you have never used Dropbox on your Mac/Linux/PC then I highly advise you check it out as a way to keep all of your files readily accessible.  A hidden bonus is it allows you to display PowerPoint presentations on the iPhone (sans animations), a feature that has sorely been missing.

6.  Civilization Revolutions – A great strategy fix for fans of the series, almost a direct copy of the DS version.

7.  PS Mobile – A great easy photo editor to help with minor problems on iPhone photos.

8.  Nikon Live and Learn – A reference program that has helped with my photography in general.

9.  Trivial Pursuit – The ultimate time waster.

10.  Mark the Spot – AT&T’s app to help them improve service… hopefully they will follow up on the entries I have made.