I think everyone is entitled to at least one automotive purchasing mistake in life. Personally, my mistake was opting to go for a brand new Focus in 2013 instead of something else. If I had actually been thinking, I’d have kept my 1997 Sable at least several months longer. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Still, these two options might even be decent purchases in 2020, provided they’ve been well-maintained.
I remember where I was when I first saw the 2006 Fusion. For some reason I was browsing the lone desktop computer in my Environmental Science class at John Jay High School. I think the teacher let us seniors have some weird privileges like that, but I don’t recall all the details. Anyway, I must have stumbled onto an automotive website that covered the initial Fusion reveal. This was back in 2005, so it was probably a couple of months before it hit dealerships. Anyway, I remember the teacher coming over to check out the car. He seemed pretty impressed, and if I remember correctly he had a late model Accord at the time.
This particular Fusion is a relatively plain SE model. It does have the optional rear spoiler though, which deleted the center brake light that resided on the rear shelf. Fusions of this vintage came standard with Mazda’s 2.3 liter four cylinder, which was rated for 160 horsepower. That engine was mated to another Mazda product, their 5 speed automatic. I don’t think I would have a problem with owning a first gen Fusion with this powertrain, but my neighbor owns a 2006-2009 Milan with this combo and he complained about its performance when I asked him about it. He thinks they’re too slow.
The first gen Fusion’s biggest weakness was its cabin. It was attractive, but very spartan. And this interior originated in the era when American automakers just shoved one corporate-wide audio head unit into the center stack and called it a day. Although one advantage possessed by this Fusion is the Sync system, which was completely optional on SE and SEL trims. Bluetooth, phone pairing, and a USB input for audio devices makes this one of the rare models from the mid to late 2000s that wouldn’t need an immediate upgrade to interface with modern cell phones right from the get go. Additionally, this Fusion also has the optional moonroof, which I don’t consider a selling point because I don’t the one in my Focus.
At 103k miles, this Fusion has probably been driven a bit less than 10k per year, which is below average. The picture is low resolution but if the cosmetic condition of the car is good, the $4,000 asking price is not absurd. I’d be happy taking it home for $3250.
The Milan hails from the same model year as the Fusion, but is optioned much differently. One similarity their share is the clouded headlights. I have no idea how people drive their cars at night with such an impediment. Anyway, out of the trio of Fusion, Milan, and MKZ, I actually think the Mercury is the most European looking one of the bunch. Maybe I’m subconsciously thinking that way because of its name, but who knows. It’s certainly a good looking sedan, even if I think the Ford is more attractive.
Out back we have an indication of the biggest difference between the two siblings. With the 3.0 liter V6 under the hood, this Milan has about 220 horsepower on tap, and it’s paired to an Aisin 6 speed automatic, which I believe has a good reputation.
Inside, the Mercury is obviously well appointed except for one major omission: It doesn’t have Sync! That means an immediate head unit upgrade would be necessary. That’s not exactly a bad thing, as it’s not terribly expensive to get an Android Auto/Apple Carplay capable head unit with Bluetooth capability. But it’s not exactly a selling point either. I’m also not sure I’d want to own a 12 year old car with a sunroof or digital climate controls either. I imagine the older those things get, the more likely they’ll have issues.
Like the Fusion, this Milan seems like it’s in good cosmetic shape. At 170k miles, it’s a bit “older” than the Fusion, but at this stage of their lives those numbers probably matter less than the maintenance they’ve received since they were new. The $2495 asking price seems very reasonable.
Overall, I’m a bit torn as to which one I’d choose. Since I work at home, I don’t need the advantages of the Milan’s V6 and I highly doubt the leather could sway me since I generally prefer cloth. The digital climate control could be a liability and I’d have to spend money right off the bat getting an audio upgrade because I’d want an interface for my iPod Touch, even for short distances. Then again, this car is better equipped and cheaper, plus the ad says its service records are available, which is a notable perk.
On the other hand, I’ve always liked the Fusion’s appearance better. Plus, it’s a younger car too. In terms of capability, the Sync system in the Fusion is just as capable as what I’ve got in the Focus because they are both Gen 1 units. I don’t need anything fancy since I don’t spend a lot of time in the car. I’m leaning toward the Ford but it would be a tough pick.
Anyway, what do you think? Would you buy either of these? Are they good starter cars, or are there better alternatives at this price range?
I don’t have any experience with modern Ford climate controls, but if it is anything like GM or Honda I wouldn’t worry about that. In the last 6 years I have had ’95 & ’96 Oldsmobiles, a 2004 Buick and drive a ’04 Odyssey at work. Each has an automatic dual zone climate system. Both of the Olds & the Honda needed one servo motor replaced due to cracked plastic gears (none terribly difficult) but the electronics in all 4 have been fine.
I have an 06 Mazda6 -close cousin to these cars — with a manual climate control, and I had to replace the servo for a cracked gear just like Dan. When bought the new servo on line, there were versions for many other brands as well (lots of GMs FWIW). So I suspect a. that the servo is the weak point, not the automated (vs manual) controls and b. it’s not particularly brand specific.
It wasn’t complicated to change, though a bit of a PITA since there’s not a lot of space to work under the dash.
When I bought my 2012 Focus brand new (with a manual), I also shopped at the Chevy dealer for a Cruze (I got a better deal on the Focus on a car with more equipment). I then test drove a year-old Fusion with a four-cylinder automatic at another dealer. It had 15,000 miles and I probably would have saved a couple thousand dollars, but even on the test drive it seemed so boring (not that a Focus really stirs the blood or anything).
If my Focus were an automatic, I certainly would be wishing I had gone with the Fusion, but as it stands, I’m OK with my decision.
Regarding the Craigslist cars, I’d choose the Fusion any day. My experience tells me that when a car crests 140,000 miles, you’re on borrowed time for some mechanical catastrophe. You may get lucky, but you’re always gambling.
We will soon lament the loss of standard(ish)-form-factor radios. For a few hundred dollars and a couple hours of your time, either of these cars can have the latest and greatest radio, with all the phone integration your heart desires.
In modern cars, just the kit to install an aftermarket radio and integrate all of the non-radio functions that are integrated into the factory radio can run several hundred dollars.
Actually I think the opposite is true. No longer do you have to care what the factory provides, all you need to do is go into CarPlay or Android Auto and use the modern, up to date interface and services that your new phone will provide. Once manufacturers move to the wireless versions of both, things will be even better but even now with AD2P Bluetooth, and USB A or C interfaces, the current stereos feature better futureproofing than was ever possible before.
I have two concerns with the proprietary integrated modern head units that I do not think your view addresses. The first is the inability to improve the sound quality of the system. In the glorious double-DIN years, if the stock amp/head unit sent terrible audio quality to the speakers, a $200 head unit would improve upon that. As far as I can tell, you’re out of luck with modern systems. The audio quality in my current-generation 4Runner is terrible, it’s fortunate that I tend to listed to NPR, podcasts, and audio books rather than music because I remember what a simply Sony CD player from the 90s sounded like.
Second, it’ll be fun when the head unit fails, for the reasons Evan mentions above. The sound quality in my wife’s 2016 Camry is pretty good, but it’s out of warranty now. If that sucker fails, both the OEM and aftermarket solutions are going to be expensive.
There are the wrecking yards and now they are lots of options to purchase from around the US and have it shipped.
Partsmarket.com is one company that has a network of participating wrecking yards that list parts and ship them while you deal with them. I used them once and when there was a problem with the part they had another shipped very quickly.
Row52.com will allows you to search the self serve yards and have a place to connect with people who will pull parts from particular yards and ship them too you.
Car-part.com is another place to search wrecking yards around the country and most of them will ship.
Finally there is good old E-Bay and the people who part out their vehicles or go to their local self serve yard and grab those high demand parts to sell on E-bay.
As a Mercury fan, my stock answer would be the Milan.
Normally, I would look at mileage first, but condition and maintenance ranks higher on my list. In addition, the Mercury version of almost all models was better equipped than the Ford equivalent and I feel this is especially true in the used car market.
What’s influencing the decision here is that we may need to get another car, as my wife is considering a job in the next town over 30 miles away. The thought is to get a used vehicle with a low cost of entry that can do commuting duty. There’s a minty Milan a few miles from the house that would fill the bill, but my wife may overrule getting another sedan and insist upon an AWD SUV of some kind. The commute would involve driving alongside Lake Michigan, and the big lake can make driving hazardous at times.
WRT to the electronic climate controls, I will need to chime in and agree with Dan Cluely that they shouldn’t be much of an issue. I have a 2004 Mercury Monterey out in the garage and the climate controls work just fine. I’d think you’d have more issues with the internal flapper doors and that sort of thing rather than the controls.
TL; DR, go with the Mercury.
I will tell you with no reservations that the 2.3L is too slow for that car. It just has no torque. I test drove a new ’07 back when and it made my Vulcan/Taurus seem like a musclecar. It has to constantly downshift, and while smooth as butter, just seemed overburdened for normal driving.
Both are great lookers in my opinion.
I have a similar age Mazda6 with the same 2.3 but with a stick. With the manual it’s perfectly adequate, except it really needs a sixth gear – it’s turning 3,000 rpm at 65mph.
We seriously considered a Fusion V6 SEL in 2012, along with the Sport model. The Sport has the 3.5l V6 and a more “stout” transaxle. I had read of issues with the 6-speed auto mates to the 3.0l, which the dealer said required reprogramming. The Sport was the better value, but the SEL has features my wife preferred. She didn’t want a Milan, as she grew up in Sables.
Well, we were about to pull the trigger, but then waited to see the next gen Fusion. Didn’t like it, prefer a more upright glasshouse. Then, a friend called from Houston and said his wife could get me an Accord EXL for $24k…which was the same price as the Fusion Sport.
The Accord fit an adult plus 2 car seats (at the time), had similar power, and was made in the USA. So, I drove the Accord from Houston to Boise. And last night, completed it’s first brake job at 86k miles. I still like the Fusions, the Sport with a color-match grill would’ve been stellar.
The spartain interior was always a turnoff for me with these.
Are these both dealer cars although labeled as owner listings? I’ve almost never seen private parties remove the plates in for sale photos although some obscure them. Plates here don’t transfer with the car and a photo without a plate is almost surely a dealer sale.
I’d do this local one instead of either of the NY ones but if pressed probably your Fusion, it should run for at least another decade and be cheaper to fix/maintain along with probably having less need to.
https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/d/loveland-2006-ford-fusion-se/7054374819.html
2006 Fusion, 160k miles, $1000 asking seems like a great price to get at least a couple to a few years of good use out of.
Most if not all vehicle ads on craigslist are probably from dealers now since the company now charges people for the posts, but I’m choosing vehicles based on their their ability to generate discussion, so I’m not terribly concerned with whether or not they come from a dealer.
Wow, $1,000 for that Ford Jim Klein!? What’s wrong with it!? I paid $1,200 for my 93 Camry stick shift in late 2016.
2 years ago I needed to get a car in a hurry when my (parked) car was rear-ended by a drunk driver–fortunately I wasn’t in the car. I didn’t know much about the Fusion/Milan at the time. In hindsight I wish I’d gotten one.
Beyond a shadow of doubt, the best powertrain in the 2010-2012 Fusion/Milan. The upgrade to 2.5L and the extra gear provide BOTH performance and fuel economy with a smooth, quiet operation. It’s been proven to be very reliable, too. The hybrid is also a good choice, if you are willing to sacrifice some trunk space and forego the folding rear seat.
I make these recommendations after having lived with several Fusions… a 2.3L manual, 2.3L auto (it’s not very powerful; made me regret not getting the 3.0L), 2.5L auto (absolutely no regrets), and HEV (again, no regrets). The other benefit of getting a 2010-2012 model is most, if not all, came equipped with Sync.
Drew, I’ve got the 2009 Escape with that 2.5/6-speed; I didn’t realize Fusion waited a year to get it. I’m perfectly happy with power and its delivery in all situations, though the 1st gear sometimes feels a little granny-low at launches from a dead stop. Car is 140K and has the “feel” of many years & miles left.
Edward S., I’m a Ford guy who has spent almost zero time in these, but I continue to want to find the rationale to own a carefully-used one of about this vintage. All I “know” about them is the many non-car-person friends (and their parents) who have bought them and quietly rolled up a lot of miles with little fuss, in a Camry sort of way. Hard for me to recommend which car to buy; if the mileage comparison was closer, I’d reflexively recommend the Mercury ’cause I think of Mercury buyers as willing to spend a few extra bucks for the marque (whatever that gives you in return), and then likely to spend a few extra bucks on the maintenance, having the dealer look after it carefully, and so on. I see why Mercury disappeared, but I still miss it!
Now, there is this 130K Milan there in Albany for not too much more: https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/guilderland-center-mercury-milan/7052387025.html
And then this one, 121K, though we’re asking $3900 now: https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/clifton-park-2008-mercury-milan/7051461688.html
Both of the above are priced just about where the Fusion is, but I’d want to at least peek at ’em, I think.
Good luck—wish I was making exactly the kind of search you are!
I test drove a 2012 Fusion with the Ford 2.5 and 6 speed and thought it crippled the car. Soft on takeoff and very hesitant to downshift compared to nearly every competing drivetrain of the time. If this is better than the 2.3, then I can see why the 2.3 was criticized. I really liked the car otherwise, nearly every aspect of it.
To me, the Fusion’s powertrains were one of it’s weakest aspects, and that was true from 2006 to 2020.
For what it is worth:
We have the ancestor to the Milan V6, the 3.0 Duratec, in our 2005 Ford Freestyle, it is has been flawless over 150,000 miles.
Ford Sunroof Experience:
2005 Freestyle: being a long wagon roof, the body seems to flex enough when parked on uneven surfaces that rain can get into it, stores somewhere in the roof, and dumps over the headliner onto the front passenger, Quite hilarious. The seal was replaced under warranty, and didn’t really fix the issue. But, when this was my wife’s main ride, it was mostly garaged and the water issues were both rare and circumstantial. My wife loved her sunroof, and every car she’s had since has had one. The Freestyle is always outdoors now, almost never leaks, and the sunroof still operates flawlessly.
2016 and 2018 Fusions with sunroofs: Flawless in all respects.
Automatic climate control:
2005 Freestyle, 2012 F-150, 2016 Fusion, 2018 Fusion: All of these cars have been flawless. We bought the Freestyle and F-150 new, the Fusions at one year off-lease, and still own them all.
You have to clean the drains periodically, the seal doesn’t seal out water, just air. With plugged drains the water builds up until it makes it over the seal.
Good to know. I’ve thought there might be a problem along those lines but with just 3-4 water incidents over 15 years, I haven’t been properly motivated to look into it.
Yup. If it’s like my old Outback, the drains empty i to the wheel wells, with a little rubber flap seal that easily gets stuck closed by dirt and mud.
I dunno about these, I hear a circa 2009 Chevy Malibu is more reliable and I’m trying not to just say buy a Toyota. Sorry to hear the new car glow has worn off your Focus.
Your Mercury looks to have a standard Din-Sized head unit meaning a wide open aftermarket choice awaits – most of the post-2010 cars I’ve known have some sort of integrated computer/control/nav/audio system that is impossible to replace w/aftermarket…
I picked up a 2006 gold Milan V6 from a hoarder on a whim…all for 500 us before title n tags. Added new tires and wipers. Took it for inspection and it passed all tests.
It’s been running great for 6 months…best buy ever.
Whenever I’d considered buying a new (or newish) sedan in the past decade or so, the Fusion/Milan were always near the top of my list. I like the overall package, so I certainly understand the appeal for either of them.
Regarding automatic climate controls, my 2006 Crown Victoria had problems with both the in-dash unit and the dreaded blend door. The in-dash problem wasn’t a huge deal — apparently O-rings in this units have a tendency to crack, and then the system can’t work. I bought a reconditioned unit on eBay, which solved the problem at a reasonable cost.
But then I was hit with the blend door problem… a simple part, but the entire dash has to be removed to get to it. And Fords have evidentially suffered premature failure of this part for decades. That problem, combined with others, pushed me towards getting rid of the car instead of getting it repaired. So, I would think twice before buying a used Ford product with automatic climate control.
On the other hand, my Honda Odyssey w/ ACC now has 140,000 mi. and has been trouble-free.
Fusion with the 2.3l all the way.
No way am I going to screw with the DOHC 3.0l. The engine is too big to be in that car. They are a pain to work on in the Taurus/Sable that they originally came in and even more of a pain in the back end to work on them in the Fusion and Milan. The fact that the engine requires a water pump on the back of the head(instead of up front with the other accessories) shows this engine is too big for this car.
As for the non sync radio, that makes it even better. The early sync system really was bad and a person is better off without it.
You can get a module for under $200 that plugs into the radio and adds bluetooth to the car so you don’t have to replace the radio. You simply unplug the radio harness and plug the harness into this module. Then you plug the module harness into the radio. No cutting or splicing needed. Just plug and play or replace the radio with a double DIN radio from Crutchfield.
I bought a used Fusion V6 AWD in 2014 – had it four years – traded it for an Edge.
I enjoyed the car – V6 was powerful (enough), AWD was great in the snow, very comfy inside and enjoyed the SYNC features, the stereo and the sunroof.
It did have its share of problems – an oil leak and other stuff – fixed under the extended warranty I purchased.
Ultimately it was starting to get old – and there was a front end “clunk” that only happened in cold weather – that no one could track down. Plus, I was beginning to smell exhaust fumes in the cabin when stopped at lights, stop signs etc. So it was time to go.
But overall, a nice car from Ford.
I just picked up one of these types of cars last month. A 2007 Milan with a 2.3 manual transmission. I bought it as a “winter beater”, but its more than adequate enough power wise for normal daily driving – Im comparing it to my other cars (a 535i n55 turbo and a c6 corvette) just for the sake of I do have an appreciation for faster cars. I think the automatic with this engine would absolutely suck the life out of it though. I bought it based on the rarity of the thing, the nice spec (heated seats/leather/auto climate) and the low price (under $2k with 153k miles). No rust but it needed a valve cover gasket and some bushings – not a big deal. Theres a great article on the hagerty website about how these things make for a good commuter car.