2012 Ford Fiesta S vs. 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid 8.0 Winner Ford Fusion Hybrid starting from $29,395 Reasons to buy the Ford Fusion Hybrid Is a hybrid Has continuously-variable transmission Power windows Standard OK brakes Disc 6.2 Runner-up Ford Fiesta S starting from $13,995 Reasons to buy the Ford Fiesta S Average number of gears 5 Safer for passengers in the rear in side collisions 5 stars Folding rear seats Standard OK cornering 0.83 g

Luxury Features 2.6 vs 7.1 Winner: Fusion Hybrid [details] Conveniently adjust your seat with the Fusion Hybrid's power seats; not available on the Fiesta S The convenience of keyless entry comes standard on the Fusion Hybrid; optional upgrade on the Fiesta S Have your choice of leather or cloth seats on the Fusion Hybrid Crash Test Ratings 7.8 vs 8.5 Winner: Fusion Hybrid [details] The Fusion Hybrid has 1.5x less risk of serious injury, 5 stars vs 4 stars Cost 8.3 vs 8.3 Too close to call [details] Both get great city mileage, however the Fusion Hybrid in particular gets exceptional mileage Shorter-lasting basic warranty Shorter basic warranty Performance - vs - Missing information [details] Neither has an air compressor to maximize power output Neither has a good drivetrain for off-road or bad weather driving Both Fusion Hybrid and Fiesta S are sluggish relative to their competitors Practicality - vs - Missing information [details] Entertainment System 3.3 vs - Missing information [details] Road Tests - vs 4.3 Missing information [details] Both have sluggish 0-60 times Safety Features 8.8 vs - Missing information [details] Child door locks come standard Overall 6.2 vs 8.0

Luxury Features

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	moon roof	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers a sun roof
	power seats	Not Available	vs	Standard	Conveniently adjust your seat with the Fusion Hybrid's power seats; not available on the Fiesta S
	keyless entry	Optional	vs	Standard	The convenience of keyless entry comes standard on the Fusion Hybrid; optional upgrade on the Fiesta S
	leather	Not Available	vs	Optional	Have your choice of leather or cloth seats on the Fusion Hybrid

Crash Test Ratings

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	Rollover resistance	4 stars	vs	4 stars	Poor protection, 10% to 20% chance of rolling over during emergency lane change
	Front driver crash test	5 stars	vs	5 stars	Good protection, only 10% chance of serious head or chest injuries in a crash
	Driver side crash test	4 stars	vs	5 stars	The better is 1.5x safer than the Fiesta S

Cost

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	MSRP	$13,995	vs	$29,395	The Fiesta S has a great price and the Fusion Hybrid is pretty reasonable
	In-city gas mileage	29 mpg	vs	41 mpg	Both get great city mileage, however the Fusion Hybrid in particular gets exceptional mileage
	basic warranty miles	36,000 mile	vs	36,000 mile	Shorter basic warranty
	basic warranty years	3 year	vs	3 year	Shorter-lasting basic warranty

Performance

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	Horsepower	120 HP @ 5,000 RPM	vs	191 HP @ 6,000 RPM	The Fusion Hybrid is of average power, but the Fiesta S is underpowered
	Number of gears	5	vs	Continuously variable	The Fiesta S has an OK number of gears, while the Fusion Hybrid has very few
	Transmission	Manual transmission	vs	Automatic transmission	The Fusion Hybrid's automatic transmission is convenient for stop-and-go traffic
	paddle shifters	Not Available	vs	Unknown
	Air compressor	None	vs	None	Neither has an air compressor to maximize power output
	Power-to-weight ratio	21.9 lb/hp	vs	19.5 lb/hp	Both Fusion Hybrid and Fiesta S are sluggish relative to their competitors
	Drivetrain type	front-wheel drive	vs	front-wheel drive	Neither has a good drivetrain for off-road or bad weather driving
	Curb-to-curb turning radius	Unknown	vs	37.5 ft

Practicality

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	Passengers	5	vs	5	Average number of seats
	Highway driving range	Unknown	vs	612 miles
	Cargo space	12.8 ft3	vs	11.8 ft3	Both have OK cargo room
	front seats	50.3 ft3	vs	54.4 ft3	The Fusion Hybrid has average-sized front seats, while the Fiesta S is very cramped
	folding rear seats	Standard	vs	Not Available	The Fiesta S's standard folding rear seat will get you extra cargo room; not available on the Fusion Hybrid
	power outlets	Standard	vs	Standard	Both have power outlets
	roof rails	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers roof rails
	navigation system	Not Available	vs	Optional	The Fusion Hybrid offers an optional navigation system; not available on the Fiesta S
	Cupholders	6	vs	Unknown
	front air conditioning	Standard	vs	Standard	A/C for hot summer days comes standard

Entertainment System

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	Number of speakers	4	vs	Unknown
	Has speed sensitive volume	No	vs	Unknown
	CD player	Not Available	vs	Standard	Rock on in the Fusion Hybrid; but prepare to settle for the local radio station in the Fiesta S
	premium radio	Not Available	vs	Optional	Like your tunes? In the Fusion Hybrid, you can upgrade to satellite radio
	Has auxiliary audio input	Yes	vs	Unknown
	Has subwoofer	No	vs	Unknown
	entertainment system	Not Available	vs	Optional	It'll cost you to get an entertainment system on the Fusion Hybrid; but it's not available at all on the Fiesta S

Road Tests

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	0-60 mph	10.7 seconds	vs	8.9 seconds	Both have sluggish 0-60 times
	Braking distance at 60mph	134 ft	vs	127 ft	The Fusion Hybrid's braking ability is average for this class of vehicle, but the Fiesta S is quite bad
	1/4 mile	17.9 s @ 80 mph	vs	16.7 s @ 85 mph	The Fusion Hybrid's 1/4 mile time is average, but the Fiesta S's is quite bad
	Lateral acceleration	0.83 g	vs	0.79 g	The Fiesta S has OK cornering abilities compared to the below average Fusion Hybrid
	Top speed	Unknown	vs	115 mph

Safety Features

	Ford Fiesta S			Ford Fusion Hybrid
	antilock brakes	Standard	vs	Standard	Both come standard with ABS brakes
	Stability control system	Yes	vs	Unknown
	Airbags	5	vs	5	OK number of airbags
	Rear brakes	Drum	vs	Disc	The Fusion Hybrid has good brakes for high-performance driving
	child door locks	Standard	vs	Standard	Child door locks come standard
	Roadside assistance system	None	vs	None

Other Vehicles to Consider

Fiesta SE vs Yaris Fiesta SEL vs Corolla Fiesta S vs Cruze LS Fiesta SES vs Focus Titanium Fiesta SES vs Cooper

Fusion SE vs Cruze eco Fusion S vs Corolla S Fusion Hybrid vs Volt Fusion SE vs Impala LT Fusion SEL vs Malibu LTZ

Comments Which car would you recommend, and why?