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I know that neither car is the, lol, favorite of Consumer Reports, but we are looking to trade in our 08' Chrysler T&C and go back to a family sedan. Of course either of the two will look, ride, handle, etc better than the Chrysler (God have they gone downhill). Other than the obvious issues like looks, HP, mpg's, etc, what do we need to look for? Which would you choose and why?
best bet is to go test drive both of them and see which one you prefer and can live with on a daily basis. some dealers let you take it home for an overnight test drive. I would do that with both cars and see which one you like the best.
I like the style of the new Malibus, but the Fusions seem to be quite good. I'd almost even look into the Fusion Hybrid, even though the Sport verson is my favorite.
I considered both and ended up with a 2010 Malibu. I will say that they are both good cars and certainly competitive with what other brands are offering. Overall I think it really comes down to the trim level you are looking for and what you get at that price point.
In base trim I give the nod to the Fusion. It has a better drivetrain than the Malibu at that price point and better appointments.
In the middle trim lines it is blurred a lot and it really comes down to personal preference and what is offered at each price point and what options you want to have.
In the top tiers, I think both are equal. Previously only the Malibu would give you the 4 cylinder in top tier trim, now the Fusion offers the top level car with the 4 cylinder as well. When you get into the V6 engines, they both offer similar performance. I found the GM V6 to have a better "feel" than the Ford V6, but they both perform equally. One benefit to the Fusion is that it is available with AWD, but only with the V6 and fuel economy suffers. The Malibu has the price advantage in the top trims.
Dynamically I feel the Fusion is the better drivers car. It has a more sporting character and is more composed. Conversely the Malibu is competent, but has a softer ride.
The Malibu is a little larger than the Fusion which is the main reason I bought it. There was no way I was getting three car seats in the back of a Fusion. The Malibu can do it and it has three sets of LATCH anchors. Trunk space is roughly equal, but I found the Fusions opening to be better for getting things in and out of.
The Fusion has SYNC, which is probably the best system of it's kind in existence. GM has OnStar. While I wasn't a huge fan of it initially, living with it day to day, I have come to like it a lot. Since all Malibu's come with OnStar, you don't need to worry about picking up an option package to get bluetooth and nav. Additionally, OnStar netted me a nice discount on my insurance.
IMO OnStar is good enough, that I don't miss the more traditional setup. One example would be getting into the car and being able to say to the advisor that I wanted to go to a specific place. I don't need the address and while it helps to know the town a general location will do. My wife and I have used it several times to meet friends at a bar or restraunt when we weren't sure of exactly where it was. That's hard to do with a traditional nav unit.
The last bit would be price. GM is running some very attractive offers on the Malibu, that should make it cost less than a comparable Fusion at any price point. On the other hand, I think the Fusion will hold it's value better over the long term.
It really comes down to personal preference. I would rank the Fusion above the Malibu as a car, but the Malibu has some attractive features and pricing. Overall I don't think I gave up much picking the Malibu over the Fusion and it was the one that meant my needs the best.
NJGoat makes excellent points comparing the two. One other aspect, if it matters to you, is where each car is built. The Malibu is assembled in Kansas City or Lake Orion, Michigan; the Fusion is assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico.
I am noticing small differences just by watching You Tube walk-arounds of both cars. The first thing I noticed was the Fusion uses a prop rod to hold up the hood. The Malibu doesn't. I thought Ford was on the cutting edge? Why still use the prop rod? Not a big deal, but interesting enough.
FWIW, prop rods may be low tech, but they don't have seals that wear our or leak like gas lift struts do. Even after 20 years, a prop rod will still be able to hold the hood up without bonking your head.
I test drove and thought about both cars just a couple months ago. And I agree with most posters that either car is a fine option because both are very nice. You should test drive both to form your own opinion but I'll throw in some things that swayed my mind in buying the Fusion. I'll also try not to repeat things already posted.
I preferred the exterior and interior styling of the fusion better. It was also nice knowing the fusion was re-designed for 2010 with very little change in 2011. The malibu does look nice, but was not revamped for 2010. If you test drive both, the handling and steering of the Fusion along with the new engine and slightly smaller size makes it feel a bit more sporty. Someone mentioned the discount going on for the malibu, but Ford is also having model year-end clearance with very good discounts on 2010 models. The fusion also has a base-price about $2K less than the Malibu, but that's relative for the options you need. I also preferred to have a manual transmission, and the Malibu doesn't have that option. It may also be a bit of perception, but Fords have greatly increased in resale value and reliability ratings since their 2010 models came out. I must admit though, the hood prop did not cross my mind at all!! There was another thread about a month ago from somebody that rented a 2010 Fusion, it may be worth reading through to get another opinion: https://www.city-data.com/forum/autom...al-2010-a.html
It's true the Fusion is assembled in Mexico, but the vast majority of it's parts including the engine come from the U.S. By buying a Ford, you're also supporting a company that does provide a ton of American jobs as most of their cars and parts are made in the U.S. regardless. Compare this to the Sonata for instance, it was assembled in Alabama, but you're supporting a company that gets many more parts from overseas and imports almost every other model. Personally, all things considered in reference to the economy in my judgement, it's better to buy a Ford.
I was definitely torn on this issue though, and I've always been a Chevy fan before and prior to the fusion drove an 06 Malibu, but I also didn't have loyalty to GM on my next purchase because of their government ownership, forgiven debt, and forced Union partial ownership. GM also now has a much better labor deal from the union due to those events. It just doesn't seem right. Sentimentally, I now support Ford because they seem to have gotten the shaft and less favorable union deals by not costing the taxpayers. All that said, I tried to be as impartial as I could and get the best car for my $$, and went with the Fusion.
Last edited by Trevor92; 08-03-2010 at 07:33 PM..
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