Looking for a car for my kid and locally we’ve found a 2019 Ford Fusion Energi Titanium. It’s just under 80k miles with new tires and new rear brakes, priced at $15k before taxes/tags/etc. Warranty shows about 30 months/20k miles on the hybrid components - does that include any aspect of the CVT?
When I was first looking at info online I thought that batteries were getting replaced starting 9/2/2024 according to the Safety Recall Report. It now seems that I was reading it wrong - can someone confirm that? Elsewhere in the forum I see that the batteries likely won’t be ready until next summer.
Are there any other known issues or aspects of this car I should look into before fully deciding to buy or walk? Does the price seem appropriate? Carfax is clean - first owner was a lease for about a year, then it was sold as a CPO and that person had it about 4 years.
A 2019 Toyota Prius with comparable fuel economy is preferable to a 2019 Fusion Hybrid. The majority of Fusions and Fusion Hybrids were produced in Mexico, where labor costs are significantly lower and quality control is subpar. It’s also noteworthy that Fusion and Fusion Hybrid production has stopped.
I had a 2013 prius from 3 years old at 77k miles until 8 years old at 180k. It was the least maintenance car I have ever had, and it was great driving. It was comfortable on long trips, I even went on a 3k mile trip from south georgia, to Cincinnati, over to new york and back home. 52 mpg the whole way, and no issues.
Now if I compare my Lexus GX470 to the prius, it is a little more cushy, softer on bad roads etc. However, the prius is a great riding car, that is another reason so many taxi drivers, and uber drivers use them, you can drive them every day comfortably.
Toyota is the only company I would ever buy a hybrid from, they are the best, and many issues with others. It is normal for them to go well past 300k miles with little to no issues.
Take one for a test drive before you count it out.
According to Scotty’s video, the Fusion rides really well, and the Prius rides like garbage. He added that Mexico was where the Fusion was put together. His voice was that of a satisfied customer.
When it comes to an older one, my biggest worry is how long the batteries last (on average) before they need to be changed. A few that I’m looking at are older—12 years or more—and have well over 150,000 miles on them.