The Week of Driving Differently: Day 2

[billroper]

There are a few things that are minor differences between my Five Hundred and the Fusion, most of which are likely due to trim level. The Five Hundred has AWD, the Fusion doesn't, which is pretty much unnoticeable in summer weather. :) I've got an automatic climate control that I've gotten very fond of. I miss it when I'm in the minivan too, just as I miss the beeping backup sensor. And there's no sunglass storage compartment in the Fusion which falls into the extremely minor inconvenience area. :)

But the main thing that I notice when driving the Fusion is that I'm suddenly driving short. For the last five years, I've either been driving our minivan or the Five Hundred -- and it turns out that the Five Hundred sits noticeably higher off the road than the Fusion. The fact that the Fusion is short isn't necessarily bad, but it's certainly different. I'm not just looking up at SUVs and minivans, I'm looking up at everything that thinks it might be a crossover of some kind. Heck, I'm looking up at a few Japanese sedans. Now that's different! :)

Also different was parking the Fusion in a perpendicular space at lunch. I'd have had to think a bit more to maneuver the Five Hundred into the space. The Fusion, being a bit narrower and a bit shorter with a tighter turning radius, just slid into the space without a problem.

Essentially all of the controls are in the same place on the Fusion as they are for the Five Hundred, so it's very much like driving my car. And it hasn't been uncomfortable, although my head is a good bit closer to the roof.

But it's not into the roof, which is what I find with most Japanese cars. So that's good.

Comments

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

I feel short no matter what I'm driving, because most of the time when I'm on the road, I'm on my bicycle. The only thing taller than me is larger pickups and commercial vehicles.

I used to have a Probe; that was really low. I once pulled in next to a guy in an Escort and he couldn't see my car when standing next to his car.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

At least one thing is definitely trim level. Sharon's Fusion does have the beeping back-up sensor, along with the rear camera so you have a dashboard view of what's behind when you're backing up. I think she also has the automatic climate controls.