Safety & braking: brakes work excellently and many safety features come standard

Materials & workmanship: Whole overall interior quality

Powertrain performance: smooth 3.0 V6 matched perfectly with 6spd auto

Quietness: engine sound is quite muted even under high RPM's

Handling: takes curves and corners quite well for a midsize family sedan

Powertrain performance: 2.3 I4 5spd auto was rather sluggish and would be only considered adequate. NOT for someone that likes effortless acceleration, and likes low end power that a V6 offers.

Safety & braking: front, side, and curtain air bags. stops on a dime. crash test ratings.

Reliability & durability: feels solid, good reviews

Available features: sync is awesome with hands free music and phone. ambiant lighting is fun. steering wheel controls. 17" wheels. Moon & Tune package with moonroof and 8 speaker audiophile sound system (better than any aftermarket I've heard). And did I mention sync?

Materials & workmanship: all buttons feel solid. everything fits and flows. stains don't stick in carpet.

Front seat comfort: I drive close to 2 hours a day and I stay comfortable all the time. tilt/telescoping steering wheel. adjustable lumbar support. seat isn't hard but not so soft that you want to fall asleep.

Handling: quite simply, it was horrible. I drove 3 of these because I liked the exterior styling so much I wanted one to be better. but in all 3 I was able to jiggle the steering wheel back and forth without feeling it move the car. car drifted all over the road.

Materials & workmanship: even in a car only 2 years old with less than 30,000 miles on it, all of the buttons on the dash were worn/wearing off. seats were stiff and uncomfortable

Reliability & durability: I don't know about the reliability, but everything felt like cheap plastic that would break off in my hand.

Front seat comfort: seat was stiff, didn't contour to my body. controls were inconveniently placed.

Available features: Ford Sync is very useful "out of the box" and it will get free updates in the future which will add on even more features. Rear parking sensors are very convenient and make everything much easier for a klutz like me.

Reliability & durability: It's got a rock-solid rep. 5/5 JD Power reliability rating, plenty of positive auto mag reviews, and Consumer Reports says that it's even more reliable than the Toyota Camry.

Price or payments: You can typically find a good Fusion for less than a Malibu. I got a loaded '08 Fusion SE with ~7,000 miles priced at $14,499 for about $14k after trade-in (my beat-up '99 Cavalier), taxes, and fees.

Exterior styling: Rather than looking ultra-conservative or outrageous and in your face, the Fusion's design strikes a balance between the two - it's bold but classy. The Sport Appearance Package really makes it look like a "guy's car".

Handling: It handles like a race car! The ride is sporty without being rough.

Front seat comfort: I tried the LS cloth, LT2 Ultralux, and LTZ leather seats...all of them were uncomfortable. Too little padding.

Rear seat room & comfort: Very uncomfortable; feels not unlike a park bench. There's no rear seat armrest and you don't have nearly as much leg room as in the Fusion.

Interior styling: The hard plastic, scooped out back seats w/their "net" pockets look cheap. Actually, the whole back seat area is pretty uninviting. There's no overhead sunglasses compartment or rear seat armrest.

Powertrain performance: 4-banger lacks power and seems to get consistently less than EPA ratings. The V6 engine is a beast but it has a widespread shuddering problem at ~1.5K RPM.

Handling: The car handles confidently and capably, and feels much smaller on twisty roads than it actually is.

Quietness: This is the quietest car I've ever owned. Cruising on the freeway, the interior is quiet enough to carry on a conversation without having to raise your voice.

Ride smoothness: Even on pockmarked PA highways it takes a lot to upset this car. It rides nice and easy, but it's not too soft either.

Front seat comfort: The power front seats are comfortable and there's plenty of room for even bigger-than-average folk like me to settle in.

Rear seat room & comfort: Even with the driver's seat positioned for a 6-plus-footer, there's plenty of room in the back for a full-sized adult.

Price or payments: Buying a used Honda is a bad value proposition. Similar '04 and '05 Honda Civics all seemed to be going for over $10,000, and I wasn't about to pay that much for a 5 year old compact car.

Powertrain performance: The Civic's engine was noisy and thrashy, and for all that racket it didn't seem to do much. Overall performance was lethargic despite the car's low curb weight.

Exterior styling: Clean styling that looks modern.

Fuel economy: Good fuel economy for a sedan of that size.

Reliability & durability: Frequent break downs. Mostly electrical, HVAC, and transmission issues.

Past personal experience: Hated the miserable piece of junk. Owned for 2 and a half years. Unless you want to be on a first name basis with your mechanic get a different van.

Brand reputation & image: Toyota quality

Discounts & incentives: Excellent pricing was offered on a new outgoing Gen. 2 fully loaded model.

Audio & nav systems: They are excellent!

Reliability & durability: Toyota's Prius has an excellent track record so I know it won't be in the shop on a regular basis

Fuel economy: Averaging 42-45 mpg in first 45 days -

Discounts & incentives: Dealer stuck to factory pricing

Reliability & durability: This is a new car in hyrbid that has no track record

Price or payments: At list price this car offered very little the Prius did not, at a much higher cost

Powertrain performance: Very responsive engine and transmission. Transmission downshifts quickly when requested.

Materials & workmanship: Feels very upscale, no gaps in trim, quality appears to be better thanthe Fusion.

Handling: Very responsive, brakes are great!

Driving position & visibility: Seats very comfortable, good visibility, seats keep driver in place.

Powertrain performance: Transmission reluctant to downshift, then downshifted too many gears, engine redlined but didn't feel very strong. Upshift then very abrupt and harsh.

Materials & workmanship: Didn't feel very finished, some gaps in trim, plastic felt a little down scale.

Past personal experience: Had a Ford in 2001. Car spent 53 days in shop, dealer finally replaced so many parts that they ultimately did get the correct part. Replacement part, alternator, failed after 3 months. Transmission also had to be replaced under warranty.

Dealership practices: Played games regarding value of trade-in, then wouldn't give keys back when I tried to leave dealership. Very arrogant sales personnel.

Handling: Very crisp and positive for a FWD sedan, especially one that sits so tall on its suspension. I have optional 17 inch wheel/tire package.

Fuel economy: Quite acceptable around town, due to light weight. Very impressive on the highway, where I've seen 35-41 mpg depending on elevation and slope.

Powertrain performance: Well-rounded two-liter engine with very responsive drive-by-wire throttle. Quiet at moderate revs and light throttle, with a little snarl when stood on. PZEV cleanliness. MTX-75 geared a bit short in first through third gears, good on hills and stop/go.

Price or payments: $16,700 is quite a bit of money for a two-liter four sedan, but the Focus has build quality and content that justify it pretty well.

Insurance & depreciation: Class-leading crash-worthiness test results yield affordable insurance rates andd some peace of mind.

Fuel economy: The non-hybrid four is pushing a lot of weight, so its city mileage suffers.

Powertrain performance: Too little power for the weight of the vehicle (four cylinder, MTX-75). Sluggish acceleration from a stop.

Price or payments: Payments would have been a bit over my budget for the four-cylinder; out-of-reach for the six (no manual, either, so no sale!)

Exterior styling: The car has smooth lines with a hint of european styling.

Ride smoothness: It was a softer and smoother ride than other cars in its class.

Powertrain performance: The standard option 3.5L VVT V6 gave you pleanty of power for a base engine. The 4 speed tranny shifts as smooth as glass.

Interior styling: The materials used and the overall styling was a step above other cars in its class.

Discounts & incentives: I personally liked the 0% financing for 60 months.

Interior styling: It looked a bit on the cheap side

Powertrain performance: There was not enough get up and go with the 3.0L V6.

Ride smoothness: It was a harder/stiffer ride than I perfer.

Insurance & depreciation: I found out that insurance was a little more for this car than other cars in its class???

Available features: Blind spot monitor, Bose stereo, bluetooth, push button start, Serius satelitte radio

Exterior styling: Very sporty slippery design, very easy to wash.

Control design: Very intuitive steering wheel controls that are easy to learn

Front seat comfort: Infinate seat positions

Ride smoothness: Handles most of the road bumps with very little jarring

Interior styling: very undintiguished vs. other Ford interiors

Available features: No Blind spot monitor but the SYNC system is fantastic-better than the Mazda's bluetooth

Control design: The controls are layed out in such a way that you often have to take your eyes off the road to adjust the heat , stereo and criuse control

Powertrain performance: It is a little dated (minor)-it's gas mileage is as good as my Mazda's but it strains more on an uphill grade

Audio & nav systems: The Sony system in the Fusion Sport reminds me of a similar system in my Acura. Very accurate with good bass and sterling highs. The SYNC system is great in that it's free for the first three years and bluetooth phone and iPod integration is perfect.

Interior styling: Nice materials and easy to use explains it all. Much better than the Honda or the Toyota.

Materials & workmanship: Everything seems to be put together well and this is coming from a Toyota Camry and Acura TSX owner. The only gripe is color choices, but charcoal gray is better than not having any choices at all.

Powertrain performance: Having owned many performance cars (including several Taurus SHO's, Mustang GT's, and others), I find this car superior in many aspects. It runs good and the new SelectShift transmission bests Chrysler and Acura slushboxes.

Quietness: It is a quieter car than many larger vehicles. In fact, it seems quieter than the Toyota Camry we owned for some time.

Exterior styling: Front end restyling and back end restyling

Interior styling: Quality of materials, fit and finish, available features

Color choices: Good selection - love the tuxedo black

Audio & nav systems: excellent nav system very complete. Sync is awesome! Sony stereo is great

Materials & workmanship: fit and finish are excellent both inside and outside of car

Exterior styling: It is classic, very stylish and European in appearance.

Powertrain performance: The Fusion is very responsive when power is needed for passing or hill climbing.

Handling: The all-wheel drive instills a lot of confidence on challenging slippery roads.

Cargo capacity & towing: I can load two golf bags and two suitcases with room to spare.

Available features: All-wheel drive -every sedan should be available with all-wheel drive. The Sync system is also quite useful, although there are still some bugs to be ironed out.

Exterior styling: I think that its a very one of a kind car, that you can spot a mile away. The Fusion doesn't blend into a parking lot like a lot of other midsize cars. Its a great looking car.

Interior styling: I love the black leather with contrast white stitching its a attractive feature. The gauges are awesome, they look great and are bright and easy to read. The blue back lighting to the switches is a great touch. Its has a great looking interior.

Powertrain performance: I find the 3.0 Litre V6 to be a very quick and refined motor. Its powerful and its has a deep angry growl that I love. The 6 Spd select shift transmission is excellent, I love using the manual feature very handy. 240hp is more than enough power!

Reliability & durability: I had a 2006 Ford Fusion SE V6 before my 2010 and it was an excellent car, and only got the 2010 because I fell in love with the looks of it. I put 65,000km on my 06 Fusion in 2 and a half years and no problems. It was a great and very reliable car.

Past personal experience: I had a 06 Fusion SE V6 before my 2010 that I loved. It was a amazing car that I loved to wash and fuss over. I do the same thing with my 2010. I bought the '10 because I loved my 06 so much. I fully expect my '10 to be great car as well.

Powertrain performance: smooth, fun to drive

Price or payments: cheaper than toyota or honda

Quietness: very quiet ride

Available features: Moonroof, sync, safety features

Audio & nav systems: sync is great

Insurance & depreciation: does not hold resale value

Brand reputation & image: worried about long term reliability