2012 Ford Fusion

...starting price of $18,000 and a well-equipped price of about $20,000...That's thousands less than some Camry and Accord models, and about the same as some of the South Korean competitors...

On the road, it was remarkably quiet, holding off not only the sound of its own engine, but also blocking out the noise from passing and tires, even on the coarsest of roads.

That front end is smokin'!

The ride quality is by no means soft...It's in line with the imports - firmer than the Camry but not as taut as the Accord, which I find too harsh.

The broad range of gear ratios makes for spirited acceleration without sacrificing efficient high-speed cruising. Most important, it reacts quickly and without undue kickdown lag.

...highway fuel economy of 31 miles per gallon...has better fuel economy...than the Camry.

The Fusion is a modest car for times when modesty, if not humility, is much in order.

The Fusion suffers a bit in that it doesn't offer anti-lock brakes, traction control or side airbags as standard features, and stability control is not offered at all...

The Ford Fusion actually has presence, amazing in a segment where most cars blend in.

Based on the highly praised Mazda6 sedan, the Fusion is a rock solid entry at a decent price.

Taking styling themes established by Ford's 427 concept car during the 2003 auto show season, the lines are handsome from every angle, but particularly so from the front where the three bold chrome slats make up the grille and the headlights manage the neat trick of being both somewhat rectangular and swooping up into each front fender.

...the driver needs some positive control over the six-speed automatic transmission to make this car truly fun-to-drive. There are moments when the tranny is hunting for a gear when it should be confidently downshifting for a corner or upshifting at the torque peak.