Toyota produces two midsize sedan hybrids with comparable fuel efficiency, the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid. Both vehicles sell in the mid-$20,000 range—but Toyota vehicles no longer qualify for the hybrid tax credit because the company has exceeded the 60,000-unit limit built into the federal incentive program.

Low gas prices have put a damper on sales of fuel-efficient vehicles, including small cars and hybrids. The $3,400 tax credit could stimulate interest in Ford’s new hybrid sedans. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development, said, “We’re glad to see our government help promote these advanced, clean fuel-efficient vehicles to the consumer.”

The 2010 Fusion and Milan Hybrids join the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrids, doubling the company’s hybrid product offerings and volume.

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The 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid is a very close cousin to the more popular 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, so we have reposted our review of the Fusion Hybrid below. (Photos were swapped out to show the Milan Hybrid.)

If the Fusion Hybrid appeals to you—many reviewers believe it’s the best hybrid on the road—then the Milan offers a stylistic alternative. The Milan Hybrid’s base price is slightly higher than Fusion’s, but close enough that your choice of optional equipment means they are essentially priced the same—just north of $30,000 out the door.

The choice between Milan Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid comes down to style: the design of the grille, the cut of edges between roofline and windshield, the distance between and angle of the headlights, the shape of taillights, and the curve of the back bumper. Check out the long list of detailed close-up photos in our comparison of Fusion and Milan.

Review of Ford Fusion Hybrid

USA Today emphatically stated, “The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the best gasoline-electric hybrid yet.” Cars.com said, “Fusion Hybrid is a significant step forward for the technology, particularly for family sedans.” And Car and Driver said the Ford Fusion Hybrid “wipes the floor with the Toyota Camry Hybrid.” Comparisons with the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid (only available in eight states) make sense. They currently are the three leading hybrid contenders in the mid-size family sedan category. The Toyota Prius hatchback—with its unique aerodynamic design, slightly smaller interior, smaller engine and 50-mpg rating—will probably appeal to a different buyer.

From Gas to Electric and Back

The Ford Fusion Hybrid’s 41 city / 36 highway mileage ratings handily beat the Camry Hybrid’s 33/34 and the Altima Hybrid’s 35/33. Ford engineers also did a tremendous job of eliminating the flutter-rumble that many hybrids make when transitioning from gas engine to electric mode. In the Fusion Hybrid, the gasoline engine seamlessly starts up and shuts down “with only the very faintest shudder” according to Automobile magazine. USA Today goes further: “There was no—none, nada, zip—vibration or shimmying in the test car when the gasoline kicked in to help the electric. No other hybrid—not even that $107,000 Lexus—can make that claim 100 percent of the time.”

The Fusion Hybrid—and its sibling, the Mercury Milan Hybrid—are the first vehicles to use Ford’s second-generation hybrid system. Hybrid-electric vehicle systems engineer Gil Portalatin told us that the control logic for the new hybrid system provides much tighter integration of engine operation and power delivery. The new logic goes as far as to vary the engine’s valve timing, fuel delivery, and spark timing to match the power delivered through the electric motor, permitting very aggressive fuel shutdown under light loads. As a result, the Fusion Hybrid’s 2.5-liter engine shuts itself off twice as much as the earlier Escape, with the electric system providing more power. In addition, new control logic for the regenerative brakes recaptures up to 94 percent of the braking energy and feeds it to the battery.

Zesty Drive

Mercury Milan Hybrid

Enthusiasm from the auto press is also extended to the Fusion Hybrid’s road manners. Edmunds.com said, “Compared to the similarly sized Camry Hybrid, the Fusion Hybrid is a relatively zesty sedan…The Fusion’s braking force feels reassuringly linear.” Jalopnik wrote, “The Fusion also comprehensively outdrives the Camry; providing a level of steering feel, control responsiveness and overall ability that’s far greater than that of its Japanese competition.” Nadaguides.com wrote that the Fusion Hybrid’s 2.5 liter 4-cyclinder engine provide plenty of power for freeway ramps, while hugging the road and offering a comfortable ride. Auto writers similarly praise the steering, handling, suspension and quiet ride.

The combined output for the Fusion Hybrid’s engine and motor is 191 horsepower. Besides the Hybrid, the 2010 Ford Fusion lineup offers a choice of three different engines: a 2.5-liter inline-4 with 175 horsepower; a 3.0-liter flex-fuel V6 with 240 hp; and a performance-tuned 3.5-liter V6 with 263 hp.

The one consistent criticism regarding the Fusion Hybrid’s drive is that Ford exaggerated when it claimed that the sedan can go 47 miles per hour, and as much as two miles, in all-electric mode. That requires just the right conditions for acceleration, load, battery charge level, weather—and proper alignment of stars. Unless you exert extreme care to stretch the electric drive, you shouldn’t count on more than a few blocks at relatively low speeds.

Exterior & Interior Design

Mercury Milan Hybrid

The entire line of Ford Fusions—including the base S, mid-level SE, well equipped SEL, and the Fusion Hybrid—hasl been spruced up for the 2010 model year. Cars.com said the new Fusion “keeps its predecessor’s athletic lines, but adds some much-needed presence: The flanks seem better-rounded, the headlights sharper.” Car and Driver adds, “The refresh makes the Fusion sharper looking, particularly since the weird headlamps of the original have been replaced.” Reviewers said the Fusion Hybrid looks like an uplevel Fusion SE or SEL. But not everybody likes the design. Bloomberg wrote, “From the lackluster rims, which look like they’re made of plastic, to the generic sedan shape, the Fusion has no flash whatsoever.”

The interior, especially the high-tech features, gets mixed reviews, but mostly positive. Detroit News said, “The new instrument cluster looks much more sophisticated, and the dash has an easy flow. The touch points are soft, and every inch of the cabin uses high-quality materials.” Jalopnik said, “The Fusion is nicer inside too. While still not up to European levels of design, the Fusion cabin doesn’t revolt in the same way that the Camry does.” Car and Driver adds, “Inside, the Fusion also receives a new instrument panel, redesigned seats, and more stylish trim, although the quality of some of the materials isn’t yet on par with those of the class leaders.”

The new Fusions offer Ford’s popular Sync voice-activated digital entertainment and integrated mobile phone system. Other options include blind-spot information mounted on the outside mirror, a backup camera screen cleverly hidden in the rearview mirror, cross-traffic alerts when reversing, and real-time traffic and weather through the Sirius Travel Link satellite radio system. Other standard features include bags, belts, 110-volt outlet, six-CD stereo (instead of the typical single setup), dual-zone climate control, auto on-off headlights, and auto-dimming mirror.

The Fusion Hybrid uses a new nickel metal hydride battery with 20 percent more power, in a package that’s 30 percent smaller. That means the Fusion Hybrid sacrifices only a negligible amount of trunk space compared to the standard version—but not enough to retain rear folding seats, which are not available in the Fusion Hybrid. The Camry Hybrid managed to keep folding back seats.

Ford Hybrids Come with Fuel Economy Nag

The Ford SmartGuage “coaches” the driver on how to achieve maximum fuel economy.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid, are also the first to use Ford’s new SmartGuage technology. Inspired by the Toyota Prius’s hybrid energy/consumption monitor, the SmartGauge goes further by helping the driver to learn specific techniques to achieve higher efficiency. The dashboard interface offers feedback to the driver—both visual and sound. In other words, it actually talks to you.

The gauge cluster is comprised of dual hi-resolution LCD screens to display instantaneous mileage and fuel economy history—as well as key data including battery charge, engine output, and accessory power consumption. One animation depicts a vine of leaves that grows larger as the driver becomes more efficient over time. To prevent sensory overload, the system allows the driver to decide how much information to see, and what can be ignored. That’s critical, because many reviewers believe the fuel economy system is distracting. And others experienced “false alarms” from the cross-traffic alerts.

Economics

Mercury Milan Hybrid

If you like the Fusion Hybrid’s more dynamic handling and performance, and smoother hybrid system, compared to the Camry Hybrid or Altima Hybrid, then get ready to pay for it. The Fusion Hybrid, with a base MSRP of $27,300, is $2,000 more than the Camry Hybrid or Altima Hybrid. And it’s several thousand dollars more than the base-level Fusion S trim, which has a fuel efficiency rating of 22/31. For reference, Ford’s other hybrid, the Escape Hybrid SUV, is comparably priced to the Fusion at $29,300 and offers fuel economy at 36 in the city and 31 on the highway.

Reaffirming Ford’s commitment to hybrid-electric vehicles, Nancy Gioia, the executive responsible for Ford’s electrified vehicles, said all its new products globally will permit hybrid versions. Gioia, a 26-year Ford veteran, told HybridCars.com that design standards have been changed to ensure future Ford “vehicle architectures” can accommodate gasoline, diesel, and hybrid powertrains. Not all vehicles will be offered as hybrids in all markets, she said, but Ford wants the option to add gas-electric drive with as little change as possible. If that makes it easier for Ford to roll out best-in-class hybrid features in compelling vehicles like the Ford Fusion, it’ll be a good thing.

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“When a driver makes a high-power demand of a diesel engine, that’s when it releases the most nitrogen oxide, a smog-forming chemical,” said David Wagner, Meta One’s technology manager. “We’re using the electric motor to give you that instant power.” The V-6 engine and hybrid transmission produce quite a bit of extra power, somewhere equivalent to a large V-10 gas engine. At the same time, by sharing demand for power between the diesel engine and electric motor, Meta One’s emission levels could meet California’s Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle requirement.

Getting the emissions down all the way to zero, as Mercury suggests is possible with the Meta One, is another matter. In truth, zero emissions are an environmental accounting trick, analogous to buying certified renewable energy, a.k.a. green tags, to offset personal or corporate carbon emissions. Meta One uses a blend consisting primarily of bio-diesel, which comes from biological feedstocks that absorb CO2 during their growth. In other words, producing the fuel is supposed to reduce the amount of CO2 equal to the amount of CO2 released when the fuel is burned. Now, we’re getting really conceptual.

The Meta One steps into the space age with “mechanized vision system” designed to recognize lane markings and a vehicle’s lateral position relative to those markings—and then warn the driver when the car drifts out of its lane when the turn signal isn’t used. The car has additional “collision mitigation sensors” to gauge the likelihood of an impending frontal collision. If the driver fails to react to a situation the system determines will result in a collision, the system applies the brakes.

“Meta One is a valuable test-bed for advanced technologies allowing us to demonstrate future safety and powertrain technologies that exist only in theory and in laboratories today,” said Gerhard Schmidt, Ford Motor Company vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. Other automakers, namely Peugot Citroen and Volkswagen, are optimistic about conventional diesel-electric hybrids. “It is more difficult to hybridize a diesel, but we are going to show that it is possible,” Jean-Martin Folz, chief executive of Europe’s number-two carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, recently told an industry conference in Frankfurt. (The more imminent Dodge Ram Hybrid “Contractor Special” will be a diesel-electric.)

A spokesman said PSA was working with two British firms to develop a diesel hybrid version of the Citroen Berlingo car, but had not yet decided whether to make it commercially.

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The Mercury Mariner Hybrid combines the most robust gas-electric system available today—it will stay in electric mode longer than any competitor—with the body of a stylish yet rugged-looking sport utility. With its mix of digital-era sophistication and creature comforts, the Mariner Hybrid works so well that one wonders whether, if it had been more aggressively marketed since its debut in late 2004, it could have been the hit that the ailing Ford Motor Company so desperately needs.

Does the Mariner Hybrid have the rugged sex appeal of other S.U.V.’s? Is that even possible? Until now, hybrids could hardly be considered babe magnets or or hunk attractors. The comedic actor Will Ferrell, a Prius owner, has said, “In addition to being obviously economical and environmentally friendly, they drive great and are just plain sexy.” He tells jokes for a living.

Consider my brother. Fed up with the cost of feeding a gallon of imported fuel into his Range Rover for every 11 miles driven, he picked up a hybrid crossover utility, a Lexus RX 400h, instead. A year later, the drumbeat of teasing from friends and loved ones—they accused him of driving a girlie car—compelled him to ditch the Lexus and get another Range Rover.

He should have held out for the Mariner Hybrid. Its shape is pugilistic, like the Escape’s. It is square and muscular but has flourishes like accent grilles on the taillights and gauges rimmed in chrome. The Mariner is technically a crossover, but it seems solid and upright like a real S.U.V. Although the ’07 model comes only with all-wheel drive, a front-drive version will be offered for 2008.

Instrumentation is crucial to the hybrid experience, because the fun of a hybrid is using all available tools to get the maximum mileage. Ford’s system beats Toyota’s hands-down in its ability to stay in all-electric mode for extended periods. The Mariner Hybrid, like the Escape Hybrid, offers an expanded opportunity to use the gas pedal, brake and gears to juggle energy into and out of the rechargeable batteries. Want to get a full charge to the batteries? Accelerate to about 30 m.p.h. and slip the shifter into low (not actually a gear, but a tighter engagement of the motor-generator). How long do you want to stay in E.V. (electric) mode? If you use some Astaire footwork to accelerate slowly and evenly, you can nudge the Mariner to 30 m.p.h. without using a drop of gas. If you slip out of E.V. mode at speeds as high as 40 m.p.h., and your battery is adequately charged, you can give the brake two quick taps and slip right back into E.V. mode.

Certainly, few hybrid owners will take the time to learn all the tricks, but even the most absent-minded motorists are constantly reminded that they are piloting some seriously geeky-cool technology. When I employed all the advanced techniques of an experienced hybrid driver, I achieved highway and city mileage in the mid-30’s—not bad for an S.U.V. But when I drove like a fool, overall mileage fell to the mid-20s. The ultimate benefits of hybrid technology—savings at the pump, a poke at OPEC, reduced emissions, whatever—are personal. That gives much more meaning to the Mariner’s ability to stay in all-electric mode longer than any other hybrid. Ford’s engineers outdid Toyota’s in pushing the technology to the limit.

Unfortunately, Ford’s marketing department overlooked the potential of the Mariner Hybrid as a lean, mean, digital-era machismo machine. It made its debut under the same tired green banners and slipped into obscurity almost immediately. True, the Mariner Hybrid hit its sales target without breaking a sweat, but that is an exceedingly modest 2,000 a year. In September, former President Bill Clinton took delivery of a “Presidential Edition” Mariner Hybrid, inspiring this flight of fancy: What if Mr. Clinton was Ford’s hybrid pitchman rather than Kermit the Frog? A suave but serious spokesman might have let the American public see the Mariner Hybrid for what it is: a well-appointed, well-priced S.U.V. with best-in-class fuel economy and groundbreaking technology. It might even have gained recognition as the first great American vehicle of the 21st century.

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