Our new Fusion Hybrid is loaded with technology to make driving safer. (Photo by Andrew Reed)
I headed for the most crowded parking lot I could find in the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid to test the Cross Traffic Assist (CTA) feature. As you back out of a tight parking space you get a beep and a message on the dashboard saying that a car is coming from the right or the left. The system uses radar devices in the rear bumper that scan for vehicles coming at a right angle to your car.
The warning buzzer is rather loud and at one point there was so much parking lot traffic that it went off repeatedly. Still, an annoying buzzer is a lot better than a crumpled fender so I'd have to say that this is a great feature. The alternative is just to inch out until you can visually scan the area. By then you might be getting a different kind of warning buzzer -- another driver's horn.
Our new Fusion also has a blind spot warning system which is greatly appreciated on the jammed freeway I take to work. If a car is in your blind spot a yellow dot appears on the side mirror. It's a good way to double check that all is clear.
The Fusion is a pleasure to drive, very quiet and roomy with a useable trunk (though not deep). It's going to be a great addition to the fleet and a real contender in the category of hybrid mid-sized sedans.
Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 2,014 miles
carguy622 says:
09:08 AM, 01/11/10
The Cross Traffic Assist feature is neat. That's something I'd gladly pay extra money for, because having been surrounded by SUVs while trying to back out of spaces in my sedan can be a pain.
gharry says:
11:08 AM, 01/11/10
I would chime in with anti-SUV comments, but I won't.
Somehow, this is the first time I've heard of this feature in any car. Sounds like a great idea. I guess you'd still have to inch backwards for the radars to see clear of the SUVs I didn't comment on, right? I assume they're not THAT clairvoyant.
rick8365 says:
11:39 AM, 01/11/10
My Titan has the rear sonar and it will actually pick up vehicles approaching from the sides. I think if there is something directly behind it will register that instead. But, I have noticed that with nothing behind for it to pick up, it will register cars from the sides - pretty cool/convenient when backing from a lot onto the street for example.
brn says:
01:50 PM, 01/11/10
I need one that works on the front of the car. The snow is so deep on the curbs right now that by the time I can see if a car is coming, I'm halfway in the street.
clarkma5 says:
06:35 PM, 01/11/10
That sounds like an honestly great feature. I love little cars, and I drove a Golf, and I always feel like I end up parked between two big SUVs or pickups and need to back up. One time it actually did cause me to get hit by someone driving way too fast through the parking lot...and for a kicker, I was at fault because I was reversing! (at a half a mile an hour versus someone else's 20...but that's the letter of the law for ya).