Which car is most likely to be reliable and trouble free? Assume similar miles and good maintenance histories for both.
2012 Ford Fusion 2.5L vs 2008 Buick 3800?
- Thread starter Elkins45
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Both are among the most reliable domestics produced in the last several decades. I’d pick the Fusion since it’s newer and it will also get significantly better mpg.
The MZR engine in the Fusion is about as bulletproof as anything. Very few engine issues. 6F35 needs frequent fluid changes and fuzzy logic resets to keep the trans happy.
The 3800 and 4T whatever trans is pretty close in reliability, but as some mentioned MPG will be down (I got over 36mpg over the 120k part in the life of the 2011 Fusion I owned). Obviously 4 years newer, and likely better parts availability for the Ford… I’d vote the Fusion.
The 3800 and 4T whatever trans is pretty close in reliability, but as some mentioned MPG will be down (I got over 36mpg over the 120k part in the life of the 2011 Fusion I owned). Obviously 4 years newer, and likely better parts availability for the Ford… I’d vote the Fusion.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I'd pick the Buick. A lot nicer car overall.
I had a 2011 Fusion with the 2.5L in it. 324k miles on the car when I scrapped it. Most reliable vehicle I've ever had, bar none. 10k OCIs and the engine never felt like it was losing power, and burned maybe 8oz of oil per oci at worst.
I vote Fusion.
I vote Fusion.
My friend has a Fusion right around that year, one of the last before the redesign. He drives it for Uber and it has been rock solid. Oil and tires, nothing else I am aware of out of the ordinary.
Fusion
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Here are the problems I am aware of with both.
Buick: 4T65 has hit or miss reliability, it needs to be maintained religiously at 30k miles with factory fluid. 3800 series 3 is bulletproof but the parts connected to it are not. My brothers Grand Prix developed a misfire problem 3 mechanics couldn't completely fix. Had coils, crank position sensor, etc fixed. Only had 104k when he traded it off.
Ford: EPAS electric steering rack tends to break (everyone I know with this generation has encountered this problem), 6F35 was known to shift flare, overall most people with the 2.5 Duratec seem to have good results though a former friend had one blow at 82k miles but I don't know how religious he was or wasn't with maintenance. He wasn't a car guy.
Buick: 4T65 has hit or miss reliability, it needs to be maintained religiously at 30k miles with factory fluid. 3800 series 3 is bulletproof but the parts connected to it are not. My brothers Grand Prix developed a misfire problem 3 mechanics couldn't completely fix. Had coils, crank position sensor, etc fixed. Only had 104k when he traded it off.
Ford: EPAS electric steering rack tends to break (everyone I know with this generation has encountered this problem), 6F35 was known to shift flare, overall most people with the 2.5 Duratec seem to have good results though a former friend had one blow at 82k miles but I don't know how religious he was or wasn't with maintenance. He wasn't a car guy.
I had a 2013 Fusion, newer generation but -- I had both of these issues: 2-3 shift flare on the 6F35 and steering rack problems. I bought it cheap with the bad rack and eventually put in a cheap junkyard rack that fixed the problem.
My father-in-law has an Escape with the 6F35 and it does in fact have the same 2-3 flare, although it's not yet severe on his; I don't think he even notices.
My Fusion had 175k+ miles on the engine and it ran great, oil stayed clear and high on the dipstick. Excellent mpgs... a 3800 may get 30 mpg on the highway but a 2.5 Fusion would be 35+ in the same conditions and would be much better economy around town.
The 2.5 engine cruised at low enough rpms to be smooth on the highway, but idling and around town it was harsh with vibrations. A 3800 will be a much smoother operator in all conditions.
which Buick model? I am not a FWD Buick guy but I think they got it closer to my likes with the Lucerne. That said, the one I looked after did not age remarkably better than anything else, 3800 or not. In fact, it seemed to be a little needier. I *like* the Lucerne, but based on that experience and your question, the fusion is probably better sorted. Seems like the Buick I knew always had some little problem … consuming all fluids, including the coolant, even after the intake manifold gasket was done, never quite right.
if I’m not mistaken, the fusion is based on Volvos P2 platform, which is an *excellent* chassis.
if I’m not mistaken, the fusion is based on Volvos P2 platform, which is an *excellent* chassis.
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My understanding is that generation of the fusion is based off the Mazda 6 platform. Aside from the EPAS electric steering from ZF, it's a durable platform. The first generation didn't have the greatest crash test ratings, but the second generation improved it some. It's a solid choice I think. You can go with much worse.
The Fusion
