New England B.S. Thread

Many of you on this thread have met Rick and have become really good friends with him. That being said, I give all my sincere condolences. It seemed to me he was always sending stuff to TW members just because that was his nature. Always willing to help. There’s a lot to learn from a person with that quality and I hope I can

 

God damn! Can't believe it. Talk about adding to my pile of shit that's been happening lately. Just one bad thing after another. He will be missed.

 

Wow, don’t know what to say. Terrible news. Met Rick a few times. Such a nice guy. So sad.

 

Here is Rick's obituary and calling hours...
https://www.mercadantefuneral.com/obituary/richard-swank

 

Please all who do go give the family my love, I won't be able to attend

 

Hey Jared, could you let me know when the patches come out, I'd like to get a few

 

Got to meet @Spare Parts over the weekend. Very nice to meet you Bill! True Maniac! Rocking shorts and working outside as the snow moved in. Have to get together again soon, thanks for everything.

 

Might be adding another car to the stable soon. Been tossing around the idea of a commuter for a while, I think it's time. Save me some money on gas but also keeps the miles off the truck so I can keep it longer. I'm currently looking at a Fusion, they seem to be plentiful on the used market because so many companies used them as fleet vehicles. I had one as a rental and didn't mind driving it either. We'll see, stay tuned...

 

I have a 2016 se AWD fusion. Love it and I'm getting about 25mpg @ 80-85mph mostly highway miles... Also a heavy foot..

 

That's not bad. I'm looking at the same era that you have, 2016-ish. I'm going back and forth between AWD and the standard FWD version. The FWD one I've found has the 2.5 naturally aspirated engine, the AWD ones have the 2.0 ecoboost with a lot more power and still good MPGs. Doesn't seem like you take much of a hit on the MPG side of things when you go to AWD. I'm a little worried about the 4 banger naturally aspirated engine being a gutless wonder but have to remind myself that it's just a commuter car...

 

It's not bad for what it is (2.0t), it's faster than my truck and gets up and goes no problem for a commuter. Fusions were my go to for rental cars when I traveled and we beat the piss out of them and they held up surprisingly well. Plus if you get a neutral color and tint the windows half the folks in MA think it's an unmarked and move out of the way

 

I haven't driven the 2.5 yet. I had the Hybrid as a rental when I cracked up my truck a couple years ago and liked it. I beat the hell out of it and still for 40 MPG. I'm trying to find a FWD 2.0 ecoboost with a low SE build, but might end up with the plain Jane 2.5 so I can keep initial cost down and keep the options down. Mechanically, it's easier to maintain and has fewer known issues (not that the ecoboost engines have many known issues themselves) the 2.5 just seems like a bullet proof, albeit gutless, wonder of the Ford world. I'm glad to hear yours is doing well, I might be getting a twin to your car, 2016 Fusion.

 

I keep thinking about it, but running the numbers I need to be over 30 MPG for the cost of an extra vehicle to begin to make sense. My commute isn't great for most of the winter because I go up and over several really rural high elevation towns so AWD would be nice.

 

I'm facing a project for the next few years that will put me about 50 miles away. Improved fuel economy plus the difference between gas and diesel are making it a viable option. The bit nut though is it keeps the miles off the truck, pretty much dedicating it to towing the camper so it should last a lot longer. Added benefit, I'll be able to fit in garages in Boston for the first time since I had my Tacoma! I do want AWD, but I could get by with FWD and dedicated snows. The Hakkapelitas on my wife's car are awesome (hers is AWD but still, those tires get through some shit).

 

My commute is half that - 50 miles round trip. Most of the guys on our new building project that are working for our OPM or the construction management company are driving out from the Springfield area every day. I notice they are mostly driving commuter vehicles if they don't have a company F-150.

 

How familiar are you with the hybrid drivetrain in the Fusion? I found a 2014 Fusion hybrid with only 14k miles on it. Low mileage sounds great but I'm concerned about the age of the battery pack.

Anyone familiar with hybrid drive systems? Is age an issue of concern or more mileage/use?

 

Hey Mike,
I don't have any experience with Ford hybrids, but we have Toyota hybrids in the family. They are good for 250k+ miles, and Toyota has an extended 10yr/100k warranty on the hybrid system, or battery. I am not sure if Ford offers the extended warranty.

I ran a DD for a few years. It saved 40-50k miles from my Tacoma. The gas prices were cheaper then so I don't think I saved much money, due to the cost of insurance where I live. I had a Corolla S 6spd manual, which averaged 35mpg. If I go that route again I think I would get a POS beater, or a Camry Hybrid.

 

I don't have any experience with the hybrid fusions other than beating the shit out of them as rentals. What's worse is the Fusion forums are about as helpful as going to autozone...

 

I noticed that, made the mistake of trying to research my purchase over there...

 

We gotta get a Spring wheelin trip going this Spring. I know in NM they opened the national forest back roads March 15th