If you are going to be driving 2,400 miles round trip from Dallas to Las Vegas, you are most likely going to want to ride comfortably. I know that Colby and I wanted both comfort and efficiency on the road to CES. Fortunately, that is just what we got in the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi SE.
2014 Ford Fusion Energi
Imagine a car with the technology you need on a long road trip, as well as the power to endure the miles. The Ford Fusion Energi was all that and more. As we drove through the barren lands of West Texas, deserts of New Mexico, and then mountains of Arizona, we found that the Fusion held steady and offered us a smooth ride. We were able to focus on the beautiful landscape as we made our way to Nevada and back home to Texas. The Fusion pretty much drove itself.
The technology we discovered as we drove made the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi SE an even more advanced car than we first thought. Take a look at the features that kept us safe and comfortable on the road:
Electric Power-Assisted Steering: If you have not driven a vehicle with EPAS, then you may not realize how incredibly easy it makes steering. The car seems to easily react to your guidance and the wheel automatically adjusts to deliver control at higher speeds. Even at lower speeds, the car can offer assistance as needed. Plus, after driving thousands of miles, you can imagine how much of that consists of road vibrations. The EPAS helps reduce those vibrations and does not leave your hands feeling numb after a long stretch.
Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning: I don’t know about you, but when it comes to road trips, cruise control is a must. With the 2014 Fusion, you get Adaptive Cruise Control. What does that mean? The car can sense when the traffic ahead has slowed and adapts to it. If you want to pass, simply turn on your turn signal, move over, and the car will resume back to the set speed. Plus, if the vehicle senses that there is a potential collision, there will be a line of simulated brake lights on the windshield and an audible warning. If the driver does not react in time, the brakes of the car still do. And, yes, we actually had this happen while driving in Vegas traffic. Great bit of technology to have in the car!
Automatic Headlamps: You know the drill. Long roads at nighttime with an occasional other vehicle coming at you from the opposite direction. You have to dim the lights until after the other driver passes and continue down the road. Not with the automatic headlamps! They can sense the need for dimming the headlights and do so without your assistance.
Lane-Keeping System: As is possible on long trips, the Fusion has the technology to help keep the driver in between the lines when they may drift out. A camera mounted behind the windshield monitors the lane markings and helps detect a lane departure. So, as you begin to drift out of your lane, the steering wheel will help to direct the car back into the lines. If for some reason you take your hands off the wheel, the car will audibly warn you and flash a warning across the instrument panel. Now, it does not take the place of the driver, but is a great way to help supplement control of the car when needed.
SiriusXM Travel Link: Available with MyFord® Touch, we found ourselves using the Travel Link quite often. It was able to give us up-to-date traffic, weather, and gas prices. The gas prices feature was probably our favorite. The few times we needed to gas up, it was very convenient to be able to push a button and have a list of nearby stations… with prices… right in front of us. Not to mention, there was even the ability to search for nearby charge stations. Once we discovered the SiriusXM Travel Link it really became one of our most valuable assets when we needed information.
What features are most helpful to you on the road?
We truly had an amazing trip to Las Vegas. The road trip was long, but the conversation and scenery was priceless. Plus, after 2,400 miles riding in the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi SE, I can honestly tell you it was once incredible car!
Not to mention, as we valeted at various hotels along the strip during different events, we were often asked about the car. One valet at The Venetian delivered our car to us two nights in a row. The second night he asked several questions and told us that the Fusion drove better than the Prius. He said that most electric cars are not stylish and do not handle well but he enjoyed driving the Fusion. I would totally have to agree!