2012 FORD FUSION

Under the hood, the Fusion is a tad different from its competition. Its base 175-horsepower four-cylinder is pretty much the norm, but there are two V6 engine upgrades available rather than the typical one. The more common 3.0-liter V6 produces only 240 hp, which is considerably less than its rivals. The Fusion Sport, however, gets a more competitive 263-hp V6 that gets nearly the same fuel economy as the smaller six-cylinder. In other words, if you want V6 power in your Fusion, we'd suggest the Sport.

The 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid, meanwhile, comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric motor that, combined, generates 191 hp. The EPA estimates you'll get 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, excellent numbers for midsize hybrid sedan segment. The Fusion Hybrid is also notable in that its driving dyanmics are pretty much vice-free; it drives pretty much just like a regular Fusion.

The 2012 Ford Fusion comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 175 hp and 172 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard on every Fusion except the base S, which gets a six-speed manual standard and the automatic optional. In Edmunds performance testing, a Fusion with the four-cylinder went from zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds -- an average time for a four-cylinder midsize sedan. EPA-estimated fuel economy with the automatic is 23 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined.