Bullz-Eye has been hitting the road often lately, testing out the new automobiles for the 2011 year. The past week, a staff member had a chance to drive the 2011 Ford Fusion SE I4. The Fusion has given a lot of life back to the Ford brand, and though there wasn’t a major redesign this year, Tom still thinks the car offers enough to make it a good buy for most any driver.

Here’s an excerpt from his review:

From the initial launch of Fusion, performance has been a big selling point for this car. We drove the 2.5-liter I4 engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. The overall fuel economy rating is 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. We averaged around 24 mpg in mixed driving. The gearbox was smooth and user friendly with a clutch that was fluid and shifted with ease from 1st to 6th gear. The 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS felt solid and secure when braking in the December snow. The front-wheel drive with traction control was more than capable of dealing with wintery conditions. The handling on the Fusion SE is top notch for a midsize sedan that starts at just $19,720, but I felt the 2.5-liter I4 lacked power. Don’t expect any more pop than what a 175-horsepower engine should deliver. The overall ride and handling of the 2011 Ford Fusion SE compensate for lack of power in the 2.5-liter manual transmission. If you like to feel more power behind the wheel, consider the 6-cylinder options.

For his complete 2011 Ford Fusion review, head over to Bullz-Eye.com.