As of 2022, there were nearly 280,000,000 cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, and other vehicles in the US. That’s roughly one personal or commercial vehicle for every 1.2 Americans at the time. That’s a veritable sea of ho-hum haulers, sedate SUVs, and monotonous fleet trucks. But, if you’re reading this, you likely don’t just want another boring car. Life’s too short for tedious transportation. That’s where a deceptively quick, surprisingly powerful car comes in.
Take the sleeper car, for instance. For decades now, automakers have been hiding proper street weapons in plain sight in the form of performance-oriented versions of some of the most ubiquitous cars on the road. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, even Chevrolet and Ford have launched successful takes on the family-friendly sleeper. In fact, one American automaker released a fun, unexpectedly muscle-bound version of one of its most inconspicuous sedans.
Life’s Too Short For Boring Cars
You’ll make around 100 trips around the sun. If you’re lucky enough to do that, life is still too brief to be bored for the substantial amount of time the average person spends behind the wheel. So, what’s the solution? Drive something exciting. Duh, right? Well, that raises another issue. You could drive a taut, circuit-hungry sports car. Or ride a motorcycle. But a high-performance two-seater with a swollen insurance rate isn’t always practical, is it?
That’s where an understated performance car comes in. Sure, it might look like a typical, sober sedan, but it’s hiding a rabid engine, stiffer ride, grippy performance tires, better brakes, and so much more. A prizefighter in a polo and jeans. It might not be the flashiest thing on the road, but it’s sure to prompt a smile or two when pushed.
Deceptively Fast Family Haulers
Good news: there are plenty of options for speedy sleeper cars. The E39 BMW 540i, the fourth-generation Audi S6, and even the Aussie-immigrant Chevy SS. All fantastic used sleepers. Those are just three of the scores of used sleepers you can find out there. You could go newer, too; the Genesis G70 3.3T will snap off a sprint to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, all the while looking like an everyday luxury sedan. But if you want a truly inconspicuous performer, Ford slipped one right under your radar nearly 10 years ago.
10 Crazy Fast Sedans From The 2000s
Combining performance with four doors, the 2000s era of fast sedans brought some of the most absurd machines into the automotive world.
The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport: An Understated Performer
Did you take a drive today? Commute to work? Chances are, you saw a second-generation Ford Fusion. After all, Ford’s American market claimed around 1,840,000 second-gen Fusions between 2013 and 2021, the year after the Blue Oval closed the book on the workaday sedan.
In 2017, however, Ford slipped an odd chapter into the book of Fusion: the “Sport” model. Instead of the 2.5-liter inline-four, the turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four, or the turbo 2.0-liter mill, the Sport model got a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6. Needless to say, two turbos and two extra cylinders made the Ford Fusion Sport the king of the lineup. Unfortunately for fans of the niche family-hauling sedan, Ford produced the second-generation Fusion Sport for the 2017 model year exclusively. And by 2020, the Fusion was gone altogether.
A Six-Cylinder Heart
Under the hood, the 2017 Ford Fusion Sport gets a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with a set of turbochargers and an intercooler. It’s the same engine Ford put in the Edge Sport SUV. However, while the 2017 Edge Sport produced 315 horsepower in its state of tune, the Fusion Sport bumps power output up to 325 ponies. It’s also a commendable bump in power compared to the other cars in the 2017 Ford Fusion lineup.
- Base Trim Engine
-
2.5L Inline-4 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
-
6-Speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Front-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
175 hp
- Base Trim Torque
-
175 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
- Fuel Economy
-
21/32 MPG
- Make
-
Ford
- Model
-
Fusion
- Segment
-
Midsize Sedan
At the more anemic end of things, the 2.5-liter inline-four produces 175 horsepower. As for the turbocharged four bangers, the 1.5-liter engine and 2.0-liter engine produce 181 horsepower and 245 horsepower, respectively. The 2.5-liter and turbocharged 1.5-liter engines are front-wheel drive only, while the 2.0-liter offers the model’s all-wheel drive system. The Sport, on the other hand, has a part-time all-wheel drive system as standard equipment, providing that much more grip for inclement weather and, of course, snappy launches. Speaking of launches, the six-cylinder Fusion will do the 0-60 mph deed in around 5.1 seconds, putting it on par with some V8-powered Ford Mustangs from the S195 era.
2017 Ford Fusion Sport Specs
|
Engine |
Twin-Turbocharged 2.7-Liter DOHC V6 |
|
Transmission |
6-Speed Shiftable Automatic Transmission |
|
Horsepower, Torque |
325 HP At 5,500 RPM, 380 LB-FT At 3,500 RPM |
|
Drivetrain |
All-Wheel Drive |
|
Curb Weight |
4,128 LBS |
10 Used AWD Sports Cars Under $30,000
These used sports cars can give you the most grip on the road without breaking your tight budget.
Stiffer, Angrier, And A Whole Lot Heavier
It’s fast. Definitely fast for the segment of the time. Here’s the thing, though: it’s heavy. Really heavy. At 4,128 pounds, the Fusion is a bit, well, portly compared to other V6-powered family cars of the day. Take the 2016 Honda Accord V6, for example. The six-cylinder Accord tips the scales at 3,593 pounds, a massive 535 pounds shy of the twin-turbocharged Ford. However, even with the weight disparity, the Fusion Sport hits 60 mph about 0.7 seconds faster than the Accord V6.
Sport Mode Activated
The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport also gets a dedicated Sport mode, which drivers can reach by thumbing the “S” button on the shifter dial. Doing so will tell the Fusion Sport to stiffen things by adjusting the adaptive dampers, lighting a fire under the throttle response, and adding some much-needed weight to the steering. Still, even with a weightier steering setting, the Fusion Sport isn’t quite up to the ready-for-the-track feel of a more traditional all-wheel-drive fast Ford, like the venerable Focus RS. The six-speed automatic gearbox’s shifts also liven up with the sport mode, staying in gears longer and matching your revs during spirited downshifts. This is a Fusion that prioritized fun over just about everything else.
An Affordable, Athletic Sedan
When the 2017 Ford Fusion Sport first rolled out, it had a starting price tag of $34,480. Granted, it was quite the step up from the $22,995 starting price for the base S model. However, time has worked its magic, and depreciation has brought the second-generation Fusion Sport down to attainable levels. The typical listing price for a Fusion Sport in average condition is $13,120. And while that number depends on factors like location, mileage, title status, and vehicle history, it’s very possible to get a decent deal on a deceptively quick family car.
Watch A Ford Fusion Make An Absolute Mockery Of The Ford Mustang!
The Fusion may be done and dusted, but it still pulls one over the Mustang to hurt the latter’s ego!
So, Should You Buy One?
You can find sneaky, hush-hush performance cars out there. Heck, there are plenty of luxurious options with opulent interiors adorned with fine materials on the new and used market. If that’s what you’re after, the second-generation Fusion Sport isn’t for you. If you’d rather have one of the most understated speedy sedans around, though, Ford’s Sport version of the typical-and-traffic-dwelling Fusion is almost in a class of its own.
Sources: Ford, Edmunds, GoodCarBadCar, KBB