Ford Continues KBB Award Streak As Fusion AWD Scores Win

Ford continues to dominate the Kelley Blue Book awards as Fusion AWD was named A Top Choice For Those Seeking AWD Sedans.

Sometimes, you must wonder what drives an automaker to do things; for example, why does an automaker hang up on an otherwise good car by discontinuing it?

Fusion Production Halted

Roughly four years ago, Ford decided to bid farewell to the Fusion line. It was still selling reasonably but not in great numbers. The Fusion was one of the last cars that the automaker was producing. In 2016, the decision was made to concentrate on trucks and SUVs, the profitable piece of the automotive puzzle.

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That meant the handwriting was on the wall in cars like the Fusion or the Focus. First, the Focus was gone, and in 2019, the last Fusions rolled off the assembly line.

And now, four years later, the Fusion remains a popular vehicle, even though it isn’t being produced anymore. The Ford Authority (FA) looked at the issue and came away with the simple conclusion that “the beloved sedan is still” popular. Indeed, they found that the Fusion “is still racking up accolades from various sources to this day.”

Fusion Continues To Earn Honors

For example, FA points out that J.D. Power named the Fusion the “third-best mid-size car.”  This honor was found in this year’s 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. In another honor, iSeeCars, one of the leading automotive information providers, named the Fusion “one of its best 10-year-old used cars for the money.”

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Finally, Consumer Reports called the Fusion “one of the fastest-accelerating vehicles in the segment.”  And now, the 2019 Fusion has been named the winner of Kelley Blue Book’s (KBB) 10 Best All-Wheel Drive Cars, priced less than $20,000.

Interestingly, the 2019 Fusion sedan is one of the newer vehicles on the KBB list. KBB is one of the country's leading sources of information on used cars.

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KBB said of the choice:

“The 2019 Ford Fusion is one of the newest vehicles on this list, meaning it’s a strong value for its feature set; if you don’t want or need an SUV, the Fusion AWD can even be found in high-spec Titanium trim for less than $20,000.” That is quite a vehicle.

AWD Sedan List Hits At Right Time

The list comes just as hard winter sets in across much of the nation. KBB’s list comes out at a time when consumers who need or want all-wheel-drive and who still want to drive a sedan have something to look at.

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Here are the sedans the KBB list recommends:

• 2016 Mazda CX-9
• 2017 Subaru Crosstrek
• 2015 Toyota Highlander
• 2016 Honda CR-V
• 2016 Toyota RAV4
• 2018 Subaru Outback
• 2019 Ford Fusion
• 2021 Mazda 3
• 2018 Nissan Rogue
• 2019 Subaru Impreza

Brian Moody, executive editor of KBB, told FA that “There are plenty of great AWD hatchback, SUV, sedan and wagon models out there at almost any price point, so car shoppers should have many options from which to choose, As always when shopping for maximum used-car value, shoppers should look for well-maintained, well-documented individual cars rather than focusing on a specific trim level or color.”

Used AWD Sedan Prices Falling

Interestingly, the Ford Fusion recommendation comes at a time when prices for AWD Blue Oval sedans are falling. Prices for used cars, in general, were driven up by a combination of factors, including availability and the pandemic. Those prices grew through 2022 and into 2023, where they plateaued. Now, prices for vehicles like the Fusion AWD and Fusion Energi (AWD) are dropping. It is happening at the right time.

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971. His automotive articles have appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.