WinnipegFord5.com

I swore I'd never own another Ford product. The dealer sold me an overpriced brake job for my '95 Mercury Mystique, so when the transmission blew up at 160,000 km I went across town to the Chevy dealer and switched brands.

I drove other Fords since then as part of my job, but was never overly impressed. The clumpy Edge and the boxy Flex did nothing for me. And I didn't like the grille. When you have to look at your car for four or five years, little things like that make the difference.

But then I drove the Fusion Hybrid and was astonished. It was comfortable. It had adequate power, and then a bit. And the bright instrumentation made me feel good just looking at it.

I drove the Fusion Hybrid to Ottawa and really appreciated the blind-spot sensors on the mirrors. The sound system was good, and I didn't feel guilty sitting in the drive-through because the engine shut off instead of idling. The best thing was that I felt I was just driving a regular car that happened to be a hybrid - there was none of the perceived smugness that goes with driving a Prius or Insight.

I drove around the Omega wildlife park near Montebello, mostly in silence on the battery. It was great.

When I got home, I drove the regular Fusion S, more than $10,000 cheaper, and grew completely bored. That was just transportation, while the hybrid made me feel special each time I sat in it. Like the looks, that's important if you plan to own the car for a while.

So when I'm now askedwhat new mid-priced sedan I'd buy for myself next, I tell them the Ford Fusion Hybrid. No question. Even the grille's growing on me.