Times’ Test Garage: Ford Fusion isn’t bike-rack friendly
If you’re an avid cyclist and are considering the 2013 Ford Fusion as your next car, it looks like you’ll want to invest in a roof-mounted bike rack.
We discovered this while trying to attach a rear-mounted bike rack to the car this week. As you’ll see in the photos, the design of the Fusion’s rear end presents two issues that make hanging your bike off the back a bad idea.
The first issue is the bumper design of the Fusion doesn’t provide an ample lip to hold the rack securely. The rack will sit there, but it’s not that secure and can’t hold too much weight without slipping off.
Photos: Put the bikes on the roof
The second issue is there’s no place to hook one of the three sets of straps these bike racks have. One set goes over the top of the trunk, one set to the sides and the final set hooks under the bottom of the trunk lid.
One problem. In the name of crash safety, Ford made the inside of the Fusion’s trunk lid artificially thick, to absorb energy in the event you’re rear-ended. Certainly a laudable move, but it prevents you from hooking that third set of straps under the trunk lid.
The only other spot these straps could attach are at the bottom of the bumper where the Fusion’s exhaust pipe exits. Not a great idea to leave the strap here due to potential heat coming out of the exhaust.
Thus, to the roof the bikes go.
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