I'm a bit late on this one, but...
So some of my various life events have brought together the possibility of trading in my WRX for a new plug in hybrid. I've always liked the idea but hated the Insight/Prius so I tabled the idea. I don't need the AWD of my Subaru anymore and the commute traffic with a stick is starting to wear on me. So I was looking at a new Aston Martin (joke) Fusion Titanium Energi models. It seems like a nicely equipped car. The 20 miles/charge of electric-only range doesn't bother me (my commute is about that much).
Anyone have any experience with these? I know it's got a bit less hybrid-only MPG than the regular Fusion Hybrid, but this is offset by the fact that I'd be using almost no gas for commuting, all electric. It's still not bad if I hump it up to Vegas or something at 36-40 MPG either. The AFV plate eligibility of the PHEVs is super sweet for HOV use as well. Overall I'd be saving probably 200-300/mo on payments/gas/insurance to trade in and get a 4800 tax credit/VLT incentives as well. Trunk space will suck but... I'm used to that I suppose.
I've owned two Fusion Hybrids. I currently drive a 2014 Hybrid Titanium (non-Energi), and I can tell you a few things, at least about the regular Hybrid.
1. The trunk space in the regular Hybrid is passable. That's about it. It's worse on the Energi due to the extra batteries. I don't lug around golf clubs or hockey bags or whatever, so it's no big deal for me most of the time, but I do have a young child, and fitting her stroller in there is a massive pain in the ass if there's anything else in the trunk. So, yes, trunk space will suck. A lot. If you're good with this, no big deal, just be ready for it. I've heard conflicting reports about whether or not the seats fold down on the Energi. If they don't, ouch.
2. I've owned both the 1st gen and now 2nd gen Fusion Hybrid. The 2nd gen dropped the gas tank size by quite a bit, but it gets marginally better fuel economy (so far as I'm able to tell). It handles better, the features work better for the most part, and it's loaded with all kinds of gadgets if that's your thing. Adaptive cruise control is absolutely sweet when you're on the highway and you don't want to pretend you're playing Frogger or whatever. It still has BLIS, it still has the rear camera standard (if I remember correctly), and it has lane assist now, which is neat if only to warn you that you're falling asleep at the wheel. If you don't use your turn signals, it'll piss you off and you'll disable it quickly.
3. That said, MyFord Touch (the version that comes in the Fusion, anyway) isn't very responsive. It lags, it isn't very intuitive, and the "home" screen is nowhere near as useful as the old Ford Sync. It doesn't show the map display, for example, unless you switch entirely to the Navigation screen. The old one did. I hate that, but I've gotten used to it. Ford Sync was one of the major features that drew me in to the 2010, and I gotta say, I might not have gone that way if the original had been as slow and problematic. Try it before you buy. It might drive you nuts.
4. I don't know exactly how the Energi works, but I've read that it can go full-time EV at will. If that's the case, you might be able to get more control out of it than I can of mine -- it's very difficult to accelerate on EV only from a stop in the regular Hybrid, unless you feel like driving like your great grandmother. That said, at highway speeds, it stays in EV for a reasonable amount of time.
Not sure what else there is to say. I could ramble on about how I love the drive and how it handles, but that's so subjective so as to be useless information unless you've driven it yourself. I do love the way it drives/handles, though, enough that I took a chance on a 2nd gen after the 1st gen fucked me over post-warranty (I replaced the PCM, emission control module and multiple sensors within 6 months of the warranty expiring). The 1st gen had really good trade-in value, at least.
(Disclaimer: I didn't buy the Energi because electricity up here is so fucking expensive. If that weren't the case, and trunk space issues aside, I'd probably have gone that route instead.)
Edit: And now I see your later post saying it didn't work out. Meh. I'll leave this here in case you care, anyway.