Toyota, Ford spar over hybrid m.p.g. claims

You have to buy the optional SAIL that attaches to the roof :)

I've been getting 49mpg+ from my Prius consistently.

This is stupid, nobody cross shops a Prius and a Fusion. It just doesn't happen unless the shopper doesn't know what he wants. Any one who has stepped foot inside of both can tell you the Fusion is larger passenger wise. Besides why just have MPG when I can have MPG and STG (smiles to the gallon)as well driving the Fusion.

It isn't about cross shopping, more about who is the mileage king period. If Toyota is seen as not being the mileage champ, then many will began to look elsewhere for the most fuel efficient vehicles. They can't afford to lose this title. Ford could chip away at their market share piece by peace.

Fusion is easier on the eyes and I am glad to see a US domestic automaker build a full hybrid line of car. Prius can only be considered a mid-size since it is a hatch back which creates more cargo space with rear seats folded down.

From the article: "General Motors and Chrysler have borrowed billions from the federal government just to keep the lights on and doors open. Ford has said it might need to do that." Someone might want to tell the author that Ford has not asked for any sort of bailout nor direct loans. Ford has only asked for backing for loans it gets elsewhere should GM or Chrysler go under and take down the US automotive supply chain with it.

I can not agree a Prius is a midsize car. It is the car part I object to.

While I'd rather have Fusion (better looking, larger crumple zones, better to drive, faster), it's good to realize that Prius is in terms of rear seats room exactly as spacious as current VW Passat (the interior dimensions in mm are virtually the same). It's all due to key delimiter of space inside the car, namely the wheelbase. Current generation Prius has 2700mm of it. The Fusion has the wheelbase of 2728mm so the interior space should be only very slightly larger. Passat B6 (current) has 2709mm of wheelbase.

Which one is built in the US?

Neither.

I drove a Ford Fusion once as a rental car and really missed the mark due to sharp plastic pieces in the interior and it actually seemed small in comparison to the Taurus, which was always the Camry/Accord fighter. Overall I recall thinking I would never want to buy a Fusion.

Competition is always good in mpg.

Because they are trying to confuse the buying public. Who really cares about the cargo space overall if you don't have enough to take 4 adults comfortably with some room for cargo at the same time. Toyota is stupid to think because they say the Prius is the same size as the true midsize Fusion, buyers won't check out the two side by side. That would irritate me even more.

Cargo Space or Not, a man would not get away with being called straight if he ever drove a Prius, the Fusion he could