For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Fusion have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Avalon doesn't offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Fusion Titanium offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Avalon doesn't offer all-wheel drive.

The Fusion's driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Avalon doesn't offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Fusion and the Avalon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Fusion is safer than the Toyota Avalon:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Fusion is safer than the Toyota Avalon:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are over 2 times as many Ford dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Fusion's warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Fusion first among midsize cars in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The Avalon was rated second in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 8th.

The Fusion Titanium's standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (275 vs. 267) than the Avalon's 3.5 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Fusion SE/SEL FWD 1.5 turbo 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the Avalon XLE (23 city/34 hwy vs. 22 city/32 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Fusion ECOBoost FWD's engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn't accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Avalon doesn't offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Fusion uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Fusion Titanium for maximum performance). The Avalon requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Fusion FWD's standard fuel tank has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Avalon XLE's standard fuel tank (16.5 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Fusion AWD's standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Avalon XSE/Limited/Touring's standard fuel tank (18 vs. 15.8 gallons).

The Fusion has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Avalon doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Fusion stops shorter than the Avalon:

The Fusion has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Avalon's suspension doesn't offer gas-charged shocks.

The Fusion's drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Avalon doesn't offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Fusion's turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the Avalon XLE's (37.5 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The Fusion's turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Avalon Limited/Touring's (37.5 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Fusion is 4.1 inches shorter than the Avalon, making the Fusion easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Fusion uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Avalon doesn't offer active grille shutters.

The Fusion has .7 inches more front headroom and 2.2 inches more front legroom than the Avalon.

The Fusion SEL/Titanium has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Avalon doesn't offer a remote starting system.

If the windows are left open on the Fusion the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Avalon can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's exterior PIN entry system. The Avalon doesn't offer an exterior PIN entry system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's exterior PIN entry system. The Avalon doesn't offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Fusion's rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Avalon XLE/Touring's standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Fusion (except S) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Avalon doesn't offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Fusion owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Fusion with a number “1” insurance rate while the Avalon is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Fusion is less expensive to operate than the Avalon because it costs $182 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Fusion than the Avalon, including $226 less for a water pump, $286 less for a starter, $120 less for fuel injection, $217 less for a fuel pump, $246 less for front struts and $908 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Fusion will be $83 to $6674 less than for the Toyota Avalon.

The Ford Fusion outsold the Toyota Avalon by over five to one during 2018.