(Fusion photographed at Hand Sown Farm in Manchester, Mich.)

By Ed Fitzgerald

Thank heaven for 80-year-old neighbors. If you don’t have one, you really should get one.

My neighbor is the kind of guy who would take off the back of my mini fridge and try to fix the thermostat, though he isn’t really sure the problem is the thermostat.

My neighbor came over to look at the 2014 Fusion hybrid I was driving and the first thing he wanted to do was check out the battery packs.

Over the years I have driven many hybrids and never, ever taken the time to open the trunk or hatchback, lift up the flimsy piece of carpeting and take a look at the most unique part of the car. I thank my neighbor for making me do it. The battery does not offer any exciting, whirring, moveable parts, but the sheer size of the battery is impressive. My inquisitive neighbor would’ve pulled out his trusty screwdriver and dismantled the battery if I hadn’t pointed to the sticker saying that was a bad idea.

First off, I tested the Fusion hybrid model. Also on the market is the Fusion Energi electric car. You can easily spot that model on the road: there’s a charging portal on the front side of the car that looks like an extra gasoline fueling door.

The 2014 Fusion hybrid is indeed a piece of work. It’s a sizable four-door car so it’s hard to believe it can get 47 miles per gallon, but it can. Just to be sure, I recommend driving 55 mph downhill on freeways and avoid any jackrabbit, or any kind of rabbit, start.

My model’s engine was a 2.0-liter IVCT I4 with ECVT auto transmission.

But by far the most interesting aspect of this car was that it represented my first run-in with automated driving: active park assist ($895), reverse sensing system ($295) and the adaptive cruise control ($995).

Using the adaptive cruise control was startling, even though I knew it was coming. This is what happens: If you’re driving on the freeway and there is not ample space between you and the car in front of you, your car will slow down automatically. And you cannot speed up. Go ahead and try. Yes, your car does know best.

At other times, my Fusion also warned me that I might need to rest (I was headed to Meijer at 2 a.m. and was driving at alternating speeds because I was new to the car and checking out the instrument panel as I drove). Another time my Fusion warned of a possible collision ahead when the car in front of me suddenly slowed down.

I was impressed with the automatic safety features and even tried to evoke them artificially. But pulling out quickly into a lane just as a car passed did not manage to trick the auto mechanism.

My car tested at $35,160 out the door.