2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Ride, acceleration and handling:
The majority, 2 to 1 in this case, rules. Both Mary Anne and Ria found the Mariner's ride, handling and acceleration exceptionally pleasing. Both tried to hold on to this one as long as possible.
Head-turning quotient:
All three of us liked the exterior and interior treatments--especially the interior.
Body style/layout:
It's a front-engine, compact sport-utility vehicle available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It has four side doors and a rear liftgate. It uses a combination of electric power, provided by a nickel metal hydride battery pack, and a four-cylinder engine to drive the wheels.
Power mode/transmission:
The front-wheel-drive Mariner Hybrid comes with a 2.3-liter, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine that works in tandem with two permanent magnet motors to drive the front wheels. (The all-wheel-drive Mariner Hybrid gets three permanent magnet motors.) The system produces a combined 155 horsepower. That power is transmitted to wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Capacities:
There is seating for five. Maximum cargo capacity, with rear seats folded, is 66 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 15 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline.
Fuel economy:
Astounding for an SUV. We kept this one on the highway, averaging 31 miles per gallon.
Safety:
Four-wheel antilock brakes, side and head air bags are standard. But traction and stability control were not available at this writing. We assume that Ford/Mercury will correct that omission, and soon.
Price:
Base price on the tested front-wheel-drive model is $27,765. Dealer's invoice price on that model is $24,234. Price as tested is $29,825, including $3,395 in options (navigation, leather seating surfaces, premium sound system with MP3 capability and six-disc in-dash CD player, retractable cargo cover, backup warning sensor) and a $665 destination charge. Dealer's price as tested is $27,785.
Purse-strings note:
It's a buy, even with the nickel metal hydride batteries that are likely to be made obsolete by lithium polymer batteries that will be introduced in the next few years. Compare with any compact SUV on the market. Excellent value here.
Complaint: I thought the Mariner Hybrid's ride and handling were good, but not nearly as pleasing as those of the all-gasoline Ford Escape, Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Mary Anne and Ria, to put it mildly, disagreed.
Ride, acceleration and handling:
The majority, 2 to 1 in this case, rules. Both Mary Anne and Ria found the Mariner's ride, handling and acceleration exceptionally pleasing. Both tried to hold on to this one as long as possible.
Head-turning quotient:
All three of us liked the exterior and interior treatments--especially the interior.
Body style/layout:
It's a front-engine, compact sport-utility vehicle available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It has four side doors and a rear liftgate. It uses a combination of electric power, provided by a nickel metal hydride battery pack, and a four-cylinder engine to drive the wheels.
Power mode/transmission:
The front-wheel-drive Mariner Hybrid comes with a 2.3-liter, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine that works in tandem with two permanent magnet motors to drive the front wheels. (The all-wheel-drive Mariner Hybrid gets three permanent magnet motors.) The system produces a combined 155 horsepower. That power is transmitted to wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Capacities:
There is seating for five. Maximum cargo capacity, with rear seats folded, is 66 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 15 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline.
Fuel economy:
Astounding for an SUV. We kept this one on the highway, averaging 31 miles per gallon.
Safety:
Four-wheel antilock brakes, side and head air bags are standard. But traction and stability control were not available at this writing. We assume that Ford/Mercury will correct that omission, and soon.
Price:
Base price on the tested front-wheel-drive model is $27,765. Dealer's invoice price on that model is $24,234. Price as tested is $29,825, including $3,395 in options (navigation, leather seating surfaces, premium sound system with MP3 capability and six-disc in-dash CD player, retractable cargo cover, backup warning sensor) and a $665 destination charge. Dealer's price as tested is $27,785.
Purse-strings note:
It's a buy, even with the nickel metal hydride batteries that are likely to be made obsolete by lithium polymer batteries that will be introduced in the next few years. Compare with any compact SUV on the market. Excellent value here.
Complaint: I thought the Mariner Hybrid's ride and handling were good, but not nearly as pleasing as those of the all-gasoline Ford Escape, Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Mary Anne and Ria, to put it mildly, disagreed.
Labels: car review
posted by Zee at 11:48 PM
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