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Mercury Mariner Hybrid Review
The Mercury Mariner debuted in late 2004 as a 2005 compact SUV, essentially a re-skinned Ford Escape with minor enhancements. The Ford Escape was jointly developed with Mazda, in which Ford owns a controlling interest, and was released a few months after the nearly-identical Mazda Tribute. The Escape is sold in Europe as the Ford Maverick while the Mariner is not.
It is built on the Ford CD2 platform, which is in turn based on the Mazda GF platform, which was used by the Mazda 626. The Mercury Mariner is a sport utility vehicle, not a car, so ride quality is not on par with similar sized cars. Still, the Mariner has some of the best ride qualities in its class. The four-speed automatic transmission works well with either engine, admirably holding the better gear for extended periods when stressed by terrain or load. The all wheel-drive system (4WD) operates seamlessly, with no telltale hesitations as it re-routes power through its computer-controlled clutch to the rear wheels almost before the front wheels begin to lose grip. It will comfortably and confidently master snow-filled parking lots at the ski lodge and muddy driveways at the weekend cabin. However, the Mariner is not designed to navigate truly rugged terrain off road.
Braking is responsive and the pedal feel was solid. An extra degree of safety provided by electronic brake force distribution, which the Escape also offers. Front disc/rear drum brakes come on the Convenience model with its four-cylinder engine. The V6-powered Luxury and Premier models come with four-wheel disc brakes.
Where the Mariner has poor insulation from outside annoyances. At best, it is only marginally quieter than the Escape, with road noise and tire hiss clearly audible, and noticeable. Fit and finish in the cabin was up to par, with no squeaking sounds or rattles heard.
The 3.0-liter V6 engine gives brisk acceleration performance. Buyers will not be looking for more power with this V6 engine. The four-speed automatic transmission works well with it. Upshifts and downshifts are quick, fluid and smooth. The transmission always knows the best ratio to utilize. Reviewers don't believe this engine to be the smoothest on the market, but they certainly haven't called it the roughest either. It remains more satisfying than the four-cylinder engines found in most compact sport-utilities. Noise, vibration and harshness go up a level on the 4 cylinder equipped modles. Noise and vibration reduction measures were taken in fitting the engine with a balance shaft, but further efforts should be made in future to further reduce interior noise. This 2.3-liter Duratec 4-cylinder engine iavailable on Convenience models. The four-wheel drive system is based on a front wheel drive platform. Any serious gradients will leave this sport utility spinning its wheels. The suspension does not have the articulation needed for real off road conditions. Using this sport utility for everyday road travel, however, would be an excellent choice.
High Points
- V6 delivers good power and never seems to struggle
- Bold styling
- Rides better, out handles most of its competition
Low Points
- I4 has anemic performance on highway
- Jeep Liberty is more capable off road.
- Fuel consumption (V6 4WD)
Performance and Handling
Anti-lock brakes (ABS) operate smoothly. Pedal response has been praised. Drum brakes are used on the rear except on V6 4WD models and Escape Hybrid, which have with four-wheel disc brakes. Brake Assist helps handling, allowing full braking power when it senses the driver has mistakenly relaxed pressure on the brake pedal in an emergency stopping situation. In addition, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) provides more effective, more stable braking.
Gas Mileage
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Trim |
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FWD 2.3L manual |
FWD 2.3L automatic |
FWD 3.0L |
4WD 2.3L manual |
4WD 2.3L automatic |
4WD 3.0L |
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Engine |
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2.3L I-4 |
2.3L I-4 |
3.0L V6 |
2.3L I-4 |
2.3L I-4 |
3.0L V6 |
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MPG (City/Highway) |
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24/29 |
22/26 |
20/24 |
22/26 |
21/24 |
19/23 |
Reliability and Maintenance
Interior and Comforts
To a large extent, what holds for the Mercury Mariner's exterior holds for its interior. If you like the Mountaineer's appointments and look, you'll like the Mariner's, as the designers have hewn closely to theme the larger Mountaineer established.
Seemingly central to the Mariner's essence is satin-finish aluminum, which abounds inside as well as out. From the instrument bezels to the center stack's vertical braces to the shift lever cap to the center console to the logo in the steering wheel hub to the flat surfaces on the door armrests, satin-finish trims and highlights. About the only interior metal surfaces that aren't satin-finish are the chrome inside door handles and accent ringing the shift lever in the center console. This isn't to complain, as the overall look is one of polish and refinement, which is helped by some wood-grain trim on the center stack and console.
Front bucket seats are nicely contoured and bolstered, and Mercury says advanced pressure-mapping techniques were employed to tune the seat foam. That may be, but the techniques used hadn't mapped our neighborhood, as we found ourselves squirming around in search of a more comfortable zone after only a short stay.
The rear seat, even though a split-to-fold 60/40 unit, is essentially a two-piece bench, as in, not the most accommodating for long drives. On the plus side, all five seating positions have three-point belts and adjustable head restraints.
That rear seat does fold almost flat, however, making for a commodious cargo space. Tie-down hooks are provided to secure odd-shaped or especially mobile objects. The rear quarter panel has open storage bins for smaller items. Front seatbacks host map pockets, as do both front doors. The overhead console (which the moonroof displaces) has two swing-down bins. The center console has two cupholders and a shallow bin forward of the shift lever.
Cruise control buttons are smoothly integrated into the sides of the steering wheel hub. Power window buttons, however, are of the old-school type, i.e., non-child/curious pet-proof. The stereo, too, shouts standard Ford gear; as functional and easy-to-use as its controls are, they don't quite make premium grade.
Exterior
The Mercury Mariner is a compact four-door, five-passenger, sport utility vehicle. If you've seen the Mercury Mountaineer, you've seen the Mariner, albeit an unSanforized one after a trip or two through a hot-water car wash. Granted, the Mariner's headlights are more rectangular, and the fog lamp nacelles are more parallelogram than up-tipped eyebrow, but otherwise, and other than size, there's little visually to distinguish between the larger and smaller Mercury SUVs.
The trademark satin-finish aluminum vertical-bar grille sits on a matching bumper inset, turn indicator lights are housed where the headlamp lenses wrap around the fenders and the central recess in the hood imbues the front fenders with a subtle shoulder look.
Borrowing from European custom, small turn-indicator repeater lights are positioned in the front quarter panels just aft of and slight above the front wheel wells. Understated cladding preserves and protects the lower door panels and tie together the minimalist front and rear fender flares, nicely finishing the mid-door, horizontal character line optically connecting the front and rear bumpers. The tall glasshouse is properly proportioned to balance the body side panels. The angled C-pillar behind the rear side door accentuates the people-orientation of the Mariner while acknowledging it can haul cargo, too.
From the rear, the Mariner is, well, a sport utility vehicle. There's not much that can be done to stylize a liftgate, taillamps and bumper, other than with trim bits and pieces, and the Mariner's designers did their best with what they had. Tasteful, satin-finish, grille-like accents brace the taillamps. The side character line continues across the liftgate, swelling in the center to form a surround for the license plate recess. Yet another satin-finish inset separates the step-top of the rear bumper and the body-color lower fascia. Bright chrome exhaust tips finish the package
Styles and Options
The Escape is available in one 4-door body style. Four wheel drive is standard.
Main Competitors
Hybrid
In 2004, the Ford Escape Hybrid was released. This hybrid electric vehicle is 75% more fuel-efficient than the regular Escape according to Environmental Protection Agency tests and was the first SUV available to the public with hybrid technology.
