Mercury Montego: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:32, 30 September 2007

Mercury Montego

The Mercury Montego resurrects a classic nameplate from the Mercury division. The Montego was launched as a replacement for the Mercury Sable and shares its basic body structure and powertrain with the Ford Five Hundred and previous generation Volvo S80. Available is a Haldex all-wheel-drive (AWD) system adapted from the Volvo XC90 SUV. Ford designed the Montego and Five Hundred with ex-SUV owners in mind, creating chair-height seating to give the impression of a higher driving position, a feature many customers noted as a reason for purchasing an SUV. The Montego is assembled along with the Five Hundred in Ford's Chicago Illinois plant.

2007 will be the last year for the Mercury Montego due to declining sales and unknown nameplate, Its replacement will be the 2008 Mercury Sable.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Mercury Montego Review.

Recent Changes

For 2007, the Montego adds traction control and side curtain airbags to its standard features.

Styles and Major Options

The Montego is available in three trim levels, Base, Premiere and Premiere AWD. The noteable standard features of each model are listed below.

Base Standard Features

Split folding rear seat and folding front passenger seat
AM/FM Single CD Stereo
6-way Power Driver's Seat
Power Mirrors
17" Painted Aluminum Wheels
Four-Wheel ABS
Traction Control
Heated Power Mirrors with Security Lighting
Side Impact Airbags
1st and 2nd Row Canopy Airbags
Anti-Theft Perimeter Alarm
HID Headlamps
LED Taillamps

Premier Standard Features
In addition to or in place of Base Standard Features

Leather Upholstery
Heated Front Seats
AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD Changer with MP3 Capability
Power Adjustable Pedals with Memory
Rear Center Armrest with Cupholders
8-way Power Driver's Seat
4-way Power Passenger's Seat with Manual Lumbar
Cargo Net
Universal Garage Door Opener
18" Machined Aluminum Wheels

Premier AWD Standard Features are identical to Premiere FWD Standard Features.

Major Optional Features

Navigation System (Not available in Alaska)
Power Moonroof
Reverse Sensing System
18" Chrome Clad Aluminum Wheels

Pricing

Today's actual prices for the Mercury Montego can be found at CarsDirect.

Montego Trims
Base	Premier	Premier AWD
MSRP
$23,835	$27,385	$29,235
Invoice
$22,041	$25,237	$26,901

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Drivetrain
FWD	AWD
MPG
21/29	19/25

Reliability

The 2007 Mercury Montego came in 3RD Place in J.D. Power Initial Quality For the Large Car Segment.

Safety

Standard Safety Features

Driver and Front Passenger Airbags
Driver and Front Passenger Side Airbags
1st and 2nd Row Curtain Airbags
4-wheel Disc Brakes with ABS and EBD
Traction Control

The NHTSA has conducted crash tests of the 2007 Montego. Its full scores are available at safercar.gov.

Rating (Stars)
Front		Side		Rollover
Driver	Passenger	Front Seat	Rear Seat	2WD	4WD
5	5	5	5	4	-

Although the test car lacked the now standard side airbags, the Montego earned 5 stars in both side impact categories. Rollover data for the AWD Montego is unavailable from the NHTSA. However, the mechanically identical Ford Five Hundred AWD earned 4 Stars on the rollover test.

Photos

'07 Montego Premier AWD
'07 Montego Premier AWD
'07 Montego Premier Interior
'05 Montego
'07 Montego
Mercury Montego's 17 Inch Painted Rim
Mercury Montego's 18 Inch Alloy Rim
Mercury Montego's 18 Inch Chrome Clad Rim
2007 Mercury Montego Interior
2006 Mercury Montego
The standard folding front and rear seats give the cabin great versatility.
The control layout is clean and trim panels are high quality.
Chrome ringed gauges are upscale.
2007 Mercury Montego Luxury
2007 Mercury Montego Luxury
2007 Mercury Montego Premier

Colors

Exterior Colors

Dark Blue Pearl

Light Tundra

Alloy

Silver Birch

Dune Pearl

Merlot

Satellite Silver

Oxford White

Black

Interior Colors

Cloth

Leather

Pebble Two-Tone

Shale Two-Tone

Dark Charcoal

Warranty

Bumper to Bumper: 36 months/36,000 miles

Major Components: 60 months/60,000 miles

Rust Through: 60 months/unlimited miles

Roadside Assistance: 60 months/60,000 miles

Main Competitors

Hybrid Models

The Montego was never offered in a Hybrid Version.

Unique Attributes

Satin Waterfall Grille.

Resale Values

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/Mercury_Montego_Sedan.aspx

What's Best About Montego

"Inside is where the Montego shines..." — New Car Test Drive

"Voluminous trunk can hold eight full-size golf bags." — Consumer Guide

"Good balance in turns, with only moderate lean, despite relatively tall body." - Consumer Guide

"The interior has 107.5 cubic feet of passenger space, which is huge - especially when you consider that the exterior of the car is almost the same size as most of the popular midsize sedans." — Cars.com

Criticisms

"We do expect that eventual owners will wish for a little extra midrange torque for passing at highway speeds and climbing grades, particularly when carrying a full load of family members and luggage (we had neither with us during our brief test-drive)." — Edmunds.com

"...The Montego turned out a bit bland..." — MSN Autos

"There is no soul to the Montego." — Los Angeles Times

"The faux wood-grain trim looks like it came off a prison lunch tray." - Los Angeles Times

First and Final Generation 2005-2007

Mercury Montego

Mercury
Successor	Mercury Sable
Production	2005-2007
Class	Large Luxury Sedan
Body Style	4-door Sedan
Length	200.7 in.
Width	74.5 in.
Height	60.1 in.
Wheelbase	112.9 in.
Weight	3670 (FWD) 3820 (AWD)
Transmission	6-speed Automatic Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
Engine	3.0L Duratec DOHC V6
Power	203 hp @ 5750 RPM 207 lb-ft @ 4500 RPM
Similar	Buick Lucerne Hyundai Azera Volvo S80
Designer

Available powertrains consist of a 3.0L Duratec 30 V6 engine, and the choice of a continuously variable transmission or six-speed automatic transmission, and either front-wheel drive or the same Haldex all-wheel drive system used in the Volvo XC90. A 3.5L V6 was to be added for 2008 but Mercury will cease production of the Monteo this summer.

Based on the Ford D3 platform which also supports the Volvo S60 and Volvo S80, the XC70 and XC90 SUVs. The Montego's counterpart is the Ford Five Hundred and is also the basis for the Ford Freestyle crossover SUV.

The Montego was designed to provide large car interior volume with manageable outside dimensions, while delivering good fuel economy. Its design is also notably tall for a sedan, giving drivers an SUV or minivan-like command of the road. Its trunk, one of the largest on the market, can hold 8 full-sized loaded golf bags. The Montego was first introduced at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show.

Befitting its Volvo roots, the Montego has garnered class leading results in crash tests conducted by the IIHS as well as NHTSA.

The Montego began production on July 12, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois and became available to the public in September 2004. Although criticized by the automotive press for its bland styling in comparison to that of its competitor the Buick Lucerne, the Montego has not been a great success for Mercury just selling over 2,000 units on a good month. The Mercury Montego is due to be replaced with the 2008 Mercury Sable.

Origins

The Montego replaced the intermediate Mercury Comet in 1968 and was replaced by an upsized Mercury Cougar for the 1977 model year. It was essentially a twin of the Ford Torino. The Cyclone was a high performance variant of the Montego through 1971.

Worldwide

The Mercury Montego is only sold to the USA Market.

Awards

Mercury Montego won Auto Pacific's 2006 Ideal Vehicle Award.
The 2007 Mercury Montego came in 3RD Place in J.D. Power Initial Quality For the Large Car Segment

Design quirks and oddities

Like all Mercury's the Montego uses a Satin Finish Front Grille.
Mercury Montego uses Grey Wood Interior Trim.

Sale Numbers

In August 2007 Montego Sold 612 Units DOWN 64.6% From August 2006.

Production

Since Montego went on sale in the fall of 2004 it has sold exactly 63,884 as of August 2007.

Slow Sells and Discontinuation