2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid Minnesota

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With the introduction of a redesigned 2008 model upon us, we decided to spend some time with the current version of Mercury's compact SUV. The Mercury Mariner hasn't been with us long, having debuted just two years ago, but for 2008 it will nonetheless get a significant makeover.

We took a spin in the outgoing model, and found that the Mariner isn't in desperate need of a redo. Based on the compact Ford Escape SUV, the Mariner combines Mercury's handsome art-deco styling with suburban sensibility and excellent road manners to create a well-rounded and pleasantly luxurious vehicle. Add the available hybrid-electric powertrain, and the Mariner also returns better-than-average fuel economy for its class. The 2007 Mercury Mariner is a decent vehicle in its own right.

The styling adheres to the template set down by small, upright SUVs for many years, with a tall greenhouse, dark-tinted rear windows and bumpy fender flares. Mercury's design hallmarks are all in place, so the Mariner looks like one of the family. The handsome "waterfall" grille is flanked by flush headlamps and carried down into the bumper by brightwork, and while it's not quite a baby Mountaineer, the Mariner is elegant. Body-colored trim gives it a monochromatic look that marks it as being more upscale than the Ford Escape with which it shares most of its underpinnings. The design feels (and looks) a bit dated, but Ford's set to address that with the smoother-looking '08 versions of its compact SUV making their debut in the spring.

The Mariner's upgraded-Escape interior is nice enough, but also shows the limitations of its aging design. Mercury's touches include two-tone upholstery and handsome wood and chrome-accented instrument panel. There's room for four with cargo behind. The seating is high enough for long-legged driver comfort, with a tall roof, and the interior is narrow. In the Mariner Hybrid, an information display can be called up to show you what the hybrid system is up to. Side and side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor are available, bringing safety up to par. The luxury side includes a reverse sensing system, heated seats and a navigation system. Unfortunately the navigation system in the Mariner is a throwback to the early days of infotainment systems, with a distinct lack of user-friendliness. The four-inch screen is almost too tiny to be of any use when driving. The single-CD system requires you to choose between playing a music CD or the navigation CD, and the CD-ROM-based system requires a dozen CDs of maps to cover the continent. Most of the competition has switched to DVD-based systems that don't require information changes and don't interfere with the audio system. Furthermore, the radio cannot be turned off without shutting off the navigation system as well, because all of the infotainment runs through a single power point. We're sure that makes it very easy to install, but it's not at all user-friendly.

Fortunately, the Mariner makes up for its ergonomic shortcomings with great road manners. Car-like MacPherson struts up front and an independent rear end get the Mariner down the road with less harshness than the average SUV, and slightly more than you'll get from a comparable car. The ride is pleasantly short on pitch and waddle, and body motions are well controlled on all surfaces. Drivers accustomed to high-performance cars won't care for the high center of gravity, but around town the Mariner's sturdy suspension and tall tires mean that no pothole poses a threat. Anti-plock are standard, and on the Mariner Hybrid the regenerative braking system actually seems to offer better braking response than the conventional system, even while it's charging the battery pack. The hybrid version of the Mariner has a slightly stiffer ride than its conventionally powered sibling.

The Mariner Hybrid is easy to live with, and operates seamlessly. Sometimes it talks to itself on startup, whirring and chuckling, but that's rarely obtrusive. The 133 horsepower 2.3-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine shuts down and restarts without drama when the Mariner is at a stop, conserving fuel. Touch the gas and the Mariner Hybrid's two electric motors get the vehicle rolling in silence, then act as a starter to kick in the engine once the Mariner is up to about 25 miles per hour, or sooner if you've got a heavy pedal foot. A set of compact nickel metal hydride batteries stores the power for the hybrid system's electric component, and the power is transferred to the ground via a continuously variable automatic transmission. Apart from the engine's starting and stopping, most buyers won't notice much of a performance difference between the Mariner Hybrid and the standard 3.0 V6-equipped model. Acceleration is equal with the rest of the class, though fuel economy is best with a light foot. Four-wheel drive is standard on the hybrid and the gas-electric SUV will tow up to 1000 pounds.

Speaking of efficiency, we thought that the overall fuel economy could have been better. The Mariner Hybrid gets 29 mpg on the freeway and 32 in the city, but is the price premium that it commands worth it? There are many larger cars that offer similar or better highway fuel economy for lower sticker prices, including Volkswagen's Passat 2.0T, and Dodge's V6-powered Charger. Even Ford's own Edge crossover vehicle, which gets 24 on the open road, isn't that far behind, come to think of it. In town, the Mariner's a much more efficient alternative to a conventional compact SUV, but if you do a lot of freeway driving, there may be better choices.

The trouble is, like the Escape Hybrid, the Mariner can get spendy. While the standard Mariner stickers for $21,805, the hybrid model rings in at $27,895. Our tester featured the Premium Package with heated seats, the navigation system, leather trim, a moonroof, a backup alarm and other features and broke the bank at $32,890. The Mariner's a nice little sport-ute, but for that kind of money there are a lot of other vehicles competing for the sale. Many of them don't have the high-tech hybrid powertrain, but there are plenty that can match or beat the Mariner Hybrid's EPA numbers.

So where does that leave the Mariner? Buyers looking for a small luxurious SUV will be happy with the conventionally-powered Mariner, and probably even happier with the upcoming '08 model. It may be a Ford clone like the rest of Mercury's lineup, but it's got a sense of style, and that goes a long way in this business. As for the hybrid, we're not convinced that the elevated sticker price is quite worth the fuel savings...yet. The more refined 2008 Mariner Hybrid may change that.


Specifications:
All specs are for the 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
Length: 174.3 in.
Width: 70.1 in.
Height: 70.2 in.
Wheelbase: 103.2 in.
Curb weight: 3787 lb.
Base price:
Price as tested:
Engine: 2.3 liter DOHC Atkinson cycle four-cylinder with 70kw permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor assist
Drivetrain: continuously variable automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 133 @ 6000
Torque: 124 @ 4250
Fuel capacity: 15.0 gal.
Est. mileage: 32/29