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Driving Impressions
The Mercury Milan's 221-hp V6 engine and Japanese Aisin six-speed automatic transmission give the driver the kind of power we all like when it comes to getting across the intersection or getting out of a tight spot. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of reserve after that, and there's not a lot of satisfaction in driving it hard.
The engine feels a bit choked and a bit underpowered, and doesn't sound like a powerful engine when prodded. A full-throttle kickdown maneuver causes the front end to pitch up a bit too high for our taste, leaving the front tires scrambling for traction and direction for an annoying split second. While this engine is adequate, the V6s offered by Honda, General Motors, Nissan and Toyota are more modern and have more power.
Fuel economy for the V6 is EPA rated at 26 mpg Highway and 18 mpg City. Those numbers drop to 17/25 mpg with all-wheel drive. The four-cylinder engine is rated at 20/29 mpg with the manual and 20/28 mpg with the automatic.
The four-cylinder engine has decent power but is not as strong as the four-cylinders offered by Honda, Nissan and Toyota. It requires planning and space to make a pass on a two-lane road. The standard five-speed manual transmission has numb, rubbery throws that are anything but sporty.
We found the steering to have a fairly hefty feel and effort at the wheel, but it was a bit too disconnected from the road surface for our taste. Aggressive cornering revealed the Milan to be predictable, with a slight bias toward understeer, which is the default handling characteristic for family cars. Handling was a bit sharper with the available 17-inch wheels and tires versus the base model's 16-inch tires. Stability at speed was impressive.
Ride quality, which we tested on the awful streets of Detroit, was quite good with either the 16- or 17-inch wheels. The Milan has lots of compliance to soak up bumps, doesn't exhibit much body roll, and is generally quiet and smooth in operation.
The brakes also proved to be strong and direct, without a lot of wasted pedal travel before deceleration starts to happen. It takes little effort to get the Milan to stop.
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