Home » Car Reviews » Mercury » Mariner » 2005 Mercury Mariner Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
2005 Mercury Mariner Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Mercury Mariner is an Escape in wolf's clothing
Jump to page: 1 | 2
Car Review of the 2005 Mercury Mariner Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $21,425 - $26,785
Base Invoice Range: $19,932 - $24,810
Options & Features
Price Quote
New Car Prices
Used Car Prices
Payment Calculator
Rebates & Incentives
Trade In Values
Find A Dealer
Financing
Insurance Rates
Sell Your Car
MSRP As Tested: $26,405
Versions: Convenience, Luxury, Premier.
Vehicle Category: Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel drive.
Standard Engine: 2.3-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, I-4, 153 â€' horsepower at 5800 rpm and 152 lb-ft torque at 4250 rpm.
Optional Engine as Tested: 3.0-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, V-6, 200 horsepower at 6000 and 193 lb-ft torque at 4850 rpm.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): I-4 20/23, V-6 18/23.
Standard Safety Features: Driver and passenger airbags, Anti-lock brake system , Brake assist.
Competition: BMW X3, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Jeep Liberty, Mazda Tribute, Nissan Xterra, Subaru Forester.
When you've got a sagging brand like Mercury, what do you do?
If you're an executive with Ford Motor Company, you take the hot-selling Ford Escape, change a couple of things around, and rechristen it the Mercury Mariner.
The new Mariner looks, drives, feels and even smells an awful lot like the Escape, yet -- aw, heck -- that's the whole story.
Mercury tried to put a new spin on the popular compact sport utility, and in some ways it succeeded. The cabin seems slightly more upscale and opulent than the cheaper Escape thanks to softer materials and a muted, earth-tone color palette. It's no Lincoln, but it's better than the Ford -- exactly like you'd expect a Mercury to be.
From the outside, though, you get the feeling Mercury's designers weren't even trying.
The Mariner looks so much like the Escape you could park them side-by-side and have a hard time figuring out which was which. They've got the same profile and the same basic body structure, making them the automotive equivalent of the Olsen twins.
Who can tell the difference? Who cares?
On the bright side, Mercury started with a rather handsome SUV -- if there is such a thing -- and added some styling touches that only make it better. It has a revamped grille with satin aluminum trim, a slightly different headlight and fog light setup, and chrome trim on the taillights to fit in with the Mercury family.
From the driver's seat, the Mariner feels exactly like the V6 Escape, and that's a good thing. It has the same independent suspension, the same 3.0-liter V6, and the same four-speed automatic transmission.
Just like the Escape, the Mariner drives like a nice mid-size sedan. It's built on a car platform to optimize on-road handling and comfort, and it even corners pretty well. On the downside, it's clearly not designed for heavy-duty, off-road driving like some of its competitors, including the Jeep Liberty and Nissan Xterra.
Jump to page: 1 | 2
