Mercury Mountaineer Review

2009 Mercury Mountaineer Premier SUV Shown

The Mercury Mountaineer has always been a solid choice among midsize SUVs. At its debut, it offered good space for medium-size families, decent handling, tolerable ride quality and at least some semblance of off-road capability. These qualities have held steady through two generations.

Although the Mountaineer is mechanically identical to the Ford Explorer and shares its trucklike chassis construction, Mercury has attempted to differentiate it over the years by specifying more standard amenities, softer suspension tuning and all-wheel drive instead of traditional four-wheel drive.

For years, those virtues placed the Mercury Mountaineer in the upper ranks of midsize SUVs. This was especially true after its most recent 2002 redesign, which brought about a vast improvement in ride and handling, along with a fold-flat third-row seat and a long list of safety features. However, the competition hasn't sat still in the years since, and by mid-decade the Mountaineer faced several new entries whose car-based chassis endowed them with gentler ride quality, better handling and fuel economy figures that the truck-based Mercury couldn't match.

Still, the current Mountaineer compares favorably with other midsize SUVs of its dwindling breed. Mercury can claim more comfort in the first- and second-row seats than most others can, and it remains one of the few manufacturers to have achieved third-row seating fit for adult habitation. While the masses will be better served by lighter-duty, car-based SUVs, the Mercury Mountaineer still deserves consideration for sport-utility shoppers with more demanding needs.

Current Mercury Mountaineer

The second-generation Mercury Mountaineer is available in five- and seven-passenger versions. Current engine offerings include a 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 (a carryover from the previous model) and a 292-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. V6 Mountaineers come with a five-speed automatic transmission, while the V8 gets a six-speed automatic. Both the V6 and V8 can be ordered with rear-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD).

The Mountaineer comes in two trim levels: Base and Premier. (In previous years, Mercury split the lineup into three trim lines, offering Convenience and Luxury models below the high-line Premier.) Both the Base and Premier come with plenty of standard equipment. Features like a rear entertainment system and a navigation system are also available, as is the Microsoft-developed Sync multimedia integration system. In addition, Mountaineers with a third-row seat are eligible for second-row captain's chairs, which drop passenger capacity to six.

There have been a number of equipment changes to the Mercury Mountaineer since the current generation's '02 debut. V8 models sold through 2005 made just 232 hp and came with a five-speed automatic. The Mountaineer's safety quotient rose in 2004 when Mercury added stability control as an option, and again in 2005 when it was made standard and packaged with Roll Stability Control. Standard side curtain airbags completed the picture in 2006; in previous years, they were optional.

In reviews, we've found that the Mountaineer has a smooth and composed ride and respectable handling; some credit must go to the SUV's independent rear suspension, which was an upgrade from the first model's live rear axle. This Mercury also has strengths as a people hauler, partly thanks to its fold-flat third-row seat that still ranks among the roomiest of midsize SUVs.

As far as the Mountaineer has come, though, its dynamics still fall short of the newer car-based SUVs that now dominate its price range. Due to its traditional body-on-frame construction, it weighs more (4,500 pounds for the lightest model) than many competitors and doesn't feel as sure-footed around corners. Besides that, its 210-horsepower V6 looks more underpowered with every passing year, and both engines continue to return gas mileage in the teens. The transmissions are also a bit slow to downshift, and the brakes, though adequate when it comes to stopping, have a spongy pedal feel.

Past Mercury Mountaineer Models

Production of the Mountaineer started with the debut of the second-generation Explorer for the 1997 model year. It was initially unique for only coming with Ford's 4.9-liter pushrod V8, the famous 5.0 Mustang motor whose gas-guzzling habits were downright offensive. Things improved when Mercury received the better of the Explorer's two V6s, a 210-hp 4.0-liter, as its standard engine the next year. Initially, buyers had a choice between 2WD and AWD, but in '98, Mercury added a third option, a dual-range 4WD system.

The Mercury Mountaineer's trucklike suspension gave it a bouncy ride typical of the era, and although acceleration was adequate, neither engine was especially powerful or refined by modern standards. Also, the Ford Explorer-Firestone controversy regarding tire tread separation and increased rollover risk applied equally to the Mountaineer. In the highly unlikely event you encounter a first-gen Mountaineer still wearing its original Firestone tires, you'll want to upgrade to better rubber immediately.

On the upside, the original Mercury Mountaineer's seating comfort and cargo room were always competitive, and its repair record stands above GM or Jeep's entries. Overall, we'd say that if your budget limits you to a midsize SUV from the late '90s, the Mercury Mountaineer is a decent choice.

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* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.