2009 Mercury Mariner
by Jim Prueter -12/2008

Attractive Mariner not a standout in its class

When it comes to small SUVs, there is no shortage of competition. Trying to capture part of this growing automotive niche, Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki, Honda, Saturn, Jeep, Dodge, Kia, VW and others all have a vehicle in the segment.

If that isn’t enough, luxury automakers are moving into the segment, with Audi, Volvo and Mercedes joining BMW, Infiniti and Acura with new entrants this year.

Redesigned last year, the Mariner is an overall attractive package and basically one of three versions of the same vehicle. Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute are the other two. Mariner is distinguished by its oversized satin waterfall grille, which has become the signature trademark for Lincoln-Mercury product offerings.

For ’09 Mercury made a few slight changes targeted to improve gas mileage. Bumpers have a slight extension in the front and rear, said to improve aerodynamics, and tires are now low-rolling-resistance type. All good things.

Also new for ’09 are four-cylinder and V-6 engines that produce more horsepower with better gas mileage. Ride quality and brakes have also been improved, but Mariner still employs outdated drum brakes on the rear. Antilock braking is standard.

A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine replaces last year’s 2.3-liter and delivers 171 horsepower, 18 more than the ’08 model. All Mariners come with a standard six-speed automatic transmission, paired to both the four- and six-cylinder engines. That’s a big improvement over last year’s four-speed automatic.

Mariner comes as a five-seat, four-door SUV in either base or upscale Premier trim levels. Front- and all-wheel drive are offered on both. There’s also a hybrid offering for Mariner, as well as the Escape and Tribute products.

We tested an ’09 Premier front-wheel drive model equipped with the four-cylinder engine. We thought it was overall pleasant with generally secure and responsive handling and a nice ride. It did feel a bit tipsy on curves and when cornering.

While the Mariner is fairly quiet overall, the four-cylinder engine is loud and buzzy on acceleration, especially when getting up to highway speeds or passing. Some road noise is apparent. Fuel economy is rated at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 highway. We averaged just less than 24 overall in mixed city/highway driving during our weeklong test.

Inside, the Mariner’s interior looks contemporary and interesting with two-tone seats and matching dash colors. But designers overused the brushed satin-nickel finish on the center stack, console, armrests, door handles and gearshift lever. Additionally, there’s too much hard plastic, which looks cheap, and dash panels don’t fit together as well as we’ve seen on competing models.

This tall driver had good head and foot room, but the wide center stack and console kept jabbing my right leg and knee. Front seats are generally supportive with a power lumbar adjustment. Rear seats seem low and don’t adjust for angle.

Cargo space is comparable to others in this class, but folding the rear seat for more space is a three-step process requiring removal of the head restraints, flipping the seat bottoms up and folding the seat backs down. Many competitors accomplish this in one easy step.

We had no complaints about the vehicle’s controls and found them easy to use and well labeled. We liked the “ice blue” dash lighting. Our tester included Mariner’s optional navigation system with Ford’s next generation software, featuring a touch-screen menu and better graphics. The steering wheel tilts but does not telescope.

Standard features on our Mariner Premier model included 16-inch aluminum wheels, dual power mirrors, AM/FM in-dash six-disc CD with MP3 compatibility and Ford’s SYNC voice-activated system. Sirius satellite radio; cruise control; power windows, door locks and driver seat; remote keyless entry and auto-dim rearview mirror are also standard.

Options on our test vehicle included heated mirrors and seats, upgraded 17-inch wheels, power moonroof, navigation system, reverse sensing system and dual auto temperature control.

Standard safety equipment includes front, side and side curtain airbags, traction and stability control and roll stability control. In crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Mariner earned top scores for side impacts. In fact, the ’09 mariner has earned a Top Safety Pick award from IIHS.

Overall, the Mariner is generally an appealing vehicle. But when measured against the highly competitive offerings in this vehicle segment, we rate is as just “average” and not a standout. We still give the nod to competitors like Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Santa Fe and Saturn Vue.