Mercury Mariner Archives - The Weekly Driver

Mercury Mariner, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

So in a category that includes more than 25 choices, how does the Mariner find its share of the market? During the recent inaugural Tour of Missouri bicycle race, I drove the 2008 Mariner Premier with all-wheel drive nearly 1,000 miles in eight days. While crossing the state West to East on primarily high-speed highways, the Mariner performed well under nearly ideal late summer conditions. The highway speed limit varies in Missouri, but I often used the cruise control (inset switches at the nine p.m. location of the steering wheel) and set it at the flow of traffic about 5 mph above the maximum. It worked with ease and was one of the smoother cruise control systems I’ve tested. The

Mercury Mariner (Hybrid), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Mercury Mariner is among several nearly interchangeable compact sport utility vehicles. In fact, the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribune are remarkably similar vehicles, but the Mariner gains an advantage with its luxury-trimmed, hybrid edition for 2006.And it was the upgraded hybrid model I drove for my weekly test during a recent favorite journey, an estimated 500-mile round-trip excursion from Sacramento to California’s central coast. Traveling to the oceanfront cities of Santa Cruz, Aptos and Rio Del Mar not only provides a great getaway, but the route offers numerous driving scenarios — high-speed, open-road sections along Interstate 5 to winding, two-lane steep mountain inclines and descents on single-lane roads. The Mariner is available with three engine options, with the hybrid teaming