Mercury Mountaineer

The Mercury Mountaineer is a luxury SUV manufauctured by the Mercury brand. The Mountaineer shares many features with the Ford Explorer, and in terms of hardware, the vehicles are virtually identical. Externally, they are styled significantly different, and the Mountainer is positioned with a more upscale interior, with the Mountaineer's MSRP coming in at $1,000–$6,000 more than the Explorer. It was significantly redesigned for the 2006 model year due to a new frame, but looks similar to its previous model.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Mercury Mountaineer Review.

Recent Changes
For 2008, the Mercury Mountaineer undergoes a mild recontenting in order to lower the cost of entry. The Premier models' park assist, three new exterior paint colors, heated front seats with memory, chrome package and power folding rear seat become options rather than standard. Likewise, leather seating is now optional on the base Mountaineers. Thanks to these steps, pricing has dropped across the Mountaineer line by about $1,500, making the SUV affordable to more buyers. New equipment for 2008 includes Microsoft-powered voice-activated SYNC system that is able to control cell phones and audio devices. New 20-inch wheels are also available on Premier models.

Styles and Major Options


The Mountaineer is available in 2- or all-wheel-drive, with V6 or V8 engine, and in two trim levels: Base or Premier. The V8 engine is only available with the Premier trim.

Base Standard Features
 * Dual Zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Control
 * AM/FM Single CD Stereo
 * Power Heated Mirrors
 * Message Center
 * Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
 * Leather Upholstery
 * 10-way Power Driver's Seat
 * 17" Machined Aluminum Wheels
 * Safety Canopy System

Premier Standard Features In addition to or in place of Base Standard Features
 * Reverse Sensing System
 * Rear Auxiliary Climate Control
 * AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD Changer
 * Satin Aluminum Mirror Caps and Exhaust Tip
 * Fixed Running Boards
 * Power-Fold 3rd Row Bench Seat
 * Heated Front Seats, 10-way Power Driver's and 6-way Power Passenger's Seat
 * Suede and Leather Upholstery
 * Universal Garage Door Opener
 * 18" Satin Chrome Clad Aluminum Wheels

Major Optional Features
 * Chrome Package
 * Mercury SYNC™
 * Quad Bucket Seats
 * Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System
 * Navigation System
 * Class III Trailer Tow
 * Sirius Satellite Radio
 * Power Moonroof
 * Power Adjustable Pedals
 * Roof Rail Crossbars
 * Full Leather Upholstery on Premier Trim seats

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Warranty
Bumper to Bumper: 36 months/36,000 miles

Major Components: 60 months/60,000 miles Rust Through: 60 months/unlimited miles

Roadside Assistance: 60 months/60,000 miles

Safety
Standard Safety Features
 * Driver and Front Passenger Front and Side Airbags
 * 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Row Canopy Airbags with Rollover Sensor
 * Electronic Stability Program
 * Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

The NHTSA has conducted crash tests of the 2007 Mountaineer. Its full scores are available at safercar.gov.

Colors




Main Competitors

 * Saab 9-7X
 * GMC Envoy
 * Jeep Grand Cherokee
 * Jeep Commander
 * Volkswagen Touareg

Hybrid Models

 * There is no Mountaineer Hybrid Model in the works.

Unique Attributes

 * Satin Waterfall Grille.

Resale Values

 * Prices Are Based on Mountaineer Premier V8 AWD

What's Best About Mountaineer

 * "In government crash tests, the Mountaineer received a four-star rating for the driver and a perfect five-star rating for the front passenger." — Edmunds.com


 * "...The Mountaineer has a far more distinctive style which Mercury describes as being inspired by 'modern architecture.' Whatever, it certainly doesn't look like anything else on the road." — Car and Driver


 * "Handling is excellent, as the Mercury feels predictable and stable in corners and higher-speed turns." — Edmunds.com

Criticisms

 * Poor Fuel Economy.

Third Generation 2006-Present
For 2006, the Mountaineer was redesigned. This new Mountaineer was all new, though it closely resembles the previous model. The Mountaineer was mounted on a new frame, and it offered a more upscale interior, to make up for the cut Lincoln Aviator. This Mountaineer got new wheels and HID headlights, a feature not found on previous Mountaineers. Ford's MyKey was added in 2010. But the Mountaineer will be discontinued in 2011.

New Features also include H.I.D Headlighs and L.E.D Taillights, New Grille, New Wheels, New Liftgate, New Interior Design and Materials, New 4.6L Modular V8 DOHC with 292 Horsepower and 300 LBS-FT Torque, Revised Frame and Suspension, New Front and Rear Bumpers, Navigation System and Satellite Radio Systems are now available.

Second generation 2002-2005
For 2002, Mercury redesigned the Mountaineer. This Mountaineer was new from the ground up, offering even more luxury features than the last generation. This Mountaineer offered features like woodgrain trim, rear radio deck, and a rear seat TV/DVD player. Sales sped up drastically with the introduction of this generation, and it was a look ahead at the entire revamp of the Mercury line, to offer more luxurous looks and features. Some design cues found on this Mountaineer, like the waterfall grille and HID headlights, would go on to form Mercury's new signature look that would appear on all its models. This Mountaineer was also the first to not be based on the Ford Ranger.

First Generation/Origins 1997-2001
Although the redesigned Explorer had already been out for 2 years, Mercury introduced a Explorer twin called the Mountaineer. The Mountaineer was only slightly different from the Explorer, although it did offer a few extra luxury features that the Explorer lacked. First year sales for the Mountaineer were not exactly up to par with the Explorer. For 1998, so customers could differentiate the Mountaineer from the Explorer, as the front fascia was flipped upside down, and the headlights were made smaller, while it got a new rear hatch and unique wheels. Mountaineer sales sped up because of this, though they still lagged behind the Explorer. In 2000, a huge punch came to the Mountaineer with the Firestone vs Ford Motor Company controversy, where a large amount of rollovers were happening involving Explorers and Mountaineers. While Ford blamed Firetone's faunty tires, which had problems with the tread separating, Firestone blamed Ford, claiming that the Explorer and Mountaineer were unsafe. The case was settled, and Car and Driver proved that a large amounts of the rollovers were caused by the drivers overracting to the tire blow out.

Worldwide

 * The Mountaineer is only sold to the U.S. and Mexican Markets.

Design quirks and oddities

 * Like all Mercury's the Mountaineer uses a Satin Finish Front Grille.

Awards

 * Class Exclusive Roll Stability Control (RSC) System.
 * Consumers Digest Best Buy For 2006 and 2007.
 * The 2007 Mountaineer came in 3RD Place in J.D. Power Initial Quality For Mid-size Multiple Activity Vehicle.