2009 Mariner Hybrid

[JackDodge]

As you can see by my new avatar, I just said goodbye to Toyota and am now a member of the Ford family. I found a dealer that I liked and mentioned that I wanted either an Escape or a Mariner hybrid. I said that back when gasoline prices were over $4 and it was impossible to get hold of one. These days, with $2 gasoline, people are opting out of the Mariner hybrids that they ordered and getting a gasoline-only version for a lot less. But you know how it goes, once you go hybrid, it's very difficult to go back to gasoline only and their loss is my gain, so to speak.

The one I got is 4-cylinder and full time four wheel drive. It did not come with the GPS package and that's fine as far as I'm concerned. The EPA estimates are 29 city and 27 highway. I have found it easy to maintain 34, though.

I'll keep everyone posted about the progress with this vehicle. I'm happy as a clam to have it and figured that this was the best time to take the plunge with demand for hybrids low. Evidently, Ford's dealers, at least this one, knows how to keep me happy.

My initial assessment is that no defects have presented themselves. There are no fit and finish problems. The car handles very nicely and is a quiet ride. I'll write a full review when I get time perhaps next week.

[PriusSport]

I drove one of these (08) before I bought a Prius for $10K cheaper. It drives like a big, quiet bus and is expensive. $34K for the one they had on the lot. That's the main problem with these hybrid SUVs--they are damned expensive. You can order a base 09 for a few $K less. Leave out the 4x4 and its still cheaper and better gas mileage.
Ford uses Toyota-licensed hybrid technology on the Escape/Mariner, so it should be reliable and efficient. But the Prius is a lot cheaper, handles better and has about the same room with much better gas mileage.

[JackDodge]

Originally Posted by PriusSport

I drove one of these (08) before I bought a Prius for $10K cheaper. It drives like a big, quiet bus and is expensive. $34K for the one they had on the lot. That's the main problem with these hybrid SUVs--they are damned expensive. You can order a base 09 for a few $K less. Leave out the 4x4 and its still cheaper and better gas mileage.
Ford uses Toyota-licensed hybrid technology on the Escape/Mariner, so it should be reliable and efficient. But the Prius is a lot cheaper, handles better and has about the same room with much better gas mileage.

Comparing the Mariner to the Prius? It would be more accurate to compare it to the HiHy. The best I could ever get with the HiHy was 28 mpg consistently. There were times when I got it above 30 but I couldn't keep it there for long. The HiHy is full time 4X4 and is close to $10,000 more expensive than the Mariner hybrid. I didn't pay 34k for the Mariner but if you're going to cite expensive hybrids, you should include the HiHy and forget comparing an SUV to the Prius.

[ualdriver]

Originally Posted by JackDodge

I'll write a full review when I get time perhaps next week.

I'd be interested to hear about your experience with the vehicle over time. I wish they made a plug-in version.

[FireEngineer]

Originally Posted by JackDodge

It did not come with the GPS package and that's fine as far as I'm concerned.

Congrats Jack, that is a nice hybrid. To bad you did not get the Nav system, Ford puts more hybrid info on there.

Wayne

[JackDodge]

Originally Posted by ualdriver

I'd be interested to hear about your experience with the vehicle over time. I wish they made a plug-in version.

All I can offer is honesty but from experience, I honestly believe that Ford does a better job with the hybrid SUV than Toyota does. But it'll be, I think, refreshing to have someone on Priuschat who doesn't hate the Detroit auto companies and gives Ford a genuine chance to shine here.

[JackDodge]

Originally Posted by FireEngineer

Congrats Jack, that is a nice hybrid. To bad you did not get the Nav system, Ford puts more hybrid info on there.

Wayne

With Sync and two places on the dash giving me information, the Nav would probably put me over the edge with information overload. I'm driving a full hybrid SUV made in America, it's getting 34 mpg easily and I couldn't be happier.

[rfruth]

Nice JD !

[JackDodge]

When I can, on the way home from work about half way and after the freeway part of my drive is over and the hybrid is warm, I fill the tank. From there, I have another leg of the journey that is predominantly 35 mph zones and I use those circumstances to get the mileage up as high as possible. With the Prius and HiHy, I'd get the mpg up pretty high but when I got to the 50 mph part of my trip home after that, the mpg would drop down to a little above normal. So, with the Prius, by the time I got home, the avg mpg would be, say, 54 or the HiHy would be around 32. The next morning, when leaving for work, the mpg would drop again, quickly, to normal.

Last night, I did the same thing with the Mariner and during the 35 zone part of the trip, the mpg got up to 45 but was mostly around 44. Once I got to the 50 mph part of the trip, the mpg dropped to 40 and hovered there until I got close to home and the 25 mph zone. When I finally parked the car and shut it off, it was reading 41.

There's no question that the Mariner hybrid acts somewhat differently than the Toyota hybrids. The week's worth of experience with it has shown that unlike the Toyotas, the Mariner's mpg doesn't drop off much from a cold start in the morning. It'll be interesting to see what it does this morning when I leave the house.

[qbee42]

How are emissions? One of the main reasons that Prius mileage drops during a cold start is that the top priority for the Prius is low emissions. The Prius works hard to heat the engine and Cat, which hurts mileage. If you are willing to back off a bit on emission controls, you can boost the mileage during cold starts.

Tom