2009 Mercury Mariner hybrid review

[jayman]

I got my '04 "B" to have the VSC, side and head curtain airbags. Now that these features are standard across the line, the base car would be fine. No SKS, but that isn't so important to me

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by jayman

I got my '04 "B" to have the VSC, side and head curtain airbags. Now that these features are standard across the line, the base car would be fine. No SKS, but that isn't so important to me

mm same here. I wanted VSC and airbags. SKS was a cool option too.

The base car is driver's door SKS. The Premium Package adds the 3-dr SKS.

[jayman]

Didn't know that about driver door SKS. There is no black button on the driver door of the base that I saw, maybe I didn't pay attention

[PriusSport]

I posted my experiences driving a Mariner Hybrid in one of these threads--I guess it wasn't this one.
Before buying my Prius (or even driving one), I drove an 08 Mariner hybrid at a dealership. It was loaded, $34K, and the only one they had in stock.It had the CVT transmission.I have had an SUV, and like the elevated visibility you get. The first thing I noticed on the test drive was the power steering was excessive. Not enough feel. Other than that, I liked it a lot. It was quiet and responsive on the road. The interior finish was very nice--better, I was told, than the Escape. But then it is a tad more expensive than the Escape. There was a $2750? rebate at the time for the 08s.

I also had the option of ordering an 09--with a base price of around $30K for the 2x2
(the 4x4 is better for the snow states, but it's $2K more expensive and gets lower gas mileage). That seemed like the better option for me, but the rebate picture was unknown at the time for the 09s. Congress seems to be slow in extending rebates--but then that's Congress.

Next, I drove an 08 Prius at a dealership. It handled better than the Mariner, and was peppier. Surprising power, actually. I was impressed by the dashboard layout, which is strictly spaceship, if you know what I mean. Also the magic keyless system (did the Mariner have that?). I also like the functionality--4 door hatchback--perfect for my needs. But most importantly, it was $10K cheaper than the Mariner! At $24K I think it was fairly priced for the technology.

I wound up getting the Prius, which suited my needs better for far cheaper. However,
Ford should be applauded for the Escape/Mariner hybrid. Too bad they don't make many of them--not nearly as many as they could have sold.They had the foresight to license the Toyota hybrid technology, which gave them the highest mileage SUV on the market. But SUVs are expensive,the interior space in the Mariner isn't much different from the Prius, and you take a towing penalty with an SUV hybrid. Ford was late producing a hybrid sedan of higher mileage, perhaps because of licensing restrictions with Toyota.

[JackDodge]

Originally Posted by PriusSport

Ford should be applauded for the Escape/Mariner hybrid. Too bad they don't make many of them--not nearly as many as they could have sold.They had the foresight to license the Toyota hybrid technology, which gave them the highest mileage SUV on the market. But SUVs are expensive,the interior space in the Mariner isn't much different from the Prius, and you take a towing penalty with an SUV hybrid. Ford was late producing a hybrid sedan of higher mileage, perhaps because of licensing restrictions with Toyota.

Since AT&T and the federal government are planning on buying a lot of hybrids from Ford, it will get more difficult to find one as time goes on so I'd buy one now while you still can.

[JackDodge]

It's that time of the year again where hybrid drivers, at least this hybrid driver, get their best mpg. That's because we don't need the heater or the A/C, or even the headlights that much, so the mileage goes up in the spring. I've been testing the Mariner by using the heater one day then not on the next. If I set the temperature at 72 with the fan on next to lowest setting, it doesn't affect the mileage much, if at all. I've also gotten a bit more experimental with routes to and from the office than I was with my previous hybrids. I've found ways to stay off of the freeway and maintain a more uniform speed. I've also found that if I can drive 60 on the freeway that my mileage doesn't go down. Obviously, that's something that can be tricky, especially in rush hour.

With all of the above, I'm currently getting, and maintaining 36 mpg. I was able to do that for the entire last tank and am doing so with the one I'm on now. Once the real heat sets in, I'll probably see a drop off in mpg but I'm really happy with 36. Also, the car still has zero defects and the 4X4 makes driving in a steady hard rain a very secure experience. I neglected to say up front that Ford recommends an oil change every 10,000 miles versus the 5,000 mile interval of the Toyota hybrids that I've owned.

[jayman]

It probably depends on regional Ford policy, but the Motorcraft 5W-20 is actually a very good motor oil. I wouldn't be afraid running it 10,000 miles

[JackDodge]

Just another boring follow-up. Still zero defects and I'm currently getting 37 mpg sustainable. I was getting 38 regularly for quite a while but it dropped one mpg when the weather got cooler at night. The A/C doesn't appear to affect the mileage at all since I keep the thermostat (for lack of a better term) at five degrees or so below the outside temperature and even then only when it's a hot, humid summer day.

No real complaints other than what I put in the initial review. No issues, no recalls, no problems and the car has a ton of room in it that allows even an extended camping trip with all my stuff.

[jayman]

I think the Ford hybrids are a great step in the right direction. Had a chance to sit in a new Fusion hybrid, very nice interior