2008 Mercury Mariner Premier 4WD

Mercurial marketing challenge

What do the star ratings mean?

The toughest job in the car biz has got to be Marketing Chief at Mercury. Every Mercury has a less-expensive, mechanically identical counterpart across the street at Ford. Into this morass steps the newly redesigned 2008 Mercury Mariner, the yin to Ford Escape's yang. Differentiating the two vehicles requires close examination. The 2008 Mercury Mariner Premier 4WD carries a base price of $25,380 ($29,945 as tested) with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and an EPA fuel economy estimate of 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway. Let's drive.

Larger Exterior Photos: Front Rear

Mercury was created as an in-between brand way back in 1939, stuck midway between workaday Ford and luxury Lincoln vehicles in the Ford Motor Company universe. If a Ford was just too working class for you, but you couldn't quite see your way to buying a Lincoln, Mercury provided a stepping stone. There have been a few unique Mercury vehicles, but in recent years, Mercury has devolved into a brand name only. This is a very dangerous position for a car company -- look what happened to General Motors' Oldsmobile brand (it was eliminated in 2004 after 107 years in existence).

Which brings us to Mariner. For 2008, Mariner has been restyled to resemble a scaled-down Mountaineer. Mariner shares its dimensions with Escape, but some of the details have been softened from the beefy Ford counterpart. Mariner's satin-finish metal waterfall grille wears a big round Mercury logo. Jeweled headlights sparkle at the corners, and small rectangular fog lamps are recessed into the lower bumper. Rounded wheel arches feature a radiused bulge above standard 16" machined aluminum wheels -- my test vehicle wore optional ($650) 17" satin finish aluminum wheels. Around back, the tailgate is dressed with more satin finish trim for a classy look. Euro-looking taillights perch on the corners of the body. In the inevitable comparison with Escape, Mariner is kinder, gentler and a little classier.

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Larger Interior Photo

Inside, somewhat less effort has been expended to differentiate Mariner from Escape. They are virtually identical -- which is not necessarily a bad thing. The design is clean, clear and very functional. It all hinges on a substantial center stack, which houses the audio and climate controls, along with the optional ($1,995) GPS navigation system. A conveniently-located auxiliary audio input jack sits on the right side of the stack.

Mariner ups the design ante over Escape with a few premium material choices, including a very highly textured eyebrow over the instrument panel and additional chrome beading and trim. Gauges are not as easy to read as I like to find. Blue lettering is superimposed over a black background on rotary analog gauges -- higher contrast works better for my old eyes.

Mariner's cabin is comfortable, but not really luxurious. Standard leather seating surfaces feel soft and durable, with contrasting inset suede panels adding visual interest and some grip for the pants. More lateral support would be welcome in the driver's seat, but it works fine as is. Mariner's second row is plenty spacious, with ample head, leg and hip room for adult passengers. There's 29.3 cubic feet of luggage space behind the second row, and 66.2 cubic feet of cargo room if you fold down the split bench seat.

Mariner is available with three engine choices: A 2.3 liter inline four-cylinder gas engine, a 3.0 liter V6, or a hybrid gas/electric powertrain, each available with front-wheel or four-wheel drive. My Mariner had the V6, which punched out 200 hp and 193 lb-ft of torque into the four-wheel drive system. Given Mariner's relatively light 3,549 curb weight, 200 hp is adequate, though short of excitement. The four-speed automatic transmission (the only gearbox offered with the gas engines) is fine for the task.

I wouldn't wish for more horsepower. More horsepower might tax Mariner's limited handling and braking ability. Mariner's four-wheel independent suspension (MacPherson struts with coil springs and stabilizer bar up front; independent semi-trailing arm out back) doesn't compensate enough for the vehicle's high center of gravity. With 8.1" of ground clearance, Mariner feels a bit on tip toes as you corner. Slowing down is another issue -- though Mariner's standard anti-lock brake system is welcome, it is connected to discs in front and drum brakes in the rear. That's right, drum brakes on a 2008 vehicle priced over $25,000. Talk about challenging that marketing guy's ability. Here's your "Premier" edition, sir -- oh, and by the way, it has technology that nearly every other manufacturer has abandoned on its premier vehicles. Good luck with your marketing.

Sometimes the middle is the perfect place to be. Not too hot, not too cold; not too fast, not too slow. Mercury is smack dab in the middle of the Ford universe: Not too Ford, not too Lincoln. In the automotive world, that's a dangerous place to be. Mariner does nothing to distinguish the marque. It is moderately dressier than Escape. As a matter of taste, I prefer Escape's bold look to Mariner's elegance. At the high end, the price is a wash -- a fully loaded Escape costs about the same as a loaded Mariner with the same level of equipment. At the base end, though, you can save a lot of money by choosing a stripped down Escape with an inline-four and a manual transmission starts at about $19,005. The least expensive Mariner starts at $21,155.

If you're considering a Mercury Mariner Premier, there are several other vehicles you should look at. My favorite small SUVs are the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, both of which are competitively priced with the Mariner. I'd also check out the Mazda Tribute and the Mazda CX-7, the Jeep Liberty, the Nissan Rogue, the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe. There's plenty of competition in the small SUV arena right now.

When competition is so thick, the narrowest margin can determine a winner. Is that margin styling? Is it equipment? Is it technology? Is it purely price? It's hard to know. All I can be sure of is that the Mercury Mariner Premier doesn't make that Mercury marketing guy's job any easier.