Mercury Villager Interior Review
Flexibility is the mantra of the minivan customer and Mercury is humming in harmony. With its wide range of seating positions, we're confident that Villager won't leave many owners wanting for usability.
From the driver's seat, Villager offers a sweeping view of the road ahead. The view out the back isn't bad, either. Villager's cabin is glassy and tall, giving a commanding view all around. The bucket seats in the first and second rows are shaped correctly for long-haul drives, and the doors have armrests at the proper height.
The second and third rows of seats are the Villager's prime asset. The second-row bucket seats tip forward for easy access to the third-row bench. They can also be removed for a large cargo area. The third-row bench can slide forward into one of six positions on a track that permits nearly five feet of movement front to rear. Sport and Estate models have an adjustable shelf in the cargo area behind the third seat. It locks into three vertical positions and holds 30 pounds.
The standard instrument cluster is all-new for 2001, and a digital cluster returns as a $295 option on Estate. Unfortunately, last year's handy TravelNote voice recorder has been discontinued.
The CD changer, located below the radio and climate control stack, is out of the way, but can be reached without getting out of the car. Some of the gray and black plastics in the Villager aren't the finest we've seen, but overall the Villager's interior is a fine place from which to pilot the family.
Mercury Villager Road Test
Minivans aren't supposed to be fun to drive, and the Villager doesn't corner like a sports car. But it does handle well enough to generate some enthusiasm in the curves. The steering is sharp and accurate, and the Villager tracks very well on the highway, much better than most minivans. Stiff crosswinds barely move it from its intended path, and rough roads pass under its tires without jarring the steering wheel.
The Sport suspension does a good job of taming the natural roll and lean of a tall-bodied wagon. The ride seems just a touch stiff over concrete joints and tar strips, but composed over most other highway and street surfaces. For the technically curious, the front suspension consists of MacPherson struts with lower A-arms, while the solid rear axle rides on tapered monoleaf springs. Shocks are gas-pressurized front and rear and, as we mentioned before, Sport models get an anti-roll bar in the rear as well as the front.
The brakes can handle repeated stops from highway speeds, but the brake pedal has more travel than a passenger-car driver might want. ABS is a $590 extra, even on flagship Estates.
And despite its trim size and nimble handling, Villager weighs one side or the other of two tons, depending on trim level; add a family and their vacation gear, and the 170-horsepower V6 is a bit taxed when it has to haul it all up a steep grade. On a solo run up the East Coast, laden only with Christmas gifts, the Villager was able to overtake other vehicles in a reasonable stretch, but more horsepower would have made passing on two-lanes more comfortable.
Mercury Villager Lineup
Three models are available: Villager, Villager Sport and Villager Estate.
The $22,510 base Villager is well equipped, with AM/FM/cassette stereo, power windows and mirrors, remote keyless entry, seven-passenger seating, anti-theft system, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, and a heavy-duty 75-amp battery. Base Villagers can be ordered in solid colors, or with Silver lower body panels.
A $995 Convenience Group for the base model adds a six-way power driver's seat with dual manual lumbar adjustments, privacy glass, dual front overhead map lights, front door step lights, flip-open liftgate window and power rear vent windows.
Next up is the Villager Sport, at $25,735. Distinguished by its Dark Shadow Gray lower body, the Sport adds all of the Convenience Group items, plus auxiliary rear air conditioning, an air filtration system and luxurious bucket seats in the second row. The "sport" part of the package consists of a more aggressive suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear; and lower-profile P225/60R16 tires on alloy wheels, replacing the base P215/70R15 rubber and steel rims. The Sport also adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and radio controls, and makes leather seating optional.
The most prestigious Villager is the $27,210 Estate, marked by Light Parchment Gold on the lower body and standard leather seating inside. Other Estate luxuries include automatic headlights, heated mirrors, a premium sound system and power for the front passenger's seat.
A CD changer, anti-lock brakes, and a trailer package are optional across the lineup.
The AutoVision rear-seat entertainment system, available on Villager Sport and Estate for $1295, features a 6.4-inch color LCD screen that folds out from an overhead console. With its video-cassette player, remote control and video-game plug-and-play capability, AutoVision is a timely match for the similar setups offered by GM.