2005 Mercury Mountaineer Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

The Mountaineer's interior looks terrific, with matte-aluminum trim on the door panels, steering wheel, instrument panel and dashboard. The aluminum trim extends to the main gauges, the tachometer and speedometer, which are done in black-on-white graphics that turn orange-on-white when the lights are on. The thick steering wheel creates a substantial contact point and a secure, in-command driving feel.

This is an easy vehicle to operate and live with. It takes only a couple of rides to find all the controls quickly and easily. Switches, buttons and levers are large, well marked and easy to use. The center console is generous, with lots of storage space, and houses ventilation and storage for second-row passengers as well as an extra 12-volt socket for whatever you need to power.

The front bucket seats are good, long, thick and comfortable, but relatively flat, with no side bolstering. That makes them easier to slide into, but less supportive in corners. The eight-way adjustable power driver's seat is optional. The seat heaters that come on Luxury and Premier models warm the seats quickly, but the buttons are mounted on the side of the seat and can be difficult to find and distinguish from the seat-adjustment switches; fortunately, an indicator on the dash shows when the seat heaters are on.

Third-row seats are cramped for adults, but the second row is accommodating. On 2005 Mountaineers, the outboard seats on the 40/20/40 split second row recline, addressing comfort issues for taller back-seat passengers. Second-row bucket seats are available on Luxury and Premier.

The second- and third-row seats are easy to fold away, which creates an 81.4 cubic-foot cargo bay. We found the seats to be easy to restore to their upright and locked positions.

The optional rear-seat entertainment system includes an overhead DVD player with a pull-down seven-inch color screen; the system comes with two wireless headphones, remote control and a universal jack.

The Mercury Mountaineer offers a combination of refinement and utility that puts it near the top of the class of mid-size SUVs. Its smooth, refined ride is a result of a clever independent rear suspension, which reduces hopping and jarring for rear seat passengers especially.

The standard V6 delivers good performance, and you're not likely to need the optional V8 unless you tow or live at high altitude. You can hear and feel the V6 under full throttle acceleration. The 4.0-liter V6 with overhead cams and aluminum heads is rated at 210 horsepower at 5100 rpm, and 254 pound-feet of torque at 3700 rpm.

The 4.6-liter V8 has a lovely intake roar at full throttle, yet is supremely smooth and quiet. It works well with the five-speed automatic transmission to move this 4500-pound machine effortlessly over flat territory. As the transmission settles into fifth-gear overdrive at highway cruising speed, the tachometer drops well below 2000 rpm, and the engine is just there, in the background, working noiselessly until you downshift with the tip of your toe. Throttle response lacks some verve in hilly terrain. Here it's best to lock out the overdrive fifth, and let the engine rev a little higher in fourth on the way up a long hill. Hook up a trailer and you'll know it's back there when you head up a long grade.

The Mountaineer is very stable and inspires confidence. Its rack-and-pinion steering minimizes wandering on the highway. Body roll, or lean, is controlled well in fast corners. Its rigid, boxed frame lets its fully independent suspension soak up bumps, potholes and tar strips.

All-wheel drive adds a significant level of safety and confidence in snow, rain, mud, wet leaves, ice, and gravel. It dramatically improves handling balance whenever it's slippery. All-wheel drive eliminates wheelspin by splitting the power to the front and rear tires as needed. In normal driving, the system biases torque 35 percent to the front and 65 percent to the rear to minimize understeer. (Understeer is when the front tires slip before the rear tires, causing the vehicle to push toward the outside of a turn.) The system relies on an open differential with a viscous coupling; a clutch pack distributes power between the front and rear wheels based on traction needs. But you don't need to understand any of that. There are no switches or levers for the driver to operate. There's no low range for the steepest kinds of unpaved trail driving either.

Mercury Mountaineer comes in two models: two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Each is available with a 4.0-liter V6 or a 4.6-liter V8. All Mountaineers come with a five-speed automatic transmission. All have seating for seven, using a third seat that folds completely flat to make room at the rear for large cargo.

All Mountaineers are built to a relatively high specification: Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and a tire-pressure monitoring system are standard. All have the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system and remote keyless entry, and approach lamps on the bottoms of the side mirrors that illuminate the sides of the vehicle when the key fob button is pressed. A standard battery saver turns off the dome light and approach lamps after five minutes.

The Mountaineer is available with Convenience, Luxury and Premier trim packages. Pricing varies according to whether you opt for the V6 or V8. The Convenience Package includes 16-inch aluminum wheels with P235/70 tires, fog lamps, remote keyless entry system with driver side keypad, split lift gate, power mirrors, roof rails, intermittent wipers, single CD/AM/FM stereo, power locks, third-row seating, cloth sport bucket seats, power windows, and message center with compass and outside-temp display.

The Luxury Package adds dual-zone automatic climate control, audio and climate controls on a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual powered heated mirrors with security approach lamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, two-tone leather sport bucket seats with heat and power plus memory on the driver's side, optional power-adjustable pedals with memory, a universal garage door opener, and color-keyed running boards. Wheels and tires upgrade to P245/65R17.

Premier Package adds color-keyed front and rear fascia and lower body trim, satin aluminum exhaust tip, satin aluminum roof rails, unique badging, reverse sensing system, Safety Canopy, in-dash six-disc CD changer and power moonroof.

Options include the Safety Canopy side curtain air bag system, Reverse Sensing system, auxiliary climate control ($650), Audiophile sound system ($495), rear-seat entertainment system with overhead DVD player ($1,250), second-row captain's chairs, a class III/IV trailer package ($400) and dealer-installed SIRIUS Satellite radio.