08 Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD By:  ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net Recently, I had a new Mercury Mariner Hybrid for a week long test drive.  I really enjoyed it and was able to put it through a number of tests. The 2008 Mariner is a stylish SUV that has upscale amenities expected in a Mercury.  But this was a Hybrid, and surprisingly, you are not aware of that fact most of the time.

It had a very impressive performance, good cargo room, towing capability, and basically did what a normal SUV is expected to do. More importantly, this is a high-mileage vehicle. It is rated at 35 mpg city, slightly less on the highway.  My test model was front wheel drive, although four wheel drive is an option.

As in a typical Hybrid vehicle, the Mercury Mariner came equipped with two engines.  The gasoline power was provided by a 2.3 liter, 16 valve Atkinson cycle 4 cylinder motor, and produces 133 horsepower.  I found that at least half of my driving time, I was using the gasoline engine to propel me down the highway.  The electric motor was a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor, producing 155 horsepower.  Notice that the electric motor provides more horsepower than the gasoline version in this model.  The result of this mix is that the electric motor is comparable in power output to a 200 horsepower V6 engine.  The transmission was an automatic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that was smooth and performed as expected.

In early years, drivers would sometimes notice the shift between the gasoline power or the electric power motors.  The Mercury engineers has obviously made some refinements, as have other manufacturers.  The transition was not noticed during my test drive.  It was virtually seamless in performance.  When the vehicle is stopped in traffic, at a traffic signal, or simply crawling along in commuter traffic, the gasoline engine shuts down and the Mariner is powered by the electric motor.  It can actually zip along as fast as 25 mph on the electric powertrain.  The gas engine kicks in when you push the pedal to the metal.  It reacts as any gas engine would react.  It moves out smartly.  But the fuel savings occurs with conservative drivers.  The best mileage is for city driving and slow moving traffic.

I took the Mariner out on a weekend drive with my wife and a granddaughter.  We traveled the back roads of East Texas and along the Interstates in the Shreveport area.  I was not a conservative driver on my road trip.  I passed cars when they were too slow.  I chugged up hilly inclines.  I pushed the Mercury SUV on the highway as much as possible without attracting the gendarmes.  Still, my fuel mileage for the week exceeded my expectations.
The Mariner is a full-sized SUV that is a pleasure to drive.  The sleek design makes the exterior simply look good to the eye.   Inside, the Mariner is refined and sophisticated.  Something new for this year’s model is the way in which the design engineers moved the control buttons and dials so that they actually stick out of the dash panel in the center console.  They are easy to locate and use.  The green lighting on the instrument panel has been replaced with an Ice Blue look, which is supposed to be easier on the eyes.  I am not sure it made any difference to my eyes, but the blue look added to the upscale appearance.
This Mercury Mariner provided all the space and comfort we wanted or needed on the roadtrip.  It was a standard size that allowed us to enjoy it around town, back and forth to the office, or back and forth to church, and other errands.  But most of all, it provided the fuel savings that are so important to most of us in today’s high gas prices.
Check out the new Mercury Mariner yourself and see how this special Hybrid SUV might fit into your own family plans.  Visit them at your Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership soon.