Overview & Reviews

The most obvious update on the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid concerns its refreshed interior and exterior styling. In addition, there's a redesigned roof panel to reduce wind noise. Mercury has also added a slightly less expensive front-wheel-drive model to the lineup. New standard equipment includes side and head curtain airbags, and an MP3 player input jack. The optional navigation system is now DVD-based, and it has a touchscreen interface. Satellite radio is a new option.

• Solid acceleration with hybrid powertrain, real-world fuel economy in the 30 mpg range, spacious backseat.

• Noisy gasoline engine, modest handling limits for a small SUV, stiff brake pedal feel, no stability control.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 51.00

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  13 YEARS LATER STILL 33MPG!!! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Kenny Brooks - March 9 - 9:50 pm

  Im from Oklahoma and couldnt find a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid anywhere with low miles. People keep these cars once they get them because theyre so great. Finally found one in San Diego California with 90,000 miles. It was a one-owner garage kept with all the paperwork from the beginning. Didnt have any scratches or dings on it...absolutely perfect I would give it a 9 out of 10, and Im very critical. Gas mileage still gets 33 consistently combined. Glad I bought it in California because it has never seen snow or ice until here this past winter in Oklahoma. Ive seen these things with over 350,000 miles on them and still going strong with original hybrid battery ,transmission ,and powertrain. if youre thinking about getting an older car with great reliability you cant go wrong because this things gas mileage is through the roof... plus its spacious and roomy inside. Next year Im going to slap some 20-in rims on it and ride it out until the end. The heat is dual climate control and is very strong in the winter at 90° and ice cold during the summer months. The only thing I wish it had is that it should have had some sort of converter to keep the air compressor on once Im in hybrid mode. I think they fixed that in 2010. Absolutely love this vehicle!!!

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  Cargo area above the battery catches fire - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By tonyrita - December 22 - 5:01 pm

  Ive had my Mercury Mariner for 5 years and had no issues other than a new set of tires and brakes. Last week after making a local trip, I parked my Mariner in the garage and 2 hours later the car caught fire and burned most of my garage and my wifes car. Im warning current and future owners of this car so nobody else has to go through this pain.

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  Great option for an all year vehicle - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Jon M - May 25 - 12:06 am

  I currently live in Wisconsin, so the weather can vary greatly between the snow and heat. I needed something that can get me through each season, which is why I chose a used Mercury Mariner Hybrid 2008 AWD. I also decided to put 22 inch rims on this vehicle, and they havent caused any issues. I successfully added my own receiver and mounted in under the gps receiver that comes with the car (which I spliced into the cigarette lighter power and ground), and added a 10 inch sub in the back. I can confirm this vehicle can power an extra receiver/sub/amp/ and the hybrid battery can handle rumbling from the sub even when the sub is directly on top of the compartment that the hybrid battery is in. In the winter time, this vehicle can get through snow pretty easily, and can handle ice with below 0 temperatures. In the summer, the car has not overheated in over 100 degree f temperatures. The interior is made with poor material but looks nice. The outside looks decent and has no rust, and the paint has survived 8 years and still looks decent. The speed limit where I live is 70mph on the highway, and when going 70mph I maybe get 23-24 mpg average. If I go around 65mph I get 24-26mpg average. So no, you probably wont get 29mpg as advertised on the highway unless you are going way under the speed limit. When in town, if you stop quickly or are going slow, (usually slower than 25mph) the hybrid battery mode will kick in, which just uses hybrid battery power and not gas. This also makes the car almost silent, however you have to be going pretty slow for the battery to stay on, otherwise the engine turns back on. in town if you are going fairly slow, you can achieve up 60mpg with the battery fully on. If you are varying slow and fast speeds, you should be able to get at least 25-40 mpg in town. The only issues I have had was my steering column started to fail, and it costed me around $1000 to fix. Also one tie rod needed to be replaced, and both of the front wheel brake sensor and tone rings needed to be replaced. Overall, for a used hybrid mini suv that also has AWD, this is a pretty great buy.

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  Above average - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By rhaman - December 3 - 2:54 pm

  This is my first Ford product and the first car that had rust. Rust developed on both rear fenders on the top section. I found out this is common to Ford vehicles of this style. It has to do with the welding or how the two sections were fitted at the factory that allows moisture to collect. The vehicle is excellent. Not perfect but we wanted a fuel efficient SUV for traveling. It does that. The seats could be more comfortable. This a Premium model that comes with a $3.00 radio antenna. Handling in snow, mud is superb. With proper use of the throttle it can go about 1 mile on electric at slow speeds. I have logged 45 MPG on a 12 mile run on back roads. I average 33 MPG. My wife averages 28.

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  My three years with the Mariner Hybrid - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By satisfied7 - July 28 - 10:33 am

  I put a lot of miles on my car with my sales job. When I first drove one, the seats fit me comfortably and it sat nicely. up high and with good back support. After three years, I couldnt be happier. I average 30.5 miles per gallon on my half highway, half city driving and its peppy enough for me at the age of 56. I love my Sirius radio along with my navigation system. It wont have the pickup of cars Ive owned in the past but how often do you really need it. When Ive needed it, it responded adequately. Ive put 105,000 miles on it in just over three years and all Ive done is get the oil changed and kept up with the required maintenance at my dealer. I love it.

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  Road Noise - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By ams - March 28 - 10:43 pm

  Biggest complaint about this vehicle is the road noise from below when driving. My husband, who drives a Diesel, comments every time he gets in this car about how noisy it is and I have to agree. I am surprised to see all these reviews claiming 30+ MPG. I have had this vehicle almost 2 years now and on average, 26-28 MPG is what it gets.

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  2008 Mercury Mariner 4WD Hybrid - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By ddelano - February 19 - 2:30 am

  Love the new interior quality and the DVD nav system. Still getting used to the large appearing snout and high beltline, but people are looking and asking. Traded an 07 Escape 4wd hybrid which compared to the 08 is shameful. Many, many more amenities this yr, such as outside temp, compass, dual zone climate control, tire press. monitoring, trick center console, color keyed side view mirrors, thicker laminated glass in front and auto dimming rr view mirror etc.,and the price is about a grand less. This indeed is progress. Bold move? Dunno, but its got a bold front clip! Great ride!

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  Good vehicle - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Rick Ridder - May 10 - 6:56 pm

  We have had no problems with it. Drove from Denver to Oregon and back. Averaged 33 mpg. My only complaint is that going up steep hills at above 6000 ft., it tends to be under-powered a bit. Still, it performs better than my Suburu, and has better overall comfort than any of the other vehicles I tested in the same class. Definitely a good vehicle. Very pleased owner.