Overview & Reviews

Small SUVs like the Mercury Mariner represent one of the near-perfect compromises of the automotive world. They allow consumers to sit up high with a broad view of the road, load up children and cargo without bending and twisting, and plow through freak winter storms without stopping to put on snow chains. Yet, unlike larger SUVs, they're easy to drive, easy to park and (mostly) easy on the wallet when it comes time to refuel.

As such, having a compact sport-utility in the lineup is a must for any successful automotive brand. Mercury was a latecomer to this segment, adding the Mariner to its portfolio for 2005. Only three years later, it received a thorough cosmetic freshening and that was followed the next year by mechanical improvements. Sadly, this addition to the lineup wasn't enough to save Mercury, as the brand was gone after 2011.

A sibling of the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, the Mercury Mariner compact crossover SUV used all the same underpinnings as its relatives, but gained unique styling touches inside and out. In general, it was a mid-pack choice for a modern compact SUV; other top crossovers typically offered greater refinement, versatility and overall performance.

Most Recent Mercury Mariner
The Mariner was sold for two generations. The more recent version was offered from 2008-'11. Compared to earlier Mariners, these newer models featured an exterior and interior makeover that improved quality.

Mercury offered two trim levels: base and the more upscale Premier. In that first year, a 2.3-liter inline-4 rated for 153 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque powered the base Mariner. The base V6 and Premier models came with a 3.0-liter V6 good for 200 hp and 193 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was available across the board.

For 2009, mechanical changes were made. The inline-4 grew to 2.5 liters and 171 hp, the V6 was pumped up to 240 hp and both were matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission. That year also saw the debut of Ford's Sync multimedia voice control system and a revised suspension that improved ride quality. In light of all that, the 2009 and later Mariners are the more desirable ones. A number of high-tech features arrived for 2010, including Ford's MyKey system (which allows parents to limit speed and audio volume for their teen drivers), a back-up camera and a nifty Auto Park feature that steers the car during parallel parking.

Although the Mariner had some desirable technology features, its subpar brakes and aged overall design were fairly apparent when compared to rivals from Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. As such, if you're shopping for a used compact SUV, we recommend that you also consider those competitors before making a decision.

Past Mercury Mariners
The Mercury Mariner was introduced for 2005 as a slightly more upscale twin to the Ford Escape. As such, the pre-2008 models suffered from poor interior materials just like the Escape. Still, this "original" model was pleasant to drive, with tight and responsive handling that only fails to impress when compared with newer compact SUVs. From '05 through '08, the Mariner was powered by either by a 2.3-liter inline-4 that made 153 hp or a 3.0-liter V6 making 200 hp -- both of which came with a four-speed automatic transmission. The '05 to '07 Mariner came in base Convenience, midlevel Luxury and high-line Premier trims. The Convenience model offered basics like air-conditioning, a CD player and power accessories, while the Luxury moved you up to a V6 engine and a few more features. The Premier's highlights included leather seating, rear parking sensors and side airbags.

User Reviews:

• 

  Car nut... so this shouldnt be. - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By vincent33 - November 20 - 2:10 am

  Was looking for a new ride for my wife. We have a 2005 Escape and she pretty much loves it. She set aside a 2002 Highlander and took the Escape from me. So we recently shopped the New Highlander, Venza, and CRV along with new Escape. I thought the new Escape fit me like a Mummy box. Nice for around time, but no room to move around on 300 mile trips. The new Highlander was big! The Venza, expensive and ridiculous 20" wheels. CRV the seats dont suit me and she felt it wasnt substantial. So what do we do... look for a new used "old style" Escape. This Merc was priced better, has some toys like phone interface and the "jukebox" and "nav" that seems to work well.

• 

  OK - 2010 Mercury Mariner
  By jtr - November 10 - 7:40 am

  Just bought the vehicle and got an incredible deal. Not as comfortable as I would like. Great mileage, some wind noise. Wished the seat went further back

• 

  Used Low Mileage Rental Fleet Auction - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Mark - October 8 - 6:36 pm

  Very good purchase, stylish, comfotable well built SUV. Test drove first thing in the morning after 2" sleet & Ice storm. We went to a parking lot drive with a 10% uphill grade, stopped and accelerated with no wheel slip, turned around came back down. Traction control, ABS & stability controls are great. This is not our first 4WD but this one impresses me. Mariner is appointed much better than Escape in my opinion and with identicle drive trains more bang for the buck is always better. Ice Blue exterior W/satin grill looks and blends well together. Enough said; Go out and get one.

• 

  Great Buy! - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Steve - October 3 - 11:20 pm

  First off, Mercury has hit the jackpot! I drove the 07 Toyota Rav 4 and for a 6 tall guy, very uncomfortable! (Plus, not very manly!) The Mariner is just a great SUV that gets pretty good gas mileage. Ive averaged 27 hwy and 24 city. The construction is great too! All car manufacturers are going with a lot of plastic and we all know it. But the interior is very nicely put together. Try the Rav 4 first and then drive the Mariner... youll see the difference!

• 

  My best car I ever owned - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By RichardTanner - September 30 - 12:43 am

  I love the color of my Mariner. I also like the high clearance below me as I go where other cars scrap. My car seems to also hold the road easily. I hope to have it for a long time. I wish this car would have been made before .My last Mercury was a villager.I liked it too. The sound system is really great as I dont ever remember a better radio/CD player in previous cars.We are planning a long trip this summer in the Mariner. Richard

• 

  Much better than the Honda CRV - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By bobincinti - September 25 - 6:53 pm

  I purchased a 2009 Honda CRV earlier this year. It had to be the most uncomfortable car I purchased and it was very disappointing. Honda missed the mark on that car. After 8 months and 12,500 miles, I had enough of it and I started looking for a car to replace it. The Mariner was the 3rd car I drove and I was sold. The dealer let me take the car for the morning and I racked up 90+ miles on the test drive. Excellent car, very comfortable, etc. The comfort is what sold me. The bluetooth and ipod ports are nice, I now need a new phone and speech recognizable player to match the features of the car. If you are looking at a CRV, you need to look at this car.

• 

  listen up!! - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By Hans P. - September 20 - 4:13 pm

  I drove a Dodge Ram pickup for 5 yrs. After all this gas price scam the American public was falling victim to I finally bought a car that is easy on my wallet. The Mariner rides great and handles well. The gas mileage is a litle less than advertised. But that depends on ones drivng habits. The only thing I didnt really like was that looking out the rear view mirror is a challege due to the rear seat headrests are in the way. Sooooo I was able to remove them and the rear view is much better.It has a great sound system with a 6 CD changer.

• 

  2005 Mariner - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Erik - September 16 - 8:13 am

  It has great visibility. The ride is fantastic, more like a car than a traditional SUV. I have a little trouble with seating comfort, I feel like theres no where to rest my arms. It really has good get up and much better mileage than my old SUV.

• 

  Love it - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By CHUCK - September 1 - 9:06 pm

  Since we purchased this vehicle for my wife the more she drives it the more she truly loves it. She says it is fun to drive and handles very well. She stated it drives as good as here 2000 jeep grand cherokee. For the dollars spent we feel it is/was an excellent value plus the cost for a new grand cherokee was approx.$8000 More, no complaints here at all, very, very satisfied so far.

• 

  I Love my Mariner - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Tom - August 25 - 1:23 am

  I traded a Chevy S-10 pickup. I love the features of the Moon and Tune package. The V6 has plenty of power and for two weeks the average gas mileage is 22mpg with mixed driving. The price/value is among the best values on the market. This is my first SUV and my wife likes driving it.