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:

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  a neat little suv. - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By chas wright - June 9 - 2:53 pm

  performance comfort and handling all excellent for a suv. cannot fault anything except fuel economy and size of fuel tank. I drove houston to miami shortly after purchase and it felt like I had to stop at almost every gas station. w/o a/c on the trip average was less than 21.5 mpg. this is considerably less than advertised.Otherwise a driver friendly super little vehicle with excellent ride.

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  Fun Driver, Sync is great, reliability? - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By B. doyle - June 8 - 11:50 pm

  Fun vehicle to drive, great gas mileage gets 27.9 mpg highway on trips. 4 cylinder runs rough at idle due apparently to trying to maximize fuel mileage, the hood even shakes. Also had computer controlling the transmission break causing the car to downshift 2 gears on the highway, scary. Brought it to the dealer and was fixed the same day, had to reset the computer.(Dealer says its a common problem with 09s) The car now has 6,000 miles on it and I truly enjoy it but be careful. At high speeds the vehicle feels like it is going to tip over.

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  Mariners a Great Catch! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By Carole - May 15 - 8:00 am

  My Mariner is a great SUV. It is sporty in its driving feel and very nice looking. The steering is crisp and precise, and the turning is tight. I would recommend this car to anyone who loves SUVs and enjoys a well built and designed car.

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  Very Safe Ride. - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Paul K. straker - April 17 - 9:03 am

  I just got my 2009 Mariner early Oct. 2008. On Oct.17 2008 I was taking my boys over to their friends going 40 MPH on a main street when a car ran a stop sign. Never seeing the other car I plowed right into it. Both front airbags deployed. Myself my oldest age 11 and my youngest age 5 all walked away from the wreck with a couple of bruises. My youngest was also in his booster seat which is a must for anyone of his age. I am very great full on how safe they made this vehicle. I can not wait until I get my new one and I will be getting another Mariner.

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  A Great Little SUV for the Money - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By Tim - April 1 - 8:26 pm

  Before leasing my new Mariner I compared it with other vehicles such as the new Hyundai Santa Fe and the new Mitsubishi Outlander. The Santa Fe was marvelous, with two faults: 1) Lack of available Nav. and 2) Poor leasing rate percentages (7.9% for a person with stellar credit? Are you kidding me?) The Outlander had all of the bells and whistles, but I just wasnt thrilled with the way its rear-end looked... too much like a hatch-back car from the rear. The re-designed Mariner is very "classy" looking (especially in Gloss Black) and Mercury was offering something like 1.9% leasing. Interest savings alone compared to the actually cheaper Santa Fe was over $120/month just in saved interest.

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  Love this small SUV - 2008 Mercury Mariner
  By NewMercuryowner - March 17 - 9:16 am

  I traded in my huge Yukon for this Mariner. The gas prices were killing us, so we did our research. I love how much easier this is to drive! My case is different though, after paying one note on it, got rear ended and was nearly totaled.

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  Great mid-size suv - 2006 Mercury Mariner
  By dr - March 17 - 5:20 am

  Bought this SUV brand new. Ride is very good. Handles well. I live on west side of Michigan where we get a ton of lake-effect snow. The AWD is great in winter. Only couple of small negatives: road noise-possibly due to the stock Continental tires and I wish gas mileage was a little better.

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  Lovin my ride - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By Happy Mariner - March 12 - 3:46 am

  I was a confirmed hater of driving until I bought my new Mariner. I would have gone with an Escape, but the ice blue interior lighting hooked me. (Went with the 4 rather than the 6 to stay within budget). Theres a tad less pickup with the 4, but Ive merged onto I-95 and reached 60mph with ease. Once in a clutch situation, I had to brake suddenly and hard - there was no fishtailing nor did the brakes lock. Nice. My SO pointed out the three color interior styling on the dash - theyre all neutral tones, very classy. Got my exterior color - Ice Blue - and I am one happy motoring sistah. Icing on the cake - chosen as a recommended vehicle by Consumer Reports.

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  Impulse Buy, But LOVE It! - 2005 Mercury Mariner
  By ElleElle - March 3 - 8:40 pm

  Literally purchased my Mariner within 30 minutes of walking in to the dealership and seeing it for the first time. Have never had an SUV, but jumped at this one for so many reasons - - including the low APR loan and the great safety features. LOVE the interior features such as leather seats, 7 speaker sound system, seat warmers, and sun roof. Its stylish on the outside, the ride is smooth and quiet, but best of all -- its fun to drive! Looking forward to taking it on a long road trip.

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  Transmission problems - 2009 Mercury Mariner
  By VIC - March 1 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car in august 2009. We have taken it to the dealer in 3 different occasions for transmission problems. The first time they said they had to reprogram the computer. The second time they said they had a recall and they had to reprogram the computer again. This week we took it in again and they said they can fix the problem since they cannot reproduce the problem while testing it. This is the worst car we ever owned. The rpm jump to 6000 in the highway, the car basically stops working and you have to get out of the highway to avoid an accident. This happens randomly. Once you stop and restart the car it runs without problems. This dealer has not help us in solving the problem.