Overview & Reviews

Hybrid SUVs like the Mercury Mariner Hybrid are aimed primarily at green-thinking car buyers who want it all. By sport-utility standards, fuel economy is high and tailpipe emissions are low. At the same time, the Mariner Hybrid allows one to live the hybrid car lifestyle without losing the everyday versatility provided by all-wheel drive and a decent-sized cargo area.

As part of Mercury's demise, the Mariner Hybrid will only be produced through 2011. Mechanically, it's identical to the Ford Escape Hybrid. Differentiation comes about mostly through altered exterior styling and the Mariner's higher-quality interior.

Most Recent Mercury Mariner Hybrid
The Mercury Mariner Hybrid compact SUV was produced in two generations. The more recent ran from 2008-'11.

This Mariner was available in one well-equipped trim level. Standard amenities included full power accessories, dual-zone automatic climate control, the Sync phone/MP3 player interface and an in-dash CD changer with MP3 audio input. Options included heated leather seats, an upgraded seven-speaker audio system, a navigation system, a sunroof, a rearview camera, MyKey (which allows parents/owners to limit speed and audio volume) and an automated parallel-parking assist feature.

A two-wheel-drive Mariner Hybrid should be able to deliver close to 30 mpg in real-world city and highway driving. Its powertrain consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, a pair of electric motors and an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Under full acceleration, both power sources work together to provide maximum oomph, but under lighter load conditions, such as stop-and-go traffic, the Mariner Hybrid alternates between the two, oftentimes running purely on battery power alone. A regenerative braking system converts energy normally lost as heat into electricity to recharge the vehicle's batteries.

Although the cumulative horsepower rating of 177 doesn't sound very impressive, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid was quicker than the regular four-cylinder Mainer. Two-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive models were offered.

The Mariner Hybrid's cabin was tastefully accented with faux aluminum, chrome and wood-grain trim. The backseat was roomy and comfortable enough to keep a pair of adults content on road trips, and there was almost 28 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats with up to 66 cubic feet when folded.

With its gas engine and electric motors working in concert, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid returned outstanding fuel mileage. Unfortunately, its engine made a lot of noise under hard acceleration. Ride quality was acceptable for a small SUV, but handling was unimpressive because of the additional weight of the hybrid components. Braking performance was poor due to the Mariner's lackluster front disc/rear drum setup.

There were only a few changes during this model's time. For 2010, the Mariner Hybrid benefited from a few more high-tech features including the "Auto Park" automatic parallel-parking option and MyKey (which allowed parents to limit speed and audio volume for their teen drivers). Most importantly, a new electrically driven air-conditioning compressor arrived as well. Previously, the A/C would shut down with the engine when the vehicle stopped at a light or was stuck in traffic. You could override this, but then you wouldn't get the fuel economy savings auto stop/start provides.

Past Mercury Mariner Hybrids
The first-generation Mercury Mariner hybrid was produced for 2006-'07. These earlier Mariners had a hybrid powertrain similar to that of the second-gen version, albeit with a slightly smaller, 2.3-liter 155-hp engine. All-wheel drive was standard. Also, they lacked the newer Mariner's updated styling and features.

User Reviews:

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  Very nice hybrid SUV - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By JBC - June 30 - 11:20 am

  Traded in a Jeep Grand Cherokee (6-cyl) for it. Going from 17 to 29 MPG is a great jump. The ride is comfortable in the city, but with bumpy roads some suspension noise is noticeable. The acceleration is good in the city but the powertrain is not as peppy on the highway; it takes some time to get to the speed you want, but is fine at cruising.

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  MMH - 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By HYbrid - May 22 - 8:10 pm

  Mariner is much nicer inside than Escape hybrid. Love the chrome accents, and two tone leather seats. The hybrid nav system is a very nice piece of technology.

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  Good to Go! - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Cone Maddox - April 23 - 2:26 am

  I sold my Hummer H-3 and purchased the Mercury Hybrid with 4-wheel drive. Twice + the mileage and I can see the other cars. Not too good off-road but a lot quicker than you would think on the street. The old black lab finds it easier to hop into the back. No problems whatever, so far. Got 30+ MPG last fill-up. Nice truck. It seems good to go!

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  A great vehicle - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Charles - March 21 - 12:50 am

  While I have put less than 1000 miles on my new Mariner, I am quite impressed with the hybrid design and am averaging over 35 mpg. So far I love the car and the overall design. Lot of room and flexibility. Ford has done a great job !

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  Well worth the wait - 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By shoreRN - February 12 - 4:23 pm

  We have had the car for 2 weeks, and love it. The nav system and Sync work great. Ride is smooth and very car like, plenty of power when you need it, and great economy we are averaging 33 mpg so far. The park assist is great, wish it offered an led proximity display, and a back up camera. Plenty of room in the back seat for bigger guys, and cargo room is descent.

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  Big Improvement Over Previous Models - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Transpower - January 9 - 8:50 pm

  With the blacked-out B-pillars, the 2008 model looks more grown-up than the 2005-2007 models. The CD player is now in the center stack not under the passenger seat, the navigation screen is much bigger and is touch-screen and utilizes a DVD. There is a 110 volt power outlet, and automatic headlamps. The view is commanding. The handling is nimble. The fuel economy wonderful. There is sufficient power to pass tractor-trailers going up steep hills. The brakes have a good feel to them. The steering is well-weighted. The vehicle is very well-balanced front to rear.

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  Environmentally Responsible SUV - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By scott4370 - January 6 - 8:10 am

  My wife and I bought the Mariner a week ago. We have always had Toyotas and were skeptical at first. I have to say that this runs better than any other hybrid I have ever driven. The smooth transitions between electric and gas modes are amazing. The mileage is close to what the sticker says. The Mariner is comfortable and fun and Ford deserves a BIG pat on the back for developing this vehicle. I only wish they were not so hard to find. I also hope more people who need an SUV check this one out. It is truly amazing!

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  Great car and very very quiet! - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Alex Dawson - January 3 - 12:56 pm

  My first SUV and I loved the car from the first moment, it is so quiet when you drive in town that you need to be extra aware of pedestrians who wont hear you. Mileage is very good to, so far its at 31 MPG and we have mostly driven on freeways. The weakness would be that it is not very strong and the engine needs to run on pretty high RPM (over 4000) going up the steepest hills in San Francisco.

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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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  More Power Than My Range Rover - 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
  By Dorothy Reik - April 20 - 12:33 pm

  Driving this four cylinder hybrid is like driving an eight cylinder car. It powers up hills with a light touch on the accelerator. The hardest part is driving conservatively so you can maximize the mileage. The temptation is to go for it.