Overview & Reviews

Mercury's Monterey minivan was born from the ashes of the previous-generation Ford/Mercury line of minivans, which were disappointing at best. Introduced for 2004, the Mercury Monterey and its twin the Ford Freestar attempted to offer more of what modern minivan buyers wanted. Features like a fold-flat rear seat, multiple storage bins and entertainment systems took center stage as Mercury tried to lure import van loyalists out of their Hondas and Toyotas.

The Monterey was an adequate family van and boasted an abundance of safety and luxury features. Still, in regards to engine power, ride and handling and interior design, it fell short of segment-leading minivans from Honda, Kia and Toyota.

Due to lackluster sales, 2007 was the last year for the Mercury Monterey.

Most Recent Mercury Monterey

The Mercury Monterey debuted in 2004 as a replacement for the Mercury Villager, a smaller minivan that was related to the Nissan Quest. The Monterey was powered by a 4.2-liter V6 making 201 horsepower and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. With an engine that size, we expected a lot more power. Even in its day, nearly every other van on the market had a smaller engine that made more power and returned better fuel economy.

Standard feature highlights included antilock brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone air-conditioning, a power driver seat, front and center captain's chairs and a CD audio system. Among the Monterey's options were such niceties as a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

Changes were few over the short life of the Mercury Monterey. In 2005, heated and cooled perforated leather seats with suede inserts were added to the Premier trim level and a power rear liftgate became an option on Luxury models.

For 2006, the base Convenience and upscale Premier trims were dropped, leaving only the midlevel Luxury. Previously optional front side-impact airbags and full-length side curtain airbags became standard. A wood steering wheel was also made standard, and the heated and cooled seats from the previous year's Premier were converted into an option.

2007 versions benefited from Mercury's extended five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty; this warranty is transferable, so it's a benefit to used shoppers as well. The 2007 Monterey also continued to be offered in one Luxury trim level.

In Mercury Monterey reviews, we found the minivan to be deficient in terms of ride, handling, comfort and value. And though the interior was very attractive at first glance, many trim pieces were flimsy to the touch and build quality is hit or miss. While recent minivans from Honda, Kia and Toyota are much better choices, nicely equipped Mercury vans on the used market sell for bargain-basement prices. If you find the Monterey to your liking, you'll probably be able to get one at minimal cost.

User Reviews:

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  Im surprised how great it is.... - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By nvbanker - August 29 - 10:00 am

  I use a minivan for my business. It gets driven hard in city traffic every weekday. We had an 01 Villager leased, and I was a little concerned that the Villager was no longer available. It had been very good to us. I was looking for a replacement when the lease expired, but decided to try a Monterey. I was leery because of the reputation of the Windstar. We now have 9,000 miles on the van with no defects or repairs required at all. I expected much less than we got, my driver just loves it. It was pricey, but certainly is made very well. Its not class leading in my opinion, but its still underrated because of the way it performs.

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  Not bad, my wife likes it! - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By Family of 7! - August 9 - 10:10 pm

  This was the first new vehicle we had ever bought outright. Previously we had leased all our vehicles. I told my wife she could pick out any van she wanted and load it up with any options she wanted. She picked the Monterey because of its looks mostly. But the cooled leather seats helped too! Plus, the huge rebates made the cost come down to like $25,000 for a van that stickered over $32,000.

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  Mercury Monterey 2004 - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By w. soliday - July 31 - 10:03 pm

  lots of get up and go. nicely appointed with leather, heated front seats, and both seats with power. automatic doors much nicer than expected.

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  2 weeks out of the showroom - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Frostydog - July 28 - 2:00 am

  So far so good. Other than a slight paint blemish the vehicle seems to be finished perfectly. The ride is comfortable, handling is predictible, pick-up is better than expected. Nice overall features- heated seats, auto dimming rearview mirror and great sound system.

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  only one with Cooled seats !!!! - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By FL_Family - May 17 - 3:56 pm

  if you live in the south like Florida here... you will understand that the cooled perforated leather seats are the only option you need to look for in a van... and this is the only van made that has them... you will appreciate all the great others, like power doors, ultra-quiet highway ride, compass, dimming rear-view, memory seats, pedals, mirrors, etc etc... program yours or your spouses own code in the keyless door entry and it will adjust your seats to you or her when you enter you code to unlock the door... another push and all the power doors open up... its just simply awesome, and the workers at the plant in canada are the most detail minded folks, they did it all with qualiy!!!

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  Finally replaced my villager and WOW - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Heather - May 14 - 8:10 am

  The AC recently went out on my 93 Villager (I cried) and we made the desicion to start looking for a replacement. We looked at the Ford version of this, but were blown away by all of the extras that Mercury added. We got the Premire and it has everything. We took it to San Diego for a week from Utah and were surpised at how much more room it has than our Villager. Luggage for a family of Six with room to spare! The older kids love the captains chairs and travel through 105+ temps was a breeze! My in laws took theirs through the Mojave the week temps were 120+ and had no problems. If it is anything like our Villager it will be with us for a long time.

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  Great for handicap - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By jdavis - March 22 - 1:06 pm

  We purchased ours in March 07. We were able to get it for 22K. At this price I think it was a steal. I am handicapped and we had it converted (VMI) to haul my power wheel chair. The Mercury has the widest opening Rt. side door 33". My Powerchair and I are 600+ lbs. The 4.2L has plenty of power and rides smooth. The dual air helps to cool it off quickly which is a requirement in Phoenix 110 heat! My wife likes the front and rear sensors and the smooth ride. Performance and handling is good considering this is a MINI-VAN and not a Mustang! Would have liked better mileage, 15-16 city and 20 Highway.

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  More van for less price than others! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By DadsretiredfromFord - February 26 - 3:20 am

  First I drove the Nissan,Honda,Toyota,Chrysler, and Mazda minis. I Bought the Merc because A) My dad worked for Ford, and B) $14000 off sticker price! The vehicle is very sharp looking, inside and out, and there are tons of features included on the Luxury edition. For the same price I paid I would have got a base Sienna with none of the leather, heated seats, power doors, 6CD, trip computer, power pedals, memory power everything, etc. The engine is noisy, but once underway its quiet. MPG so far is 17/21, not as good as my old Villager. Problems so far: replaced pwr window motor, vibration in 2 tires, alignment off, squeaking brakes. Overall a good deal considering the low price paid!

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  2005 Mercury Monterey Premier - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Andrew - January 29 - 10:30 pm

  We have owned this van for almost 4 years. It has been a purchase. It is comfortable on long drives with great features such as DVD, Heated/Cooled Seats, and fold down rear seat.

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  Loved the Villager, tried the Monterey - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Sara - December 24 - 2:00 am

  We have a 95 Villager with 291K & still love it, even without AC. Bought this Monetery after my husband totaled 2002 Villager & ended up with a scratch. Love it but many repairs. Now Drivers heated seat is out, Drivers side heat blows cold, replaced transmission at 135K, replace brakes on regular basis, expensive to replace tires, and windshield wipers work intermittently