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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  Good Mercury so far - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Barnett - January 1 - 7:20 am

  The van has been good for the 1st year. I had to put new tires and found not a tire usually everywhere. The MPG is not the best. So far I really like the room (3 grandkids) comes in handy, good acceleration when moving into traffic, etc.

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  Excellent van - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By Nurse - December 15 - 9:36 pm

  Gorgeous interior, well thought out, my husband loves the seat coolers as well as heaters, power adjustable petals are great for me since I am only 54, memory settings for the petals/seat/mirrors are very convient, overall we love this van and will be sad to see it go when our lease is up and will be hard pressed to find something comprable will all of the extras this van offers. Fuel economy is about what I expected from a minivan, drives excellent, very smooth...

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  Great Mini-Van for All Your Family Needs - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By rrherman - September 14 - 10:30 am

  An all around great buy when considering all incentives and price paid for it. Great low torque power. VERY comfortable interior. In our opinion - the best looking Mini-Van out there. Fuel mileage is comperable to all other vehicles in this segment - which all could show improvement. 3rd row fold flat seat and tip up 2nd row seats provide plenty of seating and carrying options. We are very happy with it - 2 years later!! At 60 mph - we get 24 mpg on the highway. around town is around an average of 16-18 mpg. Had a few recalls - but those were fixed right away. no problems with the vehicle otherwise. HIGHLY R RECOMMEND BUY*ING IT!!

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  Buyer beware - 2005 Mercury Monterey
  By jim - September 9 - 5:56 am

  Hello,7 months ago I bought the van new since then it has had its wheel bearings and hubs replaced under a recall. The front brakes warped at 15000 (90% highway miles) and it was not covered under warranty.they cut the rotors to stop the vibration but because the rotors are so thin they warped again in 2000 miles.I took van to my own mechanic and spent 400 dollars on front rotors and brakes.Now the rear brakes are shot, there goes another $400. I am in sales for the last 15 years and have driven alot of miles on a lot of different vans and I have never had this many problems with any van this soon. BUYER BEWARE!!!! p.s the front windshield just got a stress crack.

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  Look Elsewhere! - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Atlanta - July 10 - 10:33 pm

  We bought a 2004 used in 2004 with low miles, certified and inexpensive. Even though we got a good deal on the price- it was not worth it! First, the heated seats had to be replaced twice, the TRANSMISSION had to be replaced at 35k miles, then a whole stream of problems with the emissions, which was not covered on the extended warranty that came with a certified car. It has a clunky transmission, a loud ride, brake problems, auto door closing problems and every other option on this car has a had some sort of problem or another! Even though many of the items were thankfully under warranty, it is a constant hassle having it in the shop and there is always some sort of fee that is charged!

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  AWSOME - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By hfhf - May 26 - 10:00 am

  AWSOME ilove that car

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  Smooth ride with peppy engine - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By ME - March 16 - 10:00 am

  We bought the Monterey new and still have it! Replaced AC @ 50K. Replaced brakes @ 85K and now have 86K. Very smooth ride, good acceleration in traffic and extremely comfy on the road trips. Lots of room for people and cargo. Overall, very very pleased. Esp like the peppy engine in metro traffic. Easy to see out of and feel safe. Good sound! Handles well. Never broken down. Reliable.

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  The best van i have ever owned - 2006 Mercury Monterey
  By Julie - November 21 - 8:33 pm

  I have owned many vans in the past i have owned Mercury Villagers Ford Windstars and 1 Chrysler Town and Country and the Mercury Monterey is by far the best is has a smooth quiet ride and it handles like a luxury car would and i love the wood grain accents and the chrome door handles and door locks and i love the front design sporty on the outside yet elegent and luxurious on the interior and i like the 17" rims and i like how everything is just at the push of a button you push a button and the slides open and the lift gate opens and so many more things i just love this van its so nice and sporty and i get many compliments on my van people say it looks great and i also love that 4.2L V6

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  twice the stuff for 1/2 the price - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Gweller - July 1 - 3:23 am

  Had this van for 1 year. Bought used w 12k on it. Really shopped around. The good news is they depreciate from new like lead. 35k new paid around 17k So theyre a bargain used. Ive had one repair, heated seat stopped working. Wouldnt have had this problem w others models because at this price they wouldnt have had the option on them. Great bang ( leather, power sliding doors, dvd, front/rear parking sensors, stability control) for the same buck that will get you a base used Toyota or Honda.

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  Outstanding van - 2004 Mercury Monterey
  By Sam Master - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This is simple the best well thought out ideal by a manufactor, in the mini van class. We drove the Quest, Sienna and Town and Country. But the Monterey is a wonderful vehicle. And i think now Mercury owns the standard in mini vans..