2008 Mercury Mariner Bottom Line

By  Rex Roy, Editor

TheCarConnection.com's editors read the latest reviews on the new 2008 Mercury Mariner to write this comprehensive review. Experts from TheCarConnection.com also drove the Mercury Mariner, including the Mariner Hybrid (it has its own separate review), and have added opinions and details where relevant. This review also compares the 2008 Mercury Mariner with other vehicles in its class to give you the best advice even when other reviews present conflicting opinions.

In today's world of luxury bathroom tissue dispensers, fancy olive oils, and signature-series eyeglasses, one would think a fancier version of a solid SUV might be a hot seller. The concept sure works for the Acura RDX, which is a very nicely revised version of the Honda CR-V. So what's up with the 2008 Mercury Mariner?

For Mercury, 2008 is the year its compact SUV got a significant freshening. This effort coincides with an update of the Mariner's sibling, the popular Ford Escape. The 2008 Mercury Mariner's conventional powertrains--a 2.3-liter four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter V-6--are left unchanged and produce 153 and 200 horsepower, respectively. A five-speed manual is standard with the four-cylinder. A four-speed automatic is optional on the four and standard on the V-6. Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional.

So what changed on the 2008 Mercury Mariner? Cumulatively, the updates add refinement to the Mariner while sprucing up the SUV's style in the process. A new hood and front fender design totally change this compact SUV's profile, making it look a bit more squared off. New taillamps revamp the view from the rear.

Some changes you can't see are truly transparent. One is the thicker windshield with an added noise-absorbing laminate. The second are the thicker side windows, also upgraded for noise abatement. To reduce sound levels even further, the doors have more sound insulation, the carpeting is thicker, and the headliner has an added acoustic barrier.

The 2008 Mercury Mariner interior is also significantly updated, with a completely new center stack, as well as revised seats and door panels. The new design puts the main display up near eye level, helping drivers keep their gaze higher and closer to the road. Digital readouts for the audio and climate control systems show up on top, but glare can inhibit visibility. Lighting for the entire gauge set is now blue; it's slick-looking and a true boon for those with color blindness (approximately 1 out of 100 males) that makes reading red LEDs all but impossible. The center console is also new and yawns widely enough to swallow a laptop. Room for passengers is generous for this size vehicle, but the 2008 Mariner is not the class leader in room or comfort.

TheCarConnection.com team spent most of its time behind the wheel of a V-6 Mariner and found its power to be more than acceptable, even with three passengers aboard. Merging onto quick-moving freeways was never an issue. However, while the engine was smooth enough, it sounded thrashy and not very refined when pushed hard. Like the engine, the ride was fine until you pushed this compact SUV a bit; then the chassis reacted with some bounciness and a general unwillingness to enjoy being driven with any verve.

The 2008 Mercury Mariner is superior to the 2007 models. This keeps it competitive with the Chevrolet Equinox and Suzuki XL7, but that's not saying much. The all-new Saturn Vue, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 are newer designs that offer more refinement than the 2008 Mariner with roughly equal capabilities. The all-new 2009 Dodge Journey also takes aim at the Mariner, and its overtly crossover style may attract a lot of lookers.