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2008 Mercury Milan Bottom Line

November 7, 2008

By Marty Padgett's avatar Marty Padgett, Executive EditorMarty Padgett

TheCarConnection.com's editors researched a wide range of road tests of the 2008 Mercury Milan to write this definitive review. TheCarConnection.com's resident experts also drove the Mercury Milan to help you decide which reviews to trust where opinions differ, to add more impressions and details, and to provide you with the best information.

Likes:

  • Sharp handling
  • Looks clean and modern
  • All-wheel drive is an option
  • Cutting-edge SYNC entertainment system

Dislikes:

  • No manual V-6 option
  • Fuel economy lags behind class leaders
  • No stability control at all

Buying Tips:


The 2008 Mercury Milan gets a Hybrid version for the 2009 model year if fuel economy is your top concern. Ford also sells the Fusion sedan, a clone of the Milan. The Mercury is a slower seller, so you may get a better deal on it from your salesperson.

There's plenty to like about the 2008 Mercury Milan. It shares its mid-size platform with the Mazda6 and the Ford Fusion, but it's a very different-looking machine. It also gets a distinct interior and a slightly narrower range of transmission choices.

The 2008 Mercury Milan comes with front- or all-wheel drive, four- or six-cylinder engines, and manual or automatic gearboxes. There's choice of either a 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder or a 221-hp, 3.0-liter V-6; the inline-four can be mated to a standard five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, while the V-6 comes with a standard six-speed automatic. There's no manual transmission option with the V-6, which cuts into its enthusiast appeal, but the other engines are reasonably sporty. The automatic transmission doesn't allow manual shifting other than "drive" and "L." Fuel economy is 20/29 mpg on four-cylinder Milans with manual transmissions; it's 17/25 mpg with automatic and all-wheel drive. That puts the Milan behind the pack of mid-size sedans, even those with larger interiors.

The Mercury Milan still is one of the better-handling family sedans on the market and one of the better-looking ones from Ford. It's a handsome sedan, with a tasteful waterfall grille in front. And like the Ford Fusion and Mazda6, the 2008 Mercury Milan offers an sizable interior with ample legroom and expansive cargo space. There's adult-sized space in the backseat, and the chairs themselves are comfortable. The trunk is large enough for most needs. The interior isn't quite as rich-looking as that in a Honda Accord or a Chevrolet Malibu, but it's good.

Riding on a four-wheel independent suspension, with four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, the front-drive Milan is intended to be reasonably sporty without sacrificing the ride. Handling is a prime reason to buy the Mercury Milan; it's a more engaging drive than the Toyota Camry, with crisp steering and good ride quality.

Anti-lock brakes, as well as side and curtain airbags, are standard on every trim level, but stability control isn't available at all. The 2008 Mercury Milan gets a five-star rating for front and driver-side crash protection, along with four stars for passenger side-impact safety.

New features include an optional keyless entry keypad, a reverse-sensing system, ambient lighting, and a voice-activated navigation system with the Ford SYNC entertainment and communications controller. Sirius Satellite Radio is also available.

Other Choices:

If you like the 2008 Mercury Milan, also consider:

Reason Why:

The Nissan Altima comes with a manual transmission option in four-cylinder versions, great handling, and a little more room than the Ford. Car shoppers want style, and the new Honda Accord has newly sharpened handling and a snappy shape, while the Toyota Camry is the more conservative choice in this class.

The Bottom Line:

The 2008 Mercury Milan has good looks and great handling, but there are roomier, more fuel-efficient sedans for families.

TheCarConnection.com's editors researched a wide range of road tests of the 2008 Mercury Milan to write this definitive review. TheCarConnection.com's resident experts also drove the Mercury Milan to help you decide which reviews to trust where opinions differ, to add more impressions and details, and to provide you with the best information. Likes:Sharp handlingLooks clean and modernAll-wheel drive is an optionCutting-edge SYNC entertainment systemDislikes:No manual V-6 optionFuel economy lags behind class leadersNo stability control at allBuying Tips: The 2008 Mercury Milan gets a Hybrid version for the 2009 model year if fuel economy is your top concern. Ford also sells the Fusion sedan, a clone of the Milan. The Mercury is a slower seller, so you may get a better deal on it from your salesperson. There's plenty to like about the 2008 Mercury Milan. It shares its mid-size platform with the Mazda6 and the Ford Fusion, but it's a very different-looking machine. It also gets a distinct interior and a slightly narrower range of transmission choices. The 2008 Mercury Milan comes with front- or all-wheel drive, four- or six-cylinder engines, and manual or automatic gearboxes. There's choice of either a 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder or a 221-hp, 3.0-liter V-6; the inline-four can be mated to a standard five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, while the V-6 comes with a standard six-speed automatic. There's no manual transmission option with the V-6, which cuts into its enthusiast appeal, but the other engines are reasonably sporty. The automatic transmission doesn't allow manual shifting other than "drive" and "L." Fuel economy is 20/29 mpg on four-cylinder Milans with manual transmissions; it's 17/25 mpg with automatic and all-wheel drive. That puts the Milan behind the pack of mid-size sedans, even those with larger interiors. The Mercury Milan still is one of the better-handling family sedans on the market and one of the better-looking ones from Ford. It's a handsome sedan, with a tasteful waterfall grille in front. And like the Ford Fusion and Mazda6, the 2008 Mercury Milan offers an sizable interior with ample legroom and expansive cargo space. There's adult-sized space in the backseat, and the chairs themselves are comfortable. The trunk is large enough for most needs. The interior isn't quite as rich-looking as that in a Honda Accord or a Chevrolet Malibu, but it's good. Riding on a four-wheel independent suspension, with four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, the front-drive Milan is intended to be reasonably sporty without sacrificing the ride. Handling is a prime reason to buy the Mercury Milan; it's a more engaging drive than the Toyota Camry, with crisp steering and good ride quality. Anti-lock brakes, as well as side and curtain airbags, are standard on every trim level, but stability control isn't available at all. The 2008 Mercury Milan gets a five-star rating for front and driver-side crash protection, along with four stars for passenger side-impact safety. New features include an optional keyless entry keypad, a reverse-sensing system, ambient lighting, and a voice-activated navigation system with the Ford SYNC entertainment and communications controller. Sirius Satellite Radio is also available. Other Choices:If you like the 2008 Mercury Milan, also consider:Toyota CamryHonda AccordNissan AltimaReason Why:The Nissan Altima comes with a manual transmission option in four-cylinder versions, great handling, and a little more room than the Ford. Car shoppers want style, and the new Honda Accord has newly sharpened handling and a snappy shape, while the Toyota Camry is the more conservative choice in this class. The Bottom Line:The 2008 Mercury Milan has good looks and great handling, but there are roomier, more fuel-efficient sedans for families. TheCarConnection.com's editors researched a wide range of road tests of the 2008 Mercury Milan to write this definitive review. TheCarConnection.com's resident experts also drove the Mercury Milan to help you decide which reviews to trust where opinions differ, to add more impressions and ...

Other Choices:

The Nissan Altima comes with a manual transmission option in four-cylinder versions, great handling, and a little more room than the Ford. Car shoppers want style, and the new Honda Accord has newly sharpened handling and a snappy shape, while the Toyota Camry is the more conservative choice in this class.

Next Steps:

Check Insurance Rates

for the 2008 Mercury Milan

Check Financing Rates

for the 2008 Mercury Milan

Check Local Classifieds

for a 2008 Mercury Milan near you

See the Mercury Milan in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

Comments (3 total)

  1. By DAVID SASSO #1, Posted: 8/18/2008

    cad manager

    I have a 2006 Milan premier and I love it. Not one problem in two years and 29,000 miles. I get 22 mpg in town and 29 on the highway. Very comfortable and beautiful car

  2. By Daniel Friel #2, Posted: 12/12/2008

    IF I'm killed !!!!

    I want to tell or hear from anyone who has had a problem with their 2008 Mercury Milan when they accellerated and were not able to stop the vehicle from slowing down.My wife,neice and I were out shopping at a busy mall with a lot of traffic in the area.We were at a stop,she floored the pedal to get out on to the highway in which direction we needed to go.As she reached about 50mph she let off the accellerator and the car would not slow down,she screamed at me that when she was apply the brakes, they were just real hard and would not work.By this time the car was now at 80mph and climbing.The car was wining real bad,and sounded like it couldn't shift into another gear. I finally looked at the up and coming traffic and was about to shift to neutral, the whole time my wife was pressing as hard as she could on the brakes. The car finally slowed down to about 50mph and then shifted into another gear and started acting normal. I've taking the car back to the dealer, which has had it for a week now, and they say that can't find nothing wrong. Can anybody please tell me what to do now,or I will be dead and you can read about me in the newspaper.

  3. By Chester #3, Posted: 1/10/2009

    In response to Daniel

    Daniel, what you're describing sounds like what happens when the floormats get moved around as you drive and cover your pedals. A similar thing happened to me when I was merging on the highway and it suddenly felt like the gas pedal wouldn't budge at all-I was stuck there about to crash and thinking it was my transmission! Does your car have floormats? Seriously, check them or just take them out for good!

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