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2008 Mercury Mariner Quality Review

November 5, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

seat should have enough cush to prevent butt numbing
Automotive.com

Adult-size headroom and legroom
ConsumerGuide

backseat is roomy and comfortable
Edmunds

cargo provisions aren't up to snuff
Cars and Driver

The 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid offers a good level of comfort, but experts at TheCarConnection.com note that some may find cargo space lacking.

This is a "five-seat Mariner Hybrid," according to Cars.com. The word from Automotive.com is that the Mariner Hybrid’s seats "should have enough cush to prevent butt numbing and enough support to limit fatigue during a long commute." ConsumerGuide reports "adult-size headroom and legroom, but the optional sunroof trims head clearance a bit for tall occupants." According to Edmunds, the backseat is "roomy and comfortable enough to keep a pair of adults content on road trips," and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that "with almost a flat floor, there's knee and foot room for the center passenger and, surprisingly, the designers also gave that person a reasonably comfortable seating position."

The Mariner Hybrid’s cargo and storage space is generous, but slightly compromised because of the need for battery storage under the cargo floor. Car and Driver complains that "cargo provisions aren't up to snuff," although according to Edmunds, "there are almost 28 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats with up to 66 cubic feet when folded."

The Mariner’s interior receives upgrades this year, but not all reviewers re convinced its a step forward. According to Cars.com, the "updated cabin still feels cheap, with missing convenience features and substandard materials." Edmunds notes a drawback unique to the Mariner Hybrid power system: "its lack of an electric air-conditioning compressor...means that the cabin only stays cool when the engine is running." Like most hybrids, however, the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid is exceptionally quiet; Autoblog says it's "12 percent quieter on the highway and 20 percent quieter in high velocity cross winds."

Conclusion

The 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid has ample interior room, but its materials can seem low-budget.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:seat should have enough cush to prevent butt numbingAutomotive.comAdult-size headroom and legroomConsumerGuidebackseat is roomy and comfortableEdmundscargo provisions aren't up to snuffCars and Driver The 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid offers a good level of comfort, but experts at TheCarConnection.com note that some may find cargo space lacking. This is a "five-seat Mariner Hybrid," according to Cars.com. The word from Automotive.com is that the Mariner Hybrid’s seats "should have enough cush to prevent butt numbing and enough support to limit fatigue during a long commute." ConsumerGuide reports "adult-size headroom and legroom, but the optional sunroof trims head clearance a bit for tall occupants." According to Edmunds, the backseat is "roomy and comfortable enough to keep a pair of adults content on road trips," and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that "with almost a flat floor, there's knee and foot room for the center passenger and, surprisingly, the designers also gave that person a reasonably comfortable seating position." The Mariner Hybrid’s cargo and storage space is generous, but slightly compromised because of the need for battery storage under the cargo floor. Car and Driver complains that "cargo provisions aren't up to snuff," although according to Edmunds, "there are almost 28 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats with up to 66 cubic feet when folded." The Mariner’s interior receives upgrades this year, but not all reviewers re convinced its a step forward. According to Cars.com, the "updated cabin still feels cheap, with missing convenience features and substandard materials." Edmunds notes a drawback unique to the Mariner Hybrid power system: "its lack of an electric air-conditioning compressor...means that the cabin only stays cool when the engine is running." Like most hybrids, however, the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid is exceptionally quiet; Autoblog says it's "12 percent quieter on the highway and 20 percent quieter in high velocity cross winds." ConclusionThe 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid has ample interior room, but its materials can seem low-budget. 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID STYLING | [8 out of 10] Autoblog: "the Mariner's front fascia takes the brunt of the redesign" Automotive.com: "a more understated, slightly more upscale look" Cars and Driver: "changes include a new mix of materials with 'satin pewter' trim" Most reviews ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

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.

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See the Mercury Mariner in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

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