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2008 Mercury Mountaineer Safety Review

November 5, 2008

SAFETY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Five stars, front and side impacts; three stars, rollover resistance
NHTSA

Safety features include dual-stage front airbags
Automotive.com

side curtain airbags that protect first and second-row occupants are standard
Cars.com

impressive array of safety features
Kelley Blue Book

Only the vehicle's top-heaviness and tendency to roll--typical of all SUVs--keep the experts at TheCarConnection.com from giving the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer a perfect 10 in the safety category.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer five out of five stars for front and side impact protection, but only three stars for rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which conducts more rigorous tests, the Mountaineer its top rating of "ood" in frontal offset tests, but the second-highest rating of "cceptable" for side impact tests. In rear impact tests, however, the Mercury Mountaineer receives the lowest rating of "oor."

Kelley Blue Book reports that the Mercury Mountaineer 2008 "has an impressive array of safety features, with crumple zones in the front fenders, three-point seat belts at all positions and a side-curtain airbag system that deploys to cover seventy-five percent of the side glass area," plus the "standard Safety Canopy airbag system protects passengers in the event of a rollover or side collision." According to Cars.com, "antilock brakes, side-impact and side curtain airbags that protect first- and second-row occupants are standard" for Mercury Mountaineer 2008, "as is an electronic stability system." Automotive.com adds that safety features fitted on all Mercury Mountaineers include "curtain airbags [that] have a sensor to activate in a rollover, a tire-pressure monitor, antilock brakes with brake assist [and] traction control." This source also mentions that the Mercury Mountaineer 2008 stability control has rollover mitigation, which uses traction control and stability control to lower the risk of a rollover.

ConsumerGuide reports that Mercury Mountaineer "outward visibility is hindered somewhat by thick roof pillars, but the 2nd- and 3rd-row headrests fold to reduce the obstruction"; in any event, Kelley Blue Book notes an "optional Reverse Sensing System alerts you to objects behind the vehicle that are out of the range of the rearview mirror" available for the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer.

Conclusion

The 2008 Mercury Mountaineer does a superior job of protecting its occupants.

SAFETY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:Five stars, front and side impacts; three stars, rollover resistanceNHTSASafety features include dual-stage front airbagsAutomotive.comside curtain airbags that protect first and second-row occupants are standardCars.comimpressive array of safety featuresKelley Blue Book Only the vehicle's top-heaviness and tendency to roll--typical of all SUVs--keep the experts at TheCarConnection.com from giving the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer a perfect 10 in the safety category. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer five out of five stars for front and side impact protection, but only three stars for rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which conducts more rigorous tests, the Mountaineer its top rating of "ood" in frontal offset tests, but the second-highest rating of "cceptable" for side impact tests. In rear impact tests, however, the Mercury Mountaineer receives the lowest rating of "oor." Kelley Blue Book reports that the Mercury Mountaineer 2008 "has an impressive array of safety features, with crumple zones in the front fenders, three-point seat belts at all positions and a side-curtain airbag system that deploys to cover seventy-five percent of the side glass area," plus the "standard Safety Canopy airbag system protects passengers in the event of a rollover or side collision." According to Cars.com, "antilock brakes, side-impact and side curtain airbags that protect first- and second-row occupants are standard" for Mercury Mountaineer 2008, "as is an electronic stability system." Automotive.com adds that safety features fitted on all Mercury Mountaineers include "curtain airbags [that] have a sensor to activate in a rollover, a tire-pressure monitor, antilock brakes with brake assist [and] traction control." This source also mentions that the Mercury Mountaineer 2008 stability control has rollover mitigation, which uses traction control and stability control to lower the risk of a rollover. ConsumerGuide reports that Mercury Mountaineer "outward visibility is hindered somewhat by thick roof pillars, but the 2nd- and 3rd-row headrests fold to reduce the obstruction"; in any event, Kelley Blue Book notes an "optional Reverse Sensing System alerts you to objects behind the vehicle that are out of the range of the rearview mirror" available for the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer. ConclusionThe 2008 Mercury Mountaineer does a superior job of protecting its occupants. 2008 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER STYLING | [8 out of 10] Cars and Driver: "Explorer styling looks perhaps too familiar" Cars.com: "Satin aluminum is used in abundance across the exterior" Mother Proof: "elicits big wows everywhere we go" Though the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer may be just a ...

Read More of this Review:

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

Other Choices:

Ford sells about times as many Explorers as Mercury does Mountaineers. Editors from TheCarConnection.com offer a myriad of answers why, but mostly it's because Mercury drivers are using Mountaineers as car and/or minivan substitutes, not as truck alternatives.

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See the Mercury Mountaineer in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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