EDMUNDS.COM 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY
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 Summary
What Edmunds.com Says
The Monterey gives Mercury a minivan worth talking about, but alongside its Chrysler, Honda, Nissan and Toyota competitors, the Monterey is unlikely to be the shining star.
Pros
Plenty of safety and convenience features, sharp interior design, torquey V6 engine.
Cons
Unimpressive fuel economy numbers, less horsepower and available features than top competitors.
What''s New for 2004
The Monterey is an all-new minivan that replaces the Mercury Villager.
Overview
Introduction:
The minivan bar rests at an all-time high these days, and keeping up with the competition is only getting tougher. Never a leader in the minivan segment, Mercury comes late, but reasonably well prepared to the minivan game with its all-new Mercury Monterey. The Monterey replaces the aged Villager -- an underachieving minivan engineered by Nissan, but built by Ford, that wasn''t even offered in 2003. Good thing Mercury was able to learn from other automakers'' product planning and incorporate most of today''s minivan essentials. The Monterey is Mercury''s first long-wheelbase minivan. It offers fold-flat third-row seating, which can flip over to a rear-facing position for tailgate parties; front and rear parking assist sensors; and heated and cooled front seats (the only minivan to feature a cooling seat). Additionally, the cabin includes many more storage areas, and there''s an optional DVD entertainment system to keep the kids occupied. Ford claims to have tripled its budget for interior design over the last several years and vehicles like the Aviator, Explorer and Navigator are obvious indications that the money was well spent. The Monterey, and its corporate twin, the Ford Freestar, also reap the rewards of Ford''s new attention to interior design. Both are a step up from the Villager and outgoing Ford Windstar in terms of the look and feel of the cabin accommodations. The Mercury''s interior has a bit of a European flair with a very clean, uncluttered overall look. On the outside, the Monterey is trimmed in satin-aluminum finishes on all door and liftgate handles, foglamp bezels, roof rack and taillamps, plus the distinctive Mercury waterfall grille. Long regarded as a back marker in the minivan wars, Mercury is stepping up to the plate with the Monterey. Although the Monterey faces quite a battle against the likes of the Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna, a lengthy list of safety and convenience features, along with an available 4.2-liter V6 for big hauling jobs, should give it a fighting chance in the minivan segment.
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For Pricing information, see Edmunds'' Pricing page. |
Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options:
The Monterey comes in one size and three trim levels: Convenience, Luxury and top-of-the-line Premier. Standard equipment on the base-level Convenience version includes a tilt steering wheel with speed control; dual-zone climate control; front console cupholders and storage; a fold-flat third-row bench; and front and rear parking assist. Side airbags and a Safety Canopy system are optional. All of the above comes standard on the Luxury model, along with first- and second-row leather trim; driver and passenger heated seats; a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; power-adjustable pedals; memory for the driver seat, pedals and mirrors; an anti-theft system; dual-zone automatic climate control; first-row floor console storage; third-row reading lamps; black roof rails; and dual power-sliding doors. The AdvanceTrac stability and traction control system is optional on the Luxury. On top of all of this, the Premier adds driver and passenger heated and cooled seats, front-passenger lumbar adjustment, first- and second-row perforated leather seats and unique split-spoke design aluminum roof rails. Optional on both the Luxury and Premier are a rear DVD entertainment system and self-sealing tires.
Powertrains and Performance:
The Monterey has just one available engine: a 4.2 liter V6 engine that delivers 201 horsepower and a class-leading 265 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with a four-speed automatic transmission, and is capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. EPA fuel estimates are 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.
Safety:
Four-wheel antilock disc brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution are standard. Available safety features include side curtain airbags that span all three rows of seating and the AdvanceTrac stability and traction control system, which now incorporates a panic brake assist feature. Other key items include front and rear parking sensors and self-sealing tires.
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For more Safety information, see Edmunds'' Safety page. |
Interior Design and Special Features:
Mercury designers equipped the Monterey with a shapely dash and steering wheel, and the plastics are higher in quality than what was used in its predecessor -- the result is a much more refined, classier-looking minivan. While the cabin dimensions aren''t significantly more than those of the retired Villager, the addition of a fold-flat third-row seat allows for more flexible use of the available space (unfortunately, the seat folds only as a single piece, rather than allowing a 60/40-split). A power liftgate will be added to the options list later in the model year.
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For more Interior Features information, see Edmunds'' Specifications page. |
Driving Impressions:
With driving characteristics nearly identical to those of the Ford Freestar, the Monterey offers adequate power and a comfortable ride. Independent MacPherson struts up front and a semi-independent rear suspension provide satisfactory handling, but ride quality is not quite as composed as that of minivans with four-wheel independent suspensions. The torque-rich engine provides plenty of initial grunt, but runs out of breath at higher engine speeds. Fuel mileage is also an issue, as the rather large-displacement engine returns below-average mileage.
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For more Driving Impressions, Recent Articles and Car Awards from Edmunds'' editors, see Edmunds'' Road Tests page. |
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