Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV

2008 Mercury Mariner is supported by a standard 2.3-liter engine, 16-valve Duratec 23 four-cylinder that produces 153 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 152 pounds-ft of torque at 4250 rpm. Optional 3.0-liter, 24-valve V6 Duratec 30 engine produces 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 193 pounds-ft of torque at 4850 rpm.
Both engines come with four-speed automatic transaxle-standards. this car is tuned for the urban environment to provide a comfortable ride and controlled. Unibody construction contributes to lightweight, nimble maneuverability, and low stance makes it easy to enter and exit the vehicle.

Mariner Hybrid comes with a 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor. The gasoline engine produces 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 124 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. The electric motor produces 70 kw @ 5,000 rpm and 330V maximum voltage. The net result is 155 horsepower with 0-60 times comparable to a 200 horsepower V6 engine and a boost in city-driving fuel economy of nearly 75 percent. A smooth-shifting, electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is the only available transmission on the hybrid model.

The interior, the Mariner Hybrid accomplished its mission of being the upscale brother to the Ford Escape.While the new DVD-based navigation system is a big improvement, it uses an ugly map with low resolution. We saw this same navigation/stereo component in the Ford Expedition, although there is no voice-command function in the Mariner Hybrid. Besides its ugly map display, the navigation system is very functional. It has touch-screen operation, accurate route guidance, and many methods for entering a destination. We particularly like the ability to find the nearest freeway entrance or exit. You can also choose a destination from the map, but a couple of too-large onscreen buttons make this difficult. During route guidance, the navigation system reads out the names of streets, a nice high-end feature.