| 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid |
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By Paul Borden
Making the Greens happy – another hybrid debuts
By Paul Borden
According to industry figures, hybrids account for less than 1 percent of current automotive market in the United States.
But it seems as if they account for 99 percent of the publicity, or at least favorable publicity, today.
Hybrids, which use a combination of an electric motor and gasoline engine for power, were introduced to the American public in 1999 when Honda foisted upon us its little two-passenger Insight. Toyota followed with the Prius, which it had begun selling in its home market in Japan in 1997.
Both were immediate favorites with the environmentalists here and soon became the fashionable method of transportation for the Hollywood set. Stars who would think nothing of traveling in private jets and living in mansions with electric bills the size of a Third World Country’s economy began bragging about the Prius they were driving to premiers and award shows.
Fueling (HA!) the hybrids’ popularity, of course, was the rising cost of a gallon of gas. Even though they usually don’t get the mileage EPA figures claims they do, hybrids still will go farther on a gallon of gas than your conventional 4-, 6-, or 8-cylinder. (A change in how the EPA calculates mileage effective in for 2008 models is expected to rate hybrids from 20 to 30 percent lower than current figures; of course, figures for conventional vehicles will drop, too, though probably not as dramatically.)
Problem was, early hybrids were known as much for their styling funkiness as their economy.
This appealed to early buyers who wanted to be recognized for “making a statement” with their vehicle’s distinctive look. The statement they thought they were making was, “I’m a good citizen who is saving the environment by driving a cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle with fewer emissions.” But the statement they really were making was, “I’m a dork.”
That’s no longer the case.
Following the lead of Honda, which introduced its Civic Hybrid in 2002, automakers now are making gas-electric hybrid powerplants available in vehicles with more conventional style.
Ford was the first American company to venture into the segment when it introduced a hybrid version of its Escape sport-utility vehicle in mid-2004. The Escape also was the first hybrid SUV. Ford’s reward was recognition for the Escape Hybrid as the 2005 North American Truck of the Year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Buoyed by that success, Ford speeded up its production schedule by a year and last July unveiled the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, a gas-electric version of the conventional-powered Mariner SUV it had introduced the previous fall. The Mariner shares the Escape’s platform and powertrain and is the same length – 174.9 inches – but more than an inch narrower at 70.1 inches – as its twin.
The Mariner does what the Escape does, but with considerable more style. Its front end, with the waterfall emblem in the center of the satin-aluminum grille, is distinctly Mercury, and the body-color cladding, door handles and bumpers add a classic, understated touch. For the Mariner Hybrid, Mercury has added distinctive badging, a discreet air vent in the driver's side rear-quarter window that helps cool the nickel-metal hydride battery pack, and unique five-spoke, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
The roomy interior features two-tone suede and leather seating with contrasting stitching that is among the classiest in a vehicle in any price range. The seats also comfortable, and the driver’s seat is power adjustable six ways. Satin-aluminum and chrome accents on the interior carry out the exterior’s design touches, and controls in the center stack console are easy reached and intuitive to operate.
If there is a complaint, it is with the optional navigation system. The four-inch screen is a bit on the small size. This is no problem when it is set to display the flow chart that shows how the vehicle’s technology is functioning and when you are getting power from the electric motor alone, the gas engine alone, or a combination thereof. But it does make it difficult to read the map when navigating.
The nav system is available as a stand-alone option or part of a Premium Package that also includes heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a reverse sensing system and the Safety Package that includes side curtain air bags with rollover sensor and chest-protecting side impact air bags.
Standard features include antilock brakes, a tire-pressure monitoring system, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, an audio system with MP3 player capability, one-touch power windows, and the other touches one might expect from vehicles in the segment.
There’s plenty of storage space, 27 cubic feet with the rear seat up and a maximum 66 cubic feet with the 60/40 split rear seat folded down.
The Mariner Hybrid is a full hybrid with its 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine (which uses regular gas) shutting down to save fuel when coasting, sitting at a stoplight or driving at low speeds. The electric motor alone can drive the car up to speeds of 25 mph, making it more fuel efficient in town than on the highway, which is typical for hybrids. The Mariner Hybrid has a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds.
Four-wheel drive is standard, though the power is sent to the front wheels alone under most conditions. The Mariner Hybrid is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) so there are no shift points, and it rides on 16-inch aluminum wheels.
In our session with the Mariner Hybrid, we found the sound from the engine a little more noticeable than in other hybrid SUVs we have driven, and the gas engine also seemed to run a bit more than we expected even as we tried to be more and more gentle on the accelerator. The computer showed we were getting around 25 miles to the gallon, which is a bit more than we got from the Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid we had driven, though not enough to be significant.
The Mariner Hybrid starts at $29,225 and the Premium Package, which really sets it apart from the Escape, adds $3,795. The all-wheel-drive version of the V6 Mariner, meanwhile, starts at $26,785. Thus you’ll pay an extra $2,400 or more for the hybrid technology before you start adding any of the cool stuff (navigation is not available on the V6).
Of course, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you’re behind the wheel of the “Green Car of the Year” as awarded by the Green Car Journal and its panel of judges that included Mario Andretti and Carroll Shelby.
Does that make it worth the extra cost? That’s your decision, of course. Just keep in mind it could take up to five years or more of driving the hybrid version of the Mariner for you to recoup the difference in its price and that of the standard version. But then Kermit the Frog told us a long time ago it isn’t easy being green. Or cheap either.
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