2006 Mercury Monterey Full Review - Consumer Guide Automotive

Mercury's slow-selling minivan is a retrimmed Ford Freestar with a 201-hp 4.2-liter V6, 4-speed automatic transmission, standard ABS, and three-row seating for seven. Traction/antiskid control is available. Standard equipment includes front side and curtain side airbags covering all rows. Second-row seats are either twin flip/fold buckets or a no-cost two-place bench. A 3rd-row bench seat folds into the floor and also flips backward for use beneath an open liftgate. Front and rear obstacle detection is standard. A power liftgate is optional, as are DVD entertainment and heated/cooled front seats. Monterey's performance and accommodations mirror those of similarly equipped Freestars.

Competition

Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. Long the choice as the family hauler, Minivans are easily the smartest use of space for passengers and cargo. These vehicles offer a fantastic blend of comfort, convenience, and safety features for the modern family.

Our Best Buys include Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, and Honda Odyssey. Our Recommended pick is Toyota Sienna.

Kia Sedona is new or significantly redesigned.

News

Reports say Monterey and sister Ford Freestar will be dropped after 2008. In their place come "people movers" based on the Volvo-derived D3 platform used for the Montego/Ford Five Hundred sedans and Ford Freestyle crossover. The likely pattern is the recent Fairlane concept, which should mean boxy styling, a much lower and wider stance than the minivan norm, and standard three-row seating. Signficantly, however, Monterey's replacement will be a Lincoln, not a Mercury. Ford Motor Company plans to favor Lincoln for future products, which does not bode well for Mercury's long-term prospects.

2006 Mercury Monterey Road Test

Pros	Cons

Passenger and cargo room	Fuel economy

Consumer Guide® Road Test Ratings

Acceleration

Luxury	Class Average
5	4.2

Montereys have sufficient power for most driving demands. Transmission delivers smooth, prompt shifts.

Fuel Economy

Luxury	Class Average
4	4.2

Test Monterey averaged 16.6 mpg in a city/highway driving mix. Mercury recommends regular-grade fuel.

Ride Quality

Luxury	Class Average
5	5.8

Mostly stable, absorbent, but sharp bumps and ruts jolt through. And coarse pavement can induce minor but unpleasant structural vibration.

Steering/Handling/Braking

Luxury	Class Average
4	4.7

Handling competent but no more, with noticeable body lean in turns. Brakes smooth, progressive, but stopping power unexceptional.

Quietness

Luxury	Class Average
5	5.7

V6 sounds hoarse and strained when cold or at full throttle. Very little wind rustle at highway speeds. Road noise modest in front, much louder in back. Despite upscale positioning, Monterey seems only marginally quieter than Ford Freestar overall.

Controls

Luxury	Class Average
6	6

Dashboard design shared with Freestar offers clear instruments and mostly simple, handy switchgear, though climate controls sit too low for easy driver access. Monterey has more bright accents than Freestar and some materials that feel slightly richer, but budget-grade plastic still abounds.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

Luxury	Class Average
7	6.7

Height-adjustable seat with lumbar support, available power-adjustable pedals accommodate most any size driver. Still, rearward seat travel not quite enough for 6-footers. Optional front-seat cooling works quickly to enhance hot-weather comfort. Outward vision good to all corners. Note Monterey's standard front/rear obstacle detection vs. Freestar's available rear-only system.

Room/Comfort (rear)

Luxury	Class Average
7	6.8

Seats nicely padded, supportive in both 2nd and 3rd rows. Second row seating slides fore/aft a few inches, but leg room still limited for tall adults. All 2nd-row seats fold and tumble for access to 3rd row, which is best left to kids, though adults can enjoy the seat's "tailgate party" position.

Cargo Room

Luxury	Class Average
10	9.9

Lots of space even with all seats in place, thanks to deep floor well that stores easily folded 3rd row. But that seat is one-piece, not split for versatility as in many rivals. Second-row seats are removable, fold up without taking off headrests. Interior storage a bit skimpy for a minivan; parking brake lever reduces utility of front center console. Folded 3rd-row seat exposes two metal sidewall brackets that eat into load space.

Value within Class

Luxury	Class Average
5	6.3

Monterey, like Freestar, is attractively priced and offers laudable safety and convenience features. But an aging basic design dims its overall appeal compared with Toyota's Sienna, which is more refined, or the Honda Odyssey and Dodge Caravan, which are more pleasant to drive.

Total Score

Luxury	Class Average
58	60.3

Scores for all Minivans

Low Score		56
Average Score		60
High Score		71

2006 Mercury Monterey Prices & Equipment

Model Prices

Prices Updated: 12/12/2005

Trim Name	Retail Price	Dealer Invoice	Destination Charge

Luxury 4-door van	$28,595	$26,323	$730

Pricing Key: Retail prices listed with each report are set by the vehicle's manufacturer. These figures appear on each car's federally mandated window sticker. Most price lists also include dealer-invoice prices. Dealer-invoice prices are what the dealer pays the manufacturer for the car and its factory-installed options. The destination charge is not included in the suggested-retail or dealer-invoice price and must be added to the cost of the vehicle. Car companies change prices frequently throughout the year. If the prices published do not match those on the vehicle's window sticker, the manufacturer has probably altered the price recently.

NA = price note available, NC = no charge.

Rebates and Incentives

There are no rebates or incentives at this time.

Consumer Guide®'s Rebates and Incentives represent a summary of national manufacturer programs available. Regional restrictions may apply, and offerings may vary by model. For a complete list of Rebate & Incentive programs click here.

Standard Equipment

Luxury

Powertrain

4.2-liter V6 engine, 4-speed automatic transmission.

Safety

Dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, tire-pressure monitor, front- and rear-obstacle-detection system.

Comfort and Convenience Features

Air conditioning w/dual-zone manual climate controls, rear climate controls, power steering, tilt wood/leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio controls, cruise control, cloth upholstery, 7-passenger seating, front bucket seats, 6-way power driver seat w/lumbar adjustment, power-adjustable pedals, center console, cupholders, 2nd-row bucket seats, 3rd-row stowable bench seat, heated power mirrors w/turn signals, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, keypad entry, power sliding rear doors, AM/FM radio w/in-dash 6-disc CD changer, rear radio controls, analog clock, tachometer, compass, outside-temperature indicator, variable-intermittent wipers, illuminated visor mirrors, map lights, conversation mirror, rear defogger, intermittent rear wiper, automatic headlights, floormats, roof rails.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

Theft-deterrent system, rear privacy glass, fog lights, 235/60R16 tires, alloy wheels.

Optional Equipment

Major Packages	Retail Price	Invoice Price
AdvanceTrac Stability Control System
Luxury, Premier	$730	$635
Traction control, brake assist, antiskid system.

Comfort Pkg.
Luxury	$690	$601
Dual-zone automatic climate controls w/manual rear controls, power passenger seat, automatic day/night rearview mirror, universal garage-door opener.

Class II Trailer Tow Prep Pkg.
Luxury	$335	$291
Trailer-tow wiring, heavy-duty cooling.

Comfort and Convenience Features
Rear-seat DVD entertainment system
Luxury	$1,395	$1,214
Deletes rear climate controls. Requires Comfort Pkg.

Leather upholstery
Luxury	$890	$775


Heated/cooled front seats
Luxury	$1,485	$1,292
Includes leather or leather/suede upholstery.

2nd-row 2-passenger bench seat
Luxury	$0	$0


Power liftgate
Luxury	$400	$348


Cargo-management system
Luxury	$125	$109


Smoker's Pkg.
Luxury	$30	$26
Lighter, ash tray.

Appearance and Miscellaneous
Rear spoiler
Luxury	$290	$253


Roof rack
Luxury	$75	$65


Class I Trailer Tow Prep Pkg.
Luxury	$95	$83
Trailer-tow wiring.

235/55R17 tires
Luxury	$245	$213


Self-sealing tires
Luxury, Luxury	$195	$170

2006 Mercury Monterey Specs & Safety

Vehicle Dimensions

Specification	Mercury Monterey 4-door van

Wheelbase, in.	120.8

Overall Length, in.	201.1

Overall Width, in.	76.0

Overall Height, in.	70.8

Curb Weight, lbs.	4492

Cargo Volume, cu. ft.	136.9

Standard Payload, lbs.	--

Fuel Capacity, gals.	26.0

Seating Capacity	7

Front Head Room, in.	38.9

Max. Front Leg Room, in.	40.7

Rear Head Room, in.	40.1

Max. Rear Leg Room, in.	38.0

Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Engines

	ohv V6

Size, liters/cu. in.	4.2 /256

Horsepower @ rpm.	201 @ 4250

Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm.	263 @ 3500

Availability	Standard

EPA City / highway mpg

4-speed automatic	17/23

Engine Key: l/cu in. = liters/cubic inches; ohv = overhead valve; ohc = overhead camshaft; dohc = dual overhead camshaft; I = inline cylinders; H = horizonally opposed cylinders; V = cylinders in a V configuration; W = cylinders in a W configuration; rpm = revolutions per minute; CVT = continuously variable (automatic) transmission; NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Safety Features

Antilock Brakes

Traction Control

Antiskid System

Front Side Airbags

Curtain Side Airbags

Rear Side Airbags

NHTSA Crash-Test Results

Test	Mercury Monterey 4-door van

Front Impact, Driver	5

Front Impact, Passenger	5

Rollover Resistance	4

Side Impact, Driver	4

Side Impact, Rear Passenger	5

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a vehicle's worthiness in front- and side-impact collisions and rates its resistance to rollovers. Front-impact crash-test numbers indicate the chance of serious injury: 5 = 10% or less; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-35%; 2 = 35-45%; 1 = More than 45%. Side-impact crash-test numbers indicate: 5 = 5% or less; 4 = 6-10%; 3 = 11-20%; 2 = 21-25%; 1 = More than 26%. Rollover resistance numbers indicate the chance for rollover when the vehicle leaves the roadway: 5 = Less than 10%; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-30%; 2 = 30-40%; 1 = More than 40%.

Manufacturer's Warranty

Class	Years/Miles	Comments

Powertrain	None/--	8/100,000 on Mariner hybrid components.

Bumper-to-bumper	3/36,000	--

Corrosion	5/unlimited	--

Free roadside assistance	3/36,000	--

Free scheduled maintenance	None/--	--

Manufacturers may periodically offer additional coverage as a purchase incentive. There offers are not reflected on this chart. The federal government requires two other warranties. The Exhaust Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000 miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any on-board diagnostic device. The Passenger Restraint Warranty covers seat belts and airbags for 5 years/50,000 miles.

Built in: Canada

Drivewheels: front-wheel drive

< 2006 Mercury Monterey Photos

Also in the 2006 Mercury Monterey Review:

Mercury Monterey

Mercury Monterey Road Test

Mercury Monterey Prices & Equipment

Mercury Monterey Specs & Safety

Mercury Monterey Photos

Mercury Monterey Full Review

All Mercury Montereys

All Mercurys