Acceleration

Luxury	Class Average
5	4.8

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

Fuel Economy

Luxury	Class Average
4	4.1

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

Ride Quality

Luxury	Class Average
5	6

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	5.9

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	6.2

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	6.9

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	6.9

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	10

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. Note that Mercury says 2007 is Monterey's final model year, which may mean deeper discounts.

Total Score

Luxury	Class Average
58	61.8

Scores for all Minivans

Low Score		56
Average Score		61
High Score		71