Mercury Monterey revives old name with long heritage

The new Mercury Monterey looks nothing like the Montereys of the past. My dad had a '57 Monterey two-door, and I got to drive the handsome green and white hardtop once in a while. It had a big 312-cubic-inch V8 engine and an automatic transmission that was controlled by push buttons on the dashboard.

In the early 1980s I needed a good, reliable used car and purchased an 8-year-old Mercury Monterey four-door. It had a huge trunk that served as our pickup truck and a back seat big enough for my two kids to do gymnastics in. Engines had grown even larger, and this Monterey was equipped with a beefy 390-cubic-inch V8 with a thirsty four-barrel carburetor that drank 75-cent gasoline with gusto. Those were the days.

The only thing that hasn't changed about the new Monterey is the name. Gone are the hinged rear doors, replaced with remote-controlled sliding doors. Gone are the thirsty V8 engines, exchanged for efficient V6s that get 23 mpg on the highway. Gone are the huge trunks, traded for even larger, more versatile passenger cabins that accommodate seven people in comfort and swallow sheets of plywood with ease.

Montereys come in three levels of trim: Convenience, Luxury and Premier. My test vehicle, provided by Ford Groves, was the Premier, loaded with every power convenience. All three versions are equipped with the same engines and transmissions -- 4.6 liter V6s producing 201 horsepower, coupled to four-speed automatic gearboxes. This is the largest displacement V6 you can get in a minivan, but the Monterey is also the heaviest, so the engine size is appropriate.

Initial impression

The new Monterey is a handsome minivan with great curb appeal. In fact, it scored a perfect 10 in the appearance category in one Internet survey I found. Its distinctive waterfall grill and satin aluminum accents give the Monterey a singular, sophisticated look. The brushed aluminum exterior door pulls are especially attractive.

Accenting the luxurious interior is a handsome analog clock in the center of the dash. Below that, a dark wood accent runs the width of the instrument panel, and beneath that, more wood trim surrounds the climate and sound system controls. The Monterey has a shapely dash and the plastics are higher in quality than what was used in the previous Mercury product, producing a refined, classy-looking minivan. The power adjustable leather seats are perforated to accommodate the heating and cooling feature -- the first in a minivan. And, to ensure your seats are a comfortable temperature when you arrive, your Monterey can be ordered with a remote-starting feature with a 500-hundred-foot range. There are climate controls and air vents for the middle and third row passengers, and an available DVD player that folds down from the ceiling. But one of the niftiest features I found was a little concave mirror that drops down from the ceiling to give the driver a view of the little rowdies in back. My kids are grown, but I found myself glancing in the mirror to make eye contact during conversation with my grown-up rowdies.

Mercury engineers had fun designing the third-row seat. Flip a couple of levers and it disappears into the floor in a flash. Flip a different lever and the seat converts from its normal forward facing position into a rear-facer -- perfect for tailgate parties or watching your kid's soccer game! That's the great thing about the modern Monterey -- you can customize it to your own personal preferences. It has power adjustable foot pedals, tilt steering wheel, power seats, adjustable lumbar support, power and heated outside mirrors and triple climate controls. After you get everything exactly the way you want it, push one of the two memory buttons to lock in your settings.

Driving the Monterey

The first thing you'll hear when backing out of your parking space will be the warning beeps of the reverse and forward sensing systems which alert you to objects behind or in front of the vehicle. Sensors are mounted at all four corners, not just the rear. The next thing you will hear will be not much at all. The Monterey is quiet. It's not as quiet as a good passenger car, but for a minivan it's pretty good. We drove it to Giant City Lodge for lunch and on the Mississippi River bridge and the rough railroad tracks in Ware, Ill. It did a good job of isolating us from the bumps and dips. There are no rattles, and the wind noise is not objectionable. Acceleration is brisk from a standstill -- no surprise considering the Monterey has the most torque of any minivan. The transmission is a new type with increased hydraulic pressure, and it shifted smoothly and responsively on the highway and around town.

This is the first long-wheelbase minivan from Mercury. Short-wheelbase vehicles are great for maneuverability and ease of parking, but often the ride suffers. The Monterey, loaded with three full size adults, had a pleasant, compliant ride. I rode in the middle row on the way back from Giant City, and was very comfortable. There was ample legroom, and the middle seats can slide forward and aft for the best compromise in legroom for second and third row occupants. The second row seats can tumble forward, or can be removed completely. There was adequate headroom for my six-foot-plus co-pilot, and thanks to the adjustable pedals, he had no trouble getting comfortable for an extended ride.

This Mercury, equipped with luggage rack, traction control, home-link, safety air bag canopy system, anti theft, automatic headlamps, 6 CD sound system and a low tire pressure warning system is sticker priced at $35,825, but is offered with up to $2,500 in factory rebates or financing incentives. It's the first to bring a couple of innovate features to the market, and is priced to give the market leaders a run for their money.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian.