When shopping for a car, how important is vehicle performance?
Overall Results
2011 model year changes
Last year, the Mercury Mariner received a wealth of safety, technological and comfort upgrades, but for 2011 the small SUV gets no substantial changes.
Competitive comparison
Abundance of interior space; smooth comfortable ride; ease of maneuverability; top safety ratings in every category; hybrid fuel economy
Special features for 2011
The Mariner is a compact sport utility vehicle that is mechanically similar to the Ford Escape, but with different interior and exterior styling and equipment details. The Mariner's smaller size makes it a relatively fuel-efficient SUV. It also has unsurpassed crash ratings, earning the Mariner a 5-star government rating in all crash tests. The base front-wheel drive Mariner gets an estimated 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.