- suv 82,114
- Everett, WA
-
- autoshopper.com
2002 mercury mountaineer review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. New styling, new engines, new independent suspension. introductionmercury has been trying to find its identity since 1939. The new mountaineer is leading the way toward that goal and represents the future design direction for mercury. Though it still shares all major mechanical components with the ford explorer, the mercury mountaineer this time around has made a major design break with the ford version. Mercury chooses not to use the usual model names. the 2wd v6 retails for $28,730; the awd v6 lists for $30,710. The v8 is a $695 option. No manual transmission is available, so all models come with a new and improved wide-ratio five-speed overdrive automatic transmission. while all previous mountaineer models were five-passenger suvs, from now on, all will be seven-passenger models, using a third seat that folds completely flat to make room at the rear for larger cargos. all mountaineers are built to a relatively high specification, with power windows, mirrors and locks, anti-lock brakes, and a class ii receiver hitch for towing. All have the securilock passive anti-theft system and remote keyless entry system, and approach lamps on the bottoms of the side mirrors that illuminate the sides of the vehicle when the key fob button is pressed. Leather-trimmed bucket seats are available as a standalone option with a six-way power driver's seat and dual manual lumbar support for $655. The power moonroof is $800, the neat crosshatched running boards are $395, the convenience group of automatic headlamps, approach lamps, illuminated visor mirrors and homelink is $476. A reverse sensing system that uses sonar to spot objects the driver may not see is $255. An audiophile sound system with in-dash 6 cd changer is $690, and side-curtain air bags that cover almost 65 percent of the side glass area and have a rollover trigger are $495. A class iii/iv towing package for up to 7300 pounds costs $395. A 3. 55 axle ratio is standard on mountaineer, but a 3. 73 axle ratio with limited slip differential is standard with the class iii/iv towing package. walkaroundto walk around the 2002 mountaineer is to take more steps, because it is longer and wider than the previous model to accommodate both the third seat and the new independent rear suspension system. With gray plastic and gray leather to bounce off, the aluminum trim looks terrific. The aluminum trim extends to the main gauges, the tachometer and speedometer, which are done in black-on-white graphics that turn orange-and-white when the lights are on. It takes only a couple of rides to be able to find everything quickly and easily. The front bucket seats are very good, long, thick and comfortable. Optional seat heaters warm the seats quickly, but the buttons are mounted on the side of the seat and can be difficult to find, grouped with the seatback recliner handle, the power seat switch for fore/aft and the lumbar pump switch. the second and third row seats are very easy to stow. Folding them away reveals a huge 81 cubic-foot cargo bay. All-wheel drive contributes to the mountaineer's handling characteristics because it sends torque to the front and rear tires during normal operation. The mountaineer's system biases torque 35 percent to the front and 65 percent to the rear to minimize understeer. (understeer is when the front tires slip before the rear tires, causing vehicle to push toward the outside of a turn.) the all-wheel-drive system has no switches or levers and needs no driver intervention. There's no low range for serious off-roading, but snow, rain, mud, wet leaves, ice or gravel on the road are no problem. Mountaineer's all-wheel-drive system uses an open differential design with a viscous coupling. Another bonus of the rear suspension is the bigger, flatter load floor and the third seat. Without it, both would be impossible. It's very confidence-inspiring. a new rack-and-pinion steering system makes the mountaineer much less prone to wandering on the highway than the old steering system. summarythe mercury mountaineer awd starts out at a reasonable $30,710, but options can take it over $37,000. Anti-lock Brakes✔ Tachometer✔ Power Windows✔ Bucket Seats✔ CD Changer✔ Sunroof/Moonroof
Everett, WAEverett, WA at autoshopper.com