Today we learned that Mercury may have gotten the shaft a bit more unfairly than Lincoln did by Ford's own metrics. I can't say I miss Mercury too much. Here's why.
This is the 2005 Mercury Mariner. If it looks like a Ford Escape or a Mazda Tribute, that's because it is, except with Mercury's "waterfall grille" that Mr. John Davis says is supposed to add "style and luxury." Frankly, he doesn't sound very convinced.
Honestly, the Mariner probably wasn't a bad SUV for its time, but when their last few cars were just blatant exercises in badge engineering, it's hard to want them back.
MotorWeek Theater is our showcase of some of our favorite classic reviews from public television's finest motoring program. How does this video only have 7,094 views on YouTube? It's way nicer than a Ford or a Mazda!