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After spending a little over a week and a half in our test fleet, we found the 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid to be a good contender in this segment, but not something we’re eager to drive on a daily basis. For the new model year, Ford bumped up the power of the four-cylinder gasoline motor to 175 horsepower, but overall acceleration is still somewhat slow. On top of that, the weak engine mated to continuously variable transmission creates a really horrible noise when a lot of power is needed. The interior, however, is quite pleasant, and we're definitely not complaining about nearly 30 miles per gallon in observed fuel economy.

Click through to read all of our individual impressions of the Mariner Hybrid.

Chris Paukert
Editor-In-Chief

Given the Mariner’s aging bones, Mercury has done a credible job with this latest update bringing their small crossover into the here and now. The exterior is attractive and unfussy in a traditional SUV way, and the interior has been greatly elevated over the previous model, with a more sensible and elegant layout and better materials. It isn’t class-leading stuff just yet, but it’s on pace.

The problem for me, in this case, is that this newfound refinement is killed stone dead when driven with anything approaching urgency. While this obviously isn’t a sportscar, even merging on the highway is a grating aural experience, as the drivetrain makes a tremendous racket without yielding appreciable gains in velocity. One has to wonder if the horrible din is a clandestine fuel-saving strategy employed by Ford to improve observed fuel mileage: make a terrible noise and you’ll condition drivers to stay off the accelerator. Brilliant!

Reilly Brennan
General Manager

I refer to my time in Mariner Hybrid as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sort of an experience. On the one hand, the exterior and interior designs are really striking. The touch-screen display is gorgeous and easy to use, the interior colors and plastics are excellent for the segment, and the steering was surprisingly good for a little crossover. Even my friends spoke up during a short trip to dinner, asking what kind of vehicle we were in.

Unfortunately, my interest in the Mariner Hybrid faded away when I put the vehicle in Drive. Regardless of its fuel savings or eco-friendly credentials, it’s hard to love a vehicle that groans like the Mariner Hybrid does. Fault the CVT for that—it just doesn’t do the rest of the vehicle justice—and unfortunately it’s the cause of most of the heartache. Although hybrid buyers are still seen as early adopters, it’s hard to believe they don’t want some modicum of refinement in their car’s powertrain—especially when paying somewhere in the mid-$30,000s.

Nate Luzod
Art Director

Overall, I was impressed with the Mariner Hybrid. I thought the earlier generation was decent, and there are many improvements to be enjoyed this time around. Though this seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it subject within our staff, I found the interior quality to be a definite step up from what I’ve seen in previous Mercury products. Between this and the Lincoln MKS, I feel like Ford is finally getting the hang of things. The design is significantly improved (though the center console reminds me of something out of a Land Rover), and the materials seem to be getting better and better.

The ride quality is fine for a daily driver. Though it’s challenging to get the Mariner Hybrid up and over 85 mph, not everyone needs this in a vehicle. It’s comfortable, easy to drive and though nothing blows me away performance-wise, I found absolutely nothing to complain about, either.

For day-in-day-out things, I think it’s great to have a hybrid, mid-size and mid-priced truck with very decent quality.

Seyth Miersma
News Writer

The Mariner hybrid will undoubtedly make a useful tool for those buyers (a growing number these days) searching for a higher measure of fuel efficiency to combine with the utilitarian nature of a small SUV/crossover. It just won’t do it in a way that will please those among us that truly love driving.

Interior and exterior color schemes aside (consider me decidedly against the jewel-tone blue here), the Mariner makes an awfully abrasive sound when pushed at all, something vaguely akin to a box of rocks being shaken at high speed. The racket is all the more jarring because the hybrid drivetrain is so quiet at low speeds. I’m well aware that the Mariner was never intended to be a “driver’s car” so I can certainly overlook the other dynamic shortcomings, but surely we should expect more from the around-town driving refinement?

Steven J. Ewing
Production Assistant

I drove the Mariner Hybrid for a total of five days during its time in our fleet, and I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I didn’t care for the light blue exterior and light beige interior finish, and it looks like it was conjured up to make the Mariner appear more eco-friendly. The interior materials are not the best, but every time I drive a Ford product I can see signs of improvement. The seats are comfortable, though a bit too high up, the steering wheel feels nice, and the center console is well-organized with buttons and knobs that don’t feel chintzy.

As far as driving goes, I’ll agree with my other staff members and say that this thing makes an absolutely terrible noise when the engine is revving anywhere in upwards of 2000 rpm. The transition between electric motor and full-on internal combustion isn’t Toyota/Lexus smooth, but it’s much smoother than systems from General Motors or Nissan. Still, my observed 29 miles per gallon doesn’t hold up to the figures that Ford is quoting, and I’d like to think I drove the Mariner Hybrid pretty economically.

The only real downfall of this Mariner Hybrid is the price. I don’t see many people shelling out nearly $34k for a front-drive example, though our test car did come with a boatload of options. Navigation, SYNC, satellite radio, leather, moonroof, and ambient lighting were all present. Still, $34k is a lot of coin for a Mariner. If Ford’s upcoming Ecoboost engines are really going to provide a bump in fuel economy in vehicles like the Edge, I’d spring for one of those instead.

2009 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

Engine: Inline-4, 2.5 liters, 16v
Output: 153 hp/136 lb-ft
Motor Output: 94 hp @ 5000 rpm
Transmission: CVT
Weight: 3669 lb
Fuel Economy, city/hwy: 34/31 mpg

Price as tested: $33,835