2009 Mercury Mariner

A lot has changed on the Mercury Mariner when compared to last year's model, but one aspect left largely untouched is the styling. Both inside and out, the 2009 Mercury Mariner looks nearly identical to its 2008 sibling.

According to Edmunds the 2009 MercuryMariner is a "compact SUV [that] is available in four trim levels: I4, V6, Premier I4 and Premier V6." Externally, these vehicles are virtually identical, though Edmunds notes that the Mercury Mariner "isn't exactly the freshest face on the block, sharing as it does a nine-year-old platform with its Ford Escape sibling." Car and Driver also mentions that "the design is old," pointing out that 2009 MercuryMariners are "square-jawed and trucklike compared to their relatively effete competition." Despite the vehicle's aged design, reviewers at Cars.com appreciate the external styling treatment, claiming that "the Mariner is a congenial-looking rig" with its standard "16-inch alloy wheels."

The interior of the Mercury Mariner doesn't seem to offend in any of the reviews read by TheCarConnection.com. Cars.com reports that "the dashboard's contemporary shapes and angled surfaces look interesting enough, but there's a tactile severity that permeates the whole interior." Edmunds sees it in a positive light, praising the "upscale ambiance" inside the Mercury Mariner. ConsumerGuide reviewers like that "the climate controls are simple to use," but on the downside, they note that "the available navigation system absorbs most audio functions," and the end result is that "some simple adjustments are needlessly complicated" on the Mercury Mariner.