2010 Mercury Mountaineer Base
The 2010 Mercury Mountaineer is a midsize SUV. It was based in the Ford Explorer, but 2010 was its last year. While the Explorer is now a car-based SUV, the Mountaineer was a body on frame SUV. There are still a few old-style midsize SUV’s left, but the number is diminishing every year, because users are opting for better mileage and a more car-like ride over towing capacity and off-road chops.
The 2010 Mercury Mountaineer Base is the lower of two trim levels, and seats 5 passengers. It has a 4.0 liter V6 engine that produces 210 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. It has 17-inch wheels, all-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.
The Mountaineer has a leather-wrapped, tilt-only steering wheel, 6-way power driver’s seat with manual lumbar support, split-fold rear seat, full-power accessories, and cruise control. The audio system has 4 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack. There are upgrades available in almost every facet, including a third row split-folding seat to increase the passsengers to seven.
The Mountaineer comes with anti-lock brakes, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, and a rollover sensor. In government tests, the Mountaineer got perfect scores of 5 stars in side and front impact tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it a top score of “good” for front impact, but second-best score of “acceptable” for side impact.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The Mountaineer’s interior is well done, but a bit of a throwback. The design is more functional, and the dash looks like it was made in the 90′s. The materials are mostly high-quality, though, and the seats are comfortable.
There is plenty of headroom and legroom for five passengers, and the optional third row seat is OK for two more, as long as they are children. If you keep the original five-seat configuration and fold the second row down, you can get 85.8 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Mountaineer handles like a truck, but doesn’t have as much body roll as you would expect. The ride is not quite truck stiff, either. The engine is a bit underpowered for a vehicle this size, and an upgrade to the V8 is necessary for serious SUV use. Despite its shortcomings, the Mountaineer does manage to cruise well at highway speeds and provide a smooth, quiet ride.
All in all, the Mountaineer is a “walking” testament to why it was discontinued.
The verdict: this “Mountaineer” doesn’t have enough engine for mountain use. So, what’s the point?
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