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Tuesday December 20, 2005
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 SUV = bad for the environment, right? Not necessarily; if you must have one, you could do worse than this hybrid from Mercury (just reviewed at TechnoRide). Costing ($29,840 to $34,220, it gets 30 mpg, not bad at all. Even though the list of cons is longer than the pros, Bill Howard still awards the Mariner a score of 3 out of 5.
It's a decent-looking vehicle, but I was surprised to read about the lack of available colors (I know, it's girly, but a car's color is an important factor to me!) -- just red, two shades of silver, black, and beige, and there is exactly one color for the interior: "pebble," a kind of gray-beige. Another downside is a tiny navigation LCD. Still, if you need the room and still want to be environmentally responsible, this is worth checking out.
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December 20, 2005 3:18 PM
This is just a Ford Escape Hybrid in a new skin. The Escape Hybrid has been out for a while and is not a bad machine. Why do the big 3 persist in keeping open all these divisions making essentially the same cars? Could be one of the reasons for their abysmal financial performance. Think of the time and effort involved in design, manufacturing and marketing the same car under different badges. Put all that money and effort into making a better car!
December 20, 2005 9:59 PM
It's a common practice in the auto industry to "rebadge" the same underlying chassis with different appointments. The big 3 have many problems, this is not one of them...
December 21, 2005 12:06 PM
Just because it is common practice doesn't mean it is a good idea. If it is a good idea, then why eliminate the Olds division? The big 3 are in big trouble, and *have* to cut back. What better way to cut back than eliminating entire redundant divisions of car/truck production and all the costs associated with them? The difference is that Honda and Toyota actually make money doing it! And I would contend that there is a bigger difference between most Hondas/Acuras and Toyotas/Lexuses than between GMC and Chevy trucks, or Cadillacs and Buicks, and particularly the Mariner/Escape. The market obviously agrees, or Lexus/Acura/Infinity would not be able to charge a premium for their vehicles.