Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Mercury Mariner
The 2008 Mercury Mariner hits dealer lots as a functional, no-frills SUV that can claim a spot as one of the least expensive on the market. However, this was not quite enough to wow our reviewer, Kelsey Mays, who tested one for a week, only to be under-whelmed by its lackluster interior. With little to set it apart from its competitors, Mays offers the Mariner only a tepid endorsement. Read his full review to find out why.
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This is probably a question I should pose to Ask.cars, and I dont mean this in any insulting way towards Ford. Its just more of a curiousity. What exactly is the point of Mercury? Im not saying their vehicles are bad, but theyre just slightly different iterations of their Ford counterparts. I mean theyre not necessarily a luxury brand for the company so I can't really fathom the demographic theyre shooting for. Is it just a style thing? They do look better than their counterparts...slightly. I dont know how well Mercury resonates in a car buyers mind when they consider a new vehicle. Personally I have never really considered them myself. If I were on the market for a new small SUV I would think of the Escape well before the Mariner comes to mind.
I know that ford has had them on the chopping block numerous times- but the brand has a very loyal repeat customer base. I think it has one of the highest conquest percentages in the industry, and it appeals mainly to women and lets face it- that is a good demographic to be apealing to.
Phaeton,
I think your question is a common one in and outside the industry. A lot of it has to do with dealers and Ford is spending a lot of money to consolidate all the Lincoln and Mercury dealers. I would hazard a guess they want to do this so they can close up Mercury and focus on Lincoln which believe it or not does ok mainly because of the navigator and MKX.
I agree that the redesigned Escape and Mariner do not appear that competitive in the market. However, they do appear to be selling reasonably well, as the article I included in my post discusses. Who knows how sustainable that will be though. http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/379611.html