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Drivers Log.(News)
2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Date in fleet: Dec. 15-Jan. 3 as-tested price: $33,635 Powertrain: 2.3-liter I4; 4wd, CVT Output: 133 hp @ 6000 rpm, 124 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm Curb weight: 3787 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA combined/AW observed): 31.1 mpg/21.3 mpg
WILSON: I was really looking forward to this package because I liked the last "ordinary'' Mariner I drove and thought the hybrid would be the ticket. But... when the engine is running, it feels coarse and crude, the ride quality isn't as good as in my '91 Jeep Comanche (back-to-back drives on the same road), and there is a lot of road noise. It just feels heavy, overburdened by the extra battery and drive componentry, making a case for hybrids to be engineered that way from the ground up (a la Prius) rather than converted on ordinary platforms (a la, well, Civic comes to mind, but it works better than the Mariner does).
Now for the bit the hybrid slappies want to know about: It's quick to shut off the engine, so if you are doing a lot of serious stop-go driving, you'd save a lot of fuel ordinarily burned while idling. If you're really light on the throttle, you'll also move away on electric power only from a stop. I nearly got sideswiped trying to do this at a right turn on red. There was no visible oncoming traffic when I started, but somebody came rushing up on me and nailed his horn as I was trying to ease into the throttle and detect when it kicked the engine on. Stupid move on my part, really... I thought I had the room to drive like a hybrid believer, but in fact, that's dangerous and foolish behavior.
Once you get the engine going, it does that CVT thing, especially under accel, where the tach goes to 4000 rpm and just sits there near the torque peak, regardless of whether you're applying a lot or a little gas. This may be the source of my coarse engine impression, the buzziness of the engine sitting at its most efficient rpm rather than the rising and falling note that would avoid some of the unpleasant harmonics I encountered.
The heated seat is a boon in the cold. It's not really adjustable and seems to overheat at first, especially in moderate temps. When it gets really cold you realize the car heater isn't doing the ...
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Source: HighBeam Research, Drivers Log.(News)