Mercury Mariner First Drive
Introduction
This twin of the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute is a unibody SUV with a fully independent suspension. Our tested Ford Escape had a roomy interior that included a spacious rear bench. Handling is relatively nimble. The 3.0-liter V6 serves up adequate acceleration. Fuel economy was disappointing at just 18 mpg overall. In our tests, the Escape hybrid attained 26 mpg. The Mariner's sibling, the Escape, tipped up in the government rollover test.