Mercury Monterey First Drive
Introduction
The Monterey is the successor to the Villager, which was a Nissan product. The Monterey is an upscale version of the Ford Freestar, itself an evolution of the Windstar. It competes with the upscale Chrysler Town & Country as well as high-end versions of the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The standard 4.2-liter V6 is noisy and unrefined. The ride is a bit unsettled, but handling is secure. The Monterey features a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor. The optional head-protection curtain air bags cover all three rows. Stability control and adjustable pedals are available, as well as parking-assist warning sensors. Crash test results are impressive.