Accessing the third row is a three-step process that doesn't strike us as all that secure. First, you pull a strap that releases the head restraints so they fold forward. Then you pull up on a stiff lever to fold the seatback down on the seat bottom. And then you lift the heavy seat assembly, rocking it forward toward the front seats, where it parks, unrestrained, while people crawl into and out of the third row seats. When I leaned on it while climbing out, it rocked back, almost dropping into place, which would have put it smack on top of my foot.

We like the look of some of the light-colored interiors, though we're concerned it'll get dirty. The light-colored, suede-like inserts attract dirt like a magnet and, once dirtied, are a hassle to spruce up.

The rear-seat entertainment system, controls and all, is housed in a black plastic box suspended from the ceiling and running the width of the roof immediately behind the front seats contains. The size of the drop-down screen seems behind the times in terms of size. When in position for viewing, the video screen combines with the rear head restraints to render the rearview mirror virtually useless. Outward visibility elsewhere is good, with less obstruction than expected from the thick C-pillars.

The door panels are an example of how safety and ergonomics sometimes don't mix well. The idea behind the layout of the interior door panels, front and rear, was to use the arm rest and door pull to supplement the impact protection hardware built into the door's innards. Thus, the separation of the arm rest and door pull, with one positioned below the other. The result, however, is a door pull well below and forward of the natural plane of the arm and wrist and, thus, ergonomically poorly positioned and basically just a bear to grab hold of and use to leverage the door closed. To top off the poor placement of those two features, the inside latch handle is all the way forward and on the top-most part of the arm rest, where it's a stretch to get to and at an illogical angle to operate. To its credit, Mercury (and Ford, which used the same design on the the 2006 Explorer) has announced the door panels will be reconfigured, possibly for 2007.

The Mountaineer offers less cargo space behind the third-row seats than either the Envoy or the Pathfinder, by nearly 10 cubic feet in the former and by nearly 3 cubic feet in the latter. Fold down the third row and it offers the same amount of cargo space behind the second row as the Envoy but more than 5 cubic feet less than the Pathfinder. With both back rows of seats folded, however, the Mountaineer prevails, by about 3 cubic feet over the GMC and Nissan. We'd like to have some hooks on which to hang grocery bags like those found on the Chrysler Town & Country and other vehicles.

Driving Impressions

There's a lot that's new underneath the 2006 Mercury Mountaineer.

The new V8 engine is more powerful than the V8 on 2005 Mountaineers. Though the displacement is the same as before, the new V8 features three valves per cylinder and new electronics, which generates major amounts of added motivation: 53 more horsepower and 18 more pound-feet of torque. Curb weight is up, however, by almost 200 pounds. Torque peaks on the high side, too. This probably explains why we weren't overwhelmed by the response from the V8 when we prodded the accelerator, whether from a stop light or when hoping to take advantage of a long-awaited opening on a crowded two-lane road. The new six-speed automatic transmission compensated somewhat, but not enough to impress.

The V6 engine is the same as last year's, with 210 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. It comes with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Mercury says the frame is stronger on 2006 models, which combined with a revised front suspension and a new, trailing-link rear suspension should produce a firmer, more controlled ride. Firmer, maybe, but as for more control, we didn't feel it. The 2006 Mountaineer tracks relatively well on level, straight roads, but leans in corners almost as much as the '05. Likewise, when pushed in corners, it plows as readily as any top-heavy SUV. Steering response felt a bit crisper, but we can't say how much this was attributable to changes in the suspension as to the marginally larger footprint from the lower profile tires and the 0.7-inch wider rear track (the distance between the left and right wheels).

The all-wheel drive in the Mountaineer is more for conquering the snowy parking lot at the ski resort and maintaining controlled headway in downpours than for tackling rock-strewn terrain. And by that measure, it's quite competent. In the same vein, it's also just as good as the Envoy, but won't quite keep up with the Pathfinder.

At speed on pavement, there's some wind noise, but not enough to detract in the least from the stereo. Road noise is decently muted

Summary

The Mercury Mountaineer offers a comfortable ride. The 2006 models handle better than the '05s and the Mountaineer feels sure-footed in the mountains. Accommodations are nice overall and the Mountaineer offers lots of utility.