Summary

The Mercury Montego is a five-passenger family sedan that's roomy and luxurious. It benefits from safety features and engineering developed by Volvo and all-wheel drive is available for bad weather and low-traction conditions. Both transmissions work well. The CVT that comes with AWD models is a vast improvement over earlier designs because of its electronic controls.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Jim McCraw filed this report from Dearborn, Michigan

Model Line Overview

Model lineup:Mercury Montego Luxury ($24,430); Luxury AWD ($26,280); Premier ($26,880); Premier AWD ($28,730)

Engines:200-hp 3.0-liter dohc 24-valve V6

Transmissions:6-speed automatic; Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

Safety equipment (standard):ABS, EBD, front airbags

vSafety equipment (optional):side-impact and curtain air bags, traction control; all-wheel drive

Basic warranty:3 years/36,000 miles