What is the Mercury version of the Ford Escape?
The Mercury Mariner was the Mercury version of the Ford Escape, a compact SUV produced by Ford Motor Company. The Mercury Mariner shared the same platform and many of the same features as the Ford Escape, but with some distinct styling and branding differences to appeal to a different segment of the market.
Overview of the Mercury Mariner
The Mercury Mariner was introduced in 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle, alongside the redesigned Ford Escape. Like the Escape, the Mariner was available in both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive configurations, and offered a range of engine options, including four-cylinder and V6 engines.
The Mariner was positioned as a more upscale and premium version of the Escape, with a focus on comfort, technology, and a more refined driving experience. It featured unique exterior styling, including a distinctive grille, headlights, and taillights, as well as a more luxurious interior with higher-quality materials and additional standard features.
Key Differences from the Ford Escape
While the Mariner shared the same underlying platform and many of the same mechanical components as the Escape, there were several key differences between the two models:
- Exterior Styling: The Mariner had a more distinctive and upscale exterior design, with a more prominent grille, different headlight and taillight treatments, and unique wheel designs.
- Interior Refinement: The Mariner's interior featured higher-quality materials, more standard features, and a more premium feel compared to the Escape.
- Pricing and Positioning: The Mariner was positioned as a more premium and expensive offering compared to the Escape, targeting a different segment of the market.
Despite these differences, the Mariner and Escape were largely similar in terms of their overall capabilities, performance, and utility as compact SUVs.
The Discontinuation of the Mercury Brand
The Mercury Mariner was produced for six model years, from 2006 to 2011, before being discontinued along with the rest of the Mercury brand. Ford decided to discontinue the Mercury brand in 2010, citing declining sales and a desire to focus on the Ford and Lincoln brands.
With the discontinuation of the Mercury brand, the Mariner was no longer produced, and the Ford Escape became the sole compact SUV offering from Ford in the North American market.
Why is Ford discontinuing the Escape?
Ford's discontinuing these unprofitable or marginally profitable vehicles is understandable because of its need to generate huge profits to fund EV development necessary to meet CAFE and emission control standards. Sales of Escape are much lower than sales of the Rav4, CR-V, Rogue, and Equinox.
Is a Mercury Mariner a Ford Escape?
The Mercury Mariner is a compact crossover SUV that was introduced in 2005. It is a sibling of the Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape, although it is more upmarket than the other two.
Why was the Mercury Mariner discontinued?
The Mariner was last sold in 2011, when Ford decided to discontinue the Mercury brand due to declining sales.
How many miles do Mercury mariners last?
We had this car last us over 300,000 miles. We put it through a lot of work in a decade because we were a single-car family and made quite a few road trips in it around the country. We had to replace the transmission around 220,000 miles and did some front end work after that.
What was the Mercury version of the Ford Escape?
the Mercury Mariner
Introduced in 2004 for the 2005-model-year refresh of the Ford Escape in the US, Ford's Mercury division released a version called the Mercury Mariner. The Mariner is Mercury's first car-based SUV, and was slotted below the Mercury Mountaineer in its lineup.
What is the issue with Ford Escape?
Common problems with the 2021 Ford Escape include engine problems, transmission problems, and structure problems.
What's replacing the Ford Escape?
Although there have been reports of Ford phasing out this model and eventually replacing it with an all-electric lineup, the 2025 Ford Escape is set to debut before these changes take place.
What is the Toyota version of the Ford Escape?
Toyota RAV4 | Interior, MPG, Engine, Specs. In today's epic rivalry, we compare the Ford Escape vs. Toyota RAV4. See how these two feature-packed SUVs measure up in terms of performance, dimensions, features, and more.
What is Ford Kuga called in the USA?
the Ford Escape
The Kuga is marketed as the Ford Escape in North America, Australia, Middle East, and several countries in the Americas.
What years should you avoid Mercury Mariner?
Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 1st generation (2005–2007).
- 2nd Generation Mariner. Years 2008–2011 Reliability 26th out of 28 PainRank™ 10.32 Complaints 113.
- 1st Generation Mariner. Years 2005–2007 Reliability 27th out of 28 PainRank™ 11.15 Complaints 53.
