Mercury Mariner Hybrid

With the Escape Hybrid under its belt, Ford released its second hybrid, the Mercury Mariner SUV Hybrid, in July 2005.

The Mariner, a stylized version of the Ford Escape, made news for two reasons. The vehicle was sold almost exclusively online, and the introduction of the Mariner was applauded by the Sierra Club. The San Francisco-based organization, which has been critical of Ford’s dismal overall record on fuel efficiency, told its members about the vehicle and offered test drives at its annual summit. Other environmental organizations remain critical of Ford, and point to the fact that only 2,000 Mariner Hybrids are produced every year.

Toyota sold nearly 150,000 hybrids in North America in 2006. Ford tallied less than 16,000 hybrid sales.

Over the years, environmentalists have accused Ford of "greenwashing" or throwing a lot of marketing dollars at its relatively lackluster hybrid program. Why did the Sierra Club would use the introduction of the Mariner Hybrid as the opportunity to change their position? In an exclusive interview , Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, said, "We actually think it is our job to try to encourage automotive innovation. The public perception is that we are all 'stick,' always beating up on the auto industry. Actually, we have a robust history of trying to offer financial carrots to innovate, all of which have been rebuffed."

The encouragement from the Sierra Club did not prove successful in the long run. At the time of the release of the Mariner Hybrid, Ford chief Bill Ford said, “We have our own patented hybrid technology and proprietary drive system and electronic controls, and by the time many of our competitors offer a hybrid, we’ll be on to the next generation.” A year later, other car makers are entering the hybrid fray while Ford is backing away from its hybrid goals.

An Undiscovered Gem
It's unfortunate that Ford hasn't fully backed its hybrids. The Escape and Mariner are arguably the most robust hybrid gas-electric system available today. The Mariner's shape is square and muscular, but with stylized flourishes like taillight accent grilles and edged instrument panels. It's technically a crossover but feels upright and solid, like a real SUV. In our test drive of the four-wheel drive version, the vehicle stood its ground on tight corners at high speeds.

The right instrumentation is critical to the hybrid experience, because the fun of driving a hybrid is in using all the tools provided to maximize mileage. In our view, Ford's hybrid system beat Toyota's hands-down in its ability to stay in all-electric mode for extended periods. The Mariner Hybrid, like the Escape Hybrid, offers an expanded opportunity to use the gas pedal, brakes, and gears to juggle energy into and out of the rechargeable batteries.

Certainly, few Escape/Mariner hybrid owners take the time to learn all the tricks, but even the most absent-minded driver is constantly reminded that they are piloting some seriously geeky cool technology. The Mariner, with its creature comforts and relatively modest price, seems like the great American hybrid hit that never was. Do you think that Ford is only producing 2,000 Mariner Hybrids a year might have something to do with the vehicle's lack of notoriety? Hmm.

The Mariner Hybrid could be compared to one of those out-of-the way restaurants that only has a few tables, little ambiance, no marketing—but great food. When you discover one of these hidden gems, meals are even more enjoyable because you feel like you lucked out. Every meal there should be savored. More often than not, those sweet discoveries quickly go out of business, closing doors before finding a clientele that would have enjoyed what it had to offer.