Montego gets a new name, more power and some upgrades

 

For 2008, Mercury not only redesigned its full-size Montego sedan, they also gave it a not-so-new name. As with sibling Ford Taurus, Ford/Mercury reached back into recent automotive history to revive the name Sable, which has “triple consumer awareness than Montego” according to Mark Fields, Ford’s President of The Americas.

With the model’s sales down almost 50 percent from 2006 to 2007, Mercury is hoping the name change and a mild redesign will breath some new life into the big, roomy sedan. First introduced in 2005 along with its Ford sibling the Five Hundred, both vehicles received little consumer attention and never got serious sales traction.

Both vehicles were hindered by an underpowered V-6 engine teamed with an unimpressive continuously variable transmission (CVT), wrapped in a body style that at best could be categorized as boring.

Thankfully, Mercury made numerous changes beyond the nameplate for 2008. The engine got a needed boost, moving from 203 to 263 horsepower — a 30 percent increase — and better fuel economy. A new six-speed automatic replaced the woeful CVT. It’s the six-speed that was co-developed with General Motors and used in several of their products. But it still doesn’t feature the manual-shift mode found on most competitors. But again, I’m not sure that’s a huge negative for Sable’s target demographic.

Volvo, a Ford Motor Company-owned brand with a reputation for safety, designed most of the basic structure and architecture. In fact, Ford and Mercury are marketing both vehicles as “the safest full-sized sedans in America.” Of course, you’ll need to include the optional stability control for your vehicle to qualify for recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, who awarded Sable a Top Safety Pick and five-star crash-test rating, respectively.

The Sable is a big, roomy sedan that’s larger than almost every competitor in its class, including the Chrysler 300. And, because occupants sit four inches higher than in other midsized sedans, Mercury says the vehicle’s interior offers SUV-like “command seating” that both improves visibility and makes it easier to enter and exit the vehicle. The rear seats are even higher so passengers can enjoy their own view. Both the rear seats and front passenger seat can be folded to extend the huge trunk and cargo area. Mercury claims you can fit eight full-size golf bags in the 21 cubic feet of trunk space.

Sable is available in two trim levels: base, starting at $23,450, and Premium, starting at $27,330. All-wheel drive is available on either model for an additional $1850.

I tested the Premium model with front-wheel drive. Optional equipment included navigation, power moonroof, stability control, satellite radio, reverse sensing system, adjustable pedals and cargo management system. Total MSRP was $32,350.

Other standard features include power steering, brakes, windows, locks, mirrors, trunk, driver’s seat; AM/FM/CD stereo with Ford’s new Sync system, which integrates telephone, and entertainment functions into one voice-activated interface; heated front seats with driver’s memory; 18-inch aluminum wheels; fog lamps; auto on/off headlamps; compass/outside temperature display; and universal garage door opener.

Among the exterior changes is a new waterfall grille and headlamps that are carved into the hood, versus the wraparound look on the previous model. The front lower valance has been redesigned with new fog lamps. Rear taillamps are now LED with clear lenses. It’s quite surprising how such minor tweaking has significantly improved the look to be more upscale. Most people will notice the difference.

The suspension has been modified to improve both ride and handling and Sable is said to be quieter than the Montego. I didn’t notice much difference, and the ride still isn’t as premium as you would expect for a vehicle this size. The steering has a heavy feel and you still feel too much bounce and lean.

I didn’t see any noticeable changes to the interior, although Mercury says there is new seat fabric, and two-tone leather upholstery with contrasting stitching is now available. For such a roomy cabin, I thought the space allotted for the driver was on the small side. Of course, at 6-foot-6 I’m on the tall side, but most vehicles this size have noticeably more legroom up front. Most drivers probably won’t have the same complaint.

The standard leather-covered seats were flat and didn’t offer much by way of support. Rear-end fatigue set in on drives longer than an hour.

Random thoughts: The build quality, fit and finish, paint and other trim work are excellent. I like the dark wood trim on the dash and brushed satin aluminum trim on the grille and elsewhere. Warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles and 5 years/60,000 miles for the powertrain.

Overall, we thought the Sable looked better than it is. The drive experience is disappointing compared to other vehicles in its class. Ford/Mercury loyalists will probably be pleased, but it’s unlikely to convince competitive brand drivers to switch nameplates.

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