Best family car overall 2009 Honda Accord *Est. $20905
Best budget family car 2009 Hyundai Sonata *Est. $18700
"Fun to drive" family sedan 2009 Mazda6 *Est. $18550
Large family car 2009 Toyota Avalon *Est. $27845

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2009 Mercury Sable

*Est. $25,120 to $31,230

Reviewed April 2009

Outstanding crash-test performance
Capacious trunk and interior
Comfortable ride
Good outward visibility
Available all-wheel drive
Low starting price
Interior a bit nicer than Ford Taurus

Middling fuel economy
Not an agile handler
Boring exterior styling

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Our Analysis

Reviews usually recommend the Mercury Sable in the same breath as the Ford Taurus (*est. $25,170 to $37,170); the two are platform twins, after all, and experts say they're among the roomiest, safest family sedans you can buy. Although Ford has unveiled a completely overhauled 2010 Taurus, 2009 is the Mercury Sable's final year. Reviewers say the Sable's interior fit and materials are a bit nicer than the Taurus', and its exterior styling is slightly different, but "bland" is the most common adjective critics use to describe either car.

Still, blandness brings some advantages. "One of the first things you'll notice when driving the Sable is how good the all-around visibility is," writes Mike Hanley at Cars.com. Unlike its rival, the distinctively short-windowed Chrysler 300 (*est. $26,665 to $44,160), "there aren't any unusual body panels to compromise visibility" on the Sable. Like the essentially identical Ford Taurus, the driver sits up fairly high in the Mercury Sable. Edmunds.com finds this position "unsporting," but reviewers say drivers who are downsizing from an SUV might like it -- along with the Sable's roomy passenger cabin, "gargantuan" trunk and available all-wheel drive.

You'll find neither all-wheel drive nor a very big trunk in the top-rated full-size sedan, the Toyota Avalon (*est. $27,845 to $35,185), but reviewers say the Avalon is the most luxurious and fuel-efficient full-size family sedan. By contrast, the Mercury Sable's interior is described as merely being "decent" or "appropriate," and its fuel economy is just average. Like the Toyota Avalon and Ford Taurus, "sporty" isn't a word that comes to mind when critics describe the Mercury Sable's handling. "Refined," "comfortable" and "solid" do, although testers say the Sable exhibits pronounced body roll in corners.

Safety is a strong point with the Mercury Sable; it garners the highest possible crash-test ratings at both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Electronic stability control is standard equipment.

The base Mercury Sable (*est. $25,120) offers similar amenities as the entry-level Ford Taurus SE (*est. $25,170), such as cruise control, remote entry, power mirrors, power locks and windows and a power driver's seat. The step-up Sable Premier (*est. $29,380) adds a rear obstacle detection system, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated leather seats, satellite radio and more, for a bit less than the comparably equipped Ford Taurus Limited (*est. $30,670).

Front-wheel-drive Mercury Sables post an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 21 mpg in mixed driving (18 city/28 highway) -- two mpg less than the Toyota Avalon. Both trim levels offer all-wheel drive for an additional $1,850, but the feature carries a fuel-economy penalty: combined mileage drops to 19 mpg (17 mpg city/24 mpg highway).

All Mercury Sables run on a 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. Reviews say acceleration is adequate, but the transmission is sometimes slow to downshift. Reliability should be average or better for the Sable, according to sources that track dependability. The Sable is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

We found the most comprehensive review of the Mercury Sable at Consumer Reports, where experts test all major aspects of the car and also survey owners about its reliability. Edmunds.com, ConsumerGuide.com and Cars.com provide thorough, test-based reviews. Car and Driver and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine offer very short write-ups. Other sources review single aspects of the Sable -- safety, fuel economy or reliability.

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2009 Mercury Sable

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

Consumer Reports finds the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable virtually identical, and its narratives and ratings are similar for both cars. Experts here test the Taurus/Sable and rate it against similar sedans.

Review: Mercury Sable, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. Edmunds.com

Editors here list the same low points for the Mercury Sable as for the Ford Taurus, including a soft brake-pedal feel and body roll in corners. However, they praise the Sable/Taurus' safety and roominess.

Review: 2009 Mercury Sable Review, Editors of Edmunds.com

3. ConsumerGuide.com

The 2009 Mercury Sable is a Recommended pick at ConsumerGuide.com, where experts test virtually every vehicle on the market and assign ratings in 11 categories, such as ride quality and value. The Mercury Sable's score is just average for a large car, but editors say it provides a good balance of roominess and performance.

Review: 2009 Mercury Sable: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com

4. Cars.com

Cars.com's 2009 review is based on a road test of a top-of-the-line 2008 Mercury Sable Premier with all-wheel drive. Although writer Mike Hanley doesn't test the car off pavement or in snow, he evaluates all of the Sable's other major aspects, bestowing special praise on its roominess and comfort. Little has changed about the Mercury Sable for 2009, and it is once again a Cars.com Best Bet.

Review: 2009 Mercury Sable, Mike Hanley, Nov. 20, 2008

5. Car and Driver Details/Subscribe

Car and Driver comes to the same conclusion about the Mercury Sable as it does about its twin, the Ford Taurus: Both are very appealing to the average consumer, but less so to the driving enthusiast. This capsule review lists the Sable's pros and cons.

Review: 2009 Mercury Sable, Editors of Car and Driver

6. Kiplinger Personal Finance

The Mercury Sable is one of Kiplinger's Top Safety Picks for 2009. Write-ups here are short, but they include potentially helpful information for shoppers, such as projected insurance and maintenance costs.

Review: Kiplinger's 2009 Auto Buying Guide: Sedans $25,000-$30,000, Editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance

7. SaferCars.gov

The Mercury Sable earns very high scores in government crash tests administered by the NHTSA. It's awarded perfect five-star ratings in frontal and side crash tests, with four stars out of five for rollover potential.

Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov

8. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The Mercury Sable and its Ford Taurus twin are both IIHS Top Safety Picks, thanks to outstanding performance in independent front, side and rear crash tests. This chart shows how the Sable/Taurus and 10 other large sedans compare.

Review: Large Family Cars, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

9. FuelEconomy.gov

The EPA lists fuel-economy estimates for the dozens of sedans in the "large cars" category, including both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the Mercury Sable. An easy-to-use sorting tool allows users to compare models within a class.

Review: 2009 Large Cars, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov

10. J.D. Power and Associates

The Mercury Sable (in its former Mercury Montego incarnation) is one of the most reliable large cars in this 2009 J.D. Power survey of owners who bought their cars in 2006. You can click on the Ratings tab to find out how each of the 12 models in this chart scores on other measures.

Review: 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study -- Large Car, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates