2010 Mercury Mariner

Mays and ConsumerGuide.com both criticize the Mariner's cheap-feeling cabin materials. "The overall ambiance is low-buck, a shame given Mariner's price and upscale aspirations," ConsumerGuide.com says. However, visibility is good, and testers say the cabin is roomy enough for five, with a roomy -- but not class-leading -- 66 cubic feet of cargo space. Folding the rear seats to get that space is "a royal pain," though, Edmunds.com says; you have to take off the headrests and flip the bottom cushions forward before you can fold the seat backs.

Braking gets mixed reviews, too. Edmunds.com lambastes the Mariner for poor braking distances due to old-fashioned rear drum brakes that editors call a "badge of shame." However, other reliable testers say the rear drums -- although still present -- have improved in recent years. "Last year's brakes were spongy at first, but this year's clamp down more decisively," Cars.com's Mays writes in a review of the similar 2009 Mariner.

Crash ratings are high, except for rollover scores. The Mariner is more likely to roll over than other small SUVs, and its roof provides only a Marginal amount of strength to protect passengers, crash tests show. Standard safety features are class-consistent, with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, and front, front-side and curtain airbags.

Estimated fuel economy is good, although not class-leading, and acceleration is deemed adequate from the Mariner's base engine, a 171-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Expect 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway/23 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and the only transmission available, a six-speed automatic. With four-wheel drive, fuel economy dips to 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. Towing capacity is 1,500 pounds.

A step-up 240-horsepower, 3-liter, V6 engine delivers more brisk acceleration and increased towing capacity (3,500 pounds with an optional tow package), sacrificing a couple of miles per gallon in the process. Expect 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway/21 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, or 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway/20 mpg with four-wheel drive.

Interestingly, owners report fewer reliability problems with the Mariner than with the mechanically identical Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, rating the Mariner above average in two major dependability surveys. The 2010 Mercury Mariner carries a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Most sources don't include the aging Mercury Mariner in their head-to-head SUV contests anymore, but Edmunds.com, ConsumerReports.org, Cars.com and ConsumerGuide.com do test it and rank it against other SUVs. Motor Trend's Truck Trend mentions the Mariner in its 2010 awards but without much explanation. The Mariner falls behind other small SUVs in crash tests at SaferCar.gov and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. We found official fuel-economy numbers at FuelEconomy.gov and reliability ratings at J.D. Power and Associates.