Mercury Monterey reviews

2006 Mercury Monterey Interior Features

The Mercury Monterey features the same interior as the Ford Freestar, but with more upscale materials. The focal point of the interior is a watch-like clock in the middle of the center dash. Both wood and bright-metal accents add richness.

Heating and air conditioning controls offer three zones of control (driver, front passenger, and rear) to tailor the temperature for your individual passengers. The rear A/C works well and can be a critical feature for kids and pets on hot days. The audio controls work fine, but don't exude quality. No navigation system is available.

Given Monterey's luxury aspirations, its seats could be more comfortable. The front seats are like bar stools, with narrow bottoms that lack side support. However, they do offer the option of cooling and heating, a nice feature on hot summer afternoons and cold winter mornings.

The Monterey seats seven: two in front, two in the second row, three in the third row. Like the front seats, the second-row captain's chairs are narrow and lack support, but there's plenty of room for two adults. The third-row bench seat works for pipsqueaks, but its short seat height makes it cramped for teenagers. Getting to the third row is relatively easy. The second-row seatbacks can be folded with one hand, which makes life easier when loading stuff in back. And the seat bottoms can be tumbled forward for crawling into the third row.

The Monterey offers plenty of room for cargo. Even when all seats are in place for seven passengers, there's 31.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. A well behind the third row helps corral grocery bags or loose odds and ends.

The third row folds easily into that well, leaving a large, flat floor and 71.6 cubic feet of cargo space. The seat's operation is among the best. Simply pull a set of clearly labeled straps numbered in sequence and the third row disappears. The head restraints push down into the seat so they don't have to be removed, a nice feature. The third-row bench can be dropped backwards to make a comfortable rear-facing bench, with the lift-gate as a canopy, handy for tailgate parties.

The second-row seats don't disappear into the floor, but do flip up to create more cargo room. They fold and tumble forward like those on the Mountaineer, for easy access to the third row or to create even more cargo room. The second-row seats can be removed, but it's clumsy and a task better suited for two people. Doing so does turn the Monterey into a major cargo hauler, however, with 131 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Monterey has lots of storage for odds and ends, from bins in the rear sliding doors for books and toys to double map pockets in the front doors. A covered storage compartment on top of the dash is a good spot for cell phones and other small items. The storage compartment at the bottom of the center dash and in the center console are handy for all kinds of things, but the plastic lids feel cheap. Cup holders abound, including front door holders for 20-ounce bottles. A sturdy, convenient cup holder folds down from the side of each of the second-row seats. If kicked, as they likely will be, they snap back into their storage position against the seats. The cup holders in the third row are awkwardly positioned.