strong v-8,awd is capable in extreme snow, excellent driver/passenger comfort

gas mileage is that of a 5.0 v-8

For a four year old vehicle you can't beat the value. If you look at explorers and blazers and are thinking of safety, look no further Merc has the Mountaineer for you. I have a small growing family in Minn. and Ihave no problems.

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chevy tahoe, smaller in design but powerful enough for a small family. Room to haul a small nursery.

Built solid with quality components. Leather still smells great and the paint job and body integrity are still excellent.

Engine is week and it uses gas by the tank full. Engine is noisier that my 96 XLT.

This is an update from my first post. Truck now has 15k miles and still going strong. I have had no problems at all. I am very satisfied with the truck although I wish it did have more power. I replaced the Firestone Tires about two weeks after purchase and before the recall, bad timing on my part. But other than that for the money I spent I could not find a better looking & performing SUV.

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96 FORD Explorer XLT, I loved this car until it got stolen. Mountaineer is more loaded that it was however.

Leather, Sunroof, CD/Cassette, Cargo space, keypad, quick, quiet, Steering very tight! , Dual airbags, auto-open sunroof (Quick!),

Gas Milage, V8 kinda weak for it's size. (I need a new exhaust system to harness the power.) Sec. system is irratating (If you lock it with the remote and unlock it from the inside if the windows are down, open the door and you get to hear your horn beeping until you fumble out your remote and hit the panic button) Know someone who has the 2000 model and i want the wheel-mounted audio controls and the computer system options!

Mine was bought with 76500 miles on it for a mere $11000! I was frightened about the miles, but i figured it was cheap so I went for it. I am so glad i did. I am one to complain about something not being comfortable, but this is great. I wish that it had heated seats and other cool things that are not necessary, but i love it. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a nice car for a reasonable price. I'm only 16 and do not have my license yet, but i have my permit and love to drive it. My mother's Yukon XL SLT it like driving a bus. It gains so much momentum that stoppoing is such a pain. I love her car though. It's dark torador Red with pewter on the bottom, with every option. For me though, i like my teal mountaineer. I'm not crazy about the grille up close, but i can deal with it.

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2000 Yukon XL SLT: Yukon great for long trips, but the Mountaineer is great for anything!

Engine, Transmission, Brakes (a whole world better than the 96 explorer and a mountain better than the 97 Mountaineer I traded in on this one), Stereo, Acceleration, Traction, size, utility, engine rumble (nothing beats the 5.0 especially with BORLA).

Needs softer springs

This vehicle is very competent on road and off road (assuming you don't want to forge any deep creeks). It has more than enough ground clearence that you will probably ever need. If you live pretty much anywhere the All-wheel drive system is great and doesn't impose much of a gas mileage penalty (I had a 96 Explorer XLT with a 4 liter OHV [with control trac 4wd used in 2wd mode 99% of the time] and it only got 1MPG better than this one which is equipped with the 302 V-8 and permanent all wheel drive). If you're looking for a good mid sized SUV this is the place to go. It has more go juice, more room, better looks, and better reliability than the GM triplets. The Dodge durango is cheap in comparison. Don't be fooled the Ford explorer isn't much more than a couple of hundred dollars cheaper when they're both optioned out equally and the Mountaineer rides a whole lot better.

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1996 Explorer XLT 4Liter with Control Trac, 1997 Mercury Mountaineer V-8 all wheel drive.

More than ample power for pulling, passing, off-roading. Plenty of room for pretty much everything. Great stereo, very accessible controls. Leather power seats are always comfortable. I also love the rear air and stereo controls.

Incredibly thirsty engine. The AWD plus the large engine make for lots of stops at the pumps. I think it actually pulls towards gas stations as you drive by them. My wife's Explorer puts it to shame as far as MPG, but that's where the comparison ends.

I wouldn't trade this vehicle for anything else. I bought an Explorer for my wife when we were expecting our little one, and realized I wanted one too. I then went looking for an Explorer, and found my Mountaineer, which is leaps and bounds above everything else on the road. The invredible AWD makes it stick to the road in seriously bad rain. I also think I am going to really have to go out of my way to get it stuck. When moving, I loaded down the truck and pulled a full trailer through 6" of mud repeatedly, and the tires never even spun (it probably helps that I upgraded to 31" Bridgestone Dueler AT tires). If you don't have one, trade in whatever you have and get one. Spend the money and get the 5.0 engine and AWD.

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Compared to Explorers, Land Rovers, Yukons (big waste of time) Mountaineer wins, hands down.

Smooth ride, sits up higher than a car for much better visability in seeing the road ahead.

A real Gas Guzzler!! Of course, the high gas prices don't help much either. Only for smokers: Ashtray doesn't have a nightlight which makes it impossible to see when driving at night. Also the lighter is in a bad spot when in "Drive" as the shifter blocks it.

This is a great (and very impressive) SUV; I got the one the Manager's wife used as a demo. I've only had my Mountaineer for less than two weeks, and absolutely love it!! Thought I would really miss my sportscar, but don't one bit. I feel extremely safe, especially with my kids in tow. The radio/cass./cd/fan/cruise controls on the steering wheel are a smart safety feature (no looking away from the road). The V8 engine shifts smoother than anything I've ever driven.

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Chevy Blazer; Absolutely NO comparison. Smoother ride, roomier and more comfortable inside.