2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
A Fusion By Another Name
If you have read my review of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, you already know a lot about the Mercury Milan Hybrid. The Fusion and the Milan are corporate twins. The Fusion Hybrid has gotten the recognition (“North American Car of the Year”) but whatever can be said about the Fusion, can also be said about the Milan. They differ only in their styling.
The Fusion has a bolder face with its prominent three-bar grille. The Milan is more sedate with a grille whose vertical bars give it a waterfall look. Like the Fusion, the Milan got a facelift for 2010. The most noticeable change is to the headlights, which are more aerodynamic now. Overall, the Milan’s styling is pleasing, if not exciting.
In addition to the outside facelift, the interior has received a makeover as well. Mercury adopted finer materials, including more soft-touch vinyl. My test car, which was trimmed in two-tone gray, with leather-clad seats, was very attractive. But one change that wasn’t completely successful was the redesign of the center control panel. I found that the radio and climate controls were mounted too low (around knee level) to be convenient.
Like the Fusion, the Milan Hybrid gets the SmartGauge instrument panel. It features a analog speedometer flanked by graphic displays. Drivers can select from four different images with varying amounts of data about energy sources and fuel use. One aspect of all the displays is a vine with green leaves, whose foliage increases the more efficiently you drive.
Other high-tech features can be ordered like a navigation unit, a rear-view camera, and the Sync system. Sync uses voice-recognition technology to provide hands-free operation of cell phones and MP3 players. And new this year is the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross-Traffic Alert. BLIS informs you with lights on your outside mirrors when cars approach your blind spots. Cross-Traffic alert sounds a warning when a car or pedestrian is about to cross your path when you’re backing up.
The Mercury Milan is a roomy and comfortable sedan. Adults have plenty of head- and legroom, fore and aft. The seats, front and rear, are well contoured and supportive. The only compromise on the Hybrid model is in the trunk. Because of the location of hybrid battery pack behind the backseat, the trunk is reduced to 11.8 cu-ft.
However, what makes the Milan Hybrid special is its power train. Mercury uses a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine with 156 horsepower, and an electric motor to generate a total of 191 hp. Power is routed to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission. Acceleration is brisk for a hybrid—0-60 in 8.5 seconds,
I found that the Milan responded well when I needed power to merge onto a busy freeway.
The Milan hybrid delivers 41-mpg in city driving and 36-mpg on the highway. It’s capable of running up to 47-mph on electric power alone, and will routinely take you over 600 miles on a tank of gas. Although some may complain that it is not as frugal as a Toyota Prius (50-mpg City/41-mpg Hwy), this car easily beats the hybrid versions of the Toyota Camry, the Nissan Altima and the Chevy Malibu.
Unlike some other hybrids out there, the Milan is fun to drive. Although it weighs 350 lbs more than a comparable gas-only Milan, it still feels nimble on the road. The steering is responsive, and the handling is competent. The ride is slightly firm, and a little bouncy on secondary roads, but smoothes out on the freeways. The cabin is commendably quiet.
Pricing for the Milan Hybrid starts at $28,235, which is about $3000 more than a comparably equipped Milan Premier. My fully loaded test car had a bottom line of $33,075.
Snapshot Review:
Excellent Fuel Economy
Responsive Power Train
Nimble Handling
Roomy Interior
