Lienerts: Mercury's Milan is the car to beat

[SobeSVT]

2006 Mercury Milan


Mercury's Milan is the car to beat

Rating: Paul: 5, Anita: 4

By Paul & Anita Lienert / Special to The Detroit News

We're still arguing over how to pronounce the name of Mercury's new midsize sedan -- locals want to say "MY-lin" like the drag strip -- but we're fairly certain the brand planners were going for the sophisticated images of the Italian fashion capital.

That's not a bad connection for the 2006 Mercury Milan, an elegant and likable companion to the new Ford Fusion. We tested a top-of-the-line Milan Premier V-6, with a sticker price of $25,200.
SHE: If we actually had to plunk our own money down on one of the new midsize sedans from Ford Motor Co., I'd argue in favor of the Fusion over the Milan. I just think it has a sassier, bolder look than the Mercury. I don't have a problem with the Milan; I just like the Fusion better.
HE: Wow! You're usually so girly when it comes to cars. Guess that's not the case with the Fusion, which I think looks clumsy and grotesque in the worst macho kind of way. I find the Milan much more soft, feminine and appealing. SHE: It's just a matter of taste. Once you're behind the wheel, they're pretty identical. I put a couple hundred miles on both cars, but I found myself stuck in the Milan during Dream Cruise week in a traffic jam that lasted 90 minutes. It's at times like that where the cabin either makes it or breaks it. I basically set myself up with my cell phone, an iced tea and the optional audiophile sound system on full blast. I actually felt pretty comfortable as I crawled along I-696. The cabin feels secure and looks attractive, with an unusual combination of metals and leather.
HE: That c oc kpit is also surprisingly roomy, considering that Ford started with the Mazda6 as the mechanical base. The Mazda is one of the smaller midsize cars in the class, but the Milan doesn't feel so small on the inside, despite its compact exterior dimensions. And that's one of the places where Ford did it absolutely right with the Milan; they've transformed a sporty Japanese sedan into a larger, roomier American-style sedan with great performance, agility and comfort. And they've done it at a pretty attractive price that's right on top of its two chief competitors in the class, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.
SHE: I can tell you where the Milan edges the Accord and Camry. There's a stretch of freeway near our house where you need to cross three lanes of traffic in a very short space to get to a left-hand exit. That's a real acid test for our cars, because if you can't get up to speed in a hurry, you miss the exit. Our Milan Premier, with its twin-cam 3.0-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission, passed that little test with flying colors. We didn't have a stopwatch, but the Milan sure feels quicker than the Honda or the Toyota. The car is also wonderfully nimble. We could change lanes with ease, negotiate curvy local roads with confidence and point the Milan into the tightest parking space with no problem.

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[Arizona Slim]

It looks OK, but the Mercury grille ruins it just like on every Mercury. I think the Zephyr will be the one to beat.

[AdmiralViscen]

I think it's well-differentiated from the Fusion. Not as well as the Sable, but Ford isn't in the same spot they were in when they made the Sable totally unique.

[Buick61]

the Fusion..looks clumsy and grotesque in the worst macho kind of way.

It does look better than the horizontal gap-toothed Fusion. Is the suspension tuning the same? This woman at work is looking for a new midsize car or SUV, and while I already told her about the Fusion, I think this is a much classier, albeit redundant, possibility.

[Phillip]

Originally Posted by SobeSVT

but the Milan sure feels quicker than the Honda or the Toyota.

That's interesting to see. The sources I read are fine with the Fusion/Milan's powertrain, but feel it similar to the 6, which allegedly requires more winding to extract usable torque than most of the class. An automatic 6s wasn't terribly quick in a R&T comparison considering the numbers, but another gear joined the party since then, which is probably more effective at keeping the Duratec in the thick of its powerband.

Very good to see compelling domestic competition nonetheless. There's still the matter of the next Camry (whether you want to admit it or not), but I believe Ford to be in good shape. Hopefully, consumers agree...

[chadbarb99]

I don't think the G6 will have ANY problem smoking the Milan. FORD vs GM FOREVER!!!!

[mjd1001]

I am often not afraid to bash GM cars on this site or to say when I like competitors products, including both domestics and Import. But this and the fusion just doesn't do it for me. The grill is a bit 'different' on this and the fusion (and admittidly that is one of the first things you notice on a car) but the rest of it just seems like a boring evolution of the same old car from the 1990's.

The six speed automatics I do like..but the rest, I just don't see the appeal. Can it be competitive with the Accord and Camry? I guess so...but I don't see anything that will make Accord and Camry buyers think this is so much better than their Accord or Camry to make them want to trade it in for this.

[djbango]

Originally Posted by mjd1001

The six speed automatics I do like..but the rest, I just don't see the appeal. Can it be competitive with the Accord and Camry? I guess so...but I don't see anything that will make Accord and Camry buyers think this is so much better than their Accord or Camry to make them want to trade it in for this.

You hit the problem on the head, you can't just be competitive you have to destroy the competition. I like the Fusion and Milan, but just like the G6 they're also ran in the mind of the mid size family sedan. Toyota and Honda are so inbred in the minds of the consumer, you have to have a product so far ahead of the competition that it will wake them out of their sheepish slumber...just like the 300C did.

[steve333]

I think the Milan looks good, inside and out.
It looks like more careful thought went into the design than Chevy did with the malibu, which is a shame because the malibu could have had the good press that Ford and Mercury are getting.
The tepid looks, wierd front end, 4 speed auto, pushrod engines and electrice steering all worked against the Chevy.
Ford partnered with the right foreign brand, Mazda.

[prototype66]

As Of Late The Mercs Front End Has Given The Ford Designs A More Sophisticated Look Imo.

[jbartley]

like the car - can't say i like the reviewers

"retarded couple reviews cars" whoaaa everybody better listen to their opinions!

[Ohmywrd]

I like the Fusion better.

[Askani]

Mercury has such a rich history, from scrolling turn signals to the Mercury bust logo. It just feels like Ford has it there to fail. You already have Ford, make the Mercury more aggressive, sportier... People here complain about what niche Buick occupies, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of Mercury as far as proper brand recognition is concerned. Plus, I'm sure everyone is still waiting for a new Cougar. Hide away headlights would look so cool on the Mustang... The Milan feels like a waste of an opportunity. At least the Malibu and G6 have a distinct differentiation, the Ford and Merc have nothing...

[01cavalier]

I do like the fusion better, the new Mercury grill does not look good, though it is done better on this car than the Mountaineer, now THAT is fugly. Im sure it has plenty of power, thats just expected now, even the 4-cylinders are better than adequate, I just hope the gas mileage will be up to par with the competition.

[parakleets]

I have read (on another website) that Mercury is Ford's most profitable division. It even out-earns Ford's Swedish money-maker, Volvo (the only profitable member of PAG). With Mercury's cars and trucks being based on Fords, which are in turn based on Mazdas or Volvos (except Mustang, which is Jag/Lincoln based), I guess Merc has no/low development costs. Compared to Buick, Merc has 3 sedans (mid-sized, large, and full-size), and two SUVs in compact and mid-sized. With the addition of the hybrid Mercury Mariner SUV, AWD Montego, and the 6-speed auto tranny in the Milan, Mercury has a more technologically advanced, and newer line-up than Buick. Mercury's entry level car has a more advanced tranny than Buick's flagship! What has become of Buick??????

Originally Posted by Askani

Mercury has such a rich history, from scrolling turn signals to the Mercury bust logo. It just feels like Ford has it there to fail. You already have Ford, make the Mercury more aggressive, sportier... People here complain about what niche Buick occupies, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of Mercury as far as proper brand recognition is concerned. Plus, I'm sure everyone is still waiting for a new Cougar. Hide away headlights would look so cool on the Mustang... The Milan feels like a waste of an opportunity. At least the Malibu and G6 have a distinct differentiation, the Ford and Merc have nothing...