REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Wide-Ranging Appeal

If you ’ re like me, and pickups (or even utility vehicles in general) do absolutely nothing for you, wait until you get a look at the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The moment I laid eyes on this vehicle, I found myself saying, Ooh, I want that!. My heart even skipped a beat? Yes, it was love at first sight, and lucky for me, the reality proved to be even sweeter. (And no, Ford isn ’ t giving me one red cent for saying so!)The Sport Trac ’ s marketing team describe this vehicle as the Swiss Army Knife of SUVs… or should that be pickups? I ’ m still not sure how to classify this creature. Indeed, the Sport Trac is casting its net far and wide in an attempt to attract several types of consumers, including sportscar enthusiasts. To do so, designers are banking mainly on the vehicle ’ s ability to distinguish itself from everything else on the road, and to a much lesser extent, on its performance, but more on that later.

Clearly, Ford ’ s designers putting originality before all else. In contrast to Nissan ’ s Frontier Crew Cab, Dodge ’ s Dakota Quad Cab and other four-door trucks, the Sport Trac draws on the stalwart, utilitarian Explorer, to which has been grafted a short cargo compartment. In theory, this box adds utility to the old design. But in reality, if you want to put the pickup box to real use, such as hauling a standard 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, you ’ ll need to tack on another $235 to the sticker price for a crucial accessory. With the tubular extension, a metallic semi-circle that pivots out 180 degrees, you can safely extend the loading area by 150 cm.

To shield the cargo box from prying eyes, you ’ ll need to drop another $720 for a secure bed cover, which comes in two hinged sections. While your chequebook is open, why not part with another $900 for side step bars designed to make it easier for passengers, particularly little ones, to climb aboard. As an incentive, you ’ ll get a few bonus features, including fog lights, cast aluminium wheel rims, and more.

As you clamber up into the cabin, you ’ ll surely notice that the interior flooring is made of rubber. Less elegant than carpeting, perhaps, but infinitely more practical, this is a floor covering that ’ s made for washing—don ’ t worry, even the seat covers are waterproof. Combined with extra insulation at several key points, not to mention the strategic use of sheet steel, the rubber flooring is also effective at deadening road noise. Ford goes so far as to state that the Sport Trac is as silent as a library, and for all intents and purposes, that claim pans out. Save for the wind-catching mirrors and roof rack, all exterior sound is indeed screened out.

The Sport Trac is certainly not lacking in bells and whistles, and there are even a few treasures to be found inside the cab. For instance, under the cover of the armrest is hidden a compartment large enough to hold a soft drink or several compact discs. If that doesn ’ t thrill you, consider that the compartment is removable, so you can carry it down to the whitewater with your fishing gear. Another pleasant surprise for rear passengers are independent controls for the radio and air conditioning, as well as two headphone outlets.

The front seats are designed to be attractive and remain comfortable for long journeys, the only thing missing is seat warmers for our cold Canadian posteriors.

The doors open wide to facilitate access to the rear, which can accommodate three people without much fuss. What ’ s more, the rear seats can be folded up for added storage space.

However, taking into account the significant asking price (about $28,000 for the 4×2 version and a little over $32,000 for four-wheel-drive), it seems downright petty to bump the cruise control and remote keyless entry system features to the options list.The Explorer Sport Trac is built on a modified Explorer frame (the Sport Trac is reportedly 40 mm longer and 40% stiffer), and was completely redone for 2001.

Under the hood, you ’ ll find a six-cylinder, 4,0 litre V6 engine with a single overhead camshaft. It ’ s certainly robust, but even with 205 horsepower, this bulky beast strains to get rolling. Its automatic, five-speed transmission is no stranger to sluggishness either, as what passes for second gear seems to fall somewhere between first and second. Not surprisingly, it takes almost 10 seconds to bring the four-wheel drive Sport Trac up to 100 km/h. That ’ s bad news for the sportscar lovers in Ford ’ s target audience, especially because the (admittedly less refined) Dodge Dakota comes with a 250 horsepower, V8 engine, enough power to drag race between stoplights with a refrigerator in the cargo hold!

Still, speed demons can take heart in the fact that, with the manual transmission, two-wheel-drive version offered this fall, the Sport Trac will surely produce better results on the stopwatch. Lest we forget, however, this is not an engine whose fluid-conservation ability would make a camel proud, be prepared for repeat visits to the gas station. What ’ s more, in spite of its skid plates (also available as an option), the vehicle has a particularly long wheelbase and offers little ground clearance, which should put a damper on any off- roading activity, but admit it, barely 2% of 4×4 owners ever try their luck in the bush.

Keep in mind that despite its luxurious features, the Sport Trac is a truck. Not surprisingly, it drives like a truck. It has a solid suspension that handles bumps with a certain stiffness, and it holds the road just the way you would expect. There have been improvements, however, such as more accurate steering, a suspension that is somewhat less wild than that of a train, and a level of comfort that ’ s perfectly acceptable for the utilitarian nature of the beast. Other undeniable assets include an impressive towing capacity and an outstanding braking system for powerful and secure stops.

All in all, the Sport Trac is a unique multipurpose vehicle, but it comes with a high price tag compared to the competition, and its engine lacks oomph. But leaving aside these and a few minor concerns, it ’ s all good!

PROS
Inspired concept
Practical interior
Sturdy, honest driving manners

CONS
Engine lacks oomph
Low ground clearance
Hefty price

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

The best is yet to come

Rejuvenating the Ford Explorer makes Ford executives nervous. It can be easy to understand. With annual sales of 400,000, this vehicle is a money-printing machine for the Detroit brand. Any renewal includes a share of risk; what if our customers don’t like it? And the Firestone issue that involved the old Explorer has raised many questions in the public: "Was it the truck or the tires?" Will the new Explorer have what it takes to convince and calm everyone?

Esthetically, Ford stylists took no chance (probably because of the Firestone scandal, but they could have done better). For the untrained eye, this Explorer is about the same as last year’s.Inside, there is not much to mention. The main controls are well placed, except for the power seat adjustments. Let’s mention that for finding a comfortable driving position, pedals are adjustable (like on many other Ford vehicles) and the steering is adjustable in two ways.

In fact, the highlight is the optional third seat that allows for carrying seven passengers. This third seat (that cannot be removed but rather disappears in the floor) is more fitted for children than adults (knee room is scarce). The middle seat divides in three (60/20/20) to carry skis inside the vehicle without sacrificing a seat.

The rear hatch has been redesigned and now features a huge glass surface that can be opened separately. Very practical. For the first time in its history, the Explorer will have a specially designed platform (the previous issue was actually a modified Ranger pick-up). Starting with a blank page has allowed Ford engineers to get rid of many irritating details, like the ill-behaved rear suspension that caused transportation disease on rear seat passengers. This problem was solved with the use of a first fully independent suspension. This technical option demanded extra creativity from designers because of its additional bulk that infringes on the interior room, one of the Explorer’s strong points. Passenger space was preserved with a longer wheel span. In the front the torsion bar was replaced with coil springs to eliminate the bouncing that impaired this utility’s road handling.

Ford denies overhauling the suspension because of the Firestone issue. They claim customers demanded more comfort. The new tires, now 16-inch, are still Firestones, but Ford dealers offer to trade them for Goodyear or Michelin at no charge. .

Of course, the new explorer is more rigid, but it is also wider (for more stability) than the preceding model. It is also safer, with a host of safety devices that unfortunately, were not all available at the time these lines were written. They include side air bags and curtains combined to an overturn-proof system that will keep them inflated for up to six seconds if captors sense enough lateral tilt for overturning. One more device will be added: the Advance Trac. Its mission is to prevent any loss of control or drivability. This is reassuring, considering the high center of gravity of this type of vehicle (and the Explorer’s ground clearance has gained a few millimeters again).

Under the hood (now aluminum), you’ll find still more surprises. First of all, the good old 4.0-litre V6 is still there, but in option -and that’s the surprise – a new 4.6-litre V8 now replaces the obsolete 5.0-litre. It is said to be lighter, more fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly and more performing (25 more hp). Regarding transmissions, Ford dealers offer a choice of manual and automatic for the V6 and only an automatic for the V8. Ford’s efforts to revamp the Explorer are a success. The vehicle is more pleasurable than its previous edition. The good news is: suspension movements are better controlled and passengers can ride without medication. Comfort has progressed, but the explorer remains a truck in its nature; it isn’t as tame as some of its competitors. The rack and pinion steering is more responsive and the turning radius has been shortened for better urban drivability. Stay aware that this vehicle is still cumbersome and driving it in the city can be a challenge, just like prying out power from the underachieving V6 engine, which toils to pull the heavy Explorer out of inertia. My advice is to go for the 4.6-litre, more silent, more capable (superior towing capacity in Classes II and III) and almost as fuel-efficient. The automatic transmission does an honest, flawless job and its shifting is smooth.

Braking is no more than good, even with larger four-wheel disks and the addition of an electronic braking relay.

The Explorer definitely has the right stuff to recapture its predecessor’s top spot. Unfortunately, those who buy it right now will now have access to all the technologies (anti-skid, anti-spin) to be introduced throughout the year.

PROS
Very practical vehicle
State-of-the-art chassis
Strong resale value

CONS
Troubled past
Noisy V6

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
Driver: * * * *
Passenger: * * * * *

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

The best is yet to come

Rejuvenating the Ford Explorer makes Ford executives nervous. It can be easy to understand. With annual sales of 400,000, this vehicle is a money-printing machine for the Detroit brand. Any renewal includes a share of risk; what if our customers don’t like it? And the Firestone issue that involved the old Explorer has raised many questions in the public: "Was it the truck or the tires?" Will the new Explorer have what it takes to convince and calm everyone?

Esthetically, Ford stylists took no chance (probably because of the Firestone scandal, but they could have done better). For the untrained eye, this Explorer is about the same as last year’s.Inside, there is not much to mention. The main controls are well placed, except for the power seat adjustments. Let’s mention that for finding a comfortable driving position, pedals are adjustable (like on many other Ford vehicles) and the steering is adjustable in two ways.

In fact, the highlight is the optional third seat that allows for carrying seven passengers. This third seat (that cannot be removed but rather disappears in the floor) is more fitted for children than adults (knee room is scarce). The middle seat divides in three (60/20/20) to carry skis inside the vehicle without sacrificing a seat.

The rear hatch has been redesigned and now features a huge glass surface that can be opened separately. Very practical. For the first time in its history, the Explorer will have a specially designed platform (the previous issue was actually a modified Ranger pick-up). Starting with a blank page has allowed Ford engineers to get rid of many irritating details, like the ill-behaved rear suspension that caused transportation disease on rear seat passengers. This problem was solved with the use of a first fully independent suspension. This technical option demanded extra creativity from designers because of its additional bulk that infringes on the interior room, one of the Explorer’s strong points. Passenger space was preserved with a longer wheel span. In the front the torsion bar was replaced with coil springs to eliminate the bouncing that impaired this utility’s road handling.

Ford denies overhauling the suspension because of the Firestone issue. They claim customers demanded more comfort. The new tires, now 16-inch, are still Firestones, but Ford dealers offer to trade them for Goodyear or Michelin at no charge. .

Of course, the new explorer is more rigid, but it is also wider (for more stability) than the preceding model. It is also safer, with a host of safety devices that unfortunately, were not all available at the time these lines were written. They include side air bags and curtains combined to an overturn-proof system that will keep them inflated for up to six seconds if captors sense enough lateral tilt for overturning. One more device will be added: the Advance Trac. Its mission is to prevent any loss of control or drivability. This is reassuring, considering the high center of gravity of this type of vehicle (and the Explorer’s ground clearance has gained a few millimeters again).

Under the hood (now aluminum), you’ll find still more surprises. First of all, the good old 4.0-litre V6 is still there, but in option -and that’s the surprise – a new 4.6-litre V8 now replaces the obsolete 5.0-litre. It is said to be lighter, more fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly and more performing (25 more hp). Regarding transmissions, Ford dealers offer a choice of manual and automatic for the V6 and only an automatic for the V8. Ford’s efforts to revamp the Explorer are a success. The vehicle is more pleasurable than its previous edition. The good news is: suspension movements are better controlled and passengers can ride without medication. Comfort has progressed, but the explorer remains a truck in its nature; it isn’t as tame as some of its competitors. The rack and pinion steering is more responsive and the turning radius has been shortened for better urban drivability. Stay aware that this vehicle is still cumbersome and driving it in the city can be a challenge, just like prying out power from the underachieving V6 engine, which toils to pull the heavy Explorer out of inertia. My advice is to go for the 4.6-litre, more silent, more capable (superior towing capacity in Classes II and III) and almost as fuel-efficient. The automatic transmission does an honest, flawless job and its shifting is smooth.

Braking is no more than good, even with larger four-wheel disks and the addition of an electronic braking relay.

The Explorer definitely has the right stuff to recapture its predecessor’s top spot. Unfortunately, those who buy it right now will now have access to all the technologies (anti-skid, anti-spin) to be introduced throughout the year.

PROS
Very practical vehicle
State-of-the-art chassis
Strong resale value

CONS
Troubled past
Noisy V6

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
Driver: * * * *
Passenger: * * * * *

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

The competition has come knocking

Ford’s big sport-ute, the Expedition, has enjoyed extraordinary success since its launch and it’s back in 2002 with few changes. It is still available with a 4.6-liter or 5.4-liter (optional) V8 that is more powerful and efficient. Lastly, the Expedition is no more available with rear- wheel-drive.The best qualities of this popular model are found inside, where the modern layout of the dashboard, instrumentation and controls addresses consumer demands very efficiently.

Except for a high step-up, access to front and rear seats is easy because of long doors. On the other hand, you have to be ready to test your acrobatic skills if you want to climb into the third rear seat and you have to be a contortionist to stay in it if you’re older than primary school age.

Moreover, when this inconvenient seat is in use, cargo space is reduced accordingly.Driving this vehicle is made easier by excellent visibility, though in the city you’ll have to deal with its size, which makes parking a challenge. And city driving also has a negative and noticeable effect on fuel consumption. On the highway, though, this Ford is very quiet and optional four- wheel drive kicks in on demand. Although excellent for towing a trailer, this vehicle is not very agile when you venture off-road, but some consumers are especially taken with the feeling of safety this big Ford inevitably creates.

PROS
Quiet ride
Very modern engine
Useful towing capacity

CONS
Considerable size
Difficult access
Impractical third bench seat

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
Driver: * * * * *
Passenger: no data

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Big but dumb

For a number of years, with the help of its Suburban, General Motors has controlled the large utility market niche. A type of huge wagon resting on a pickup chassis, the latter appeared on the market 65 years ago and since then, have met with very little competition, with the rare exception of attempts made by Dodge and International (Travelall). In the past 10 years, the Suburban’s sales have even climbed sharply, to the point of encouraging Ford to seek its share of the pie. As a result the American giant has been offering the Excursion, its very own version of the Suburban. However, instead of basing it on the 150 pickups in the F-Series, it decided to develop it from the F-250 Super Duty.The Excursion’s interior repeats a familiar theme, one sung by the F-250, and even goes as far as to borrow its instrument panel; while it looks a bit stark, it’s very functional and instrumentation is well positioned and very easy to read. Front bucket seats are inviting and comfortable, especially over the long distances typically covered by a vehicle like the Excursion. But it’s only when you look into the back that you really see how roomy — even cavernous — the Excursion is. The centre bench seat can accommodate two or three people, depending on whether the armrest is up or down. In the very back, a third seat can take on another three passengers. And there’s still plenty of room for baggage! If you’re looking for even more and if you want to use the Excursion for job-oriented tasks, just remove the last seat and fold down the centre seat for 165 cubic feet of useable space, all of its easily accessible thanks to the rear gate that opens like a hatchback and two half-doors mounted on hinges, a fantastic idea if you happen to be towing a trailer. Needless to say, the inside features several cupholders (10), located here and there around the passenger compartment, and the finish is worthy of the best of luxury cars. As
for comfort, all passengers (up to nine!) enjoy more than enough legroom and head room (no surprise given this utility’s gigantic proportions) and visibility is excellent.In spite of a high step-up, it ’ s not very hard to gain access to the driver’s seat. When you slip behind the wheel your first impression is that this is a BIG truck, but after only a few minutes you soon forget that you ’ re in command of such a huge vehicle — all of a sudden you wonder if it’s as big as it looks in magazines.

The Excursion is available with three engines: the 5.4-litre V8 Triton, with a 260-hp output has a bit of a hard job to power this so-called sport utility, weighing in at more than 2,700 kg (6,000 lbs.); the 6.8-litre V10 Triton, a replacement for the old 7.5-litre V8, with a 300-hp output and more capable; and lastly, the 7.3-litre turbo-diesel V8, puts out 250 horsepower, the ideal choice for this roadworthy monster. The only transmission is a four-speed automatic and the Excursion will be available solely with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive (on demand), a useful option in winter conditions but not enough to make this an off-road vehicle given its size.

The V10 is well suited to this truck, not to mention that it’s quieter than the diesel V8. A lot of buyers may still go for the diesel anyway, especially because it’s strong and not as noisy as you may think. Given that a lot of owners will probably use the Excursion to tow a trailer, Ford has announced a maximum towing capacity of 4,500 kg (10,000 lbs.). Incidentally, during our first test drive aboard the Excursion, we noted an exceptionally quiet ride, especially for a vehicle of this kind. Acceleration isn’t thundering and pick-up is modest, so drivers are well-advised to wait for a long, straight stretch before trying to overtake another vehicle. But overall, this utility is very driveable and its anti-lock brakes provide good stopping power. Naturally road stability isn’t as good as it would be on a sports car, but with a bit of caution and good judgment on the part of the driver the Excursion can gets its passengers to destination in one piece. And speaking of safety, features include two air bags for front-seat passengers and an ABS system, and even more impressive is a steel cross member below the front bumper designed to prevent a lower- riding vehicle from sliding under the Excursion in a crash and in back, standard trailer hitch designed to serve the same purpose. An optional system detects the presence of objects when the vehicle is in reverse.

PROS
Excellent towing capacity
Very powerful diesel engine
Good cargo space

CONS
Monstrous size for city driving
High fuel consumption
Bulky spare tire

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Confronting the Urban Jungle.

Since last year, Ford ’ s Escape drive into the tracks of the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Suzuki Gand Vitara, all of which have had a lot of success in this country (sales in this market niche were rising by 13% in 2000).At first glance, the Escape ’ s relation to Ford ’ s other sport utility vehicles comes through very clearly, even though it was conceived in collaboration with Mazda.

You don ’ t slide into an Escape, you climb on board. That ’ s why Ford thought a step would be a good option to offer, to make it easier to get into the cab. It also lets you avoid having to do a toe-dance when securing bikes, sailboards or other sports equipment on the roof rack. The rear seats are comfortable, but the fixed head rests (molded right into the back of the seat) are very disappointing. It ’ s also a shame that when the seats are covered in leather there ’ s no heating system included to warm our buns with. The interior is not divided up as well as on the CR-V, for example, mainly because of the very large console and armrest (which are nonetheless very practical for all the stuff we put there).

The controls are all gathered in the driver ’ s immediate environment and turn out to be very easy to use. It ’ s too bad, though, that the designers didn ’ t think to duplicate some of the radio controls on the steering wheel. As it is, when the drive shaft is at position D, it blocks some of the radio buttons.

Unlike many other utility vehicles, the Escape won ’ t cause rear passengers to worry about wiping the wheel wells with their pants or skirts, or oblige them to hold their breath while squeezing through too-narrow doors. On the contrary, the doors are large enough to ensure easy access. Another feature is that the two folding sections of the seat back can be leaned back, for napping. There is enough room for two adults. A third? Sure, but gag him. Otherwise, he ’ ll start cursing the cupholder nesting at his feet and the absence of a third headrest. Articles riding on the perfectly flat floor of the baggage compartment will also be quite comfortable.With its tough cowl and side paneling that protects from lateral damage, its large tires and, of course, its high ground clearance, you ’ d think this SUV could climb trees.

It ’ s just an impression, since the Escape with its four drive wheels can confront some problems that would stump a mere sedan, whether it be on the road, on snow, or in mud. But the Escape is a real paradox. It has front wheel drive. The integrated drive train (four wheel drive) is only available as an additional option. This is hardly surprising, considering the that the wheels of most SUVs never touch the underbrush, their owners preferring to stick to long ribbons of asphalt. On the other hand, however, it ’ s surprising that Ford ’ s designers could have forgotten to add that all-important skid protection to help us out during the winter. In this case, what other choice do we have but to take the Control Trac II system (yes, that ’ s its name), which controls the power in both drive axles (that is, front and back)? It ’ s a very effective system which, with the help of a control on the dashboard, allows the driver to either efficiently distribute torque between the drive axles or leave the engine in charge of sending the movement to the rear wheels only if it senses a traction difference between front and back.

Once you ’ ve chosen your mode of travel (front- or four-wheel drive), all that ’ s left is to decide which engine will pull the Escape out of its parking spot. There are two engines in the catalogue. The standard one is a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder job with 130 horsepower that seems a little weak to really get a 1500-kilogram 4X4 going. Unfortunately, even if we had looked under every hood we wouldn ’ t have found the 4 cylinder, 2.0 litre engine at the official press launching of the Escape, so we couldn ’ t verify whether our fears about it were justified. That said, I should add that only the five-speed manual transmission conceived by Mazda is available with this motor. This will probably limit its distribution even more, since polls show that you the customer prefer automatic transmissions.

Many consumers will have no other choice but to shell out a few additional dollars to retain the services of the 3.0 litre V6 – the same one that ’ s in the Taurus. With 200 horses under the hood, the Escape can really speak for itself, even though it means a pretty sharp increase in gas consumption. Also, let ’ s not forget that the V6 engine is available exclusively with a trouble-free 4 speed automatic transmission. Parenthetically, within two years Ford will be proposing a hybrid engine group (gas-electric) to drive the Escape, and this technology should offer a significant reduction in both gas consumption and pollution emissions.

Despite a ground clearance of 198 millimetres, the most compact of Ford ’ s SUVs offers surprising driving efficiency for a vehicle in its class. The suspension (independent in the rear) offers somewhat soft control, but remarkably solid shocks, so as not to shake up the passengers too much the moment the tires encounter a surface that ’ s not pool-table smooth! The rack and pignon steering is too scaled down, and this shows when driving slowly, it ’ s mushy when changing direction. The good news is that the turning radius is small enough to allow the Escape to track its way quite nicely through the urban jungle.

This Ford brakes with the classic disc/drum duo, doubled-up with an optional antilock system (ABS). It ’ s easy to modulate, as powerful as you could want, and durable enough, at least under the conditions we tried it in.

So what should we take from this first encounter with the Ford Escape? It ’ s a nice young SUV, very well assembled (at least the ones we tried were) and not at all bad to drive if equipped with the V6 engine and four-wheel drive. What about the more economical versions dragged along by their front tires and a four cylinder engine? Even though they should cost less and consume less gasoline, it ’ s hard to see why Ford is offering them here, given our climate (remember, there is no antiskid system). Though perhaps your real attraction to the SUV is based on psychological factors (the sense of controlling the outside world in a large and imposing craft) rather than practical ones (flexibility and the ability to go off road).

PROS
Rear visibility
comfortable suspension
ergonomic controls

CONS
Front headrests not adjustable
steering is a bit numb
no antiskid system (front wheel drive)

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
Driver: * * * *
Passenger: * * * * *

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Solidly out in front

A best seller since 1961, the Econoline remains the largest selling full-sized pickup truck. In 1997, it also became the first Ford vehicle to receive the Triton V10 6.8 litre, 265 horsepower engine, a huge innovation for this segment of the industry, even though it ’ s only available on the short body models (and we haven ’ t even mentioned the overhead cam shaft!).A brief word on the body to start, reminding us that it was fairly well revised in 1992. After this, Ford contented itself with rendering it more aerodynamic by retouching the radiator grill and shock absorbers.

Considering its age and vocation, the Ford Econoline is relatively modern. Its dashboard looks like it comes from a car, and it has such little commodities as central cupholders and pockets for road maps. This year, the stylists have also rearranged the central console to increase the storage space. The step allowing you to climb into the front of the cab is perhaps a little high, but the driver ’ s position offers good visibility and a sense of controlling the road. As opposed to the Windstar, for example, the Econoline does not benefit from a fourth door to facilitate access to the rear seats, which are already very annoying to get into. First of all, there ’ s that damnable seat belt hanging like a vine from the ceiling and ready to scratch you in the face. Then there ’ s the rear right wheel well, just waiting to trip you up if you ’ re not careful.The Econoline has a ‘ thick skin ’ . It doesn ’ t have much of a choice, for that matter, since 70% of its alter egos are mainly for recreation, the others being used commercially to transport passengers (as hotel shuttles, for example).

The choices of engine range from a 4.2 litre V6 to a 6.8 litre V10, with two V8s, 4.6 or 5.4 litres and a diesel. For travel, the gas-powered V8s are recommended . The V6 doesn ’ t offer much in the way of reduced consumption to make up for its weaker performance. All the engines share the same automatic transmission, of which nothing bad can be said except that it is sometimes a little rough when changing gears. Driving this big van obviously requires a little practice, but as soon as it hits the highway it becomes quite easy to steer, as long as there are no strong lateral winds. In this singular area where the Econoline is evolving, the competition has a lot of expectations to meet!

PROS
Proven trustworthy;
Modern passenger compartment;
Good visibility,

CONS
Avoid the V6;
Sensitive to lateral wind;
Consumes a lot of gas.

REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

Updated

With its bevelled silhouette, the Cougar was Ford’s first vehicle to bring to North America the new esthetic direction favored by the New Edge Design company. This approach was first introduced in Europe and its instigator, Fritz Mahew, head designer at Ford Europe, recently admitted that the idea came to him as he contemplated a bottle of Evian spring water: "As I looked at the light reflected on the bottle, I saw how perpendicular and curved lines blended." So much for background info. Getting into the Cougar is a simple and smooth operation.

Its seats (whose outer stitching can house an air bag, available at extra cost) are so cushy, heavyweights will feel the need to go on a diet to avoid sinking down too deeply into them. On the other hand, taller passengers will appreciate the comfort of bucket seats offering adjustable headrests. Once you find the ideal driving position, you can see and feel the half- luxury, half-sporty interior, with three tones and as many textures used to give the instrument panel a very attractive treatment. A few flaws do detract from the otherwise perfect picture: the tachometer has no red zone, something fast drivers are sure to complain about; the steering wheel hides a critical portion of the speedometer; and on the automatic version, there’s no indicator to tell you what gear you’ve just shifted into.

Access to rear seats does call for a few contortions, but bucket seats can be moved far forward to make things easier. When it comes to roominess the Cougar has to bow to the Accord Coupe, its biggest rival in all areas except (what a surprise!) rear legroom. And unfortunately (as is the case on all coupes), the Cougar’s rear windows don’t roll down or slide open. The 50/50 seat can be folded down from the trunk and when in use can accommodate two passengers comfortably.

The trunk sill is narrow and perched high, which means you have to hoist packages into it, but a clever handle device keeps you off the tip of your toes when you want to close the lid.

Lastly, although visibility is positively panoramic, when the weather is poor the base version Cougar has you longing for a rear windshield wiper. Sideview mirrors are barely adequate in size, but at least they’re heated.At the outset, Mercury believed that Cougar buyers would prefer the 2.0-litre four-cylinder over the 2.5-litre six- cylinder. Wrong, the V6 won general approval so the 4-banger is gone now.

Smoother, the six-cylinder (170 horses) should suit drivers who like a bit excitement, especially since this V6 is paired with a manual transmission (standard). A small annoyance: the drive system (engine and transmission) produces a fairly high noise level.

Sport coupes like the Saturn SC and Dodge Avenger are best known for their good looks, not their ride. But the Cougar is the exception.

Remarkably well-balanced, this Mercury is smooth and precise, thanks to a firm steering system that adds to the sense of security the driver feels as soon as he or she gets behind the wheel. A perfect counterpoint, the firm suspension limits roll without sacrificing comfort. The Cougar handles corners wonderfully well and only sharp curves taken at high speeds lead to the slightest trace of understeering (front-wheel slippage), a problem mostly felt on the four-cylinder version (with narrower tires). The good news is that this is a drawback that can be eliminated easily provided the buyer chooses to add a traction control system.

PROS
Refreshing lines
Solid ride
Competitive price

CONS
Side mirrors too small
High trunk sill
Massive weight

CRASH TEST (five stars indicate the best protection)
Driver: no data
Passenger: * * *