Mercury Montego First Drive
Introduction
This roomy sedan, like its Ford Five Hundred twin, emphasizes comfort and good ergonomics over performance and style. It features an elevated seating position for good outward vision and cabin access. The rear seat is immense. The engine is an underpowered and unpolished 3.0-liter V6. Front-wheel-drive models use a six-speed automatic; all-wheel drive models use a continuously variable transmission. The AWD model was somewhat sluggish at launch. The ride is comfortable and handling agility is commendable for a large sedan. The Montego scored a Good in the IIHS side-crash test with the optional head and side air bags, but a Poor when tested without them.