From the logbook: Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Even amid the bad news from Detroit, Ford seems to be on a roll. Its Fusion line is garnering much praise these days, the company has avoided any talk of bankruptcy, and its products have done very well in CR's reliability surveys.

We've recently written about the possibility of the price of fuel rising, which might prompt some new-car buyers to seek out more fuel-efficient transportation.

Our Mercury Mariner Hybrid (twin to the Ford Escape Hybrid) gets the best fuel economy of any SUV we've tested (26 mpg overall). It also has lots of interior room, easy access, and good visibility. But our fully loaded Mariner  cost us $36,000; it was the only configuration we could find in dealers late last year. It included a moon roof, as well as a navigation system (part of the Premium Package that also gets you heated leather seats, premium sound, etc.). Bypass the Premium option, saving you $3,595, and you can get into one for a more reasonable $33,000.

What's it like to live with day-to-day, bearing in mind that we are critics? And is the high price worth all its "greenness?" Take a peak at comments from our tester's logbook:

"Adequate power – can go up to 40 mph on electric power alone on a flat road."
 
"Engine is loud when accelerating hard but much more civilized than before."
 
"Ride is rough."
 
"Navigation system has nice features and the voice-recognition works well."
 
"Touch screen's letters and numbers are too small to enter addresses and select options."
 
"Flat [front] seat isn't very comfortable…manual recline and telescope steering wheel is absurd at $36,000."
 
"Rear passengers complained that the seats were uncomfortable after a few hours."
 
"Cheap interior."
 
"Rear hatch takes more than one slam to close."
 
"Clever drivetrain looking for a more modern vehicle."

So while some question the Hybrid's value, all agree that the technology is successful. We look forward to measuring the fuel economy of our next Ford hybrid – the Fusion, which many of us like much better.

Read our full Mercury Mariner Hybrid road test, ratings, and other information on the model overview, available to online subscribers.

—Mike Quincy