It is no secret that the Mercury brand of cars is part of the Ford Motor company. Mercury, like its cousin Lincoln, started out as independent companies but were bought out by the Ford company under the direction of the founder on his quest for domination in the world of automobiles.

Since that time the name of all three makers has been with every dealership in the world. What most people fail to realize is the fact that Mercury is less of a work horse maker then Ford. For many years Mercury has released the higher trim levels of all their models, which are similar, but just a lot nicer then most of the Ford models that are released. This is the exact reason why so many of the Mercury models, while they seem to be duplicates of the Ford models, are so much more expensive. They are shall we say the higher class of Ford and the people who drive them expect something a bit more.

This can be seen easily in the Mercury Mariner. This hybrid SUV is closely related to the Ford Escape. Most often the models of the same type that are released by Ford and Mercury together are very similar, but there are many differences that are on going. Strangely enough most people cannot see the differences in the two models but they still lean towards the more expensive Mercury Mariner, whose sales have been far more brisk then that of the Ford Escape. In many respects from the mechanical stand point the two SUVs are identical. They both use the same motor and the same electric assist motor, but that is where the similarities stop. The interior of the Mariner is far more appealing to the higher class. Leather seats come standard with this model, as does on board tracking and a high end stereo system. The seating arrangements are even more complicated. The rear seats of the Mariner are automatic and can be folded down at the split to make room for cargo.

The Mercury Mariner has long been held as the best SUV hybrid on the market. The price difference between the two models of Ford and Mercury is great. There is little that one would not love about this model. You are getting all the fuel efficiency of the Escape with the high class styling that most have become accustomed too.