Description: Near-Luxury Minivan
Base MSRP Range: $28,595
Invoice Price Range: $26,323
Where built: Canada

Mercury's long-wheelbase luxury minivan wears a waterfall grille in front with satin aluminum accents and flanks decked with monochromatic cladding. Plan for the cabin indicates three rows of seats with twin buckets up front, seats on the second row foldable and a third-tier bench that drops into the floor.

Power for Monterey stems from a 4.2-liter V6 engine rated at 201 hp and with enough torque to lug a 3500-pound trailer.

Monterey adopts a simplified trim strategy in 2006 with a single well-equipped model called Monterey Luxury. It stocks power controls for the driver's bucket, the folding second-row seats and a fold-into-floor third-row bench. Leather upholstery with suede seat insets and front seats with internal heating-cooling elements are available. Other options include Ford's Safety Canopy curtain-style air bags, a DVD-based video entertainment system, power-adjustable pedals, tri-zone cabin temperature controls and a power liftgate.

New models in the 2006 line of Mercury, from the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company, multiply with the addition of two new nameplates. Milan is a fresh mid-size sedan for Mercury with premium equipment and two powertrain choices, while Mariner the crossover sport-utility vehicle spins off a gas-electric version sporting the badge of Mariner Hybrid.