2008 Mercury Milan

Take the excellent Mazda 6 platform and add Mercury's sense of upscale styling and you have the Mercury Milan. The Milan, Ford Focus, and Lincoln MKZ are siblings, but in terms of sheet metal they only share the doors. In order to set itself further apart, Mercury mixes in its own sense of styling, generous standard equipment features, and upscale appointments.

Two engines are offered, the 2.3-liter 160-hp I4 and the 3.0-liter 221-hp V6. The four cylinder comes with a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. The V6 pairs only with a Japanese Aisin six-speed automatic, which helps its fuel economy and power output. Both engines run on regular fuel. The I4 achieves 23/31 mpg and the V6 gets 20/28. Most reviewers preferred the latter for its better acceleration, but when pushed there isn't much in reserve. In 2007, an all-wheel drive system was added to the lineup.

Standard features abound with ABS, side-impact and side curtain airbags, air conditioning, a premium audio system, six-way power driver's seat, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, anti-theft system, remote keyless entry and the list goes on as Mercury tries harder. Traction control comes standard on V6 models.

The Milan seats four comfortably in a well detailed cabin. The seats are available in leather with contrast stitching and there is a lot of satin-finish and patterned aluminum trim. Or, if you're not into metals, Wales Mahogany comes as a no charge option. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split opening a large cargo space with the 15.8 cubic feet in the trunk plus 46 cubic feet behind the front seats - those are station wagon proportions. The seats are quite comfortable and roomy. Storage binds are plentiful and include several of those sacred cup holders - one even fits a Big Gulp cup.

The Milan's Mazda 6 platform features a sophisticated suspension system that soaks up the worst bumps, limits body roll, and provides for an overall smooth, quiet ride. Safety standards are high with the Milan receiving the highest individual rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for frontal and side impact crash testing along with other safety awards.