The Mercury Mariner came to be in 2005 as the manufacturer's smaller SUV offering aimed at younger buyers. Although it's the sibling of the Ford Escape, the styling is quite different, so it's not just a simple rebranding. There's a bit of a trade-off of power in favor of fuel efficiency, at least by SUV standards; the five-passenger vehicle's fuel economy ranges from 19 to 24 miles per gallon. It can hold a bit of cargo behind the back row, but if the back row is unoccupied its seats can be flattened to create a cargo space of more than 66 cubic feet. Although it contains all of the safety equipment that is more or less commonplace on today's new cars, the Mariner has earned adequate but not exceptional crash-test ratings in its three model years. Owner satisfaction appears to be quite high, especially on the well-equipped higher-priced trims.