The Monterey came to be for the 2005 model year, when Mercury introduced four new vehicles, all fitting its goal of having all models begin with the letter M (the flagship Grand Marquis remains the only misfit in that regard). The Monterey became Mercury's minivan offering a few years after the demise of the Villager. Alas, at the start of its third year, the Monterey was retired; its production ceased in August 2006. As a gussied-up version of the Ford Freestar (which has also been recently discontinued), this minivan has been a good performer, earning enough impressive reviews. Although some have said its interior has always seemed to be on the cheap side, it has the amenities that America seeks in a family vehicle, and its crash-test results really couldn't be better. But none of that means too much when vehicles aren't leaving the sales lot at a sufficient clip. The Monterey has also suffered from poor resale value, something its Japanese competitors have never had to worry about. The Ford Motor Company will replace both failed minivans with an upscale minivan, tentatively called the Fairlane, in the not too distant future.