Ford Faqs

Mercury comes out with the 2005 Montego, the first competitive sedan for the company to sell since the original Sable came out nearly two decades ago. When the 2005 Mercury Montego goes on sale later this year, it joins its corporate twin, the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, in the battle for import sedan buyers.

The 2005 Mercury Montego is larger inside than its competitors, yet trim and tidy on the outside. Rear seat occupants will be especially happy, since the Montego boasts class-leading headroom and legroom. Plus, the Montego is blessed with high H-points, which refers to the pivot point of the human hip.

A high H-point makes it easy to get into and out of a vehicle. The trunk measures 21 cubic feet of cargo space, enough to carry three more golf bags than passengers. To enhance utility, the rear seat is a split folding design, and the front passenger’s seat also folds down to accommodate long items.

Loosely based upon the Volvo S80 luxury sedan, the 2005 Mercury Montego employs many Volvo design and engineering principles to keep occupants safe. The front architecture manages crash energy by deflecting it away from the passenger compartment, and the Montego’s side structure is modeled after the Volvo Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).

To differentiate the Montego from the Ford Five Hundred, stylists have employed the signature Mercury satin aluminum waterfall grille, unique front and rear bumpers, and chrome taillight bezels. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlights are standard, as are light-emitting diode (LED) taillights.

Mercury offers the 2005 Montego in Luxury and Premier trim levels. Both include two-tone interior décor with fake wood trim, a power driver’s seat, a tilt steering wheel, heated power side mirrors, remote keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, premium sound with a CD player and power windows with driver’s side one-touch up and down.

True enough, the 2005 Mercury Montego is a badge-engineered version of the Ford Five Hundred and selecting it over the car wearing the blue oval literally comes down to a matter of subjective taste. But the bottom line is that either serves as a benchmark in the family sedan class.

If the Mercury Montego proves durable over time and passes crash testing with flying colors, it could be the most formidable competitor for the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry to emerge from a domestic automaker in a very long time.