Fuel economy is up as well. The new powertrain offers a notable increase in the SUV's miles-per-gallon score of 20 on the highway — up 10 percent over last year's model.
Unfortunately, the good vibes on the open road don't translate to the test track. Although straight-line power is respectable for an SUV with a 0-to-60-mph time of 8.3 seconds, the last Acura MDX we tested sprinted to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The Mountaineer's 56.9-mph slalom speed is also slower than the Acura's 57.5-mph performance and the Mercury's stability control system intervened at every entry and exit cone.
The system, which is called AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, uses a gyroscope to sense a roll condition and then applies braking and engine controls as necessary to help the driver regain command of the vehicle. It works, but it seems to come on prematurely, and there's no way to shut it down.
Unfortunately, the good vibes on the open road don't translate to the test track. Although straight-line power is respectable for an SUV with a 0-to-60-mph time of 8.3 seconds, the last Acura MDX we tested sprinted to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The Mountaineer's 56.9-mph slalom speed is also slower than the Acura's 57.5-mph performance and the Mercury's stability control system intervened at every entry and exit cone.
The system, which is called AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, uses a gyroscope to sense a roll condition and then applies braking and engine controls as necessary to help the driver regain command of the vehicle. It works, but it seems to come on prematurely, and there's no way to shut it down.
