All-wheel drive adds a significant level of safety and confidence in snow, rain, mud, wet leaves, ice, and gravel. It dramatically improves handling balance whenever it's slippery. All-wheel drive eliminates wheelspin by splitting the power to the front and rear tires as needed. In normal driving, the system biases torque 35 percent to the front and 65 percent to the rear to minimize understeer. (Understeer is when the front tires slip before the rear tires, causing the vehicle to push toward the outside of a turn.) The system relies on an open differential with a viscous coupling; a clutch pack distributes power between the front and rear wheels based on traction needs. But you don't need to understand any of that. There are no switches or levers for the driver to operate. There's no low range for the steepest kinds of unpaved trail driving either.
Mercury Mountaineer combines convenience and versatility with luxurious accommodations. It's comfortable on long trips, while features and ergonomics make living with it a very pleasant experience. All-wheel drive is available, making it a confident vehicle in nasty weather. We like the V6 engine, but a V8 is available for more power in hilly terrain, high altitudes, and towing.
New Car Test Drive correspondent Jim McCraw is based in Dearborn, Michigan, with editor Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles.
