Cars Service

New Cars 2006 Mercury Milan Reviews

Pros: I love pretty much everything about this vehicle! The styling is fresh, hip & unique. The Milan has a great foreign flair! The Milan is extremely comfortable to drive and the interior looks very expensive.



The V6 engine has amazing, effortless pickup and gets awesome gas mileage! The interior cabin is air tight and there is no road noise. This car is an amazing value. Mercury should have come out with something like this years ago! This car is not as bulky as the old Sable and it is alot more attractive.



Cons: A Sirius satellite radio option would be a great addition. Rear visiblity for some may be difficult due to the high rear decklid, so a rear backup assist warning feature might be helfpful. For some reason, the Merc engineers forgot to include a glovebox light, a strange omission given the otherwise high standard equipment level on this car.

New for 2006

The all-new 2006 Mercury Milan is powered by either a 160-hp Duratec 23 inline 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual or automatic, or a 221-hp Duratec 30 V6 combined with a six-speed automatic. The chassis is tuned to be nimble and responsive with precise steering while providing a quiet interior and ride comfort under a variety of road conditions.

Interior Design and Special Features

The Milans upscale interior offers an effective blend of premium materials and functional design elements. The interior is supposed to reflect the high-quality living environments of todays young professionals. Upscale Milans feature leather seating surfaces with contrasting stitching, and a Wales Mahogany wood finish or Satin Metallic trim can be ordered on Premium models. Base and optional audio systems are MP3-capable, and the split-folding rear seat, along with a 15.6-cubic-foot trunk, adds to the Milans utility. Most buyers will find the Mercury Milan suitably roomy with ample head-, shoulder and legroom for adults to ride comfortably in the front or back.

Safety

Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on all Milans. Antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution are optional on base Milans and standard on the Premium trim, and traction control can be had on V6 models. Stability control is not available. An optional Safety and Security package gives the Milan front-seat side airbags and head-protecting side curtain airbags for all outboard occupants. Without the side bags, the Mercury Milan scored four stars (out of five) in NHTSA frontal- and side-impact (front and rear) testing. With the side bags, the scores were the same, save for side impact for front passengers, in which it earned five stars. In frontal offset crash testing conducted by the IIHS, the Milan scored "Acceptable," the second-highest rating.

Powertrains and Performance

The Milans base 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine makes 160 horsepower and meets PZEV certification in California. Its connected to a standard five-speed manual transmission, and a five-speed automatic is optional. A 221-hp, 3.0-liter V6 is optional on both the base and Premier trims. It comes with one transmission, a six-speed automatic. This transmission shifts well enough, but we wish it had a true manual-shift mode instead of just two forward-gear gates ("D" and "L").

Driving Impressions

The Mercury Milan Premiers 221-horsepower V6 engine and Japanese Aisin six-speed automatic transmission give the driver the kind of power we all like when it comes to getting across the intersection or getting out of a tight spot, but theres not a lot of reserve after that, and theres not a lot of satisfaction in driving it hard.

The engine feels a bit choked and a bit underpowered, and doesnt sound like a powerful engine when prodded. A full-throttle kickdown maneuver will also get the front end to pitch, too quickly and too high for our taste, leaving the front tires scrambling for traction and direction for an annoying split second.

We found the steering to have a fairly hefty feel and effort at the wheel, but it was a bit too disconnected from the road surface for our taste, a minimum-effort, minimum-feel tuning, but most people will probably not notice much difference either way. High-speed handling showed predictable, normal and usual levels of understeer.

The ride, over the universally awful streets of Detroit, was quite good, with lots of compliance to soak up bumps, not too much body roll, and quiet, smooth operation.
The brakes, on the other hand, were strong and direct, without a lot of wasted pedal travel before deceleration starts to happen, and low effort-to-stop ratio.


Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The midsize Mercury Milan sedan comes in two trim levels, base and Premier. The base model rides on 16-inch wheels and includes items like air conditioning, an MP3-compatible CD stereo with six speakers, a six-way power driver seat, a split-folding rear seat, an analog clock, cruise control, full power accessories and keyless entry. Options include alloy wheels, a sunroof, an upgraded eight-speaker stereo and in-dash CD changer. Premier models are upgraded with 17-inch aluminum wheels, a CD changer and leather seating. In addition to the options on the base Milan, Premier models are eligible for heated front seats, as well as a Comfort Package with automatic climate control, automatic headlights, foglamps and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Large Trunk

The long, deep trunk has a low, wide opening. Its lid pops up well out of the way on hydraulic struts, but theres no grip or strap to help close it without getting hands dirty on the outside metal. The split rear seatbacks fold forward and sit moderately flat to enlarge the cargo area. The heavy hood is held open by only a prop rod, but fluid filler areas in the engine compartment are easily reached without getting clothes dirty. Lots of people havent put midsize American cars on their shopping list because autos such as the Milan havent been offered. Now that its here, lets see how well it does.

Overall Review:

Great car for anyone looking for an automobile that is affordable, reliable and fun to drive.