Mercury lands squarely on the family car game board with the 2005 Montego, the first competitive sedan for the company to sell since the original Sable debuted 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.

Several compelling reasons exist to consider the new Mercury Montego over established models like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry when the time comes for a new family sedan.

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).Safety is well covered by the 2005 Mercury Montego. Ford's Personal Safety System is standard, including dual-stage front airbags with a passenger occupant sensor and driver's seat position sensor. An optional Safety Canopy system includes side curtain airbags with rollover protection. Power adjustable pedals and rear parking assist sensors are also available. AdvanceTrac traction control is standard but, curiously, there is no stability control system offered on the new Montego.

However, all-wheel-drive is optional. It's a Volvo-based Haldex system that utilizes an electronically controlled limited slip coupling between the driveshaft and the rear differential. When the front wheels, which put the power to the ground under normal driving conditions, start to slip the system can route as much as 100 percent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels. Mercury says that this transfer of power occurs in just 50 milliseconds, fast enough that it goes unnoticed by most drivers.

Standard on the 2005 Mercury Montego AWD is a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Models without four driven wheels are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. A Duratec 30 V6 engine, an updated and refined version of the Duratec 3.0-liter V6 from the Sable sedan, generates 200 horsepower and 200 lb.-ft. of torque. Though Mercury claims that the Montego will be capable of acceleration near the top of its class, we doubt it. This just isn't enough go-power for a sedan that can weigh almost two tons in top trim. Montego needs more muscle, Mercury.

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