, has been around since 1939, and its vehicles have gone through many iterations over the years. The Mercury Mariner and the Mountaineer were the brand's first and only SUVs. However, the models were discontinued after the 2011 and 2010 model year, respectively.

Ever since then, it seems like these two Mercury vehicles have long been forgotten. Let’s take a look back at their specs and features with help from

Kelley Blue Book

(KBB).

Do you remember the Mercury Mariner or Mercury Mountaineer?

Was the Mercury Mariner a good car?

The Mercury Mariner first came out in 2005 as Mercury's compact crossover SUV flagship. It was a rebadged twin of the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, according to

Consumer Reports

But the Mariner had different styling, including a turn signal repeater borrowed from the Maverick and a two-tone interior. Unlike its siblings, it did not offer a manual transmission option.

It was a four-door, five-passenger SUV and offered three trim levels. Although the car was an upscale model, it was too similar to other Ford vehicles to attract consumers. For that reason, it made few sales over the years.

In 2011, the automaker decided to chop it from the lineup.

The Mercury Mountaineer was a good SUV of its time

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The Mercury Mountaineer first hit the market as Mercury's only midsize luxury SUV in 1996. It was a four-door, seven-passenger SUV. The Mountaineer directly competed with the Ford Explorer, with almost identical hardware. Mercury added exclusive interior styling cues to separate it from the Ford model.

Unlike the Explorer, the first-generation Mountaineer was only available in a single trim level. However, it offered lots of standard features that were optional on the Explorer's Limited and Eddie Bauer trim. Mercury decided to redesign the Mountaineer in 2006.

At the time, Mercury was known for luxury, but the lack of significant upgrades reduced the Mountaineer's sales numbers. The SUV was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Comparing the performance of the Mercury SUVs

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According to KBB, the last Mercury Mariner model came with a choice of two engines. The standard engine was a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder that produced 171 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. The other option was a 3.0-liter V-6 engine capable of 240 hp and 223 lb-ft of torque. The 2011 model also offered a hybrid variant.

The 2010 Mercury Mountaineer also offered two engine options. It came standard with a 4.0-liter V-6 that made 210 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque. You could also opt for a 4.6-liter V-8 capable of 292 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque. The V-6 supplies power via a five-speed automatic transmission, while the V-8 uses a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Mariner came standard with front-wheel drive, while the Mountaineer came with rear-wheel drive. However, both vehicles have an optional all-wheel-drive system.

The Mariner and Mountaineer had decent reviews when the cars were new.

U.S. News

gave the Mariner an overall rating of 7.8 out of 10 and the Mountaineer a 7.1. Each SUV received impressive ratings for total cost of ownership and safety.

A second-hand 2010 Mariner will cost you around $7,389 to $8,246 on average, according to U.S. News. On the other hand, used 2010 Mountaineers sell between $7,244 and $9,175.

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Mercury Used Cars