| The Mercury Mountaineer, Mercury's version of the | | | | engine were updated in 2006 with three valves per |
| midsize Ford Explorer SUV, returns for 2010 with no | | | | cylinder and Ford's Variable Cam Timing system, but |
| engine changes. | | | | they still use a cast-iron block. In the Mountaineer, the |
| Base and Premier models come standard with a | | | | 24-valve V8 makes 292 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of |
| 4.0-liter SOHC V6. This 12-valve engine is the latest | | | | torque. |
| iteration of Ford's long-lived Cologne V6, developed in | | | | Critics find both engines more than adequate for the |
| the mid-sixties by Ford of Germany. Originally an | | | | Mountaineer's weight, although even the V8 fails to |
| all-iron pushrod engine, it was updated in 1997 with | | | | match the muscle of newer rivals like the Nissan |
| aluminum heads and overhead camshafts. A jackshaft | | | | Armada. In daily commuting, the V8 does not feel |
| in the block, located where the camshaft used to | | | | dramatically stronger than the V6, although its extra |
| reside, drives each cam via a timing chain. This engine | | | | torque gives it the edge for towing, and it is |
| is shared with the Ford Explorer, as well as the Ford | | | | noticeably more refined. Both engines are well |
| Ranger, Mazda B-Series, Land Rover LR3, and Ford | | | | muffled, except at full throttle. |
| Mustang. In the Mountaineer, it produces 210 | | | | With nearly two and a half tons to haul, neither |
| horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque. | | | | engine is thrifty. Surprisingly, EPA estimates suggest |
| Optional on Premier models is Ford's 4.6-liter modular | | | | that the V8 is the more economical of the two, |
| V8. This SOHC engine, shared by the Explorer, | | | | thanks mostly to its six-speed automatic; the V6's |
| Expedition, Mustang, and F-150 pickup, is also a very | | | | automatic has only five speeds. Both engines use |
| old design, dating back to 1991. Truck versions of this | | | | regular fuel. |