Its trunk, at 21.2 cubic feet, is also the largest in its class (aided by a space-saver spare tire). Both rear seats and the front passenger seat can be made to fold down, extending the useful cargo area of the Montego to station wagon proportions. With the front seat flopped over, you get nearly 50 inches of storage length down the right side of the car.

Montego's interior design was influenced by SUVs. The beefy steering wheel looks like it came from an auto-show dream truck, with more buttons than ever for added convenience, easier operation of the cruise control, and more audio functions. Satin-aluminum cuffs accent the spokes on all 2006 models, making the wheel look more substantial. Other SUV design cues include the overhead console and the big brow shading the instruments. All the graphics are large, white on black, and very easy to read.

There's enough brushed aluminum trim to tell you you're in a Mercury. The Luxury model comes with a straight-grain wood trim, while the Premium gets burled wood trim. Three interior color schemes are available: two-tone grey, two-tone tan, and black.

A large, oval-shaped clock is the central feature of the instrument panel, which is dark on top and light on the bottom, just as the seats are dark on the outside and light on the inside (unless you opt for the all-black interior). The instruments are easy to read and the controls are easy and quick to use.

The driving position in the Montego is pleasantly high off the ground, affording excellent driver visibility. The seats sit about four inches higher than the seats in the discontinued Sable. Visually, they are a bit of a throwback, blocky and plain in appearance. But they are also large, plush and supportive. The rear seats are set up higher still so that rear-seat passengers can see out without craning.