As a result, while the Explorer looks like a tough, non-nonsense, off-road truck, the Mountaineer looks like a Mercury. It's certainly attractive, but despite its machined-billet front end, it tends more toward country club sleek than off-road robust.

Mountaineer was extensively updated for 2006, with a redesigned frame and suspension; a new and more powerful V8; and an even newer six-speed automatic transmission.

At the same time, a heavily reworked interior enhanced user-friendliness. In fact, there is much here to love. The dash is trimmer, more elegant, and communicates essential information cleanly. Multi-adjustable front seats make for comfortable commutes. Passengers consigned to the third-row seats enjoy more legroom than their counterparts in other, seven-passenger SUVs in the class. The interior door handles are awkward, however.

2007 models bring subtle but significant improvements: Most notably, Ford's sophisticated Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags come standard on all Mountaineers, joining a long list of safety features that includes AdvanceTrac stability control with Roll Stability Control and adaptive driver and front-passenger air bags. A heated windshield that dramatically decreases de-icing time is now available on all models, and we recommend it for cold climates. The rear-seat DVD entertainment system now comes with a larger, eight-inch screen. And all Mountaineers now come with a standard auxiliary audio input jack.