Nissan Xterra vs. Mercury Mariner Review

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Mercury Mariner to the dealership as the Nissan Xterra. The Mercury Mariner will save you money at the pump compared to the Nissan Xterra. The Nissan Xterra will tax your gas budget considerably more than the Mercury will. As far as MSRP, the Xterra costs approximately as much as the Mercury Mariner (though the Mercury Mariner is a little cheaper). The Mercury Mariner will save you a lots_of_money at the pump every year compared to the Nissan Xterra.

Utility
The Nissan Xterra and the Mercury Mariner can accommodate the same number of passengers. The Nissan Xterra outpulls the Mercury Mariner by a big margin.

Convenience
The Nissan's fuel tank will need to be replenished a little more often than the unit in the Mariner.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Mercury Mariner offers a bit more head room than the Nissan Xterra, there really isn't much of a difference. The Mariner is not particularly roomier for your passengers than the Nissan Xterra.

Dimensions
The Xterra is significantly heavier than the Mercury Mariner. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Nissan Xterra than the Mercury Mariner because of its bigger tank. The Mercury and the Nissan Xterra compete for the same parking spaces.

Handling
With their similar turning radii, the Mercury Mariner and the Nissan most definitely handle about the same into and out of tight spots.

Drivetrain
The Nissan Xterra's engine is tremendously bigger than the Mariner's. Keep in mind that more massive engines may use more gas than smaller ones. Torque is roughly equivalent to acceleration, and in this respect, the Nissan Xterra is tremendously more powerful than the Mercury. The Xterra packs quite a punch compared to the Mercury in terms of torque, which is roughly equivalent to acceleration.

Warranty
The Mariner and the Nissan have the same basic warranty.