Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Mazda, Mercury
Mercury Milan: Not young mom friendly?
by Joel Arellano on Mar 18th 2006 at 2:00PM 
Writer Kristin Varela provides a unique review of the Mercury Milan, the middle triplet of Ford’s
Fusion/Milan/Zephyr mid-size offerings. She takes a decidedly different tack than most reviews of this model. Instead
of discussing how the Milan is based on the Mazda6 chassis or how the engine uses pushrods, Varela assesses the Milan
from a young mother's perspective:- The Milan is simple to operate. (Sometimes it's just nice to get into a car without feeling like one needs to be a computer hacker just to operate the vehicle.)
- She cannot fit her third child’s booster seat between her other two children when they’re in back.
- She likes the in-dash storage unit. (Accessibility rocks!) Same with the climate controls on the steering wheel.
- No manual release for the
trunk or handhold to grip it.
- As a result of these shortcomings, Valera wonders if the Milan is a suitable vehicle for modern women and mothers.
[Source: ABC News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shifty 2:31PM (3/18/2006)
"or how the engine uses pushrods"
fyi, both the 2.3 and 3.0 engines are DOHC.
i dont think many cars this size could fit 2 kids plus a child seat in the rear.
Reply
That One Person 3:36PM (3/18/2006)
I dont think this car was meant to be a family hauler. Plus, I dont think a lot of mid-size cars can fit a car seat and two kids in the back. Car seats are not tiny. Hell, I have been in minivans with a car seat next to me and its uncomfortable.
The Milan is a nice car. But it is meant to be a single person's or couple's car, not a family hauler.
AND it is suitable for modern women because it has style and it is different. If I was a mom, I would go for a minivan and not even think of this car (or the Fusion like she says). Oh well, whatever floats her boat...
Reply
313 4:05PM (3/18/2006)
This review is a fairly obvious / blatant example at why non-auto experts probably shouldn't draft auto reviews.
It's a flipping C/D car. Any mother that would place 3+ kids in a vehicle of that size is anything but modern--more like ignorant.
I know I am the 3rd person to comment on this same issue, but seriously.
Bash Mercury, Lincoln, and all of Ford Motor Company for appropriate reasons...there are several.
But bashing a C/D car for not carrying enough kids...are you serious?
Maybe for her next review..."How I lost a pink slip race in my 06 Honda Odyssey".
Idiot.
2.
Reply
CrunchyCookie 5:29PM (3/18/2006)
The day wouldn't be complete without Joel cluttering Autoblog with a poorly-written car review from an uninteresting ditz trying to be funny.
Hint: what you find fascinating speaks volumes about yourself.
Reply
Michael Karesh 5:37PM (3/18/2006)
Three child seats will easily fit in this car if you have the right three seats--the middle one needs to sit a bit higher than the other two so the bolsters can overlap. Something like a Britax Roundabout.
I know this because I used to have three car seats in a Ford Contour, and currently have three in the back of a Mazda Protege. I've done this with the center seat forward- and rearward-facing. The Contour had less rear hiproom than the Mazda, so the two outside seats had to be the Graco Turbobooster, which is a bit narrower than a standard booster. I use a pair of standard car seats which convert to boosters (and are so converted) in the back of the Mazda. I still have a couple inches to spare.
I've similarly put all three in my wife's PT Cruiser. We drove 700 miles to Arkansas and back like this, no problem.
The only thing ignorant are Americans who think you need something huge to haul three kids. I've been doing it for over three years now. I actually prefer the arrangement with a smaller car, as its easy for me to reach back from the driver's seat and help my youngest get buckled in.
As a rule of thumb, you need 45" of rear hiproom to fit three seats. This is what the Contour had, and three barely fit. My Protege5 has 49". The Milan has 53.6" of rear hiproom. Scads of room.
I must conclude that this author isn't even an expert at the things she focuses on.
Reply
Michael Karesh 5:39PM (3/18/2006)
Actually, I'm not even sure the bolsters need to overlap. The stats suggest there should be plenty of room in this car unless you have three identical super-sized car seats.
Reply
laserwizard 6:09PM (3/18/2006)
Irrelavent points. The point is whether a Milan will fit in a kitchen and can be driven barefoot while pregnant.
Reply
Non-Bizarro Adam 7:28PM (3/18/2006)
Laserwizard, I more often than not disagree with you, but post #7 is going up on my wall of fame. Kudos, indeed.
Reply
doug 8:30PM (3/18/2006)
Ford made a mistake. They came out with eyeshadow to tie in with the Fusion instead of the Milan. I'm sure the reviewer would be interested....
Reply
far jr 8:46PM (3/18/2006)
You can fit three car seats in the back of many cars that may surprise you. I currently have three in the back of my compact car. With kids spending so much time in car seats nowdays, this is a fairly important issue to many families with three (or more) little ones. I know it is to me. I am shopping cars now and find myself constantly checking safety, cargo space, and rear seat hip room numbers. I never thought I would enter the bland world of the Azera, Avalon, 500, and Impala at this stage of my life... but I love my kids enough to drive a Tank if it would be best. maybe I can compromise and get the Impala SS model!
Reply
Christian J 8:55PM (3/18/2006)
I suspect the author is import biased. The "...how the engine uses pushrods." comment is totally irrelevant and shows your lack of knowledge of domestic automobile engine lineups. These little snippets of misinformation, whether intended or not, are annoyng.
Reply
Stoneman 9:30PM (3/18/2006)
What a ridiculous review. Anyway, what do you expect- Car and Driver talk ? I'm an amateur reviewer /test driver myself. I've recently driven a fully loaded Honda Ridgeline and a Mazda Speed 6 (oh man... it's good). Reviews should be fun and realistic, and not dead serious. I'll be posting my own reviews shortly. (See my linkage).
Stoneman from
Stoneman Auto Review
Reply
Rene Curry 11:13PM (3/18/2006)
If you are reading this blog, then you are a car guy (or gal)
Car reviews that get into handling, drive train versions, and the like mean nothing to the average person.
Styling, perceived quality & prestige, life style function, and value will sell the majority of the vehicles out there. The remaining items are just details. Only niche vehicles or manufacturers can lay claim to the details. BMW, Corvette, Ferrari and the like.
So in my eyes and yours this is a very goofy review, but probably relevant to the average person.
As a sidenote, you can't get carried away with focus groups and things people want. If you had a survey that said " Do you want this, that?" The answer would be YES! But in the end very few will pay the premuim for the extra crap.
Reply
Glenn Laycock 12:59AM (3/19/2006)
Okay .. I'm confused. The trunk does not have latch on it -- has any car had a latch in years? Vans, trucks, and SUV have since the beginning of time -- but cars, you use the keyfob or you put a key into open it.
Kid in the front -- hope it was not a child because that would be incredible incompetence on her part. I suspect she did it (risk a young person) to make a point. Sorry, even the old huge cars -- a carseat and 2 people is going to be tight; but certainly that is nothing unusual or unexpected. It is just like when I'm put in the back seat with a couple dogs -- gee I got hair and drewl on me, gosh that's the cars fault.
It is obvious that this person drive an SUV or Van and is going to justify that as the only method to get around -- surprised she did not complain about the lack of a sliding side doors.
Reply
Jason Boston 12:37PM (3/19/2006)
I hope you looked into birth control of some sort, because there's no car you can fit four booster seats in, Mom? What are you having litters or Irish twins? Take a repro break, or get yourself a minivan.
Reply
Kristin Varela 11:23AM (3/28/2006)
Hello all! I am the author of this review. My column is directed at a very specific target market that is not otherwise reached - average American consumers who happen to be female, parents, and not gear heads or car buffs. On a weekly basis I test drive cars in my normal life, driving to school and the like. I note practical aspects of vehicles such as functional seating and storage areas, things that matter in the real world of grocery shopping and carpooling. Feel free to check out the complete archive of my reviews along with my network of mom-reviewers with kids ranging in age from newborn to 14 years (www.MotherProof.com). Send the link along to your friends with kids.
Reply