Good afternoon everybody,

I am really happy that I am joining you today and hope to learn alot from you.

Initially I was planning to get GMC Envoy 06 but I shifted to Mercury after I have seen it last weekend.

I have some question regarding this car and I am willing to read some openions,

1- How is the car and how stong and stable it is in long distance trips and off-raods as well?

2- How it's A/C the temperature of the car is it stable since I am from hot areas where temperature in the summer reaches 50 degrees C or 120 degree F?

3- About the AWD, is it really better than the 4WD? and does it consume more gasloline? and as i understand that it will make the car heavier, is it true?

4- Finally, about the sound insulation in the car especially when speeding is there any sound of the air or the engine?

I am really sorry for asking these much questions but I really require your help.

Thanks alot

I have a 2003, and I really, reallylove it; however if I knew what kind of gas mileage I was going to get, I probably wouldn't have bought it. I have the Premier V8, All wheel drive and I am getting 12-13 MPG. The AC is great as long as you have the rear air on at the same time, but with the gas mileage I am getting, I try not to use the air, when I do drive it. It has gotten to where I have been driving my son's car for the past few weeks as I cant afford to pay $500 a month for gas.


The sound insulation is great, and I have 20 Inch tires.


Bill Baraby

Thank you so much Bill, I really apreciate your input.

I have an AWD Premier V6 and absolutely love it - most people will probably hate me for getting almost 19MPG, but that's right around what it's at now, although I'm 90% interstate, and I stay out of it for the mostpart.

I've driven 4WD vehicles before - don't get me wrong, they're not bad, but the computer is only made to have the front 2 tires "communicate" with the back 2 wheels IIRC...

With AWD, all 4 are communicating with each other and it's MUCH more forgiving...I've parked up on some hilly grass lots where 4WD cars have slipped, but I didn't.

AWD really saved my arse one time... So I'm travelling down I-85 South, passing the I-485 junction. I'm in
the far left lane with one of those tall concrete walls in the divider
and 2 cars in front of me...we're doing about 70-75mph.

Another
car is about 150 feet up going about the same speed. I'm not sure
exactly what happened, but all of a sudden, he's skids northwest, SLAMS
into the concrete wall, does another 180 and is now skidding down the
highway, but facing southwest (diagonal & backwards, but out into
traffic). [img]smileys/smiley3.gif[/img]

The 2 in front of me and myself SLAM on brakes, going 'OH SH*T, OH SH*T, OH SH*T "

I
know I'm gonna stop in time, but all of a sudden, I hear screeching
behind me...I look and there's a oldie Caravan heading for me with his
wheels TOTALLY locked up and he's just zig-zagging back and forth...
he's doing at least 60-65 and I know I'm gonna get PLOWED into if I
don't do something NOW. I look in front and back, and there's nowhere to go but a HARD right...

I
had JUST enough time to look into my passenger rearview & beside me
LUCKILY there was nobody...I swung the crap outta the wheel and slung the Mountaineer 2
lanes over -- as I did, the van BARELY missed me, and I'm not sure if
he clipped the car in front of me or the wall b/c I had to pay attention to people
that were still ahead of me...I was the only one of 5 cars that made it
around the whole friggin' wreck. http://www.party49ers.com/images/cool.gif http://www.party49ers.com/images/biggrin.gif

Needless
to say, my heart was NOT right for about an hour after that
Here's the kicker...when I had to slam on brakes for the 2 cars in front of me, I was actually stopping faster than them - when I slung the Mountaineer over 2 lanes, it was a HARD swing, and at about 55-60mph, and never heard a tire chirp...not one - I don't think I could've said that for 2WD or 4WD.

For what it's worth, AWD *MIGHT* knock 1-2MPG off your trip... MAYBE. I'd say it's worth it [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

Edited by: Jester