2006 Mercury Montego Premium AWD Interior & Engine

With the most potent engine and lowest curb weight (3776 pounds), it's only logical that the 300 Touring would motor off with acceleration honors when we finally hit the test track. The real surprise was that the Montego--heaviest and most challenged in the weight/horsepower area--took the measure of the Lucerne in virtually all the benchmark sprints. While the Chrysler's 7.6-second 0-to-60-mph time eclipsed the Mercury's 8.4-second best, the Buick needed 8.8 ticks to make that speed. Interestingly enough, the Lucerne bested the Merc from 0 to 50 mph, but at that point, the extra torque of its bigger engine could no longer counter the CVT's greater efficiency in exploiting the full potential of the Montego's smaller six. From there on, it was advantage Mercury. Another tangible benefit of the CVT could be seen in the Merc's 45-to-65-mph interval time: a Chrysler-matching 4.0 seconds against a 4.7-second best for the Buick. Formal stopping exercises proved equally eye-opening. While there was unresolved debate about which vehicle had the most consistent pedal feel, when the brake dust finally settled, it was the Montego's 127-foot 60-to-0 mark that stood ahead of the Chrysler's 134-foot effort and the Lucerne's 136-foot best.

Although an alternate venue prevented us from generating skidpad and figure-eight numbers, the slalom stats confirmed our subjective assessments about the transient response skills of these mounts. Sports cars they're not, but the Chrysler (61.4 mph) and the Mercury (61.1 mph) were far less flustered when weaving through the pylons than was the Buick, which demanded all of Master Chirico's formidable cone-dodging skills to manage even a 58.5-mph pass.

2006 Mercury Montego Premium AWD

While the sales of big sedans are slowly trending up in this country, anticipating a return to the halcyon days of yore is still best left to the department of wishful thinking. However, the current state of the art speaks well for the future viability of these seminal American idols, whichever wheels are being driven. Picking a winner from among this diverse V-6 contingent comes down to determining priorities. While the Lucerne CXL is more refined and the Montego Premium AWD more spacious, the rear-drive Chrysler 300 Touring still offers the most well-rounded combination of style, personality, and performance for the money.