‘09 Mariner Hybrid: Bigger engine. Improved MPG. Better braking system. $3,000 federal tax credit. What’s not to like?

2009 Mariner Hybrid CUV2009 will mark the third year of production for the Mercury Mariner hybrid and the fifth year it’s maker, Ford, has been in the business of making a greener SUV. It all started in 2004 with the Ford Escape and adding the Mercury Mariner to the list of hybrid SUVs allowed the auto giant to target two groups of SUV buyers, those who wanted something smaller and folks who needed more room and more power.

New for 2009 on the Mercury Mariner hybrid is the addition of even more power, increased efficiency and a few cosmetic tweaks. The top-of the line Mariner hybrid package will feature a moon-roof, leather seats, navigational system (which also shows fuel economy stats, sports scores and stores up to 10 GB of music), and rearview camera. At $33,000, it isn’t priced too bad either. The efficiency on the 2009 model also goes up, the hybrid SUV will now get 30 miles to the gallon, or even more, depending on driving conditions.

So, where does all this power come from? Well, it starts with a 2.5 liter, four-cylinder engine (formally a 2.3) and a 330 volt nickel-metal hydride battery. One new addition under the hood is the energy capturing feature on the battery. As the car loses momentum during breaking, the energy is stored and used to recharge the battery pack. This new feature helps with stability and traction control, as well as helping to increase overall efficiency. In fact, the 2009 Mariner hybrid can apparently hit up to 40 miles per hour without even using any gas, which is a pretty amazing feat for such a heavy vehicle.

Additional changes were made to the battery pack to ensure that shifts from battery to gas power were smoother and that the general ride and feel of the car is more rigid and less bumpy. This is one change anyone who has driven both the 2009 and 2008 Mariner hybrid will notice right away: a smoother, quieter ride.

Make sure you check out the video of a test-drive done by AutoBlog. After driving the car for a week, they found a few nuisances they didn’t love, but overall claim the car to much better than the 2008 Mariner hybrid – all because of a few small changes in body and power. Also, this is one of the few hybrids that still qualifies for the hybrid tax credit.