2001MercuryVillagerMercury Villager2001 Mercury Villager EstateMinivanWagonFWDAvon Lake, OHNumerous exterior and interior revisions are on tap for 2001. Also new are optional 16-inch wheels and tires, drivetrain changes for better engine smoothness, new seatbelt pre-tensioners to improve safety, and the addition of an anchorage point for attaching a child seat.Plenty of features and gadgets, car-like ride and handling. Too small for some uses, marginal overall value.Mercury's entry into the crowded minivan market is the Villager, a twin of the Nissan Quest. Both are designed by Nissan and make use of a Nissan engine, but they're built at a Ford manufacturing plant and sold under two nameplates. The Villager differs from the Nissan Quest only in name, a few interior pieces and some exterior styling cues. The Villager comes in a base trim level, a mid-level Sport or a top-level Estate. All Villagers ride on a relatively short 112.2-inch wheelbase. Second-generation airbags for driver and front passenger are standard and antilock brakes are optional. Villager scores poorly in offset crash testing. The interior is functional, but the vehicle's shorter wheelbase means that the Villager doesn't have as big an interior as other minivans. The Villager has dual sliding doors (non-power operated) to make removing the Villager Sport's second-row chairs (a bench unit on the base model) easy. Once the second row is removed, the third-row bench seat can be pulled toward the front seats. The Villager's available cargo space is adequate for most duties, but it's not able to swallow really big items like 4x8 sheets of plywood. Several exterior and interior revisions are featured on the Villager for 2001. Fog lights are integrated into the front fascia of the Sport and Estate, the fascia is restyled and has a satin aluminum-plated grille, and there's new bodyside molding for the Estate with a Soft Gold insert. Inside, you'll find new cloth seat fabric, a new gauge cluster, and updated instrument-panel cupholders with retention improvements. There's also a vinyl two-sided cargo mat and HomeLink added to Sport models. HomeLink remains standard on the Estate. Also worth noting is a new Autovision entertainment system that offers a roof-mounted video screen. The Villager comes standard with a 3.3-liter V6, which provides 170 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque. This is the same engine you'll find under the hoods of Nissan Xterra sport-utes and Frontier pickups, and it's adequate in the performance department when mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The Villager's suspension has single-leaf springs in the rear and provides a comfortable, balanced ride. Steering is stable, and the van tracks straight on highways. The turning diameter is 39.9 feet, which is 2 feet wider than the larger Honda Odyssey. Speaking of other minivans, the Villager is notably smaller than the Odyssey, the Ford Windstar and the Dodge Grand Caravan. As minivans go, that would seem to be a detriment. But if something a little easier to maneuver is what you're looking for, then the Villager might be your cup of tea. While the Villager is a decent minivan, it would be wise to check out the Honda Odyssey, Ford Windstar or one of the Chrysler minivans. All offer more substance for a very similar price. Dodge CaravanMazda MPVNissan QuestToyota Sienna336,000336,000336,0005UnlimitedNANANA63.3 litersV6170 hp @ 4800 rpm200 ft-lbs. @ 2800 rpm128 cu.ft.NA3500 lbs.194.7 in.74.9 in.70.1 in.4050 lbs.112.2 in.39.9 ft.NA39.7 in.39.9 in.NANANANA39.9 in.36.4 in.7OptionalStandardNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableNot AvailableRating = Not TestedRating = Not TestedVery GoodGoodNot TestedNot Tested20 gal.17 mpg / 23 mpg340 mi. / 460 mi.Insurance costs can vary greatly for this vehicle, depending on such factors as driver age, driver gender, teenage drivers in the household, driving records, theft loss data for your particular geographic region, miles driven per year, and other widely variable factors. Additionally, some companies charge a premium for certain makes and models, while others do not.$24,837$27,2107.35%$655N/A3% of the Total MSRPBASE (4A): 3.3L V6 SOHC SMPI 24-valve engine; 4-speed electronic OD automatic transmission with lock-up converter; battery with rundown protection; HD radiator; 125-amp alternator; front-wheel drive, 3.8 axle ratio; partial stainless steel exhaust; front independent strut suspension with anti-roll bar, front coil springs, gas-pressurized front shocks, rear non-independent suspension with rear leaf springs, gas-pressurized rear shocks; rack-and-pinion power steering; front disc/rear drum brakes; 20 gal. capacity fuel tank; side impact bars; 4 doors with sliding left rear passenger door, sliding right rear passenger door, liftback rear cargo door; roof rack; front and rear body-colored bumpers; body-colored bodyside molding; clearcoat monotone paint; aero-composite halogen headlamps; additional exterior lights include cornering lights; driver's and passenger's power remote black folding outside mirrors; 15" x 5.5" steel wheels, P215/70SR15 BSW A/S tires; compact steel spare wheel; airconditioning, rear heat ducts; AM/FM stereo w/clock, seek-scan feature, cassette player, 4 speakers, fixed antenna; cruise control with steering wheel controls; power door locks with 2-stage unlock, remote keyless entry, child-safety rear door locks, remote fuel door release; 3 power accessory outlets, retained accessory power; instrumentation display includes tachometer, water temperature gauge, trip odometer; warning indicators include water temp, battery, lights on, key in ignition, low fuel, low washer fluid, door ajar, brake fluid; driver's and passenger's front airbags; ignition disable, panic alarm, security system; tinted windows with driver's 1-touch down function, manual 1/4 vent windows; variable-speed intermittent front windshield wipers, sun visor strip, fixed-interval rear wiper, rear window defroster; seating capacity of 7, front captain seats with adjustable headrests, driver's and front passenger's armrests, driver's and front passenger's seats include 4-wayadjustment; removable full-folding 2nd-and-3rd-row bench seats with adjustable headrests; height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners; cloth seats, full cloth headliner, full carpet floor covering with carpeted floor mats; interior lights include dome light with delay, illuminated entry; steering wheel with tilt adjustment; dual illuminated vanity mirrors; day/night rearview mirror; glove box with light, front and rear cupholders, instrument panel covered bin, interior concealed storage, seatback storage pocket, driver's and passenger's door bins, front underseat tray; carpeted cargo floor, vinyl/rubber cargo mats, cargo net, cargo light; colored grille, black side window moldings, black front windshield molding and body-colored door handles.
SPORT (4A) (in addition to or instead of BASE (4A) equipment): Touring-ride suspension; clearcoat lower accent two-tone paint with badging; additional exterior lights include front fog/driving lights; 16" x 6" silver alloy wheels, P225/60SR16 BSW A/S tires; rear air conditioning with separate controls, air filter; steering wheel radio controls; garage door opener; deep tinted windows, power 1/4 vent windows; flip-up rear window; driver's seat includes 8-way power adjustment and lumbar support; additional interior lights include front and rear reading lights, door curb lights; leather-wrapped steering wheel; mini overhead console and cargo cover.
ESTATE (4A) (in addition to or instead of SPORT (4A) equipment): Colored bodyside molding with gold bodyside insert; aero-composite halogen fully automatic headlamps with delay-off feature; driver's and passenger's power remote black heated folding outside mirrors; premium AM/FM stereo, rear stereo controls; leather seats; driver's seat memory includes settings for exterior mirrors; 2 seatback storage pockets.