Models on the lot at Mercury from the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company increase by one marque in 2004 with the addition of a new long-wheelbase luxury minivan called Monterey.

It features contemporary styling with familial resemblance to Mercury's sport-utility vehicle, Mountaineer, plus a generous cabin size with three tiers of seats including a flip-and-fold third-row bench and innovative appointments like power-adjustable pedals with memory settings and parking sensors fore and aft.

The Mountaineer SUV returns in two versions labeled Luxury and Premier with new second-row bucket seating showing up on the Luxury trim and a third-row bench added to the Premier series.

Another repeat is Marauder, Mercury's full-size muscle car cast from a souped-up and spiffed-up Grand Marquis sedan. The 2004 Marauder gains a heavy-duty automatic transmission with quickened shift response timing, and more standard gear like a traction control system (TCS) and audiophile-quality entertainment system.

Big Grand Marquis, with a V8 powertrain and classic rear-wheel-drive (RWD) traction, adds a limited-edition variation and offers more stand-alone options, such as dual side-impact air bags, a moonroof and heated front seats.

And Sable, Mercury's staple sedan and station wagon for the mid-size car class, reveal new styling features front and back with revamped grilles and revised fascia and taillamps. Also, Sable's 3.0-liter Duratec V6 engine and automatic transaxle earn improvements, as trim designations condense for simplicity to GS and LS Premium.

Mercury's venerable Grand Marquis sedan is big, carries up to six adults and a load of luggage, and drives all the torque from a powerful V8 engine to the rear wheels.

Because of its size and the RWD format, plus some attractive price points, Mercury's big car stands alone with no competition in the large-car class, save for its virtual twin, Ford's Crown Victoria.

Grand Marquis for 2004 projects fresh exterior styling with an improved ride quality and more comfort and convenience items added in the cabin. Mercury divides Grand Marquis into the two essential trim series of GS and LS, then adds packaged equipment in further segments, such as the Convenience array for GS or LS Premium.

A new Limited package on LS Premium brings heated seats and side-impact air bags, two-tone leather seats and nine-spoke wheels at 16 inches.Beneath the extended hood, a single-cam 4.6-liter V8 achieves 224 hp in all issues except for the optional handling package, where dual exhausts boost output to 239 hp.

This monochromatic sedan is called Marauder as the reincarnation of Mercury's muscle car out of 1963. Ornamentation is minimal, save for a bead of chrome ringing side windows and five-spoke aluminum wheels glinting in chrome.

Another bright point: Exhaust pipes with stainless steel Megs tips. Marauder's dual-cam 4.6-liter aluminum V8 gushes to 302 hp. The engine sucks air through a low-restriction air intake with aluminum upper and lower manifolds. Fuel spurts into the engine through a dual-bore throttle body and high-flow injectors.

Marauder for 2004 supports a new heavy-duty four-speed automatic transmission that generates more low-end torque. A four-door passenger compartment has seats for five, with two up front on buckets and three on a rear bench. Seats are clad in luxurious leather tinted to a two-tone color scheme.

The instrument panel contains large analog gauges with bright white faces and red needles. Front section of the center console holds two more round AutoMeter gauges - oil pressure and voltmeter. Tires are 18-inch ultra-high-performance Goodrich g-Force T/As. Latest exterior paint shades for Marauder are Dark Toreador Red and Silver Birch. (CONTINUED...)