However, all-wheel-drive is optional. It's a Volvo-based Haldex system that utilizes an electronically controlled limited slip coupling between the driveshaft and the rear differential. When the front wheels, which put the power to the ground under normal driving conditions, start to slip the system can route as much as 100 percent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels. Mercury says that this transfer of power occurs in just 50 milliseconds, fast enough that it goes unnoticed by most drivers.

Standard on the 2005 Mercury Montego AWD is a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Models without four driven wheels are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. A Duratec 30 V6 engine, an updated and refined version of the Duratec 3.0-liter V6 from the Sable sedan, generates 200 horsepower and 200 lb.-ft. of torque. Though Mercury claims that the Montego will be capable of acceleration near the top of its class, we doubt it. This just isn't enough go-power for a sedan that can weigh almost two tons in top trim. Montego needs more muscle, Mercury.