| Lincoln-Mercury
Division Ford Motor Company Dearborn, Michigan |
| Engine |
230-hp, 302
cu. in. V-8 |
| Transmission |
3-speed automatic |
| Steering |
Standard |
| Suspension |
Standard |
| Brakes |
Drum F, Drum R |
Check
list |
| Engine |
| Throttle Response |
Good |
| Noise Insulation |
Very
Good |
| Drive
train |
| Shift Linkage |
Good |
| Shift Smoothness |
Very
Good |
| Steering |
| Effort |
Fair |
| Response |
Good |
| Handling |
| Predictability |
Very
Good |
| Evasive Maneuverability |
Good |
| Brakes |
| Directional Stability |
Good |
| Fade Resistance |
Good |
| Interior |
| Ease of Entry/Exit |
Good |
| Driving Position |
Good |
| Front Seating Comfort |
Good |
| Rear Seating Comfort |
Good |
| General |
| Vision |
Good |
| Heater/ Defroster |
Very
Good |
| Weather Sealing |
Very
Good |
| Trunk Space |
Very
Good |
|
Mercury's intermediates
have a new name for 1968, "Montego"--calculated to
muster romantic fantasies of Jamaica. and the blue Caribbean.
The old name, Comet, has all but succumbed to the common Detroit
practice of letting an originally high-line name filter down
to the low-line models; for 1968, the only model using the name
is the economy Comet Sports Coupe. Mercury
has restyled its intermediates as well as renaming them. The
Montego resembles the full-size Mercurys more than the Comet
did and, like most of its competitors, Mercury has de-emphasized
the knifeedge styling of recent years in favor of a more subtle,
less angular design.
The Montego's interior has all
the safety goodies, including a new dash that is so heavily
padded that it looks more like the headboard for a bridal
suite bed than an instrument panel. Like the Monterey we tested,
however, we felt that a little more care taken in the installation
of interior trim would help the car's image immensely.
Our, test car had the new 302
cu. in. V-8 and the 3-speed Select-Shift automatic, but was
otherwise a standard car. If it were, ours we would want power
steering, but we found the standard suspension and brakes
adequate even for fairly spirited driving. The Montego offers
a little more than just adequate transportation. |
