Mountaineer uses trendy matte-aluminum trim on the door panels, steering wheel, instrument panel and dashboard and it looks terrific. The aluminum trim extends to the main gauges, the tachometer and speedometer, which are done in black-on-white graphics that turn orange-and-white when the lights are on. The thick steering wheel makes you feel like you're in full command of the ship.Ford is one of the best companies in the world at interior ergonomics, and the Mercury Mountaineer features switches, buttons and levers that are large, well marked and easy to use. It takes only a couple of rides to be able to find everything quickly and easily. The center console is enormous, with lots of space for your stuff, and houses ventilation and storage for second-row passengers as well as an extra 12-volt socket for whatever you need to power.
The front bucket seats are very good: long, thick and comfortable. Optional seat heaters warm the seats quickly, but the buttons are mounted on the side of the seat and can be difficult to find, as they are grouped with the seatback recliner handle, the power seat switch for fore/aft and the lumbar pump switch.