2000 Mercury Sable Review (continued)
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Driving Impressions

Mercury's Sable is a startlingly agile, controllable--even sporty--family sedan. In earlier iterations, the Sable has been competent but utilitarian. And when furnished with the base 155-horspower Vulcan V6, the present model remains adequate but little more. If that sounds like a serious criticism, it is not.

Even with a plain Vulcan in the engine room, the 2000 Sable chassis proves itself anything but plain. Its finely tuned variable-ratio power rack-and-pinion steering gives just the right amount of assistance--less and less of it as road speed increases--and a constant stream of vital road information to the driver. This live-wire steering combines with a recalibrated front suspension to deliver surprisingly sporting driving sensations. Driven to the extremes, the Sable takes the safest course, understeering to warn the driver that traction has been overcome. But before exceeding the tires' grip, this family sedan feels for all the world like a closet sports sedan.

Having said that, the Sable still manages to deliver a comfortable ride that gently deletes the more unruly broken pavement passing beneath the wheels. Mercury has achieved a fine balance between crisp handling and gentle ride, a balance that has earned the best European sedans a loyal following for decades.

Add the superb Duratec V6 to this mix, and the Sable comes alive. Its fine handling qualities are now devoted to orchestrating a very responsive engine. When heavy throttle is applied, acceleration is sharp enough that traction control is needed to prevent wheel spin. The Duratec makes a tactful but nonetheless exciting growl. So equipped, the 2000 Sable allows the hidden hurrier in you full expression, but in this car, who will suspect? It's just a family sedan, right? (Just smile and nod--nobody needs to know your secret.) A test drive of the Duratec will demonstrate that it positively transforms the personality of this Mercury. With its finger-snap responsiveness, the Sable has a heads-up, ready-to-run willingness that knowledgeable drivers will find irresistible.