2005 Mercury Monterey
If the 2005 Ford Freestar is a little too vanilla for your tastes, consider the 2005 Mercury Monterey, a nearly identical model that adds a few styling tweaks and premium features. Starting at $29,030 (plus a $710 destination charge) is the 4,340-lb. 2005 Mercury Monterey Convenience model, with the loaded Premier model coming in at $34,955. Measuring 134.3 cubic feet, cargo room mirrors that of the Monterey’s corporate cousin, the 2005 Ford Freestar. Standard safety equipment includes a dual front airbags with a passenger airbag cutoff sensor, front and rear parking sensors, antilock brakes, and electronic brake force distribution. Side airbags and side curtain airbags are optional on the Convenience model and standard on upper-level models. Stability control, traction control and electronic brake assistance can be added for an additional charge.

In NHTSA testing, a 2005 Mercury Monterey without side or side-impact airbags received five stars for the driver and front passenger in a frontal crash, four stars for the front and five stars for the rear occupants in a side crash, and four stars for its rollover rating. In IIHS testing, the 2005 Mercury Monterey received a Best Pick ranking for its offset frontal crash test performance.