2009 Mercury Sable

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The Sable provides comfortable seating for five, lots of standard convenience features, and a boat-load of cargo room. Though some reviewers complain of an overload of control buttons, most find its cabin layout to be just fine.  Mercury has added the well-liked Ford Sync infotainment system as an option on the Sable, which pleases many reviewers.

• "Sable's cabin makes good use of textured, soft-touch materials. They don't look luxurious but are price appropriate." -- Consumer Guide
• "The most welcome interior feature of the new Sable is the sheer space inside it, 108 cubic feet inside, with a 21 cubic-foot trunk, according to EPA measurements, making it by far the largest interior in the class at 129 cubic feet total. With folding rear seats and a flat-folding right front seat, you can put a nine-foot-long object inside the car." -- New Car Test Drive

Seating

Reviewers generally find the '09 Sable's five-passenger cabin roomy and comfortable.  The seating position comes in for particular praise.  The Sable positions its driver and passengers higher than most sedans, allowing for an SUV-like view of the road with the sure-footed lower stance of a family car.

• "Legroom is plentiful front and back, and the Sable's characteristic elevated seating position is evocative of crossover SUVs." -- Edmunds
• "A nice, high seating position, very comfortable and supportive front bucket seats, "-- New Car Test Drive
• "Higher [front] seating than in most cars aids comfort and ease of entry and exit. It also combines with a low dashtop and large windows for a take-charge driving feel and fine outward vision. The seats are comfortably supportive, afford plentiful headroom and legroom, but lanky drivers may wish for more rearward seat travel. Available power-adjustable pedals are a nice touch for shorter drivers.  ... Sable's bench seat is nothing special for shape or padding, and it slightly squeezes three adults. That said, headroom is generous, and legroom is outstanding, even for six-footers. Entry and exit are easy." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

On balance, auto writers are pleased with the Sable's long list of standard and optional convenience features. Some, however, complain that too many buttons complicate the use of controls.  The available SYNC system allows the driver to control Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as phones or iPods, through the car's navigation system and stereo, using only voice commands.  SYNC wins mostly positive reviews, and most competitors don't yet offer an equivalent. 

• "Inside the 2009 Mercury Sable, the news is generally positive, though cars such as the Avalon and Azera feature more visual interest in their dash layouts. Most controls are logically arrayed, and there are plenty of storage areas and an impressive eight cupholders." -- Edmunds
• "Sable's main problem is too many buttons on the audio and climate panels that mount too low for easiest use. The optional navigation system suffers from a dashboard screen and programming that's not always self-evident. The touch-screen control can also have too many virtual buttons on it, making it easy to 'press' the wrong one while programming radio or navigation functions." -- Consumer Guide
• "The five-passenger interior is available in two-tone leather upholstery with contrasting stitching. Ford's Sync, a hands-free communication and entertainment system, is also available. The optional VOGA package, available on the Premier version, adds Cashmere-colored custom leather seats and door inserts, chrome accent finishes and VOGA emblems and stitching throughout the vehicle." -- Cars.com
• "Other truly new goodies include the Sync voice-activated infotainment system, a benefit of Ford's alliance with Microsoft; a DVD-based voice-activated nav system; and an array of family peacekeeping options such as a rear-seat DVD player, MP3 audio capability, and audio input jacks." -- Car and Driver

Cargo

The Sable 21.2 cubic-feet of cargo room leaves critics impressed.

• "The 21-cubic-foot trunk is gargantuan, and the Sable's 60/40-split rear bench and front passenger seats fold flat, allowing items up to 9 feet in length to be transported inside the car." -- Edmunds
• "Big, flat-floor trunk packs a lot of gear, helped by a boxy shape, large opening, and compact strut-type trunklid hinges. Two useful standards: a 60/40 folding rear seat--though its pass-through narrows at the bottom--and a fold-flat front-passenger seat that allows carrying nine-foot-long objects with trunklid closed. Cabin storage is somewhat limited to a smallish glovebox, center console, and dashtop bin." -- Consumer Guide