Our Villager LS also had four leather captain's seats for $865 and a $900 premium AM/FM stereo with cassette and CD players. All told, our test model stickered out at a pulse-quickening $27,985.

Our test vehicle was Electric Red with Silver Clearcoat Metallic accents. It had standard front cornering lamps that were activated by the turn signal lever to help light our way around corners-we liked that feature.

A light panel traveled all the way across the front end of the Villager LS between the headlights, giving the minivan a futuristic look. In the back were attractive, oversized brake and reverse lights.

On top of the Villager LS, an adjustable roof rack seemed more than adequate to handle a car-top carrier.

We were pleased with the general fit-and-finish of our Villager LS. The vehicle was comparable to the latest examples of minivan evolution.

The seats in our Villager LS were really comfortable, thanks to lumbar supports and armrests. However, our 6-foot test driver said his seat would have to be pushed back another three inches past the limit to be ideal. He enjoyed an inch and-a-half of headroom, though, and plenty of shoulder- and legroom.

Our Villager LS didn't have a center console, but Mercury remedied that situation with storage bins in the center of the dashboard. At the bottom was a tray that could hold six cassette tapes or-in our case-CDs; an ashtray sat above that, and then a handy change tray was next. Above these storage bins were controls for the stereo and the heating/air conditioning system.

It was apparent to us that Mercury made a point of placing everything within easy view and reach. Many controls were close to the steering wheel on stalks or keypads. Among them were the cruise control, washer/wipers and rear-window defogger. These were particularly handy to see and use.

The steering wheel also held the standard air bag. There wasn't an air bag for the front passenger, which came as a surprise to us considering the Villager LS's rather considerable price.

Our test Villager LS had an optional digital display. Most everything read out in numbers, but the tachometer worked with a kind of waterfall effect. There was also an onboard computer to calculate fuel mileage a feature that many drivers may find useful.

Panel lights in the vehicle were very bright, even in the daytime. There were also map and dome lights throughout the interior, which offered good illumination.

In back, the seats had their own controls for electric windows, temperature settings and speaker volume.

Overall, the Villager LS was very versatile, offering a total of 13 different seating and cargo carrying arrangements. The rear-seat bench not only reclined and folded into a tray table, but it also slid into three seating and two storage locations, thanks to an extended travel track.

Despite this versatility, we thought storage behind the seats was a bit too modest. Sure, there was room enough for five or six bags of groceries, but for a larger load, the rear-seat bench would have to be folded up and slid forward.

With the electronic four-speed automatic transaxle, we got automatic overdrive. That could be locked out, however, to provide increased takeoff power.

There was also a control on the dash called the power E-AT switch that could be used to reprogram the transaxle to shift at higher speeds. We tried it hoping for a boost in acceleration, and we found the Villager LS to be particularly peppy with the E-AT engaged.

Unlike other Ford vehicles, the cruise-control on/off button was on the dash, and the set, resume and cancel speed controls were on a pod on the steering wheel. In the interest of continuity, we think everything ought to be in one place.

The Villager LS's ride was firm and the steering was quite tight, making for a fun drive on the highway-it felt almost sporty.

We took the Villager LS out on a cold, snowy day and liked the predictable handling. And at no time did this minivan feel as if it was going to break loose on slick roads, probably due in great part to its relatively low center of gravity and effective front-wheel drive. On one icy road, we hit the brakes hard at about 25 mph and could really feel the standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) kick in. The ABS was a little noisy but it worked well-we felt very much in control and braked in a straight line.

Our Villager had a decent turning diameter (38.7 feet) for its class. As testimony to this, we were able to back into a tight parking spot relatively easily.

As well as being comfortable, it also offered plenty of rich appointments and thoughtful features. On the road, we could barely hear the engine or feel the transaxle shift.

In many regards, the Villager LS shares a lot of traits with other Mercury vehicles. It is a rock-solid minivan-we simply couldn't find any rattles or squeaks. The overall engineering was superb-in fact, one member of our test-drive team thought the Villager LS was actually overbuilt.

For the price, buyers should expect nothing less.