Mercury's Sable had been around for 18 years when Ford decided to rename it the Montego in 2004. For 2008, Mercury is returning to the Sable nameplate as it refreshes the Mercury lineup. It also helps that previous Sable owners have a strong loyalty to the name and brand. Sable is a better-dressed version of its fraternal twin, the Ford Taurus, with more upscale options and the signature waterfall grille. Both are new this year, with exterior redesign, improved interior fit and finish, a more powerful Duratec engine and a quieter cabin that makes some options like a voice-recognition navigation system, SIRIUS satellite radio and Bluetooth hands-free phone technology all the more impressive. Expandable foam pellets in the A-pillars and sound-deadening material in doors, headliner and pillars produce a quiet ride and excellent acoustics. Sable comes in either base or Premium, front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The transmission is a six-speed automatic, instead of four-speed, which helps deliver power more quickly in response to acceleration requests and contributes to a smoother ride. Also eliminating harshness when going over rough pavement is a revised MacPherson-strut front suspension and a retuned independent coil-over-spring rear suspension. An electronic stability control system is an option and was installed on our Premium, front-wheel drive test vehicle, along with a navigation system, rear sensing system (addictive because it really works well), SIRIUS radio and adjustable pedals to help obtain driver maximum comfort in a seat of two-tone supple leather with a perforated pattern duplicated on the door panels. The audio and climate controls are standard in Ford-manufactured vehicles and easy to reach and use. The navigation system responds to commands in English, French and Spanish and Mercury Sync use Bluetooth to connect with cell phones and USB for media players. Sable (and Montego) consistently have earned top safety ratings from the federal government in crash tests and has a "top pick" designation for a large family car from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Safety features include Ford's Safety Canopy for side curtain air bags in both seat rows and airbag sensors that collect data in the first milliseconds of a crash, triggering front safety belt pretensioners to take up any slack prior to airbag deployment. An automatic locking feature occurs at 5 mph. The new engine delivers ample highway muscle but the upgrade in power has decreased the Sable's miles per gallon in city driving (2 mpg) but added one mpg on the highway.