The 2010 Mercury Milan is the slightly-uppity relative of the new Ford Fusion. Like the Fusion, it has received considerable freshening for the 2010 model year. It's coming out strong boasting that it will deliver more fuel efficiency (as a 4-cylinder) than both the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. This is particularly impressive as the Fusion and the Milan are right near the bottom of their class in terms of fuel efficiency at present. That means that your new Milan will deliver you 33 mpg on the highway which is in a 3-way tie with the Chevy Malibu, the Pontiac G6 and the Saturn Aura.

The base engine for the Mercury Milan for 2010 is a 2.5L 175hp 172 lb-ft DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder that is married to either a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission - your choice. Together, they will propel you quickly from zero to sixty miles per hour in just 9.5 seconds - a full second faster than the previous year's model. The turning radius has likewise been shaved by a full 6 inches making those tight parking spots less problematic.

You are free to opt for the more powerful 3.0L 240hp 222 lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V6 Milan sedan - or even the 2.5L 155-hp 136 lb-ft DOHC 16-valve/electric motor Milan Hybrid. Ford reports that both the Fusion and Milan hybrids will transport you a whopping 38 mpg on the highways. You could travel from Salt Lake City to LA on a single tank of fuel (roughly 700 miles). In addition, the hybrid 155hp/ electric motor combo is capable of cruising you up to 47 mph on electrical current alone - no fuel used whatsoever. Hmm.

The Ford Easy Fuel capless fueling system is a convenient and clean feature that people really like a lot. Other cool features include a freshly-widened grille and redesigned headlamps, less-obtrusive side reflector lights, and a new sporty stripe that chases the curvature of the front-end wheel well. Milan's rear end remains unchanged besides taillight revisions. .

The 2010 Milan is also reported by Ford to be significantly quieter than the 2009. Insulators for the hood have been added as well as new materials for the headliner and trunk noise-deadening enhancements. The seats have been redone to be firmer and more comforting for longer journeys. They also feature increased side support. The driver-friendly instrument panel is personally configurable to display variables such as fuel level, battery power level, current and averaged mpg and more. There is even a blue-lighted vine graphic feature that brags on you (in color) when you are driving with appreciable efficiency.

The 2010 Mercury Milan will be arriving at your local dealers in the spring of 2009. MSRPs begin at $21,000 for the base sedan and $27,500 for the hybrid models. Check one out and see if you too are crazy 'bout a Mercury.