Mercury Montego

The top ranking large sedan in J.D. Power's long-term-dependability study for 2010 is — the Mercury Montego? Really? Yup. This was the Ford sub-brand's version of the Five Hundred, which was Ford's temporary replacement for the Taurus. Both the Five Hundred and Montego were produced from 2004 to 2007. The Montego was mildly criticized for being a bit underpowered for such a large car, with a 203-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 engine, but it had available all-wheel drive and the highest safety ratings of any car in its segment at the time. That was then, this is now, and the Montego is now a great bargain. A fully loaded 2006 AWD Premier with continuously variable transmission, for example, can be had for less than $13,000. A 2006 Limited Ford Five Hundred with CVT and AWD, by comparison, lists for $13,403 — and, remember, it's the exact same car!