The 2008 Mercury Milan is a spacious and sporty midsize family sedan with unique styling. It offers a smooth ride and is reasonably priced. For 2008, the Milan features a standard keyless entry keypad and several new options such as reverse parking sensor, interior ambient lighting, and Sync multimedia system (the last two features are to be introduced later in the model year).

The 2008 Mercury Milan is available in two trim levels: Base and Premier. The Base is powered by a 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic transmission is optional. Standard on the Premier trim is a 221-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 engine paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional for the V-6 version. The fuel economy of the four-cylinder, automatic transmission is 20/29 mpg (city/highway), while the V-6 engine records 18/26 mpg (city/highway).

The Mercury Milan is stylish and contemporary, seats four comfortably, and has a refined cabin with quality interior materials and good detailing. Standard features on the Base trim include 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, full power accessories, keyless entry, six-way power-adjustable driver seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, air conditioning, CD/MP3 player, and auxiliary audio jack. The Premier trim adds automatic headlights, automatic climate control, leather seating, 17-inch alloy wheels, an in-dash CD changer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and heated side mirrors with approach lamps. The Sync multimedia integration system (which integrates gadgets, including cell phones and MP3 players into the vehicle's controls) and the improved interior ambient lighting will be introduced later in the model year.

The line-up of standard safety features includes front-seat side air bags, side curtain air bags, and anti-lock disc brakes. The V-6 model features traction control, while a reverse parking sensor is optional. In frontal offset and side-impact tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Milan earned the highest ratings of five stars.