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Comments
My main concern with the S40, at least in terms of safety, is the overall size of the car. It weighs only 2,800 pounds compared to a Crown Vic which weighs 4,000 pounds. The CV only has dual front airbags for safety while the S40 has side airbags, head airbags, and whiplash protection seats.
However, what seems to make the CV so safe is its enormous size. I wonder in a head-on collision between a CV and an S40, which driver would be more severely injured?
Other than the size issue, I like the S40 much better. It has FWD (better in the snow), much better gas mileage, better handling, easier to park and maneuver, more comfortable seats, more attractive styling. It's just that most safety experts say that bigger is always better. If a 4,000 pound object collides with a 2,800 pound object, the 4,000 pound object will likely come away with less damage...so they say anyway.
I know that the S40 got very good ratings from the government agencies that test car safety in Europe, but does anyone know when or if NHTSA (here in the U.S.) is going to crash test an S40?
Like I said, everything except the overall size of the S40 is telling me to buy it over the Crown Vic. Thanks a lot for any advice you guys might have.
Oh, and ditto on the repair costs. The CV has been around for decades so I know that in terms of maintenance and repair, it is very economical.
Also, if I go with a CV, I plan to get the performance and handling package, or at least put on a pair of Bilstein shocks. I've never driven anything larger than a Honda Accord, so it will be a big adjustment going to a CV. I'm planning to rent one for a weekend in a few more months just to make sure I'm okay with the size and handling.
Anyway, thanks again for your advice.
Oh well, I'm sure they'll have great deals on 2001 CV's at the end of this year. Plus, isn't the CV going to be redesigned starting with the 2002 model? That's what I've been hearing anyway. It will be interesting to see what changes they make... maybe side air bags? new exterior design?
Thanks again for the input.
peace out, homies
Ron 35
I was down to three cars. Concorde, Solara, GM.
The Concorde is as loud as..well..the Concorde. The 5 star Chrsyler service is short by 4.5 stars. Their postings here at Edmunds amaze me for the amount of various problems they encounter.
The Solara is sooo comfortable. Their postings mostly concern Solara versus Accord. The quality is certainlt there. The ride is supreme too. I just wouldn't want one in my New England winters or in "the worst case scenerio" A bad crash.
Your postings on CV and GM are great. Change that tranny fluid, grease that steering rack, find find find that sqeak under the hood. They are minimal compared to the flawed Sable I have. Vastly flawed.
I'm holding out 'till September. In Boston, the Sunday paper offers GM at $ 19,995, base GS. But I want 2.9% for 48 months. I'm sure I can't get them both. We'll see how close I come when the new models come out. I shop for a 2001 then. The GM pushes my payment plans slightly over the edge, I'm keeping the 5th year in my pocket..for now. But if you current owners are any indication I will be completely satisfied even if payments are 5 years.
Thanks for all your postings and I'll let you know what I find. Now if I can only get that handling pak and a comfortable seat I'll be smiling for the full 5 years.
No one addressed your issues on the 4.6 engine, so I'll tackle it as best I can.
The engine has only 2 main problems. First, the intake manifolds are plastic and tend to crack after 2-3 years, requiring replacement. Ford has a recall that pays for this. Also, a newer intake desing has come out that's not *supposed* to crack. I haven't heard how well it works.
The second problem is in the valve seats. They're soft metal, and tend to get way too worn, and after about 100,000 miles, you'll develop an oil consumption problem. So long as you add about a quart every 1000 miles, you shouldn't be too concerned with this though. Other than that, it's a great little engine. Also, there's a thunderbird club website that has a lot of info on the 4.6, www.tccoa.com Yeah, the car's different, but the engine and transmission are pretty much the same, so if you can wade through all the HP mods, 3.8SC engines, an 1/4 mile times, there's some good stuff there. Good luck with the car
rea98d
1978 Grand Marquis
1995 T-Bird
Ron
Ron35
Good luck with your situation.
Ken
then select your service ( middle choice ) create a user name & password and go into the site. From there select glovebox and you can download a manuall for your vehicle. Good luck
While I hated my '93 Sable blown head gasket, I loved the comfortable seats & layout of that car.
So to all you 2000-2001 owners, is this something you don't notice, or do you just not care?
I agree that this car is fine mechanically, but I have never gotten comfortable in it. I'm basically miserable with it & the only joy I get is when I consider selling it. When the financial pain is overtaken by my physical discomfort, I'm outta here.
Sam
On our 2000 GM w/ Ultimate Package, we had our Electronic Dash go out as well as the AC/ power locks, Radio, etc. Something kept causing the fuses to blow. We took it to our dealer twice to solve the problem. It seems the Garage Door opener in the sun visor had a short going through the visor turrent. Ford evidently made the hole too small for the wires to pass through. This was found out by our dealer through a service bullentin via the internet. There were 3 other known cases at the time__July '00.
All is well now. We thought the installed Moon roof was the culprit, but it wasn't. Good Luck
I had many discussions with the dealer & Ford Corp about the offset seat. You're right- they claim it's a safety feature. But I think that's bunk. I have two theories:
1. The car chassis layout is ancient, probably when bench seats were used. When split seats came into vogue, they were aligned- I checked older models. But the newer seats are not in line. My bet is that some seat designer paid more attention to the mounting details & neglected the ergonomic details until it was too last in he development/design cycle to change.
2. Or, the seats WERE in line, but crash test results shows some higher safety margin with the seat scooched over to the right 1-2 inches. So they moved it over and ignored the other driver ergonomic details. This was probably done by their 3.8L V6 head gasket designer.
Of course, these are only me personal theories. Ford never got into specific explanations. The sales Manager was very familiar with the situation, and readily acknowledged it when I called two weeks after I bought the car and told him of my "discovery". If this were really a safety feature, you'd think they'd brag about it & implement it across all their cars. Ha.
I'm willing to admit that buying this car was a mistake for me.... just wish I read these words before I bought the car.... Hopefully someone will benefit from my experience.
SamG
Have a couple questions regarding the 94 CV. I am buying one next month for $1450, it has 140,000 miles, has new f & r brake pads and rotors. It does run very smooth, no tranny problems. It needs a new hood, grille, battery, tune-up, a couple of small trim peices, and a paint job. Do you think it's a good deal?
Is there an easy way of checking if it's an "authentic" police model? It has the cutout for the spotlight, has the hole in the lower dash for the ignition override, and the pillars between doors look like a partition may have been there in the past. Thanks for the help and suggestions in advance!
Ron35
I, like samuelg, am so bothered by this little flaw that I am not enjoying my new car. Only 3600 miles on it. And I was always a big fan of Crown Vic and Grand Marquis. No wonder I didn't notice it when I test drove a 2000 model. I was thinking I should have spent the extra money for the handling package.
5-Passenger Sport Appearance Package $995.00
- 3.27 Axle Ratio
- Revised Springs, Shocks and Stabilizer Bar
- Four 17" Cast Aluminum 5 Spoke Wheels
- Rear Air Suspension
- Dual Exhaust
- 5 Passenger Seating Configuration With Center Console which includes a Large Storage Bin with Padded Armrest, Concealed Power Point, Dual Cup Holders and Center Stack Mini-Storage Bin. Also includes a Rear Armrest with Dual Cup Holders
- Floor Shifter with Leather-Wrapped Shifter Handle and O/D Lockout Button
- Monochromatic Exterior, at no Additional Charge, When Ordered in Toreador Red, Black Clearcoat, Deep Wedgewood Blue or Silver Frost. All Other Colors are not Monochromatic.
- P235/55R17X17 BSW Goodyear Eagle LS Tires
Sounds like a nice package.