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Thanks.
GOOD LUCK!
Ron35
Come on Ford management, you could offer something that neither General Motors or Chrysler can offer (let alone the Japanese)---a vehicle that could tow 3500 to 5000 lbs and still get 22-25 mpg when not towing. Yeah, it might cost you a few Ford SUV sales but many of the buyers would have probably bought their SUV from a competitor anyway----so you would have a net gain in sales!!
There has to be some sales benefit---the local dealer advertised 5000 lb towing until I asked to see the rating in a Ford spec in 2000 (it was dropped in 1997). Then, and only then, did he drop that from his full page color ads in the local newspaper!!
Something is not right that a 4000 lb, rear wheel drive, full frame car with a 230 hp engine can't tow more than 1500 lbs!!!!
One suprising reason could be that aluminum wheels cannot tow as much as steel wheels. That could be the major reason, and Ford attorney's don't want to get sued when one blows on the freeway.
Must be the tranny... the Vic must not share a tranny with the F-150, or does it?
QUESTIONS for the CV/GM posters:
How do the CV and GM ride and handle? Any differences between them?
What's the real-life MPG city and highway?
How's the overall reliability?
Does the rear seat fold down for long cargo?
Is an in-dash CD/tape player available?
Is there a Driver Info Center available to calculate fuel usage, average speed etc?
As for ride/comfort, that is the Grand Marquis's best area. I thought my T-Bird was comfortable until I rode in my Aunt's '99 or '00 (I forget which) Grand Marquis. At 70 it feels like it's sitting still.
Reliability is also excellent on these cars, as it's all tried & true technology. Taxi fleets routinely get 300,000 miles out of them. They do have on Achillese (sp?) heel- The '96 & up models have plastic intake manifolds on the engines that will crack eventually. Police and Fleet models of the Crown Vic have an extended warranty to cover that, but retail versions do not. Other than that, they're bulletproof.
I'm going to let someone with a newer car than my Grand Marquis answer the rest of your questions.
Ron35
Not happy to hear about that PLASTIC intake manifold. In the past, several Ford models have been known to simply conk out while traveling at highway speeds. I trust the CV/GMs are not among them - right?
If I get closer to making a decision, I'll probably rent one for a weekend.
I'm looking to buy the 2003 which looks to be an excellent vehicle. I presently own a 1996 which has been a delight. In my judgment, it has the best features of the Town Car at a much reduced cost. I am not sure of the advantage of a GM over a Crown Vic. I know they are mechanically identical but are there reasons to buy a GM rather than a CV? To my eye, the GM looks to be of slightly better quality.The price differential is not great. I am new to this forum and would appreciate any comments on the relative merits of the three vehicles I have mentioned. Thanks
For a source on price and a review: http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosconsumer/0205/06/g01-478394.htm
2. - A buddy, retired from Ford, tells me that Mercury still makes a profit for Ford. As such, it is unlikely to be scrapped. However, after working for Ford 35+ years, my buddy says if the honcho said Mercury is NOT going away, it's a fair bet that it really IS on the chopping block.
3. - If one looks at Olds sales when GM [stupidly]announced it would be discontinued, it's hard to believe anyone's pronunciations re: a car's future. Why announce it to the world and have sales drop like a stone?
4. - Auto manufacturers, like other business administrators, have learned to act and sound like our esteemed politicians. I believe nothing they say and only half what I see them do.
5. - GM is a good car for the money, and very few of us are going to keep ours long enough to outlive the support that will be around even if Merc is dropped. Enjoy it now.
You'll forgive me if I find that logic a bit weak. What if the honcho knew Mercury was going to be around? What would he say to quell the rumors? Nothing? Then they rumors mills pick up on this eerie silence out of Dearborn that Mercury is dying. Of course he won't say they're killing it when they're not, and if he tells the truth, people just think he's lying. The best thing Ford can do to prove Mercury will stay around is to give the brand a whole lot more models that are more than just overdressed Fords.
Only repairs 175K to date have been:
Heater core (twice)
Lighting Control Module (twice)
Tires (four)
Brakes (pads and turned rotors once)
Transmission (finally burned up from my abuse at 203K)
Mufflers (upgraded to glasspacks to scare pedestrians)
Changed bulbs in instrument cluster
Fuel filter (twice)
Oil and Filter (about ten times)
Fuel Sending Unit (once, gauge had died)
Battery (twice, once because the mechanic let it die)
Touch-up paint everywhere
And maybe some little pesky things I forgot...
Definitely can't wait to drive her all this year and next...now we can drive 6 year old cabs in Dallas instead of 5, so I get to use this through January 2004...and I expect to top 350K by then.
I had a chance (last summer) to buy a '98 P71 with 75k on it for $9900. I loved how it drove/rode, but was put off by the amount of rust it had (from never being washed). And by the amount of mud and field type grasses tucked under the hood... Damn deputies!
As far the Ford having a better Consumer rating than the Mercury, the only reason I can fathom is that the Ford is the one most often used by Taxi fleets, Police Departments, ect ect. Those types of customers attract about half the Crown Victoria's sales, and they're also the customers who rack up bunches & bunches of highway miles in short periods of time. So the average mileage of all 1998 Crown Victorias is much higher than the average mileage of '98 Grand Marquis. Somehow, all this extra, relatively trouble-free use must help the Ford's consumer rating, but not the Mercury's.
Specs are one way of measuring, but the best way is to sit down and see for yourself. Figures can and do lie...
Besides, what is OVERALL legroom? I have no idea what you mean by that. You really do need to try out the cars you are interested in. This is not a package of gum you are considering trying. If you buy a car, you are spending a LOT of money. You should be sure you are happy before you spend it!
Second, the Lumina is gone. Its sorta successor is the Chevy Impala, the ones they make now.
Did you know it was basically the same vehicle as the other?
Why did you choose it over the other?
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I'm not real sure about all the stuff the Town Car has, but it is 6" longer than the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, (I've heard a stretched version of the Crown Vi is supposed to come out, though), it has completely different sheetmetal, same mechanicals, and probably a lot more gadgets and doodads. The biggest reason the price is so much more is because there is a crosshair logo on the front of the car, and not a blue oval. As for doing the things a car is meant to do, the Crown Vic will do just as good as the Town Car. But if you want all the computerized gadgets, and the snob appeal that comes with the Lincoln name, the Crown Vic will never be as good. It's not meant to be. Ideally, Ford tries to market these cars so that the Crown Vic is aimed for police & fleet buyers, and for the segment of the public whose only real requirement in a car is lots and lots of interior acreage. The Mercury is in the middle, with more creature comforts than the Ford. It's for people who want a big car, but they want more than just a stripped down model. The Town Car is the top of the heap, for people who want a big luxury car loaded to the gills with every possible bell & whistle, and don't care that it costs twice what the lowly Ford does. In reality, however, this seems to be breaking down, as the difference between the Ford and the Mercury shrinks, and at the high end, they even encroach on the Town Car. You have to wonder if the Marauder isn't going to hurt the Town Car's sales. Ford doesn't want people buying a Marauder instead of a Town Car, they want people buying a Marauder instead of a GM or Chrysler.
I have never seen a LX-Sport on the road, hence my question. Anybody out there with (driving) experience? I believe the merc Marauder is not due until late this year. What's the word on the street for the expected price?
Also it seems that all the plastic is about a gauge thinner and more brittle than the material in our 94. Since most of these cars are sold in the sun belt, I wonder how long these interiors will last.
In the rear, the Grand Marquis has a chrome strip through the tail lights, and red reflectors that run the width of the car. The Crown Vic just has the tail lights without the fancy chrome or the reflectors across the back of the trunk.
Search the net and I'm sure you can find some pictures. It's all cosmetic, so it comes down to which one you think looks best.
You can get the Merc LSE which gives you the bucket seat interior, without the Marauder performance, but you still get 235 HP and a 3:55 rear with a handling package.
The LX Sport may have been dropped for 2003. Edmund's doesn't show it as an option.
Merc LSE is not available in black (I guess the Merc folks didn't want to confuse the public with black Marauders and black plain LSE's.) From pictures on www.fordvehicles.com website, the 2002 LX Sport was a very attractive car.
Figure with discount, high 20's for the Merc LSE, unless you wait for slow sales periods and factory incentives. Car lists for 30+.
For big boats, they are supposed to handle fairly well, due to the handling package. But, don't confuse them with sports sedans.
With the 2003 changes in the trunk, you should be able to get the wheelchair in without too much difficulty. (I know that I had trouble getting my mother's wheelchair into a 1989 Towncar with the old spare on a shelf design. But, I had no trouble putting her chair in the trunk of my 94 TBird.)
Anyways, it should be back, but maybe not until fall.