Mercury Grand Marquis

Price Paid:  $24000.00 from Dealer

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

Summary:
Don't own it yet, but ordered one. Fantastic car. Last of the breed. Buy this instead of an overpriced little import.....please!

Strengths:
Comfort, room, quietness, exterior style, truck, features.

Weaknesses:
Needs more modern dashboard styling. Needs rear sensor for parking.

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from private seller

Year / Model Reviewed:
1992 GS

Summary:
While I'm sure that many would shy away from the Grand Marquis as the "old mans" car, I was happy to pay 1000 for my semi-delipidates, 188,000 mile "beauty" with pealing paint & a broken mirror. I was desperate for a new "college car", and needed something practical, reliable, and CHEAP. I have been nothing but impressed. Mine has 295,000+ miles now. After 5 years of my admittedly abusive/very-abusive driving (much of which was on gravel roads, with much stop & go driving, & some off-road excursions), I haven't had ANY major problems.

All work has been minor, and nothing I would consider beyond routine maintenance (belts, brakes, spark plugs, filters, with the occassional minor repair). The engine, transmission, suspension, etc. are all still going strong, though it does burn some oil now (surely fair at nearly 300,000 miles). Even the little electirc luxury features (like keyless entry, power seats, power mirrors etc.) basically all still work with little/no repairs having been needed.

Also note that I've performed all minor repairs and maintenance myself. I'm no mechanic, but I've fixed enough cars for friends and family to appreciate that this one is engineered to be abnormally easy to service (at least in terms of the simple, routine maintenance that has been needed).

This massive car also averages 22mpg for me; I'm sure it could get better with a more conservative driver. Actually, this is slightly better than the 99 Grand Marquis that I'm driving most of the time now (which matches epa estimates, though I'm not sure why the 92 should be more efficient than the 99).

By the way, I've taken this car off road numerous times for both work (inspection & investigation at rural sites) & just playing around (various off-road chase games, shooting games, camping, etc). Bear in mind that one must operate the rear-wheel drive beast quickly through mud, etc. to avoid getting stuck. I've also driven this car down hole-ridden gravel roads at 60-70mph+ on many occassions, and 80mph+ on limited occassions. Because nothing in the suspension, etc. has ever broken during any of this, I would have to conclude that the suspension, body, drive train, etc. are extremely durable/solid.

Also note that while some might say this car handles poorly, it does hold solid to the road when barreling down bumpy, poorly-maintained gravel roads with relatively little danger of spinning out of control (a real problem, in my experience, with "better handling" vehicles).

For whatever reason, I've decided to retire the beast after just 300,000 miles. I'm sure it could probably take more, but need to stop paying for the 2nd set of plates, insurance, etc. You see, I'm driving a my newer 99 Grand Marquis most of the time now anyway (only because I didn't have enough faith to believe the 92 could perform this reliably this long). My wife has been temporarily driving the dented, oil-burning, paint-flaking, 92 as her own "college car" (having given up a much nicer looking Cadillac Eldorado due to reliability issues), but has her heart set on something a little newer/more sporty now. I suppose that's fair.

I cannot express enough how reliable and durable this car has been for me. This was the best $1000 dollars I ever spent on a car.

Strengths:
-EXTREMELY durable & reliable; see above
-easy to maintenance
-very practical & versatile (it can hold a lot, has a huge trunk, AND gets descent gas mileage)
-more power than I would expect

Weaknesses:
Style, I suppose, if you care about all of that. I was going for the derby-car look but never could completely achieve it.

Similar Products Used:
99 Grand Marquis - a great vehicle as well

Price Paid:  $9500.00 from Kyle Motors Vermilio

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 Mercury Grand Marquis

Summary:
2004 Merc Grand Marquis: 58,000 miles when purchased....now has 61000.
The last of it's kind......V8, rear wheel drive, full size, full frame, American (Canadian built) car. Plentiful options and good power. The car is equipped with traction control, AM-FM stereo w/cassette and CD player, A/C, cruise, tilt, power drivers seat, adjustable pedals and cloth interior.
I recently took this car on a 1000 mile (nearly) trip through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and into Tennessee. I encountered many steep grades in southern West Virginia. The 4.6L engine handled them with ease and averaged almost 27mpg. The seats are large and comfortable with plenty of room to move around. The non-power passenger seat sets a little low to the floor for my liking but power seats for the passenger would cure this.
The only problem with this car was a bad front wheel bearing (was bad when I purchased the car). It was easy enough to replace but was fairly pricey.....$180 from NAPA. I didn't mind paying a little extra for this part as it's made in the USA (keep yourself AND your neighbors working).
The handling isn't bad but could be a bit better but I'd rather have a smooth ride over sportier handling.
This car seems to handle a little better than the '97(ish) Marquis that I recently drove.
Needs rear seat cup holders and the front seat cup holders need to be moved out from in front of the heater controls.
If you're looking for a vehicle with a smooth ride, smooth power, seating for six and plenty of trunk space, the Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria is hard to beat.

Strengths:
Full frame, full size, V8, smooth-ample power, smooth ride, seating for six, easy to read instrument cluster, fuel mileage, storage space, decent price.

Weaknesses:
non-lighted cruise control buttons, cup holders, size, handling.

Similar Products Used:
'07 Town Car, '97 Grand Marquis, '07 Impala

Price Paid:  $0.00 from hand down from fathe

Year / Model Reviewed:
1999 Mercury Grand Marquis GS

Summary:
I drive a 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis GS model and let me tell you these are fun cars to drive. They are very dependable. You can beat on them and they keep coming back for more. This is my 2nd one I've driven and I can feel a big difference from the 1995 model I used to drive. I drove the 1995 model for about 3 years and the only problem it had was it made bottom clanking noises and made popping sounds when you turned it but $600 fixed it then a $1000 tune up (car had over 85k miles). It's my grandmas car since I no longer drive it she does. The only problems with it now are the windows/ac don't work other then that it has plenty of power for a car that's over the 110k mile mark probably around 120-130 now. The 1999 model I drive me and my father share it he baught it 4 years ago and it had under 19k miles currently it has about 50,500 miles and it has no problems at all. The engine is so quiet and I can tell the power it has over the 95 model and the way the gears change it's much better. The AC is nice and cold and all the toys work on it just fine. The only thing done to it so far is new breaks/tires and standard oil changes. It still has a perfect wheel aligment. If you want a good dependable car and want nice V8 power and luxury feeling go with a Marquis or Crown Vic and you won't be disappointed.

Strengths:
Power, Dependable, Roomy, Fast

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
1995 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

Price Paid:  $0.00 from hand me down from gr

Year / Model Reviewed:
1992 Mercury Grand Marquis

Summary:
I received my Grand Marquis when I was 17 and it is my first car. I must admit I was very rough on it from the period of 4 months to 8 months after I began driving. I went over a 35 mph dip at 92 scraping the bottom into the pavement and leaving 1.5 inch groves, took a 15 mph turn at about 45 mph, and early on hit curves while fiddling with the radio at about 45. Through all of that, the car still works fairly well. It is simple and dependable and feels like sitting in a very cozy leather chair. It is not by far the best car ever made, but it keeps going. It has been a wonderful first car for me and has allowed me to learn the do's and do not's of driving without much consequence. That said, it does have drawbacks. First off, the oil is extremely hard to check. Sometimes it shows that it is virtually empty, but after adding just one quart, it shows it is fully filled. Other times it may take three or four. And I have not found a correlation with temperature or weather yet. Also, not much goes wrong, but that one thing that does, which in my case is electrical problems, keeps coming back. The engine is very dependable, amply powerful for normal road usage, and takes abuse with ease. It also had and insatiable appetite for gas and oil. I ride the car easy the days and my avg. mpg. in town is 16-18, on the interstate it is somewhere between 20-24, depending on the terrain. My last gripe is it does not have cup holders. A semi-luxary sedan without cup holders. However, that said, I would like to emphasize that I do have much respect for the car, and I feel it does have a significant place in the automobile world. If you can get your hands on a used one at a competitive price, go for it. I would not buy one new though.

Strengths:
Dependable, engine is powerful and takes abuse with ease. Very roomy and comfortable, especially for those in front. Very large trunk space and fairly well designed spare and jack storage. Soft and easy handling. Console and controls are arranged simply and intelligently. The car has small blindspots, especially for its size. Cruises very well in highway and interstate situations.

Weaknesses:
Fuel economy, has few problems but any that do appear keep coming back. Oil is very hard to check, at least in the '92 model. Auto-trans can be rough sometimes, mostly in in-town situations. The car's loose suspension makes changing a flat a rear workout. No cup holder.