I was talking with a friend at our local Ford dealer who I had bought cars from before. I told him I had been looking at the Hyundai XG300, but was very disappointed after test driving the car. I went on that I liked the quasi-luxury appeal, with the bucket seats and the floor shifter. He starts telling me that Ford was coming out with a new Crown Vic SPORT, and that it would have leather buckets, floor shifter, and 17" wheels.

I pulled into the dealership a few weeks later, and there on the sidewalk next to the entrance was a Crown Vic with 17" wheels. It immediately caught my eye! I looked inside, and yep, there was the buckets and the console. The car had just been unloaded that morning.

Once we got the keys, I started the look over. Having been a cop for 18 years, we drove Crown Vics since 1992.

The sport package uses a monochromatic paint scheme. There is no chrome on the outside except the door handles and the window trim. Even the grill is the same color of the car.

The stainless steel TRUE dual exhaust has tips that are visible from the rear, but not too overdone.

The 5-spoke 17-inch wheels are very attractive and blend well with the lines of the car. The Goodyear tires are the Eagle LS series P235/55R17, and have a good tread pattern.

OK, so lets open the hood. There is the 4.6L (281ci) V-8 with a nice plastic cover over the intake system, nothing fancy and very practical. Difference: The standard LX has 220HP.....the Sport has been boosted a little to 235HP.

OK, the trunk...and what a trunk. My other half was wanting me to buy a truck so I can haul things. Well the Crown Vics trunk is HUGE, heck I can put her and my mother in law in there. Of course, they can get out, as Ford puts a hostage pull trunk release in their cars as a safety item. The 6-disc CD changer is mounted on the left side behind the factory trunck carpet, protected, but easily accessible. The Sport also offers an automatic air adjustment system, the switch also located in the trunk should have been in the dash.

Well, let's open the door. You can use the key, the remote or the keypad on the door. The keypad is programmable, so I could make it the same code as my Thunderbird. Once inside, I took like a duck to water. There were some added goodies that just are not on police cars. Ther steering wheel has the cruise controls on the left side and the stereo controls on the right along with fan and temp adjustments. You can change between AM/FM/CD, go to the next tracks, next station, or adjust the volume. The only thing you cannot do is change CDs.....they left that one out, you have to use the stereo controls.

The dash has conrols for the All Speed Traction control system which is active unless turned off. There is also a control to adjust the pedals. A plus for my wife who has to move the seat all the way up. Now she can bring the pedals to her.

The instrumentation is rather plain, and they could have added a tach for the sport model. The air controls are all automatic, and has an outside temp gauge. The rearview mirror sports a compass....I guess in case you get lost, and also has automatic dimming.

The shifter is comfortably located and has the Overdrive OFF button at the thumb.

I adjusted the driver seat for me, and then got in the seat behind me. My teenage boys need a lot of room, and it was there, I had 8-10 inches clearance. The rear seat also has a pull down arm rest with cup holders. The rear seats are fed heat/air through a duct in the back of the console.

Time to start it up. With only 3 miles on it, I guess you have to expect it to sound quiet. And it did.

I took the car for a drive. The all speed variable steering was reactive at low and high speeds. The acceleration was ok on the start, but at highway speeds the passing acceleration is fantastic. But you pay for the v-8 pedal usage. Ford says 17 MPG city/25 MPG highway. They should have added 13.7 MPG with Lee's foot in it, as that's what I got last tank.

The ride is slightly jittery, but that is the sport package, If you want to cut diamonds while driving, get the regular LX. The brakes are a little mushy when first applied, but that is typical of the Crown Vic. Once the engage, the stopping is great.

All in all, Ford made a good debut of it's SPORT SEDAN. I am a professional consultant now and the car allows me to present a professional appearance while still being a little sporty.

If you just care about BIG REAR WHEEL DRIVE SPORTSCAR HOTROD..check out the 2003 Mirauder which is basically a hopped up Grand Marquis. If you want some thing nice and not too souped up, the LX Sport is the way to go.




Amount Paid (US$): 28,900
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: 2002 Crown Victoria LX Sport