The Grand Marquis, like Ford's Crown Victoria stablemate, is one of the last true fullsize V8 sedans. With the demise of Chevrolet's Caprice in 1996, the Marquis became the only car in its class under $30,000.

Ford hasn't changed the Grand Marquis's basic componentry in over 20 years. Plenty of time to get it right, or so past service records reveal. Plenty of time to mass-produce the car to such a degree that every police officer nationwide has tried his hand at the wheel.

Plenty of time to establish the Grand Marquis as the foremost vehicle for those who desire all of the space with none of the premium.

Pricing & Options

Ford has increased the MSRP of the Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria by about a thousand dollars for 2002. The base GS model is available for $23,500. Mercury's top-of-the-line Marquis is the LS Ultimate, virtually a Lincoln sans badge at $28,500. Leather is a no-cost option and steering wheel controls are included.

Check the LSE option and your Marquis will acquire a firmer suspension and an upgraded 235 HP engine, price unchanged. A Ferrari it isn't, but there's definitely fun to be had. Many of the LS Ultimate's toys are also base equipment on the LSE. Antilock brakes and traction control are standard across the board.

Mercury will unleash a 300 HP SVT Cobra-based Grand Marquis with the Vic's back end in 2003. Tagged Marauder, this highway hotrod will sport blacked out trim, a console shifter, and enough attitude for previous owners of the Impala SS. It'll retail for about $32,000... and if that's all it takes to push sub-6.5 second 0-60 times, kudos to Merc.

Sedate Driving

The Marquis is most at home on the highway. Plush suspension on all four corners soaks road vibration and undulation with little effort. Acceleration is seamless, passing an expeditious and uneventful exercise in thrust. The engine disappears on longer journeys, content to loaf along at 2000 RPM. Luggage and passengers change nothing.

Gas mileage hovers around 24 MPG on the highway. A single tank of 87 octane will propel the Marquis almost 500 miles. If you choose an LSE fitted with the optional acceleration-boosting 3.55 rear axle, expect those figures to drop by 50 and 2 MPG. A heavy right foot will further diminish yield to 16 MPG, as will city driving.

Similar to the Crown Victoria, power boost overshadows every steering movement. It doesn't appear to be speed-sensitive, but a slight on-center dead spot and low steering ratio help to combat any drifting tendencies. A somewhat disconnected feel pervades the cabin on all but the LSE model, revealing a suspension tuned toward the soft end. I've read it's actually a bit more compliant than the Vic by design, but if that's the case I haven't noticed at all. Both exhibit a large-car persona that Ford hasn't been able [read: hasn't attempted] to mask.

A note on towing:

The Grand Marquis is severely underrated in the towing department. Models prior to 1998 are listed to tow 5000 lbs, 3000 lbs more than the current car. No significant changes have been made to componentry. If a V6 FWD Camry-based Toyota Avalon can drag 2500 lbs, I'm certain the Vic/Marquis twins can do better. Tell the corporate lawyers to go play in a sandbox.

Performance Driving

Ah! Performance driving. Yes, indeed.

Much like the Crown Vic, the Marquis proves capable when pushed, if not nimble. Acceleration is swift and smooth, the speedo needle skimming 60 MPH in about 8 seconds. It doesn't take much to chirp the tires if you're quick on the loud pedal. Powerbraking on slick surfaces will spin the right rear tire if traction control has been disabled.

Ford has quite an engine with the 4.6L SOHC. Spiriting acceleration will overwhelm the transmission whine ubiquitous to taxis and airport trams with a muted V8 roar. It's not so much that the engine feels significantly stronger than a V6.. it's that it doesn't have to try to achieve the same results. Torque is ever-present in the low RPM range, a contrast to the peaky 4 and 6 cylinders that power most family sedans.

Stopping distances run a hair over 125' from 60 MPH, right about mid-pack for a car this size. Control is very good throughout; pedal feel is even more progressive than in the Vic, forward pitch easily controlled. I wouldn't call the Marquis tossable, but it feels planted under swift maneuvers. Predictable weight transfer and traction limits allow for a progressive push at the limit. Sorry to say, the automatic tranny precludes any serious RWD powersliding. (Haha! Ha.)

It is possible to unsettle the car if you attempt to take a rough turn at speed. The Mustang GT will behave similarly. Solid rear axles do that.

Le Interior

A massive trunk crowns my list of Marquis assets. It's quite possible to slide four suitcases into the depths of the boot, along with groceries, a wishing well, the Titanic, and Jay Leno's chin. A word of warning to elderly readers: Ford mounted the spare tire far toward the rear of the trunk. It's a tough spot to reach if your back isn't in the best of health.

Interior space nearly equals that of the boot. I'm about 6'2". This is one of the few vehicles with a back seat I can comfortably use. Side bolstering is almost nonexistent on either bench in base models, although the LSE Marquis is available with bucket seats. Ford's only lapse in quality control appears when you check the leather option. I can see yellow foam stuffing around the seatbelt mounts, which have conveniently sheared away from the leather around them. Doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it may to some, as will the most definitely faux-looking faux wood.

Both driver and passenger are treated to 8-way power seats and, power windows/locks, and an excellent if basic climate control. Various other heated, digital and dimming doohickeys are available to play with if you're so inclined.

The stock stereo is consistently average. Bass response is better than I expected, midrange acceptable. It's a far cry from the Mark Levinson and Bose systems available in more upmarket vehicles, but it's also significantly better than anything I've heard in a GM vehicle.

My family also owns a 2002 Chevrolet Impala, likely the only domestic competition for the Grand Marquis if even stodgier Buicks haven't made your shopping list. The Impala's stereo has no treble. It has no midrange. In short, it has nothing even resembling fidelity. But it does have all-pervading bass that's curiously impossible to filter. Better to settle with average than to suffer with mediocre.

Styling: Panache

As with the Crown Vic, I think the Grand Marquis is devastatingly handsome in black. Only minor aesthetic details separate the two cars and both sport a more attractive angular physique than current Lincolns.

Standard for 2002 are 16" steel rims and covers. 13 possible exterior colors run the color spectrum gamut, perhaps the most charismatic of which is 'Matador Red Clearcoat Metallic', a hue that floored me from halfway across the parking lot. Very nice. Very nice indeed.

Safety

Safety is perhaps the Merc's greatest strong point. The Crown Vic's nationwide adoption by police and taxi services has produced a comprehensive safety record supported by insurance testing.

Standard on 2002 Grand Marquis models are a crash-severity sensor, safety belt pre-tensioners, dual-stage airbags and seat-position sensors. All this amounts to that much more safety for whomever sits in the front seats. The Marquis also sports a double 5-star frontal impact rating.

http://www.arasvo.com/crown_victoria/cv_movies.htm

Side impacts score 4 stars by IHTSA standards. The Marquis doesn't have much in the way of side bracing, nor does it have side-impact airbags. Like many sedans, it performs quite well in impacts up to 40 MPH. Also like many sedans, anything greater is a risky proposition.

The star rating system tells you only how competent a vehicle is at dissipating its own momentum. When a formerly static barrier suddenly weighs two tons and barrels along at 35 MPH with a momentum of its own, the equation changes dramatically.

In real-world collisions where vehicle mass is the predominant factor, the Marquis excels above the competition.

Among the more interesting stories:

* A Maryland State Trooper had his Crown Vic PI nailed head-on at 75 MPH by a guy attempting to break through a roadblock. The Vic lost about a foot of wheelbase and everything forward of the windshield but the passenger compartment was completely intact. The trooper walked away.

* An officer in Phoenix drove his Vic off a bridge 90 feet up, landing nose first. He survived to describe the fall.

How he fell in the first place I have no idea.. but I can think of no greater testimonial.

A Final Note

I've written a Crown Vic review from a different perspective here:

http://www.epinions.com/content_44584046212

Do test-drive the Grand Marquis if you're in the market for a such a car. It isn't nearly as old-fashioned as the median buyer's age would suggest.

Amount Paid (US$): 24000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: GS Standard