1992 Mercury Grand Marquis
According to Click & Clack, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own. Lucky for me, the car I already own--as opposed to the one I lease for the lovely and talented Mrs. Drucker--is a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, and I flat-out love it. I'll begin expounding on its wonderfulness a paragraph or two further on; first, though, I'd like to explain how a dashingly youthful 59-year-old came to be driving a geezermobile in the first place.
Actually, the whole story begins in 1967, the year I convinced my parents that my college experience would be greatly enhanced if I didn't have to walk to campus from my in-town lodging. Rather than recount the entire tale, I'll skip forward a few decades, to 1999, when those very same parents came into possession, almost by chance, of the subject Grand Marquis. At the time, it had 30K on the clock, and because it was their second car, the mileage had jumped by only 7K when they passed it on to me in mid-2001. I drove it for three years, bumping the mileage to 75K, and then sold it to a buddy who used it to commute between his home on Long Island and his offices in Brooklyn and Queens. Two years later he was offered a real deal on a 2002 Grand Marquis, and in early 2006 I jumped at the chance to buy the ‘92 – now with 99K showing – back from him for small money. Since then, I've bumped the mileage to 126K.
Let's now jump back to 1992 and have a look at what a Grand Marquis
buyer got for his $25,637 (plus tax & tags, but minus the probable
whopping dealer discount). In 1992 the Grand Marquis (along with its
Crown Victoria stablemate) got a sleek, curvaceous new body and the
aluminum 4.6-liter OHC "modular" V8 that had made its debut in the
previous year's Lincoln Town Car. The top-of-the-line LS had a base
sticker of $20,644, which my car's original owner bumped to $25,637 by
selecting every possible option. The Preferred Equipment Package 172A
($2,312) added a whole list of items that really should have been
standard equipment: cast wheels, upgraded stereo, cruise control, etc.
Beyond that he chose:
- Electronic Group ($516)
- Keyless Entry ($146)
- Dual 6-way Power Seats ($504)
- Full-Sized Spare ($85)
- ABS/Traction Control ($695)
- Rear Air Suspension ($285)
- Leather Seats ($555)
The roster of options brought the Grand Marquis' equipment level
right into Town Car territory, but in a package that was seven inches
shorter and, at 3768 pounds, nearly 300 pounds lighter. (Just by way of
comparison, our 2007 Accord is 21 inches shorter overall, on a 6.5-inch
shorter wheelbase, and is less porky by 648 pounds.)
Here are some of the things I love about my Grand Marquis.
The ride is very quiet and, thanks in part to the rear air suspension, pillow soft. On long trips, after a dinner break at 500 miles I'm perfectly happy to get back on the road for another few hours. Both front seats adjust all over the place, and have adjustable lumbar supports that, amazingly enough, are in just the right position for my long-suffering lower vertebrae.
On those long trips, the Grand Marquis delivers a surprisingly good 25 miles per gallon, despite not having had anything like a tune-up in more than 50,000 miles. Around town that figure drops to 21 miles per gallon, which isn't wonderful, but isn't so low that it would make economic sense to replace the car with something more frugal.
The $516 Electronic Group consists primarily of a digital instrument
panel and information panel that can display outside temperature,
distance to empty, fuel remaining, and either instant or average miles
per gallon. Checking mileage the old-fashioned way, by dividing miles
driven by gallons added, I've found that the dashboard display is as
near as matters to being right on the money. The same is true of the
outside temperature display.
These days, keyless entry generally involves a wireless remote either built into the key (my Honda) or as a separate key fob (my mom's Camry). At some point, Mercury added that feature to the Grand Marquis, but in 1992 it involved a five-button keypad on the door. (Newer ones still have the keypad, in addition to the remote.) This means that I can leave the keys in the ignition when I go to the grocery store, thus eliminating that unsightly bunch-of-keys bulge in my pocket. Wonderful!
It has fabulous air conditioning. I've owned well over 40 cars, and can't think of any whose a/c cooled the car so quickly, even sitting at idle. I wondered why this should be so until an ex-cop friend got into the car and exclaimed "ah, cop air conditioning." He went on to explain that Crown Victoria Police Interceptors often spent much of the working day at idle, and that the a/c and cooling system were designed to cope with that kind of abuse. In the interest of full disclosure, I must mention that the blower doesn't work when the lever is in the Floor position. This means that during the winter I must select either the floor/defrost mix, or the vent position, both of which work as intended. I've managed to survive two upstate NY winters with the heater in this state of disrepair.
It requires next to no maintenance, and what it requires doesn't
cost very much. Despite receiving its last tune-up more than four years
ago, the Grand Marquis never fails to start, and it runs like a champ.
As a result of two years of hard service on awful roads, the tie-rod
ends and front shocks needed replacing when I got the car back in '06.
Beyond that, it's needed front rotors, pads all around, and a water
pump. I'm pretty good about oil changes every 3-4K, and while the water
pump was out I asked for a fresh serpentine belt.
The only potentially major expense came in May of '07, at 112K. The car was in the air for an oil change, and I mentioned to the mechanic that the air suspension had been unusually good to me, having lasted nearly 16 years. Needless to say, when the car was lowered to the ground, one of the air bags failed. A quick phone call revealed that replacement bags from the dealer would cost many, many hundreds of dollars. All told, replacing them would have cost well over a grand. Taking an uncharacteristically sensible route, I opted to have the air suspension replaced with steel springs and the appropriate shocks, for about half that amount. Once home, though, I got curious and Googled "grand marquis air suspension." One click later, I had an alternate source for the bags. The price, including overnight shipping to the shop, was $208 for the pair. I was out the door the following afternoon for a bit more than $400.
Right now, my 1992 Grand Marquis performs pretty much the way it did
17 years ago. The body is still tight, all of the accessories (except
for the aforementioned blower) work properly, and only the slightest
bit of rust has begun to appear just behind the front wheel wells.
Worth noting, too, is that I've never, ever even been pulled over, much
less ticketed while driving the Grand Marquis. It's nigh invisible to
The Authorities.
I plan to continue driving my ‘92 Grand Marquis indefinitely, and when that's no longer possible, to replace it with another, newer example. The Grand Marquis received a significant suspension upgrade in 1998, and a new frame, steering system, and suspension in 2003. The newer ones handle better than mine does, but don't seem to ride as smoothly. With that in mind, at some point I'd love to find the best 1997 Grand Marquis LS in the world. That's probably unrealistic, though, and what I'll probably wind up with is something considerably newer. No doubt it will be cheap as cheese, and I'll bet it will make me as happy as my ‘92 does every time I slide onto its comfy leather seat and turn the key.
-–David Drucker
Rob the SVX guy on August 12, 2008 at 12:24 PM
This is significantly awesome, compared to the Lincoln Navigator. I'd love to have one of these. And for comparison, my SVX gets about the same MPG in city and on the highway (awd+3600lbs).
But yeah, cool car, I've always dug them, but something that big would be impossible to park downtown. :(
Cookie the Dog's Owner on August 12, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I inherited an '04 Marquis from my father's estate, and just about everything you said about your '92 would hold true for the '04. I give the car high marks for accomplishing its design objectives. It sets out to be a traditional big, comfortable cruising car, and that's what it is. I traded my Marquis in on my GTI because, while it was a very competent and reliable car, it didn't fit my personality. I like small, light, and nimble, and I want to row my own gears.
I did very briefly consider giving it the full "Overhaulin'"/"Pimp My Ride" treatment--cop suspension off the Crown Vic interceptor, five-speed, bucket seats, de-Novocain'd steering gear, turbocharger. It still would have been too big for my tastes, but . . . ah, what might have been!
Mochi Mochi on August 12, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Great story David. Glad you like the car so much. Quick question - is this basically the Crown Vic with some styling changes? Or is there a more extensive set of differences.
"the cheapest car to run is the car you already own" nicely put and nearly always true. The only time I find that it is not is when you're at high mileage and you need to replace everything. Then a newer less worn out car starts to look appealingly "cheap" ;)
David Drucker on August 12, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Rob, I was hoping for your nod of approval on this one!
CTDO, a Marauder might have done the trick for you, but for its slushbox. And, of course, its size.
MM, yes, basically a Crown Vic with a more formal roof. That styling difference went away in (I think) '97, when the Ford got the GM's roof. And I agree, once it becomes a question of dumping many thousands into a car, it's time to walk away. (Would that I'd learned that lesson before getting involved with a pair of W108 & W109 Mercedes-Benzes. But that's another story, too.)
Chris Hafner on August 12, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Yeah, this was nicely done. I never particularly liked the Crown Vic or Grand Marquis; I was too much of an Impala/Caprice guy for that. But I've always liked these big rear-wheel-drive cruisers; in my mind, this is Detroit's true core competency and the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis is the last reverberation from a wonderful sound.
My feelings towards these cars have warmed over the years, to the point where now I'd definitely drive one.
David Colborne on August 12, 2008 at 02:21 PM
For me, these are quintessential Fords, especially of that era - good, solid, reliable, and almost interestingly boring cars (almost). Basically, all the things we think Toyotas are now.
I'd drive it - it can't be any harder to parallel park than your average pickup, and the lower profile gives it better handling and gas mileage. Plus, having an A/C that works well at idle would be really nice. Sure, it's as boring as plain oatmeal, but that does have its advantages, especially if you let the accelerator attached to that V8 get away from you. It's a shame they didn't do what Chevy did with the Caprice and crank out a station wagon version.
Mochi Mochi on August 12, 2008 at 04:53 PM
I had a client who built special equipment consoles for police cars. As a result I got to spend a lot of time in State Police Crown Vics. They were not luxurious but they were solid and fast. I have significant respect for the Crown Vic and its siblings.
AlaskaBrant on August 12, 2008 at 05:04 PM
"I'd like to explain how a dashingly youthful 59-year-old came to be driving a geezermobile in the first place."
I LOL'd on that one. Being 52 myself, I accepted my old geezerhood this year with my new car purchase. 26 years ago I had a major bo**r for the 1983 Buick Riviera. My mother told when I could afford one, they wouldn't look like that. Well, now I can afford one and so I went out and bought the 2008 Chrysler 300 while it still looks like the 'old geezer' car it is! These large rear wheel drive platforms are built for the comfort this old geezer missed in all my Hondas and sensible Toyotas.
Louis Gray on August 13, 2008 at 12:12 AM
I've had two and they run beautifully. It's like riding in on a couch. Smooth, makes hardly a whisper and is dependable. You are right decent gas mileage makes this car a keeper.
David Drucker on August 13, 2008 at 06:50 AM
AlaskaBrant, you really dodged a couple of bullets by a) passing on the '83 Riv when it was new, and b) not buying a used one later on. If ever there was an example of a car's quality not living up to its (for the era) impressive specs... I bought a new 1980 Riv, and got rid of it before a year had passed. Then, exhibiting a breathtaking example of not learning from experience, I bought a 1980 Toronado in 1991.
AutoCar-Live on August 13, 2008 at 09:00 AM
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Bill T. on August 13, 2008 at 09:48 AM
I had a similar, but predated experience. An uncle (now deceased) had an '84 LTD Crown Vic. I told him that when he wanted to change cars to let me know. I bought the LTD in '92 with 44,000 miles. It was the essence of smooth - lots of interior room, thick cloth seats, and quiet. It would hold six easily, and had a spacious trunk. Lots of options, including the mileage and temperature readout panel and crank open vent windows (non-existent now). It was never overly expensive to maintain (I change oil every 3,000 miles), and could deliver 20 or slightly better MPG on the highway. I still have it, with 124,000 miles on the odometer, but haven't driven it for a while. It does need some work, and would be neat to drive again. I have always liked that large grille.
David Drucker on August 13, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Bill T, a fully-loaded '84 Crown Vic was the first in my list of big Ford/Merc sedans. It belonged to the president of NYSEG (NY State Gase & Electric), who wanted a Town Car, but didn't want to be seen driving one. It was black, with grey cloth and no vinyl roof. Very FBI-looking. I, too, bought mine in 1992, for $1250. Aside from a a wiper motor and Ford's infamous throttle position sensor, it needed nothing but oil changes during the time I owned it.
I gave it to my stepson in '94, thinking that his first car should surround him with plenty of metal. Three months later he totaled it, but was able to walk away from the crash. A good car, all around, and another that never got pulled over.
OldCarGuy on August 13, 2008 at 01:31 PM
Two words: Trunk space.
My Father-In-Law is on his second or third Crown Vic/Grand Marquis. He was a Impala/Caprice guy until they did away with the big, V-8, rear wheel drive model, and he had to find a new cruiser. He has had such tremendous wear out of them that I've forced myself to give them more than a second look. Reliable? Sure it is. It's what American auto manufacturers have always done best: V-8s and rear wheel drive. Everything else is just window dressing.
I remember reading a while ago how Ford can sell these relatively cheaply and still make a good profit because the factory hasn't had to do any significant re-tooling for years, which means the infrastructure has long ago been paid for and whatever they get from sales now is mostly gravy. Oldsters love them, as do salesmen. I know a fellow who sold heavy construction equipment, and traded in his first and only SUV for a black Crown Vic. He mounted a CB antennae on it, and was never hassled by any LEOs. (Coincidence? Maybe, but maybe not.) Interestingly, when he pulled up to a job site with a large number of Hispanic workers, they took one look at his car...
and took off running. It turns out they thought he was with ICE.
I hope they don't stop making these anytime soon. Given the right color and wheels, I could see myself in one . . . someday.
Bill T. on August 13, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Speaking of changing color, the only limitation on these Crown Vic/Grand Marquis models is the small choice of colors they offer. These do appear to be the choice for older drivers, since they are very easy riding. I saw an older couple in one recently. A Grand Marquis LM that was a bright red with matching vinyl roof. It was very sharp.
John Bono on August 13, 2008 at 05:04 PM
I have a '95 crown vic and the worst thing you can do to the car is copify it(change the original airbag suspension w/cop springs). Not only do the airsprings improve the ride, they also improve the handling. Mine is an LX with the Handling Performance Package.
I know, you all think that's an oxymoron for these cars. It's not. First of all, the HPP gives you air suspension, not cop springs. Second, it has a thicker anti roll bar(I believe it is actually thicker than the interceptor's). Third, dual exhaust and 10 extra hp. And finally, a 3.27 or 3.55 rear axle ratio instead of the far to leisurely 2.73. Except for the oil cooler, an HPP Vic has all the performance doodads of the cop vic with the luxo doodads of the civvy model.
The best thing about the airbag suspension, imho, is that the 95 crown vic is the last of the sedans capable of towing something bigger than a suitcase. A CV with airbags is quite capable of towing as much weight as the same year Ford Explorer, without a buckboard SUV ride. I wish someone today made a sedan that can tow like my '95 CV can.
TurboDave on August 13, 2008 at 07:41 PM
There is one little problem with these cars:
From www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com:
"Ford's Panther line of cars, which consists of the Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and Grand Marquis, is designed with the fuel tank located outside the protection of the rear axle and within the car's "crush zone." No other passenger cars manufactured in North America have retained this fuel tank position because it has been considered too dangerous. At least five million of these unprotected vehicles are estimated to be in use on roads today."
The comment about Ford being able to build and sell these for reasonable prices because of minimal retooling is due to the Panther platform dating back to 1979. Some police departments have eliminated the CV due to the number of cops killed in fiery rear end crashes. In 2005, Ford added a fire suppression system to the Police Interceptor.
TurboDave on August 13, 2008 at 07:42 PM
There is one little problem with these cars:
From www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com:
"Ford's Panther line of cars, which consists of the Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and Grand Marquis, is designed with the fuel tank located outside the protection of the rear axle and within the car's "crush zone." No other passenger cars manufactured in North America have retained this fuel tank position because it has been considered too dangerous. At least five million of these unprotected vehicles are estimated to be in use on roads today."
The comment about Ford being able to build and sell these for reasonable prices because of minimal retooling is due to the Panther platform dating back to 1979. Some police departments have eliminated the CV due to the number of cops killed in fiery rear end crashes. In 2005, Ford added a fire suppression system to the Police Interceptor.
John Bono on August 14, 2008 at 08:29 AM
The "exploding Crown Vic" story is utter and complete BS. First of all, the number of deaths of officers over the past 20 years due to fire from rear end impacts is less than 20. Virtually all of these impacts have been at speeds well over 60 mph(and in many if not most cases, over 75mph) into cars that are stopped.
Second, *all* of these accidents have not only intruded into the rear crumple zone, but actually into the passenger compartment, meaning the car has been smashed like an accordion all the way to the b-pillar. In a Crown Vic, that's something like 6' of sheet metal and frame rails smashed into the passenger compartment. In other cars, such an impact would most likely be fatal for all occupants.
Thirdly, the biggest reason why so many of these fires involve Crown vics is that for the past 25 years, CVs were half of all the police vehicles on the road, and for the past 15 years, virtually the only one on the road(85%+). Chrysler and GM for 15 years have tried mightily to introduce Intrepids, FWD Impalas, Tahoes, etc as police vehicles, all have come up short. Try jumping curbs in an Intrepid and see how long it lasts.
Finally, consider the following: How many passenger cars on the road could absorb a 75mph differential speed rear impact? How many cars actually get tested for that sort of rear impact? The IIHS tests SEATS at 20mph speed--they don't bother test the whole car.
Dave on August 14, 2008 at 11:20 AM
A few impressions:
My father-in-law has one of these parked right outside the house as we speak. Looks good in dark green with tan leather and the grandkids love it. Great value for the money and as good as claimed.
Similarly, a senior friend has driven a Grand Marquis for decades. No, not the same one, but a new one every few years. Same platform, engine, leather and do-dads as a Town Car, but priced about 30% less and that's before dealers mark them down every summer to around $17,500. V-8 and rwd for the price of a base Camry? If I were older, I'd say sign me up.
Drove a state Crown Vic Interceptor in the late '90s and always wished Ford sold a civilian version of same instead of later offering the Mercury Marauder. I know Mercury had that nameplate before, but it was for too brief a time and too long ago for very many folks to think, "Hey, they brought back the Marauder." Seems to me if you wanted performance you'd go to Ford (with Mustangs in the same showroom) and if you wanted luxury (or at least more chrome) you'd shop Mercury. Yet another example of brand (mis)management, but at least it had the Crown Vic taillights.
Why has Ford squandered both the Crown Vic name and the Panther platform? Instead of making the Crown Vic fleet-only, why not keep it as a performance counterpart to the Grand Marquis? And speaking of fleets, Ford OWNED the taxi and L.E. markets after the shamu Caprice mercifully went away, yet totally failed to update the platform. That was good enough to hold off current- and last-generation fwd Impalas, but now I see more and more Dodge Chargers doing police work and they look mean doing it too.
Rob the SVX guy on August 15, 2008 at 05:29 AM
That's because police need to be look as aggressive/mean as possible to hide the fact that they were the nerdy kids everyone picked on. But look out now! The rest of the world has to pay for their childhood! If you're driving something cool, they'll be after you instead of the woman in the SUV blindly cutting people off on her cellphone.
ARGH.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on August 15, 2008 at 06:23 AM
@OldCarGuy: "Two words: Trunk space."
Yes. They have what the mob guys referred to as a "three body trunk."
Clancy on August 15, 2008 at 08:24 PM
My first car was a '68 mustang - awesome car, taught me a lot about fixing cars... :) On the days when the 'stang wasn't running (and there were many of those), I'd use my mothers 78 Grand Marquis - 'the boat'. I loved the boat. There was more room in the backseat of that car than most kids my age had in their own bedrooms. It rode like it was on a pillow of air, the big 400 would scream once she got wound up, and despite the mass and extra soft ride, it actually handled pretty good (of course, you knew it was big, but it communicated well as it slipped it between under and oversteer). Ours needed paint - merc [ford] must have used their 2 year guaranteed no-peel silver paint, as it had given up a long time ago. And the mouse-fur interior was showing age, but, still it had presence and class. I don't think anything made today would compare to that thing, although I'm sure the spirit lives on in your 92... I still miss the boat.
John on September 08, 2008 at 07:11 PM
I have owned three Town Cars (two Signature Series) and a Lincoln LS. My 2002 Grand Marquis LS Premium equals the Town Cars and is superior to the LS when it comes to reliability and comfort. Mine is silver with light gray leather with all available options. It is a tasteful, smooth looking sedan that is built like a tank.
Best of all, highway MPG between 28 and 31. I'll cherish it as long as we both shall live.
Dave on October 15, 2008 at 08:46 PM
I own a 92 and a 97 grand marquis. All I need to say at this Price who makes a V-8 rwd that is like something out of the 70's... That you can still work on