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New Car Test Drive - 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis LS
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| Updated |
Jul 7, 2004 20:13:22 |
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 65 ( -10 -15.38% ) | | Author | Ray Thursby |
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Description:
The last of the traditionals.
Each year, fewer and fewer customers line up for traditional full-size American
cars. These rearÐdrive behemoths are being replaced in the public's affections by a
new breed of smaller, lighter, more fuelÐefficient cars. Most people think these
time-honored all-American sedans are on their way out.
Chrysler and GM certainly do. It's been years since the former has built any
body-on-frame passenger cars, and this year will mark the end of production for the
Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Fleetwood, the General's final
entries in this class. Which leaves Ford's Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand
Marquis as sole occupants of a dwindling market.
However, there are people who still appreciate cars like these. Taxi fleets and
government agencies, for example. Body-on-frame construction, which entails separate
sub-construction for the chassis and body with the two mated in final assembly, is
generally heavier and better suited to taking a beating than the near-universal
unitbody approach. That's why most trucks and sport-utilities are still body-on-frame
designs.
Custom coachbuilders like separate frames because they can stretch them easily.
Police forces like the high-mileage reliability of rearÐdrive powertrains, a roomy
back seat for passengers likely to be wearing handcuffs and a big trunk for emergency
gear. And large families still enjoy filling that large trunk with luggage and setting
out, six at a time, on long trips.
Ford figures that's a big enough market to warrant continued production of Marquis
and Vic, and to make continual improvements to them. Given the appeal of the current
cars and the ever-dwindling number of competitors, they're probably right.
Walkaround
Nobody will mistake the Grand Marquis for, say, a Sable. This is a conservative
design, one that doesn't use styling tricks to disguise its length or layout. The long
hood lets everyone know there's a large engine inside, mounted longitudinally and
driving the rear wheels as God and Henry Ford intended. The roofline suggests that
there's plenty of interior space, as do the four large doors, and considerable rear
overhang promises a large luggage bay.
But the Marquis, and its Ford Crown Victoria twin, aren't throwbacks in every
respect. Attention paid to aerodynamics--every drop of fuel counts in the big-car
class, and so does elimination of wind noise--has given them a pleasing, rounded shape
that can only be called elegant. Large wheel openings and understated side sculpturing
contributes to their lithe and slightly muscular profile.
Principal differences between Marquis and Crown Vic are confined to the cars'
front ends. Mercury gives its version a more formal appearance with an upright grille
and rectangular headlamps; the Vic is more contemporary; rounded lamp clusters and a
smaller grille see to that. Designers of both have incorporated enough bright trim to
please customers who equate chrome with class, and have done a good job of it.
Ford has expended considerable effort on improving quality, and these cars show
it. Paint and panel fit are excellent, as good or better than you'd expect for the
price. Harder to see are external differences between base--Crown Victoria and Grand
Marquis GS--and uplevel--LX and LS, respectively--models. The pricier versions ride on
aluminum wheels (versus steel rims with covers on the base cars) and have different
badges; other differences are found inside.
The Inside Story
Space, acres and acres of it, is the big plus for the Grand Marquis. There's
plenty of stretch-out room inside, no matter whether you're sitting in front or back.
Granted, the passenger in the center of the front bench seat has to share
accommodations with the transmission tunnel but even that position offers more comfort
than in some subcompact cars.
The instrument panel was redone two years ago, along with the rest of the cabin.
It carries the basic dials in traditional or optional electronic digital form, plus
controls for the standard air conditioning system and radio. All knobs are laid out
sensibly and are located for easy access.
Basic versions carry most of the power assists and convenience features customers
demand. Aside from air conditioning and the basic--but good--AM/FM radio, power windows
and mirrors are supplied with every Marquis and Crown Vic, along with nice details
such as heat ducts to the rear seat area, automatic on/off headlights, illuminated
window and door lock buttons, tilt steering wheel, grab handles for front and rear
passengers and a driver's footrest.
That doesn't mean that a host of upgrades aren't available. Upholstery (cloth) and
carpeting are improved in the step up from base to LS/LX, as is the driver's half of
the front seat, which gets power adjustments.
But the real attraction of LS and LX lies in the availability of some desireable
options (desireable in terms of both quantity and quality) not offered in the
less-expensive versions. Many are available on a stand-alone basis--leather seats,
remote keyless entry and two more versatile sound systems, for example--but most are
incorporated into option groups that bring together popular extras for less than the
total of their individual prices, a common practice that pays off for manufacturer and
consumer both.
Our Grand Marquis LS test car had almost all of them. One combined power door
locks with cruise control and illuminated entry; another had some desireable chassis
options, power adjustments for both sides of the front seat, electronic instruments
(which we could have done without), electronic temperature control for the air
conditioning system and remote keyless entry.
The emphasis is on luxury, and it pays off. Marquis and Crown Vic, properly
equipped, rival some much more expensive cars in the way they coddle their occupants.
That's a tradition worth sustaining.
Ride & Drive
Banish fears of piloting the 4-wheeled equivalent of a supertanker. Though the
Marquis is almost 18 in. longer than a Sable, light but reasonably precise steering
and the visibility provided by lots of glass make herding it through traffic a cinch.
It's a quiet car, too. The separate frame contributes to isolation from road noise
you just won't find in many other cars. Good sound insulation does the rest.
The Marquis rides softly, as befits a traditional passenger sedan. It's at its
best when the optional Handling and Performance Package--which includes heavy-duty
springs, shock absorbers and antiroll bars, a shorter rear axle ratio for faster
acceleration, rear air suspension and a dual exhaust system that raises the standard
4.8-liter V8's output by 20 hp--is installed.
This is essentially the same equipment that goes with the police package, and ride
quality deteriorates so little with this option that we'd recommend it to all buyers.
Performance is good. Brisk acceleration is combined with better than expected fuel
economy, and enough power is available to make passing and hill-climbing easy.
New for the 1996 Marquis and Crown Vic is a natural gas fuel option (NGV), the
first of its type in a passenger car built by a major manufacturer. Slight
modifications to the engine and special reinforced fuel tanks are required to
transform the Marquis into an ultra low-emission vehicle. NGV versions are built using
the reinforced frame and heavy-duty suspension from the police package.
Besides its low-emissions benefits, the clean-burning properties of natural gas
make it kind to engines, and performance is virtually the same as gasoline. The main
drawback is a somewhat shorter fuel range.
Final Word
Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria represent value. Whether rated by size or
content, they are worth every dollar Ford charges for them.
Yes, most people will find their needs met by smaller sedans or minivans. But for
fleet customers and individuals looking for maximum space in a solid, reliable 4-door
package, we think it's a good idea to check out the last of the big-time cruisers. |
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