Special Note: Looking for Tom and Ray's test-drive notes for the Mercury Gran Marquis? So were we...until Tom and Ray told us that the Mercury Gran Marquis is the same car as the Ford Crown Victoria--only sold under a different name. There may be some minor cosmetic differences between the cars, but otherwise they're identical in all respects.
This is still the classic large American rear-wheel-drive car. This is the car cops and snowbirds in Arizona prefer 3 to 1 over the BMW Z-3
This car is big. It has a wonderful engine--the 4.6-liter V8 engine has more than enough power. It's whisper quiet. It's comfortable. It's smooth on the highway. And it might surprise you to discover that it's quite fuel efficient. In fact, the Crown Vic gets almost the same mileage as the Taurus. Not only that, but it can seat more people (up to six comfortably--each of whom can have a pretty wide butt, as we found out when we took my brothers-in-law along for a ride).
The 1998 Ford Crown Victoria that our esteemed Bugsy Lawlor dropped off for us to test included the "Special Handling Package," which consists primarily of stiffer shock absorbers. What effect does this have on the handling? Well, first you have to appreciate that the run-of-the-mill Crown Vic handles somewhat akin to the QE II--lots of "lean" in those turns. The handling package turned the Crown Vic into something more like a Coast Guard cutter. With the handling package, it is by no means a sports car, but it doesn't slosh all over the road either. It's got a soft feel, but it is acceptable.
The motto of the Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis brand manager? "Don't overexcite." The Crown Vic continues to be anything but stylish. That's not to say it's ugly...just that it's not particularly eye catching. It's bland. And who knows--that might be just what Ford wants from this design. Why? Because many prospective Crown Vic customers might have been advised by their doctors not to get too excited.
We didn't like the Crown Vic dashboard. It's flat instead of curved, which makes the radio and heater controls very hard to reach. You can do it--but you sprain your back in the process.
A wrap-around "pod" design for the console would have been much better--although, admittedly, it would limit one's ability to open the driver's door, toss the walker onto the passenger seat and slide in.
Another design flaw? The cup holder. It was right in front of the heater controls. Want to change the heater controls when you've got coffee in there? We imagine they want you to hold the cup between your teeth.
Ford has been making the Crown Vic for so long that they've really refined it. It's hard to imagine it getting much better--for what it is. They've taken this particular car design--the large, relatively inexpensive, rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame, six-passenger cruiser--about as far as it can go. This car is just what a lot of Americans want. And it's only around $21,000.
Finally, don't forget that this car is still rear-wheel drive. It's not designed for the Snowbelt--it's designed for the white belt: the white leather belt...with the polyester pants and the white leather loafers.
View cars.com model report on this vehicle.
