Mercury Grand Marquis?

[debian0001]

Hey guys,

I currently drive a Dodge Neon, I have been holding onto this car but it's getting harder and harder to drive it.. it's just a not smooth ride. I've had it since 2003 and it's basically my first car. I got 130,000 miles on it.

So I'm looking for a new to me car....

Budget, under 14,000, looking for used, I got approved @ 3.4% but would prefer to get something less than 14,000.

The Mercury Grand Marquis looks like a good value and seem reliable.

I'm not too worried about gas, I live in Chicago and my job is literally 10 minutes away but sometimes I work in the burbs but very rarely.

I've driven one before and liked it although it does feel like an old mans car, I don't really care.. I drive a Neon right now!

The other car I was looking at is the Subaru Impreza 2008 to 2010ish.

This one interests me. Link

 

[thedarkwolf]

Very reliable cars but noway in hell I'd pay $13k for one. Crown Vics/Marquies values drop like rock so go older and way cheaper. Lots of old people own them as you pointed out so you can finder older low mileage cars for dirt cheap. Buy one of those instead.

 

[debian0001]

My loan only allows 2008 or older so I can't really get an older one , I could pay cash but I need my money as liquid as possible... i'll look around.

 

[jlee]

Go find a credit union. You should be able to go a fair amount older than 08.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I think a Suburu Impreza has a ride on the level of a Neon, doesn't it?

I'd probably be looking at a Camry.

 

[mvbighead]

Go find a credit union. You should be able to go a fair amount older than 08.

This this this.

Credit unions are your friend here. You might have to check one or two, but generally they can offer you a loan for older cars provided the price is relative to the age of the vehicle.

I had a bit of trouble a few years back buying a 2000 Jeep. One credit union said the dollar value I wanted was too high for the age of the vehicle(it was a 4wd vehicle in the midwest, the price was on par with what it should be). Another allowed me to refinance my existing car through them and add the value of the new car on it, with a much lower interest rate.

If it were me, I would go to the place that has what you want, and see what they suggest as far as financing goes. Don't accept what they offer until you've checked around. But the place I got my Jeep said he had a lot of luck with the place I got my loan through, and thus I went there and gave them a try and they helped me out.

 

[LTC8K6]

The 07 on the windshield would seem to eliminate that Grand Marquis from your 2008 or newer requirement.

I assume you meant 2008 and newer and not older...

 

[Throckmorton]

Why not buy a fun car, especially if you live 10 minutes away from your job... Get a manual transmission RWD car. For under $10k you can get an E46 BMW or a freaking Porsche Boxster. Why would you want a Mercury Grand Whatever?

 

[franksta]

I think the '03 and '04 is the best year for these. They got suspension upgrades in '03 as well as rack and pinion steering. In '05 they switched to throttle by wire which I don't care for.

I've got an '04 with 2.73 gears and get around 18MPG in town and as high as 29 on the highway. Even though you're not too worried about fuel economy, it isn't as bad as you might be lead to believe.

We've got 4 vehicles and this is by far my favorite.

 

[Ketchup]

I love the Grand Marquis. One of the best riding cars, and V-8 power to boot! Just like its brother, the Crown Vic, which is still the preferred ride of much of the law-enforcement community. Get one at a low price. If you can get a Neon to last 170k, this one should last you plenty of years to come.

 

[A5]

I love the Grand Marquis. One of the best riding cars, and V-8 power to boot! Just like its brother, the Crown Vic, which is still the preferred ride of much of the law-enforcement community. Get one at a low price. If you can get a Neon to last 170k, this one should last you plenty of years to come.

235/275 hp/ft-lbs in a 4100 pound car? No thanks.

 

[nerp]

Been thinking what it would be like to buy an old crown vic as a beater. I figure there is ample supply of parts considering how many fleets have relied on it for what seems like forever.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Why not buy a fun car, especially if you live 10 minutes away from your job... Get a manual transmission RWD car. For under $10k you can get an E46 BMW or a freaking Porsche Boxster. Why would you want a Mercury Grand Whatever?

Because he doesn't want it to cost him $2,500 every time he takes the car in for a repair, that's why.

Sheesh.

When people are on a budget, recommending an older German car is just plain stupid. The OP is looking for inexpensive transportation, not a money pit.

To the OP: Aside from the cost of gasoline because of mediocre mileage in town (in commuting you might see 18-20 mpg, but on long freeway trips these cars can pull up to 28 mpg because of the tall gearing), a Grand Marquis / Crown Victoria is pretty much the largest amount of car for the least amount of money on the market today. The trunk is huge, there's plenty of room inside for people, and the things are so low-tech and simple that they're cheap to keep running. To my mind, those cars are among the best bargains in cheap transportation available today. You take a hit on mileage, but you never have to apologize for someone having to use the back seat and they are some of the best freeway cruisers ever built; the things just soak up miles on long trips.

ZV

 

[phucheneh]

But but German cars don't break!

On the downside, the Vic/Marquis is like a prehistoric remnant of the 80's, design-wise.

On the upside, the Vic/Marquis is like a prehistoric remnant of the 80's, design-wise.

Easy to work on, simple, doesn't break. If cops were still using them in their fleets, they'd probably be paying less to fix them (even the old ones) than they do shitheap Impalas.

The only parts I can think of that go wrong are the little minor retrofits, like auto climate control or other electronics. And that's not common.

The only real negative I can think of: shit gas mileage despite the V8 being too anemic to even spin a tire, and one of the worst stereos in the industry.

 

[1nf1d3l]

The parents have a, I think, '95 Grand Marquis, so much older, but since they've had just about the same equipment since they first started them in the last '80s, somewhat relevant.

Pros:

The ride is nice. While the suspension will wear out eventually (like all cars), while it lasts, the ride is smooth.

You can haul everything. Seriously, that trunk can fit like 8 people (so I've heard...).
Electronic everything. In the '95, it even has an electronic dash.

Will run forever. As long as you do regular maintenance, the Panther platform will last a really long time. The '95 is at 300k+ and the only thing replaced was the water pump.

Cheap parts. In the event that a replacement is needed, those cars are everywhere.

Cons:

So.Huge. Driving that car is like driving a boat. You don't steer it, you guide it and hope it doesn't decide to kill anyone. It weighs 2 tons and will feel like it.

Slightly anemic engine. At sub-300hp and torque, it doesn't move extremely fast. It rolls really well, but getting it to rolling speed takes a while.

 

[phucheneh]

I think the engine is fine for cruising; it just just kind of lumbers out of the gate. You can accelerate plenty quick enough to pull out into traffic, but it's doesn't feel anything like your typical V8 car. Heck, pretty much any modern V6 RWD car is more likely to throw the back end out.

 

[Zenmervolt]

the V8 being too anemic to even spin a tire

Driven dozens of rental Grand Marquis and they absolutely will break the back end loose if you want them too (as long as you switch off the traction control). Not with a full load of 6 people and luggage, but with just one or two people in the car, you betcha. Of course, it's just got an open differential so there's no much point to doing that.

You're right that they're not exactly what one might call "fast" by any stretch, but I'm not sure I'd call them "anemic." I'd reserve "anemic" for cars that don't feel like they can get up to freeway speed safely. A Grand Marquis should run a 0-60 time in the high 8-second range. Certainly not going to light your hair on fire, but it's not god-awful. The biggest culprit is the gearing, not the engine. The transmission and final drive on the Marquis are set up so tall that even with only a 4-speed you're still only turning about 1,550 RPM at 70 mph on the freeway.

ZV

 

[MovingTarget]

Good, solid, comfortable, reliable car. I can even attest to the safety of one as mine was totaled a few years back. I miss it.

 

[LTC8K6]

Driven dozens of rental Grand Marquis and they absolutely will break the back end loose if you want them too (as long as you switch off the traction control). Not with a full load of 6 people and luggage, but with just one or two people in the car, you betcha. Of course, it's just got an open differential so there's no much point to doing that.

You're right that they're not exactly what one might call "fast" by any stretch, but I'm not sure I'd call them "anemic." I'd reserve "anemic" for cars that don't feel like they can get up to freeway speed safely. A Grand Marquis should run a 0-60 time in the high 8-second range. Certainly not going to light your hair on fire, but it's not god-awful. The biggest culprit is the gearing, not the engine. The transmission and final drive on the Marquis are set up so tall that even with only a 4-speed you're still only turning about 1,550 RPM at 70 mph on the freeway.

ZV

Give it a little more credit, it's in the high 7 second range...

 

[Throckmorton]

Because he doesn't want it to cost him $2,500 every time he takes the car in for a repair, that's why.

Sheesh.

When people are on a budget, recommending an older German car is just plain stupid. The OP is looking for inexpensive transportation, not a money pit.

To the OP: Aside from the cost of gasoline because of mediocre mileage in town (in commuting you might see 18-20 mpg, but on long freeway trips these cars can pull up to 28 mpg because of the tall gearing), a Grand Marquis / Crown Victoria is pretty much the largest amount of car for the least amount of money on the market today. The trunk is huge, there's plenty of room inside for people, and the things are so low-tech and simple that they're cheap to keep running. To my mind, those cars are among the best bargains in cheap transportation available today. You take a hit on mileage, but you never have to apologize for someone having to use the back seat and they are some of the best freeway cruisers ever built; the things just soak up miles on long trips.

ZV

He can save so much money buying an early 2000s E46 that he can easily cover any repairs. And he'll have not only a more fun AND efficient car, but one that's safer. $2500 repairs are nothing compared to typical hospital costs

 

[Eos]

We were looking at this and the Crown Vic a couple years back. She thought it was ugly. Ended up with another Avalon instead.

 

[halik]

One of the worst car I've ever driven - steering wheel essentially detached from the rack, you just throw it to port or starboard and it changes direction while listing profusely. Seats supplied from 80s lazy boy surplus. Suspension composed of a water bed that resides between the axles and chassis; curved highway onramps with any sort of imperfections result in lateral jumps (especially the rear end) to the tangent, not sure if that's sidewall flex or just lack of rebound from the water bed. Fisher price material interior.

There's a reason why that car attracts people born during industrial revolution.

 

[Throckmorton]

One of the worst car I've ever driven - steering wheel essentially detached from the rack, you just throw it to port or starboard and it changes direction while listing profusely. Seats supplied from 80s lazy boy surplus. Suspension composed of a water bed that resides between the axles and chassis; curved highway onramps with any sort of imperfections result in lateral jumps (especially the rear end) to the tangent, not sure if that's sidewall flex or just lack of rebound from the water bed. Fisher price material interior.

There's a reason why that car attracts people born during industrial revolution.

The lateral jumps are because it has a live axle in the back. I don't understand how people can say these cars have a good ride. My dad had a Crown Victoria and it felt just like a truck.

 

[phucheneh]

Driven dozens of rental Grand Marquis and they absolutely will break the back end loose if you want them too (as long as you switch off the traction control). Not with a full load of 6 people and luggage, but with just one or two people in the car, you betcha. Of course, it's just got an open differential so there's no much point to doing that.

You're right that they're not exactly what one might call "fast" by any stretch, but I'm not sure I'd call them "anemic." I'd reserve "anemic" for cars that don't feel like they can get up to freeway speed safely. A Grand Marquis should run a 0-60 time in the high 8-second range. Certainly not going to light your hair on fire, but it's not god-awful. The biggest culprit is the gearing, not the engine. The transmission and final drive on the Marquis are set up so tall that even with only a 4-speed you're still only turning about 1,550 RPM at 70 mph on the freeway.

ZV

When I turned in my notice at Hertz, I basically spent the last week...well, doing things other than work. I don't feel bad for it; there were three mechanics there and I did 75% of the work. Also that company is a fucking shithole. Anyhow...

I couldn't get a Marquis to spin a tire. On a hill, even. I didn't try parking it up against a cement wall, but I'm not sure that would've worked, either.

Perhaps there was some type of passive (wrong word, maybe) traction control stepping in. It definitely wasn't braking the wheels, but maybe it had some 'old person' PCM programming that just said 'dammit, grandpa, NO' and limited the engine output.

I mean, it IS a 4000lb car with a, what, 220HP V8? I'm pulling those numbers out of the air but I think they're close.

I basically just mean 'anemic for a modern V8.' It was funny to me that the engine was the only modern part of the car (well, that and electrical...but things like chassis, interior, notsomuch), but it still felt stuck in the 80's. I've tuned up old stock 305's that seemed to get up and go a little better.

It probably just had to do with programming and the lack of a throttle cable. Not to stereotype (I think they're okay cars and I can kinda respect the 'end of an era'), but I bet the throttle mapping and engine tune in general is geared towards older drivers.

 

[phucheneh]

The lateral jumps are because it has a live axle in the back. I don't understand how people can say these cars have a good ride. My dad had a Crown Victoria and it felt just like a truck.

I think you're being a bit over-dramatic there. It doesn't ride like a truck. Hell, even an (actual) 80's full frame car doesn't ride like any truck I've ever been in.

The FoMoCo Grand Victoria Car (seewhatIdidthere?) has a very cushy ride. Even when they're worn out, it just gets floatier because of the worn out dampers. Maybe you rode in one with a busted air suspension. Or an older model retired police car (read: beat to shit).