If you want a real American six-passenger sedan that has rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame construction, lots of luxury
amenities, and a reasonable price, you are shopping in a very narrow segment. Chrysler Corporation gave up on
rear-wheel-drive passenger cars years ago, and 1996 was the last year in which General Motors made any large sedans with
rear-wheel drive (the Cadillac Brougham and the Chevrolet Caprice were canceled after that). That leaves the Ford Crown
Victoria for the police forces, daily rental and taxicab companies, and the Mercury Grand Marquis for the rest of us.
The Grand Marquis has posted strong sales gains over the past few years. Mercury officials credit changing American demographics - more older couples who have children or parents living with them, for instance - and the car's solid value, an important factor for those on fixed incomes. Only four years ago, the Grand Marquis had less than 15 percent of the large-car market, now it's closer to 27 percent. Owner loyalty, which speaks volumes, is more than 42 percent, the highest in this part of the market. Grand Marquis competes against Oldsmobile Delta 88, Pontiac Bonneville and Buick LeSabre as well as Chrysler Concorde and Toyota Avalon.
The so-called Panther platform on which the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis are built, along with the
Lincoln Town Car, has been around since 1990. After seven years on cruise control, Ford Motor Company has given the Panther
cars a substantial number of upgrades for the 1998 model year.
The Grand Marquis has been restyled with a more vertical grille treatment, a different grille texture, jeweled headlamp
treatments and new taillamps. It will share showrooms with the Lincoln Navigator, Town Car and Continental.
Underneath the car is a completely new frame that allowed the Grand Marquis to earn a five-star rating for crash
standards front and rear. While the center of the frame is quite similar to the old car's, the front and rear extensions
have been upgraded and strengthened, and the front and rear suspensions have been improved for a smoother, more
vibration-free ride. The traditional recirculating ball steering system has been upgraded with premium bearings and
materials to improve steering feel and response; a power steering fluid cooler has been made standard.
The Grand Marquis is still a big car, with a base curb weight over 3900 pounds, a 114-inch wheelbase and an overall
length of 212 inches. So no matter how good the steering and the tires and suspension are, it still takes some skill and
effort to negotiate a supermarket parking lot.
The 1998 package includes upgrades to suspension, steering, tires and wheels, brakes, battery, security, interior, powertrain, and styling, in short, just about every area of the car.
The list of standard equipment on a Grand Marquis rivals that of its sibling, the Lincoln Town Car. There are still two
flavors, the GS and the LS. Dual-exhaust is restricted to the LS version, which also comes with more standard equipment:
floor mats, cruise control, power door locks, illuminated keyless entry system, chrome wheel covers, a light group, and a
bodyside tape stripe.
Ford's old Preferred Equipment Packages, or PEPs, are gone, replaced with three simplified option groups: premium,
ultimate, and performance. The $1000 premium package adds alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, electronic
climate control, a power passenger seat and an auto-dimming mirror with compass. To that, the $2400 ultimate package adds:
anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic instrumentation, and a premium sound system. The $855 handling package,
which we recommend, includes a completely retuned suspension with rear air shocks, a big rear stabilizer bar, a 3.27:1
