1992 Mercury Grand Marquis LX with cloth interior. 4.6 liter V8 from North America

Summary:

What you would expect from a large car

Faults:

Rear windows were not working when I got the car, never bothered to fix them. AC has gone out, passenger side front window out, right front minor damage (not my fault), drivers door mirror is now misaligned due to my wife banging a fence post in reverse. There is an oil leak, I need an alignment, tires, have replaced the front brake pads twice in the last year. The radio is out, accessory power plug does not work, ash tray fell out and finally the y pipe has rusted through (although this does give a slightly more aggressive exhaust note.

General Comments:

Over all it has been what you expect from a large rear wheel drive American sedan, it is fairly comfortable, although as I get older (mid 30's) I find that my back is not well supported. I like the cloth interior better than the leather, you have an easier time staying put, and in Florida no AC and leather would kill me. I am resisting putting large amounts of money in the car to freshen it up, as I an trying to find another car. All in all for about a thousand dollars in parts and labor the car would be will updated. On the highway before the front end went out of alignment the car would just cruise effortlessly with fairly good acceleration from the 50 to 70 range. It does wallow in curves and most likely would not even pull.70 g's in a skid pad, but is very pleasant long range transportation.

If I could make it better, 190 horsepower is somewhat low for this car, the shift program is also not really designed for spirited driving. If you hammer it, it does still get up and go, but it has to work really hard to do so. I am also disappointed with the brakes, I am forever putting new pads on the front. I may have to purchase new rotors and see if that makes a difference. All in all I paid $2,000 for it and could probably sell it for around $750.00 now. Cost of ownership for 2 years has been low. If you are looking for a large sized used car look no further. If you check the car out well you can find a great deal for around $1,000. What beats that anymore?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th August, 2005

1992 Mercury Grand Marquis GS from North America

Summary:

The best car I've owned even though it's OLD-it's better than new cars!

Faults:

The only problems I've had are the driver door window control panel is loose and I can't get it to stay back in it's place.

The plastic 'trim' piece on the end of the driver's door 'grab handle' pops out of it's hole every time I close the door.

Another thing that isn't really a 'problem' (yet?) is that the engine seems like it's confused about which gear to be in when driving around 35-40mph, but I've noticed this in other cars too and even with a manual transmission, it's too high for 3rd gear and too low for 4th, so I don't think it's that big of a deal.

General Comments:

I bought this car when it was 11 years old after selling my 99 Intrepid to get rid of a car payment.

I only paid $2300 for this car and even though I wish I had a newer car, I really can't complain about anything on this car!

I love how comfortable the seats are and surprisingly, this car has a LOT more neat gadgets on it and a lot of the same ones (that are standard) that my Intrepid had! Such as: power driver seat, auto locking doors, air bags, trunk release, etc.

I love how huge the trunk is and how much interior space it has.

The air conditioner is the coldest I've had in ANY car I've ever owned and this is the OLDEST car I've ever had! Go figure! I've always wanted a car that didn't lose power when using the air conditioner and this car's V8 definitely doesn't know when the AC is on!

My car came with a Valet auto-starter and it also works the locks. I don't know how I've ever lived without one of these things! I can literally start my car just by standing by my front door and aiming in the general direction of my car and it's nice and toasty when I'm ready to leave. You can even do it from inside a restaraunt too!

The car definitely is quiet inside while driving and has a great smooth ride compared to newer cars.

I also love the fact that it isn't all plastic and there is a lot of metal in front and behind me, so I definitely feel safer with my daughter in this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th March, 2005

3rd Mar 2006, 12:59

And, to keep from pulling the assist strap out of the door, you can use the metal handle underneath the shelf on the door. Works better without any wear whatsoever. So, your interior will stay great looking.