9th Jun 2012, 14:39
Nobody wants a silly old, boring, useful car anymore. They want a car with "soul", "character", something that'll shatter their backs, snaps their spines at every stop light, break a sensor or tow on occasion, look unique for about 2 weeks, and that'll wrap itself around a tree.
Jokes aside, this is a very well written and interesting review. My mother owns a Ford 500, which many have considered "boring" and "underpowered". I think it's a pretty decent car; just fuel hungry.
As for your gas pedal issue; you may want to try out a wider top for it.
10th Jun 2012, 09:06
Oops! I thought I gave it a 7 out of 10 for comfort. I meant to anyway. I didn't give it a 10 because of the gas pedal issue. I mentioned that in my review.
10th Jun 2012, 09:24
To the first commentor:
I agree with you that most of the automotive journals are aimed at readers with sporting intentions. Honestly, if I were rich and could own many cars, I'd have a few sport and muscle cars as well as big luxury cars. However, there are also a handful of magazines and numerous websites (I should have mentioned this in my review, but your comment made me think of it) that seem to be aimed at all of us, which all knock the Grand Marquis. Among the things they knock it for are its body on frame setup, soft suspension and front bench. To me, and I'm interested in any input anyone would like to give, proven features in a car should be a GOOD thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But the general consensus seems that if it wasn't designed 5 minutes ago, it's bad. Or ancient, or ridiculous. I know the car is dated, and I'm not saying progress is bad - it's not. Not by any stretch. What I am saying is the so called experts writing these reviews do not live with the cars for any length of time. I take actual owner-based reviews more seriously than anything else.
What's funny is that the Toyota Camry, in my opinion, is about as boring as you can get, but don't tell Consumer Reports.
Funnier still was one expert review I read on it once that called it "a Japanese built Buick", while bashing the Buick brand in the same magazine.
Thank you for commenting!
10th Jun 2012, 13:45
Actually, Ford still builds the Taurus, which is a well-sized car.
Though, the design looks a bit impractical and the 4WD is a bit unnecessary; in fact I never understood this 4WD craze.
10th Jun 2012, 18:27
14:39 I know you were kidding, but most modern cars are characterless appliances. All of the romance of the automobile seems to be gone, and it is now just a tool to get from point A to point B. I guess that's all they ever really were, but to me there is just something special about the cars from the 50's to the 70's (even the 80's and 90's compared with today). They were just big and stylish, and who cared if they were a little wasteful or not the most functional; they were appealing, and it felt good to drive one, and you were proud to park it in your driveway. It's great that modern cars require less maintenance, and are safe, and so on and so on, but can't they do all that and be more inspiring than a toaster or refrigerator??
11th Jun 2012, 10:47
I would disagree about today's cars being "boring". I think what's happened, is that a lot of people seem to have forgotten that it wasn't that long ago, when if a car made it to 100,000 miles, it was considered a miracle. Today's cars have pushed that level to more like 200,000+ miles. Also - think back to the days when a radio, AC, power steering, power windows, automatic transmissions, and so on were ALL accessories and add-ons. Even the cheapest econo-cars today have more standard equipment and luxury accessories than the top-of-the-line luxury models of 10-15 years ago.
So if what we get in the end is a comfortable, economical, well-appointed car that does its job reliably, safely, and comfortably for a long period of time, then I'm not sure what's boring about that.
Lastly - the Grand Marquis is no longer made. Thus not sure why it's relevant to compare to today's still-manufactured cars.
12th Jun 2012, 12:14
It's relevant, because many of us who read these reviews are in the market for a used car.
12th Jun 2012, 15:46
I know I am referring mainly to the styling of modern cars when I say "boring." In my opinion, modern cars are very dull and not very attractive. Wheelbases and overall height keep getting bigger, while overhangs get shorter. This makes for a stout, unproportioned look in my opinion.
Before you rebut this statement, I think the Grand Marquis was pretty dull too in many respects, including exterior styling.
Also, as far as comfort, suspensions are much stiffer in general than cars of the past, and take bumps a lot more harshly. Interior room is also smaller in most newer cars.
As I said in an earlier post, I think it is great modern cars are more reliable, safer, and made with higher quality materials. I just wish they could do all of this with more inspiration than a toaster or refrigerator, because the above mentioned things alone don't make for a desirable car.
As I stated, these are all my own opinions, and frankly I don't care what yours are. We were just lamenting the fact that we can't buy cars new that appeal to traditional American car fans. I am not sure why you felt you needed to put in your two cents.
12th Jun 2012, 16:58
200,000 plus miles was very common on older vehicles from the 70's and 80's. Many fullsize domestics from that era are still on the road today, exceeding mileage like that.
Also radio, A/C, power steering, power windows, automatic transmissions, and more were standard equipment in flagship cars such as a Buick Electra, Lincoln Town Car, or Cadillac Fleetwood.
I can't think of any econo-box from today having more equipment than any of those cars mentioned.
You also love to keep mentioning that the panther body cars are discontinued. SO WHAT! As long as they remain on the road where they belong, they can be compared to any other vehicle that moves.
12th Jun 2012, 20:50
At 18:27: What is it that would make a car "inspiring"?
My joke was mostly aimed at people that consider practical cars in general to be boring, even though the sole intent of the automobile was transportation at ones leisure.
To the Marquis owner: If you want a car enthusiasts site that tends to push the Marqius, check out TheTruthAboutCars, they praise Panthers a bit over there.
Personally I don't care how boring a car is, I'm used to cheap "exciting" cars that could've killed me or my family members; give me a Camry or a Crown Vic any day.
As far as updating constantly, yes it is silly that 5-speed automatics and moderate HP amounts are suddenly dated. 20 years back you were lucky to have a 4-speed auto! Now, everyone wants 9-speed autos and 215hp with AWD.
9th Jun 2012, 13:23
I agree with your review 100%, and you hit the nail on the head as regards the power output of modern cars. It is just the latest stupid trend in HP ratings, and yet use all available power, even if it's only 100 BHP or less, and all you will get is speeding tickets.
Who would want an SUV; only someone in farming or horse racing who actually needs the better towing capacity of such vehicles, or if that's not the case, then someone who lives in a swamp.
The big Fords that are now no longer made, are missed by a lot of people just for what they are. Sensible, ordinary folk, unlike the in your face Audi and BMW owners.