16th Sep 2014, 17:34
Super review. I couldn't agree more about the superiority of cloth or velour seats over leather. One of the saddest things about the decline of the automobile over the last couple of decades (besides the loss of push-rods, cast-iron, full-frames, and rear-wheel drive) is the move towards leather seats. Horrible, uncomfortable, sticky-sweaty things.
16th Sep 2014, 20:58
My family drove Lincoln Town Cars from 1984 until 2009. These are basically identical to the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. Absolutely nothing can compare with the quality, ride and reliability of these cars. I despise front wheel drive and flatly refuse to buy one. Even the fuel mileage on our last Town Car was not all that bad. It's sad to see such fine cars gone. Hard to park and maneuver, yes, but unmatched in luxury.
17th Sep 2014, 17:42
One point you make that I can't agree with - "With a good set of snow tires, a Grand Marquis can get around nearly as good as a 4 wheel drive pickup or SUV."
It appears you don't have a lot of personal experience driving a 4WD or AWD vehicle if you believe the Grand Marquis can be "nearly as good" in the snow, even with a good set of snow tires.
18th Sep 2014, 22:46
...or you have no experience driving a Grand Marquis with a good set of snow tires.
19th Sep 2014, 12:40
Sorry, not true at all - been there, done that, & they absolutely cannot compete with an AWD or 4WD vehicle here in New England.
19th Sep 2014, 17:39
I acknowledge that they are fine cars, and I too am sorry they stopped making them.
They are the only vehicle my father-in-law will drive. In fact when they announced that they were stopping production, he went out and traded his immaculate one that was a few years old, for a brand new one. I can't imagine what he will drive if/when this one wears out. But I have driven many over many years, and here in New England they cannot compare to AWD to 4WD vehicles when the snow flies.
19th Sep 2014, 21:17
I used to use heavy rear wheel drive cars from the 70s and 80s, with full studded snow tires and a large air-conditioner base in the trunk. There was definitely no need for front-wheel or all-wheel drive except in an extreme blizzard - the kind that happened maybe once per decade in Missouri.
20th Sep 2014, 14:52
Yes, and people tried that here by putting sand bags or concrete blocks in their trunks too; still nowhere near as safe or practical as 4WD or AWD, plus you are taxing your rear suspension. Many of those large heavy RWD cars from the 70s & 80s were equipped with leaf springs, and as they aged, their rear-ends would sag.
Again, not the best way to deal with the extreme winters we experience here in the Northeast.
23rd Sep 2014, 19:04
Yeah, an 'air conditioner base' is the large square piece of concrete - a sort of concrete pad - on which the outdoor unit of house air-conditioner systems is placed. They make a great super-heavy weight to put in the old full-sized GM car trunks: being flat and only about three inches thick, they still leave a large amount of room in the trunk, while making the car nearly unstoppable in the snow with studded tires.
29th Sep 2014, 17:58
Another Panther fan, hellz yeah. It's funny how you say these cars are MADE for the gangsta lean (I agree), but were most were piloted by cops their whole lives doing 'anything but'.
1st Oct 2014, 01:11
Sorry, when you live up north you learn how to drive in bad weather, and get used to it. I live in Eastern South Dakota.
I have a 1986 Chevy Caprice for my winter beater. 305 V8, no posi-traction, 3.08 rear gears.
I put about 300 pounds of cement in the trunk, and that combined with good snow tires makes a world of difference compared to regular tires.
I have only had a problem if the roads are solid ice or drifted shut with snow, and that is when nobody is able to get around. People who criticize rear wheel drive cars are usually the ones who don't know how to drive in bad winter weather to begin with.
1st Oct 2014, 15:31
Totally agree with the review. Although I'm from Australia and we never had these cars for sale (Ford here sells a RWD called the Falcon with a V8 or I6, and they announced it will cease production from 2016).
I myself drive a Holden, which is a General Motors' subsidiary here, and this particular model is RWD with a 3800 Buick V6. It's super reliable, the engine has heaps of torque, and it's like driving around on your living room couch; it's that comfortable.
Since it's a 1994 model, I've been wondering what in the world I can buy next, as these cars are all being phased out in favour of cheap (or even not so cheap for us here) shoddy European or Asian cars. I will miss the old great American made cars for sure....
2nd Oct 2014, 15:14
Wow! I grew up driving in the Northeast in rear-wheel-drive cars, and I've been driving for over 42 years. I've got to say, no matter how much you folks want to convince yourselves - there is no way on God's Green Earth that a rear-wheel-drive vehicle (I don't care if you put Trump Tower in the trunk) can handle the snow as well as an AWD or RWD vehicle. Go ahead and splurge on an AWD vehicle - then you'll see the difference.
3rd Oct 2014, 00:47
Yes, it is a sad time in automotive history for sure (and we thought the early 80s were bad). I think that truly large, traditional mid-priced luxury cars are probably gone for good. You will most likely always have the Rolls or flagship Mercedes for the super rich, but cars like the Cadillac DeVille, Lincoln Town Car, or Buick Park Avenue have sadly died with their demographic. Cadillac may still come up with a real flagship, (they can't get rid of the XTS soon enough), but it will probably cost 60-70K and just won't sell in large quantities for that very reason.
There seems to still be a lot of people around that appreciate this type of car; I guess sadly they just weren't buying them new in numbers that could sustain their manufacture any longer. Nonetheless it is very depressing when you look around at the products we have to choose from automotively speaking today. Makes you wonder how Detroit is selling the number of cars they are. I guess there are a lot of people that have tastes WAY different from mine! Of course in today's market, if it is cheap and economical, that is all that matters to a good percentage of the population. Personally I want a lot more from a car and really don't care all that much about how many miles to the gallon I can get. Give me a car with substance, comfort, and style over that any day.
3rd Oct 2014, 12:26
"Go ahead and splurge on an AWD vehicle - then you'll see the difference."
Been there, done that. My wife high centered her Subaru on a unplowed, snow covered road one morning less than a mile from our house.
I picked her up in my Chevy Caprice with snow tires, and drove us both to work. I will admit it was white knuckle driving, but my car made it, hers didn't.
I'll stick to 4WD full size pickup trucks when I want 4WD, they are in general far more reliable and far more versatile than AWD cars.
The long term maintenance costs of AWD cars are astronomical compared to regular cars.
16th Sep 2014, 03:26
Actually there is another 12 volt power plug underneath the ashtray and cup holders. It's practically on the floor, just below the center stack, tucked way back. You almost have to feel for it with your hands.