1989 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park Wagon review from North America

Two alternators replaced during the ownership of the car. One was probably due to a poorly-executed jump start.

The spare tire became loose and bounced around in its compartment, which severely damaged the stereo electronics... why did they put them there, anyway?

The body started to rust after many miles of hard driving and nasty New England winters.

This was my first car, and not many cars can receive a torture test more thorough than a 17 year old adrenaline junkie. This car has been driven through snow banks, been driven to almost 40mph in first gear, raced to speeds in excess of (please don't tell my mom) 120mph, bottomed out after getting all four tires off the ground, driven on two wheels, and driven in a hurricane. Not all at once, of course.

This car is a beast. It's huge, boxy, and sturdy-looking. It has a powerful engine, geared low, with rear-wheel drive. The throttle is extremely sensitive, and takes some getting used to before you can keep from giving everyone whiplash when the light turns green. I love the power and sound of the V8. It sucks gas, but no worse than most SUVs. It's heavy, and it doesn't like to turn... ever. However, it's so heavy that it is supremely stable in a turn, even in a skid, and you *can't* flip it over. Because it's a rear wheel drive station wagon, it has a tendency to fishtail in wet weather. If you're driving very fast, it tends to oversteer slightly in a tight corner on dry pavement.

It's a tough ride in the snow, but the weight helps dig in if you have good snow tires. I live on a steep hill and I always made it up in the winter, although sometimes it was an adventure!

The seats are like Lay-Z-Boys, utilizing a fully powered 50/50 bench configuration, and the AC is ice cold.

The instrument cluster is not very informative. The speedometer only goes up to 85 (not even close to the real top speed) and there are no gauges for temperature, oil pressure, or amperage... only warning lights.

This car has almost inexhaustible cargo space, and you can fit 7 people in it comfortably if you use the fold-up seats in the extreme rear of the vehicle.