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Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

3292 messages,  Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 8:46 AM

You are in the Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Exterior, Sedan

Messages Page 77 of 330

#755 of 3292 by rea98d

Feb 25, 2001 (5:13 pm)

Well, if both cars are going 40 mph, and (I'll round down the weight of the Volvo to make the math easier. It makes it sound worse for the Volvo than it reallly would be), the Crown Victoria was 4,000#, and the Volvo 2000#, the Crown Victpria would decelerate from 40 mph to 20 mph at impact, while the Volvo would go from 40 to -20 (backwards at 20 mph). It would be the equivalent of the Ford hitting a brick wall at 20 mph, and the Volvo doint the same at 60 mph. *However*, in the real world, since the volvo weighs more than half what the Ford does, and since the front ends of both cars would absorb a lot of the force, both number will be much lower, but the Volvo will still get the worst end of the deal. Seat belts and dual front airbags are the only safety features to cushin the driver in either car. The rest of the stuff the Volvo has over the Ford will only help in side (all the other airbags) or rear (anti-whiplash seats) impacts. The panels conclusion, In frontal impacts the Ford has the advantage, while in side and rear impacts, Volvo is the winner. I guess some investigation is in order to find out which kind of accident is more common, before we can tell which car is safer, but no one will accuse either car of being a deathtrap.

#756 of 3292 "Creaking noises" by rkpate

Feb 25, 2001 (6:28 pm)

To JET55 and YUNSE193 - I have had 3 CV's, a 94, 96 and 99. EVERYONE one of them developed what can only be described as a "creaking" noise when making a turn or going over road bumps. Most annoying! All were company cars and turned in at 75K-85K miles, except the 99 which I bought because I left the company and with 55K miles on it the 99 was a good deal for $10K from the lease company. I needed a car so... Anyway, I went nuts going back and forth to dealers and whoever, and NOBODY admits or has an answer for the problem! Since 94 no less! I am shopping for a new car now, one thing for sure, no more CV's.

#757 of 3292 by rea98d

Feb 25, 2001 (7:25 pm)

This is a common problem in Thunderbirds of that vintage as well. The ruber bushings in your upper control arms are shot. (If you're not technical minded, it's the u-shaped piece of metal behind the tire that runs from the body to the brake assembly). Should be about $20 in parts.

#758 of 3292 Safety, CV vs Volvo by johnbono

Feb 25, 2001 (8:34 pm)

Well, first of all, both cars have a good reputation for safety. The extra airbags and whiplash protection in the volvo make up for its lack of size. That being said, however, another thing that needs to be thought about is relative insurance costs. The one BIG advantage a CV has over virtually every other car on the road is how cheap it is to repair, both mechanically and in bodywork. Because the Crown Vic is body on frame, most of the difficulties of repairing bodywork typical for today's cars doesn't apply to the CV(or the Grand Marquis, or Lincoln Town Car) Another big plus for the CV is that while size and weightwise it is in the same class as an SUV, it has the high-speed handling characteristics of a sedan, and not an SUV, meaning that to roll a Crown Vic, you really need to work at it. As far as handling vs. a Volvo goes, give a CV a decent pair of shocks, and you might be surprised at how well it does handle. The '98 up CVs handle surprisingly well given their size.

#759 of 3292 Thanks REA98D and JOHNBONO by stevem327

Feb 26, 2001 (5:38 am)

Thanks for your input. I sort of thought the CV was safer than the S40. I even had someone in the S40 forum tell me the same thing. If I could afford a larger Volvo like the S60, it might be better (the S60 is about 3,400 pounds).
 
Oh, and ditto on the repair costs. The CV has been around for decades so I know that in terms of maintenance and repair, it is very economical.
Also, if I go with a CV, I plan to get the performance and handling package, or at least put on a pair of Bilstein shocks. I've never driven anything larger than a Honda Accord, so it will be a big adjustment going to a CV. I'm planning to rent one for a weekend in a few more months just to make sure I'm okay with the size and handling.
 
Anyway, thanks again for your advice.

#760 of 3292 by johnbono

Feb 26, 2001 (7:32 pm)

Even with the HPP, get the bilsteins, and the HPP version is a much faster car than the one you'll rent.

#761 of 3292 Thanks JohnBono by stevem327

Feb 27, 2001 (10:15 am)

Yes, I believe there's an increase in horsepower in the 2001 CV's. I won't be buying one until late summer/early fall which is a shame, because my local dealer has a fully loaded LX marked all the way down to $23K from $28K (although it's a 2000 model).
 
Oh well, I'm sure they'll have great deals on 2001 CV's at the end of this year. Plus, isn't the CV going to be redesigned starting with the 2002 model? That's what I've been hearing anyway. It will be interesting to see what changes they make... maybe side air bags? new exterior design?
 
Thanks again for the input.

#762 of 3292 for those interested by deltawhip1

Feb 27, 2001 (2:54 pm)

in getting a new crown vic, do not forget about the mercury marauder coming out next year! or if that is too much performance for y'all, which is not a bad thing by the way , there's also the sport CV version coming out sometime shortly. i'd opt for the merc myself just because it'll be an impala ss, bmw, mercedes, lexus, etc. eating machine! and for about 28k at that!
 
peace out, homies

#763 of 3292 Marauder by jsylvester

Feb 27, 2001 (3:14 pm)

Speculation is the price will easily over $30k. Take the CV Sport Version and add for the DOHC engine, wheels, and the special model status. CV Sport Version is only available on the LX, at least initially, I believe.

#764 of 3292 cv sport by lauraleanne

Feb 28, 2001 (3:47 pm)

When is the cv sport coming out and what will the horsepower be? I want to trade my 1996 Impala SS on a CV but my husband doesnt want to give up the horsepower.

Messages Page 77 of 330

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