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Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

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

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#961 of 3244 Camry LE V-6 vs CV by jtw229 Jun 23, 2001 (2:12 pm)
I have a 99 LE V-6 Camry with 33k and it is a fantastic car. The CV, however, is a tempting target at $20000 new. It is finally properly powered and the safety record can't be topped, especially by a Camry that weighs 600 pounds less than a CV. I have two concerns, though. 1. I have heard many CV owners in the hot deep     south complain about weak air conditioners. 2. Reliability. I don't think anyone can assert     that the CV can beat a Camry. Maybe an ext.     warranty can offset the Camry's superior     repair record.   Has anyone out there gone from a Camry/Accord to a CV? I'd be real curious to hear your comments.
#962 of 3244 by johnbono Jun 23, 2001 (11:45 pm)
There is a problem with earlier CV AC units. I have a '95 and it doesn't get as cold as it should sometimes. I rented an '00 though, and I found the AC was fine, no problems at all.   I would not be so quick to discount the Crown Vic's reliability, though. Crown Vics have the best reliability and durability record around. The car is also *very* cheap to fix compared to a Camry or other import FWD car. Tranny work is cheap, engine work is cheap, and unlike a FWD car, there are *no* CV joints in a crown vic, and those will eventually die on just about any FWD car. I've replaced them(not exactly cheap) on an Escort, an Audi, and a Geo. The crown vic is the car the kind of American car companies should be making instead of what they ARE making.
#963 of 3244 Camry vs CV by mrf Jun 24, 2001 (3:01 am)
Welp, I went from a '95 Accord to a 2000 Grand Marquis. There were a couple of reasons for this: 1) This may seem silly to some folks, but I drive alot of miles on a daily basis over our majorily crappy Pa. roads, and the road noise level in the Accord drove me nuts. 2) Size and safety 3) Cheaper maintenance. 4) Mechanical simplicity (i.e. I can do alot more maintenance and repair myself).   I'm not going to say that a CV/GM is going to be more reliable over the life of the car than a Camry or Accord, but assuming even average reliability and not taking into account the reduced gas mileage, routine maintenance costs for the CV/GM should be lower. I know the newer imports have longer schedule than they used too, but the '95 Accord I had required tune-ups every 30k, and timing belts every 60k, in addition to fluid changes...overall, so far th GM has been a lot cheaper to keep on the road (27k so far)... Only time will tell if it is more reliable in the long run.   Oh and air conitioning: The A/C in the Accord was a constant source of headaches and trips to the dealer. The GM A/C is nice and cold and very effective (my opinion).
#964 of 3244 reliability by sergeis Jun 25, 2001 (9:08 am)
My GM '95 has been very reliable. Here is a list of things which I had to do (excluding regular oil change): '97 - replaced tape (sometimes right channel was making funny noise), under warranty '98 - changed transmission fluid 2000 - replaced front tires and they suggested front brakes, did that too. 2001 - replaced rear tires now it is due for transmission fluid change, radiator flush and fuel filter. Yes, and this year I ran over an old truck tire on inerstate, could not avoid it because of heavy traffic at 80 mph, shock was quite strong and I got a small dent and scratches on my left doors. Fixed that for $600 (paid 250, rest was insurance). Looks like new inside and out. Gas mileage is not so bad, 26-27 mpg on interstate with regular gas, for this weight, size and comfort it is truly amaizing. I have no complaints about AC, though my previous CV '81 was blowing colder air when it was 18 yrs. old. I have tried Camry and Accord, but they just seem to be lower class cars compared to CV, I mean comfort/noise/luxury. I especially did not like new Accord for its sleepy AT.
#965 of 3244 repair cost by sergeis Jun 25, 2001 (10:31 am)
Yes, and just for comparison - I also own Toyota Celica 2000, someone parked slightly into it making a dent. It did cost $2400 to fix, they had to replace the whole side panel - as they explained me at body shop japaniese cars are too thin to fix.
#966 of 3244 update on 1990 Gr Marq by craiginct1 Jun 25, 2001 (3:41 pm)
FYI: 1990 GrMarq LS we bought 4/1992 had 41k miles on it. We paid $15k including financing. It now has 241k miles, and in 9 years have put in $21k for all repairs, tires, LOF's. No ins/gas in that. Sounds like a lot of money until you figure total months and miles divided into total costs: ~$335/month total costs; ~$194/month repairs; ~15cents/mile total expense; ~9cents/mile repairs cost. We have had deer hit it, and been rearended 2x, we've maintained the car to virtually factory specs w/ virtually all OEM parts, including full paint job a year ago December to restore finish, you can't buy a new car for these repair costs. Still running well and getting 18-21mpg on road, 18 town, depending traffic and speed. Bless God for that 302 engine and sound tranny!   Glad to share MS Excel spreadsheet of repairs to anyone interested in the vehicle history. Email: cmarszearthlink.net.
#967 of 3244 Engine Imbalance? by BobL242 Jun 25, 2001 (5:39 pm)
Thinking about buying a 01 GM when my current lease runs out in august. What's the story on the engine imbalance? Is it still a problem with the gm or is there some way to avoid buying a gm with this problem? (what to look for) Would you advise against buying this car because of this problem or any of the other problems I read about on this forum. Also, does anyone know when the 2002 models will be out? Thanks for any help you can offer.
#968 of 3244 Camry vs. CV by Hacksaw Jun 26, 2001 (7:40 am)
It's probably closer to $23000 for a new decently-equipped CV. Still, I think it's the best full-size car under $40k and wholeheartedly recommend it as a solid, reliable, enjoyable to drive car. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that it's not for everyone.   It's a very different car than a Camry. It's much bigger and more difficult to manuever around corners and into parking spots. It has a solid rear-axle so the drive wheels will be a little uneasy if you drive over a bumpy road at speed. I'm a huge fan of RWD drive cars, but they do handle differently than FWD in slippery conditions. Snow isn't a factor in the deep South, but you better have snow tires if you plan on getting around in it safely. It's quiet and rides great but will be more floaty than a Camry. The interior is also very different. I'd recommend you rent one and drive it around for a few days before making a decision.   As far as reliability... I would always purchase an aftermarket warranty on ANY new car. For less than $1500 you can get bumper-to-bumper coverage for 5 years/150k, and that's worth the peace of mind for me. Parts and repairs, when needed, will usually be less expensive than the Camry.   Keep in mind that the CV is very much a "heavy-duty" car. It's big and solidly built. Most sales go to fleet units (police and taxi) where money and lives are on the line. They're not going to be buying cars year after year that are breaking down on them. For hard driving or long highway trips carrying any kind of weight in the trunk, the CV is the clear winner. The V6 Camry I drove was miserable going up long hills with the A/C on.   As for the A/C... it gets very cold very quick in my Vic, and the blower is one of the strongest ones out there. The only complaints I've heard are from some of the older folk who say it's too cold/too much fan even on the lowest setting. You won't have a problem in this area.   My 98 CV has 90k miles and has been a joy to own and drive. I've only had one unscheduled repair ($200 for a sticking high-beam stalk switch) that was covered under an aftermarket warranty. It takes regular gas and I'm getting about 22mpg (70%hghy/30%city) with the Performance & Handling Package. The newer (post-99) engines are slightly more fuel efficient, but the P&H will still steal 1-2mpg from you.
#969 of 3244 01 GM Engine Imbance by slinger31 Jun 26, 2001 (1:59 pm)
BobL242           The vibration is easily detected at any speed or even in Park. Just increase and decrease the RPM's while in Park and you will feel the vibration in the steering wheel, or level off at any speed from 30 MPH on up and the vibration mimics tires out of balance. Once you feel this vibration you will be able to reconize it very easily and it will drive you up a tree. I have tried at least 40 GM and Town Cars (2001) and they all had this engine imbalance. My GM was diagnosed by an 8 Time Certified Tech that owns his shop in Orlando Fl and with his help FMC refunded my full purchase price 8 months after I bought it. My advice is to stay away from a 2001 with a 4.6. The 02's may be cured. I would wait!
#970 of 3244 CV vs Toyota/Honda by sergeis Jun 27, 2001 (5:25 am)
I had CV '81 untill it was 18 yrs. old. It started in any weather and when it was 11-18 yrs. old I had to put ~$500 a year into maintainance, and that includes everything but oil change (i.e. tires, transmission fluid change etc.) Had to drive it to junkyard because I did not need it anymore, and no one wanted to buy such an old big car... Friend of mine has 11 yrs. old Accord, seems that he spends a little bit more maintaining it. My own 1.5 yrs. old Toyota Celica started to develope start problem, takes ~2-3 secs when hot. My old CV always started in ~1/2 seconds, unless it was -20...-40, then it took few seconds. And my newer GM ('95) starts in 1/2 sec no matter what... Good thing Toyota is still under warranty. I know that in average Toyota/Honda are more reliable, but it is also a matter of luck. It also seems that Honda/Toyota fans believe deeply that those cars are better, even when something brakes they are still happy because it is as good as it can be.

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