Overview:
This is Ford\’s largest passenger automobile and it seats six adults comfortably. I doubt we’re headed back to the 1950 era of \”huge\” cars even though they are convenient when you need to transport more than a few people and their luggage. Of course the industry, in response to overwhelming demand, has provided for that need with the sport utility and vans.
There is no question that this is one of the last domestic full-size rear-wheel-drive passenger cars left and it is the second-best seller in the full-size segment. The Crown Victoria is available in two trims: the base Crown Vic and the LX that I drove.
Remember the Buick Roadmaster in the 1950s? We called them \”Road-Hogs\” back then. Well one of the features reminiscent of those cars was the extra soft ride you got. They were like \”luxury tanks\” and when you went over a dip or bump it would take a half-mile to level out again. You could get sea sick in those busses. I suspect the ride in this Crown Vic reminded me of the experiences of yesteryear with the Buick Roadmaster. Bad? No, I don’t think so. For every tush (sp) there’s a seat, and some folks still want to have the driving comfort you can only get from this kind of car. Handling and control is diminished however and I still prefer the stiffer ride so common in most of the automobiles on the road these days.
In keeping with the cars of the past, you also get rear windows that roll all the way down. What a novel idea. Do you think they can find a way to have the rear windows roll all – the – way – down on other cars? On the other hand, I was more irritated not having enough storage space than I was thrilled that the rear windows rolled all the way down. I always have a cell phone with me, as most people do these days, and I found myself putting it on the floor for lack of a better place. There were pull down arm rests in the front seat between driver and passenger and I would have expected them to double as storage areas. Don’t the engineers drive the cars they design? Another example of design improvements needed is the placement of radio and air condition controls. You literally have to reach to tune the radio. It isn’t that I’m lazy. When you’re driving at 65 mph it’s nice to be able to find all controls easily and without having to look. Doing that on a curvy road accentuates that inconvenience even more.
The Competition:
Buick LeSabre $22,465 – $25,790, Chrysler Concorde $21,305, Dodge Intrepid $19,685 – $22,465, Mercury Grand Marquis $22,090 – $23,990, Oldsmobile Eighty Eight $22,795 – $24,195, Toyota Avalon $24,408 – $28,288
Good News:
Spacious, comfortable, relative low cost, well placed cruise controls on the steering wheel.
Bad News:
Ride is soft, handles like a limousine, too much of a reach for instruments and door lock button poorly placed.
Standard Equipment:
4.6 liter V8 200 HP engine, (note: a 175-horsepower compressed natural gas –CNG- V8 is also available), automatic trans, dual airbags, air, power windows & door locks, tilt wheel, cruise control, power seats tinted glass, a rear window defroster, and an AM/FM stereo system with cassette.
Gas Stats:
17 City and 24 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $21,135 – $23,335
