Mercury Grand Marquis Interior Review
Sit down in the Grand Marquis and you'll be treated to huge, thick seats as comfortable as an old pair of shoes. The Grand Marquis retains that big-car feel many of us grew up with. The interior is spacious, with plenty of room for long legs, broad shoulders and gangly arms, and it will comfortably seat six adults. The Grand Marquis provides more front and rear headroom than a Buick LeSabre.
Despite the car's size, there's enough fore-aft seat adjustment to accommodate the petite. This is true even without the adjustable pedals, and with them, small drivers should find an even greater range of comfort.
Like many bench seats, the units in the Grand Marquis are made for cruising cross-country, and won't hold you in place in sharp corners. One minor annoyance: The hump running down the center of the floor for the driveshaft reduces foot space for anyone sitting in the center. It is the single largest drawback in the Grand Marquis' rear-drive design.
Rear-seat roominess and comfort are at the top of the class. Trunk capacity is rated at nearly 21 cubic feet. Fit and finish inside the car are superb, and the choice of materials is excellent.
All controls and instruments are arrayed in a logical, intuitive, and spacious manner; nothing seems out of place. For 2001, the traction control switch has moved to a more logical location on the dashboard.
Also new for 2001 is Mercury's Personal Safety System, which senses the severity of a crash and deploys the air bag with the appropriate force.
Mercury Grand Marquis Road Test
The Grand Marquis' 4.6-liter single overhead-cam V8 is one of the best engines Ford has ever built in terms of quality and durability. It is smooth and quiet, yet delivers strong acceleration with plenty of power for quick passing. It features a coil-on-plug ignition system that is simple and reliable. Thanks largely to its strong V8, Grand Marquis is rated to tow 2000 pounds.
The transmission delivers smooth, precise, quick shifts. Like many transmissions on the market today, it requires no maintenance for the life of the car.
Grand Marquis offers a smooth, quiet ride. It is stable at high speeds and in crosswinds. Better yet, with the suspension alterations made in 1999, this is the best-handling big Mercury we've ever driven. Mercury engineers refined the Grand Marquis in 1999 to produce a car that rides and handles better than its predecessor. The rear trailing arms were redesigned and relocated to provide better control of vertical wheel motions. A three-piece Watt's link was added; it provides more precise lateral location than would be possible with the single-piece Panhard rod or track bar usually used in live-axle setups.
The car does float over undulating pavement, though not at uncomfortable levels. The steering is a bit light at higher speeds, but the power assist makes it easy to maneuver the big car in crowded parking lots.
Braking performance is surprisingly good for such a large car. The brakes were enlarged and upgraded for 1999 as well, with larger, thicker rotors and dual-piston calipers on the front discs. Those changes improved braking performance and reduced the chance of brake fade when descending steep mountain grades. Steel 16-inch wheels are standard, while aluminum alloy wheels are optional. Standard tires are P225/60R-16 all-season Michelins.
We found our Grand Marquis to be a pleasure to drive on a winding road. An optional Handling Package ($855) includes a completely retuned suspension with rear air springs and a larger rear stabilizer bar, plus a quicker 3.55:1 axle ratio, special 16-inch alloy wheels and Goodyear high-performance tires. On GS models, the Handling Package also includes the dual-exhaust engine. The Handling Package sharpens cornering response and improves acceleration. At the same time, it doesn't degrade the ride quality.
Mercury Grand Marquis Lineup
Grand Marquis comes in GS ($22,805) and LS ($24,705) trim levels. Both are powered by a 4.6-liter V8 coupled to a 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission.
LS adds luxury equipment, including a premium stereo, premium cloth upholstery, power lumbar support, an illuminated keyless entry system, chrome wheel covers, a light group, and pinstripes. GS and LS models are sold with a slightly higher level of standard equipment, and at slightly higher prices, in California and Hawaii than in the other 48 states.
Mercury has re-tuned the Grand Marquis engine for 2001. It now produces more peak horsepower, and delivers its peak torque at higher rpm. In standard, single-exhaust form, that translates to 220 horsepower at 4750 rpm, and 265 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. With dual exhausts, which are optional on GS and standard on LS, those numbers rise to 235 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque.
Option packages have been streamlined, which simplifies life for everyone. Our test car came with the $2,520 Ultimate Package, which adds anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic instrumentation, a premium sound system, and the Premium Package. The Premium Package is available separately for $1,120 and includes alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, electronic climate control, a power passenger seat, an auto-dimming mirror with compass, and power-adjustable pedals. The adjustable pedals are a new feature for 2001, and can also be ordered by themselves for $120. (They are standard on the LS in Hawaii and California.)
The anti-lock brake system is also available as a stand-alone option for $600. We highly recommend it as it allows the driver to maintain steering control during emergency braking maneuvers. You can also get ABS and traction control packaged together for $775. The traction control uses the anti-lock brake system to reduce wheel spin -- a big benefit when accelerating on slippery roads.