Grand Marquis provides a grand ride

STEVE ROBERTSON * photos@semissourian.com

The 2004 Grand Marquis retains the traditional, stately Mercury sedan style. The nearly 4000-pound car gets surprisingly good gas mileage and has an excellent safety rating.srobertson

The Grand Marquis appeals to a conservative, mature buyer.

Mercury is an unusual motor company. Sandwiched in between Ford, who builds cars for the masses, and Lincoln, who builds vehicles for the more discriminating buyer, Mercury finds itself producing cars for the middle-ground driver who wants something a little different.

This week's test vehicle is a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis GS convenience sedan, which means it is a large, conventional four-door sedan derived from a Ford Crown Victoria, or a Lincoln Town Car, depending upon your persuasion. It offers much of the comfort and convenience of the huge Town Car, but it's priced lower than many mid-size cars. That's why Mercury has sold 2.7 million Grand Marquis since 1975 when the car was introduced as a premium American sedan.

After I picked up the handsome six-passenger car painted in vibrant white clearcoat from Groves Lincoln-Mercury, two friends and I drove it to Carbondale, Ill. We traveled in leather armchair comfort, the soft music wafting from the superb sound system complementing the quiet ride in the cabin. The Grand Marquis appeals to a conservative, mature buyer, and as such, about all you hear at 60 miles per hour is the muted whoosh of air rushing past and the slight singing of the tires on the road. Engine noise is non-existent. As a result of a stiff new structure introduced in 2003, Grand Marquis rides more quietly than ever before. It is the third frame design since 1990, and the first with hydroformed frame rails. As in the very first Mercury sedan, this one still uses the time-tested body-on-frame design, as does the Crown Victoria and Town Car.

But that doesn't equate to poor, sloppy handling. The ride is poised and compliant. As my test-driver friend, Ken, reported, "I like the bump control. It's well controlled, without being harsh." He should know É his favorite ride is a BMW 7 series. How did Mercury engineers achieve the good ride with Old World build science? By throwing out the old technology. Although it boasts a curb weight of more than 3,900 pounds and rides on a 114-inch wheelbase, there's modern hardware under that conservative-looking sheet metal. While most other manufacturers have switched to front-wheel drive layouts, several luxury name places such as Mercedes, BMW and Lincoln have stuck with rear-wheel design. Mercury is in that group.

Last year the rear trailing arms were redesigned to provide better control of the rear axle. A Watts linkage was added that provides more precise lateral location of the rear wheels. A modern power steering system controls the front wheels, and a traction control system is now standard. Braking performance is surprisingly good for such a large car. The brakes were enlarged and upgraded with larger, thicker rotors and dual-piston calipers on the front discs. Anti-lock brakes are standard equipment. Those changes improved braking performance and pedal feel, which is now buttery-smooth. Driving the big Mercury on winding country roads was a pleasure, but cruising the interstate is its forte.

Interior comfort

Inside, the Grand Marquis treats you to huge, thick seats that are as comfortable as your favorite recliner. It can carry six people, although no one will enjoy the center front position for very long É the center floor hump eliminates legroom for that passenger. All controls and instruments are arrayed in a logical, intuitive manner. A button on the left side of the dash allows you to electrically adjust the foot pedals, just as you would adjust the eight-way power driver's seat. The interior is spacious, with plenty of room for long legs and broad shoulders in the front seating area, but the back seat could use a bit more legroom. The Grand Marquis provides more headroom than a Buick LeSabre, and more trunk room -- 21 cubic feet -- than just about any car shy of a Town Car. All that mass makes the Grand Marquis a very safe car. It earned a five-star rating in government front and rear crash tests.

The Grand Marquis' 4.6-liter single overhead-cam V-8 is smooth and quiet, yet delivers good acceleration for quick passing. It's one of the best engines Ford builds in terms of smoothness and durability, and features a coil-on-plug ignition system that is simple and reliable. A traveling salesman friend of mine has nearly 300,000 miles on his Ford 4.6-liter, and it is still going strong. A four-speed transmission delivers smooth, precise, quick shifts. Like many transmissions on the market today, it requires no maintenance for the life of the car, and the engine should not require any attention, other than oil and filter changes, for 100,000 miles.

If you need the roominess of a minivan, but don't relish the idea of climbing up into the driver's seat or paying for mediocre gas mileage in an SUV, the Grand Marquis might be your cup of tea. It's safe, reliable and should get highway gas mileage in the middle 20s. Because it sits lower and uses modern technology, it rides smoother than a van or SUV. Best of all, the asking price undercuts the SUVs. MSRP on this test vehicle is $27,300, but the available financial incentives can save you several grand on a new Grand Marquis.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at srobertson@semissourian.com.