Driving Impressions

The Grand Marquis' 4.6-liter single overhead-cam V8 is smooth and quiet, yet delivers strong acceleration with plenty of power for quick passing. It's one of the best engines Ford has ever built in terms of quality and durability, and features a coil-on-plug ignition system that is simple and reliable. 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 frame, suspension and steering alterations, this is the best-handling big Mercury we've ever driven. Mercury engineers have produced a car that rides and handles much better than its predecessor. 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. Technical stuff: For 2003, the rear trailing arms were redesigned and relocated to provide better control of vertical wheel motions. A three-piece Watts 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. Braking performance is surprisingly good for such a large car. The brakes were enlarged and upgraded recently, 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 2003 Grand Marquis Ultimate a pleasure to drive on a winding road. The rear air suspension and 16-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear high-performance tires contributed a fair measure of stability. With its strong V8, rear-wheel drive, and body-on-frame construction, the Grand Marquis is rated to tow 2000 pounds.

Final Word

Mercury's Grand Marquis is a wonderful sedan for covering a lot of territory on wide-open North American highways. It also rides well in big cities with beat-up infrastructures, though it takes up more space parking. The Grand Marquis is the last of the V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive, full-size cars with body-on-frame construction. Its ostensible competitors, the Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Concorde, Pontiac Bonneville, and Toyota Avalon, are all more modern in concept, with front-wheel drive, V6 engines, shorter wheelbases, and frameless, unit-body construction. The 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis separates you and your companions from noise and intrusions caused by the road surface, but it doesn't totally disengage you from the driving experience. The steering and suspension work well to deliver competent ride quality and handling. There's plenty of room for four adults and it comes with one of the biggest trunks in the industry.