UPDATE! SHO Club Tests Marauder!
7-2-02

The first Marauder came into my local Ford dealer yesterday. It had my name on it, so I took it for a drive.

I have to say I was more than a bit disappointed! In the power area, this car just seemed to be lacking. Yes I think it is faster than my '96 SHO, and maybe as fast as my '89 with BOS. That makes it a pretty fast big sedan, but I expected a bigger push from a V8 sedan with 300+ rated horsepower.

First Impression?  The build quality looked great. Paint, etc was nice, but the door skins were wavy around the handles.  Under the hood was almost like looking at the Cobra Mustang.  Those great big wide valve covers were right in the open with a nice wrinkle finish that looked durable.  Plenty of room underhood for a K&N FIPK and even a blower.  Nice that Ford didn't cover the engine with a plastic shield like a lot of high end cars these days.  It means they have to make things look neat, but I much prefer seeing the motor to a plastic cover.

Out back, those huge tailpipe tips look great from behind, but from the side, they look a bit tacked on. Running the big pipe so far back just doesn't appeal to me.

Inside, the added gauges down low on the console are near impossible for my fifty-something eyes to read without going to tri-focal glasses, but at least they supplied them, and they look very period.  The "nudo" leather seats were comfortable and felt great, but they don't go down far enough for me.  Really tall people will have a problem unless they lay the seat way back. My '94 Crown Vic had a HUGE amount of headroom, what happened?  They also put the lumbar support on the lower right front of the seat, where it is hard to find and get to, without leaning forward, thus you don't know when you hit the right amount of lumbar support.  This is an ergonomic mistake.

A Crown Vic/Grand Marquis with a floor shift automatic is nice.  Remember that Chevy didn't offer this till the last year (1996) on the SS Impala.  Nice of Mercury to offer it from the start.  Since they made it for the Marauder, you should be able to order the "Sport" Crown Vic with the same console, shifter by now.  Just without the DOHC motor.

What really turned me off though was the power. On a test drive of a Caddy STS about three years ago, on the same roads, I got a huge push into the seat and a nice bark from the tires off the line and in the next two shifts.  The Marauder took off from the same 10 mph roll with a jet-like smoosh, but without the real surge a jet airplane eventually gives. The fairly high stall converter probably needs lots of brake torque rpm's from a dead stop to perform properly, but still, a 10 mph roll tells me a lot about a car.  The shift to second and third was pretty lazy with no hope of that satisfying bark from the tires. Rpm's rolled steady to 6 grand in first, second and third, but forward progress was glacier-like to my mind. Like I said earlier, the car is pretty fast, but I was ready for something more.

Handling was firm, a bit jiggly compared to my '94Crown Vic with the handling package (and 100,000 miles on the factory shocks), but not harsh. The Marauder has secure handling I could really learn to like. Side to side motions, as in an emergency lane change, were very well controlled.

My test was with the windows rolled up and the A/C on.  Can't blame the A/C for any lack of power, the compressor cuts out like it does on most cars with full throttle.  The sounds the car made also were very subdued.  I could hear almost no exhaust noise, but others have praised the exhaust note of the Marauder, so maybe I should have rolled the windows down.  My '96 SHO V8 made more noise when new, and now with the Bullet Mufflers, the 96 sounds like a GT Mustang, and is noticeable under power in the cabin, with the windows up.  I guess the Marauder will have to undergo a bit of muffler change to get a great exhaust note too.

But the power just isn't there! With a 3.55 gear I expected a bit more. They show the car doing massive burnouts on all the video's, and posters, but they must have started with wet tires!

To my mind, the first mistake Ford made was making it a Mercury. I could love a Galaxie more than a Marauder.

Second mistake by Ford was all the build-up to a wishy-washy conclusion. Where is the power?

I guess the magazines may be right, this is a poser.

We can only hope that Ford/Mercury do something to boost power before the second year, when also there will be more colors, and frankly, the Marauder could use some color.  All black looked bad on the SS, it just looks black on the Marauder.

No Marauder in my future, new or used. My 96 SHO V8 puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I couldn't work up a smile for the Marauder. When I first drove the Impala SS the torque and bad boy looks really turned me on. Price was even fair. Now Ford brings out an all black Grand Marquis that doesn't have much in the way of body changes to really set it apart, and the torque isn't there like in the SS. And for $35,000? I am glad I didn't sell the 96 in anticipation.

Now, the CV Sport, as shown below, is finally in the order loop after almost a year of delay.  My guess is they didn't want the CV Sport to hit before the Marauder, since the two look almost identical and should have almost the same interiors.  The CV Sport will be about 6 grand cheaper in sticker (lots less if dealers pack the Marauder above sticker) and for that you can add a blower kit and blow right past your friends with a Marauder.

Don Mallinson
SHO Club

The Chicago Auto Show (2001) has brought announcements of interest to those of us that love big four door sedans.  You know the ones, those that can satisfy a performance need, and have blue oval blood.

The Crown Vic "Sport" is supposed to have the go-ahead from Ford for late 2001 delivery with basically the Handling and Performance package suspension and motor, which includes true dual exhaust.  The interior will be similar to what you see here for the Marauder:  A floor shift, large wheels and tires and monochromatic paint scheme will make the Crown Vic Sport a reasonable alternative for those that need four doors and want a big car.