This segment has been hardest hit by the huge popularity of sport-utility vehicles. Just a few years ago there were more than 12 cars in the segment and now there are just seven. Heading up the field as Best Buys are the Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid twins. They have real room for six, exceptional road manners, and plenty of power. Toyota's Avalon and Buick's LeSabre are twoRecommended choices. Both have room for five and offer a comfortable ride (with modest handling capabilities). If you are looking for towing ability or don't mind having a rear-drive car, then we recommend you take a look at the Ford Crown Victoria. With its rear-drive layout and body-on-frame chassis it's a dinosaur in this class, but Ford has updated it nicely over the years and it comes at a reasonable price.

Crown Victoria sells mostly to police departments and taxi operators who won't have anything except a big rear-drive sedan. Mercury's similar Grand Marquis earns its money mostly from the retail trade, attracting older, more conservative buyers who prefer this sort of car. But there's not much reason for changing your product when it's selling well and is the only one on the market, which is why this twosome is expected to carry on basically as is for the foreseeable future.
However, one bit of news has lately been reported by a weekly auto-industry trade publication. According to this source, the Crown Vic and Grand Marq would be reskinned for 2002 to gain a fresh look, and the Ford would be stretched by 6 inches to 218 inches overall, though it's unclear whether that length would be added to wheelbase, the rear end, front end, or some of each. What is clear is that these cars will continue for as long as Ford can make money with them, with only enough changes made to maintain profitability--and to meet safety and emissions requirements, of course.