2000 Ford Crown Victoria: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

If you want a big rear-drive American sedan, it has to be from Ford Motor Co., because the Crown Victoria, Mercury's similar Grand Marquis, and the related Lincoln Town Car are the only ones left. Changes for 2000 involve the addition of several safety features: an emergency trunk lid release inside the trunk, three child seat upper anchorages for the rear seat, and a chime that sounds to indicate an unbuckled seatbelt.
Crown Victoria comes in base and LX models with standard automatic transmission and a 200-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. Horsepower climbs to 215 with optional dual exhausts, which are part of a Handling and Performance Package that also includes firmer suspension, low-profile tires, and a higher numerical rear-axle ratio. Torque on both engines increases this year by 10 pound-feet. Antilock brakes are standard, traction control is optional.

COMPETITION

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.