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2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Full Review
Date Published: 2/20/08
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Review
Mercury's largest car remains closely related to the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car--the only traditional full-size rear-drive sedans available from a North American manufacturer. Grand Marquis comes in GS and uplevel LS versions with a 200-horsepower V8 and automatic transmission. An optional Handling Package includes dual exhausts that add 15 horsepower, a numerically higher rear-axle ratio for quicker acceleration, performance tires, firmer damping, and rear load-leveling air springs. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard. Antilock brakes and traction control are optional. Maximum trailer weight is 2000 pounds.
Like other Ford Motor Company cars for 2000, Grand Marquis adds rear child-seat anchors and an emergency manual release with glow-in-the-dark emergency release handle for persons trapped in the trunk. Also new is BeltMinder, a chime and warning light to encourage buckling up. Grand Marquis' performance and accommodations mirror those of the Crown Victoria.
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.
News
Grand Marquis remains one of top-selling cars in Florida, which ought to give you an idea of its place in the automotive cosmos. Ford Motor Company has a lock on traditional full-size rear-drive sedans with this Mercury, the Ford Crown Victoria, and Lincoln Town Car, and all keep selling well enough that there's simply no reason to change them much until demand starts faltering. Ford has many more urgent places to spend its money.
Even so, the 2002 Grand Marquis will reportedly get a fresh look via new outer body panels. The same is rumored for the Crown Vic, but the Mercury will keep its present size, whereas the Ford will reportedly be stretched 6 inches to provide more interior room for the police departments and taxi operators that account for a high percentage of the model's customers.
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Road Test
Pros Cons
Passenger and cargo room Fuel economy
Consumer Guide® Road Test Ratings
Acceleration

GS/LS Class Average
6 5.6

Grand Marquis' quiet overhead-cam V8 provides smooth, swift acceleration. Unlike some earlier versions, the transmission shifts smoothly and downshifts quickly, so this big sedan is more throttle-responsive in the 20-45-mph range. Highway passing punch is ample.
Fuel Economy

GS/LS Class Average
4 4.6

Mileage is competitive but no more: around 17 mpg in our normal driving but just 14.4 mpg in heavy cold-weather urban work.
Ride Quality

GS/LS Class Average
6 6.1

The base suspension is less floaty and more controlled than it once was.
Steering/Handling/Braking

GS/LS Class Average
4 4.9

Though we used to recommend the optional Handling Package for its firmer damping, we don't notice much difference now between the two setups in ride or handling. The optional traction control works well on dry roads but seems of little help in snow.
Quietness

GS/LS Class Average
6 6

Noise levels are lower than the class average, which means quiet refined highway cruising.
Controls

GS/LS Class Average
4 5.3

Optional digital gauges are easy to read day or night, and the audio controls are large and handy. Buttons for the climate system are also generously sized, though the driver must stretch a bit to reach them.
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

GS/LS Class Average
7 6.9

Only a split bench front seat is available--too bad, as it has little lateral support, leaving occupants to rely on their door panels and the folding center armrest.
Room/Comfort (rear)

GS/LS Class Average
6 5.8

Grand Marquis offers adult-size room and easy access all around, though the center driveshaft tunnel takes up a lot of foot space and makes life uncomfortable for a rear center passenger.
Cargo Room

GS/LS Class Average
6 5.8

The trunk holds plenty of stuff, but much of its volume is in a center well that doesn't easily accept bulky objects.
Value within Class

GS/LS Class Average
5 6.3

We prefer the greater traction, economy and space-efficiency of full-size front-drivers like Buick LeSabre and Chrysler Concorde over the more traditional Grand Marquis and sister Crown Victoria. Still, these are good cars, especially for those who prefer their big sedan with rear drive and V8 power. They're also very reasonably priced.
Total Score

GS/LS Class Average
54 57.3
Scores for all Large Cars

Low Score
50
Average Score
57
High Score
63
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Prices & Equipment
Model Prices
Prices Updated: 06/05/2000
Trim Name Retail Price Dealer Invoice Destination Charge
GS 4-door sedan $22,605 $21,070 $655
GS w/Group 60C 4-door sedan $23,085 $21,508 $655
LS 4-door sedan $24,505 $22,799 $655
LS w/Group 60L 4-door sedan $25,325 $23,546 $655
Pricing Key: Retail prices listed with each report are set by the vehicle's manufacturer. These figures appear on each car's federally mandated window sticker. Most price lists also include dealer-invoice prices. Dealer-invoice prices are what the dealer pays the manufacturer for the car and its factory-installed options. The destination charge is not included in the suggested-retail or dealer-invoice price and must be added to the cost of the vehicle. Car companies change prices frequently throughout the year. If the prices published do not match those on the vehicle's window sticker, the manufacturer has probably altered the price recently.
NA = price note available, NC = no charge.
Rebates and Incentives
There are no rebates or incentives at this time.
Consumer Guide®'s Rebates and Incentives represent a summary of national manufacturer programs available. Regional restrictions may apply, and offerings may vary by model. For a complete list of Rebate & Incentive programs click here.
Standard Equipment
GS
Powertrain
4.6-liter V8 engine, 4-speed automatic transmission.
Safety
Dual front airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, emergency inside trunk release.
Comfort and Convenience Features
Air conditioning, variable-assist power steering, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, cloth front split bench seat, 8-way power driver seat, dual power recliners, cupholders, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, AM/FM/cassette, integrated rear-window antenna, digital clock, variable intermittent wipers, rear defogger, passenger-side visor mirror, automatic headlights, power remote decklid release, floormats.
Appearance and Miscellaneous
Theft-deterrent system, cornering lights, 225/60R16 tires, wheel covers.
LS adds to GS:
Comfort and Convenience Features
Upgraded upholstery, power driver-seat lumbar adjuster, remote keyless entry, key pad entry, Luxury Light Group (front and rear reading lights, illuminated visor mirrors).
Appearance and Miscellaneous
Bodyside stripes.
Optional Equipment
Major Packages
Retail Price
Invoice Price
Handling Pkg.
LS w/Premium Pkg.
$535
$476
Upgraded suspension, load-leveling rear air-suspension, performance axle ratio, dual exhaust, 225/60R16 tires, alloy wheels.
Regional Group 60C
GS
$0
$0
Remote keyless entry, illuminated visor mirrors, front and rear reading lights, body stripes. Available only in California and Hawaii.
Premium Pkg.
LS
$1,000
$890
Automatic climate control, power passenger seat w/power lumbar, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic day/night rearview mirror, compass, alloy wheels.
Ultimate Pkg.
LS
$2,400
$2,136
Premium Pkg. plus antilock brakes, traction control, electronic instrumentation, premium AM/FM/cassette.
Regional Group 60L
LS
$0
$0
Leather upholstery, Premium Pkg. (automatic climate control, power passenger seat w/power lumbar, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic day/night rearview mirror, compass, alloy wheels), Premium AM/FM/cassette, universal garage door opener, digital instrumentation, trip computer. Available only in California and Hawaii.
Limited Feature Car
LS
$460
$396
Front armrest w/storage, rear armrest w/cupholders, unique floormats, gold pkg., gold painted alloy wheels. Requires Premium or Ultimate Pkg., leather upholstery.
Safety
Antilock brakes
GS, LS
$600
$534
Antilock brakes w/traction control
GS, LS
$775
$690
Comfort and Convenience Features
Automatic climate control
LS
$175
$156
Includes outside-temperature indicator.
Electronic instrumentation
LS
$425
$379
Digital instrumentation, trip computer. Requires automatic climate control.
Luxury Light Group
GS
$190
$169
Includes front and rear reading lights, visors, illuminated visor mirrors.
Remote keyless entry
GS
$240
$213
Includes key pad entry.
Universal garage door opener
LS
$115
$102
Leather upholstery
LS
$735
$654
Requires Premium Pkg. or Ultimate Pkg.
Premium AM/FM/cassette
LS
$360
$321
Requires automatic climate control.
AM/FM/CD player
GS
$140
$124
6-disc CD player
LS
$350
$312
Requires Ultimate Pkg.
Appearance and Miscellaneous
Engine-block heater
GS, LS
$25
$23
Striping
GS
$60
$54
Rear air suspension
LS
$270
$240
Tuned for softer ride.
Full-size spare tire
LS
$105
$93
LS w/Handling Pkg.
$120
$107
Alloy wheels
LS
$320
$285
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis Specs & Safety
Vehicle Dimensions
Specification Mercury Grand Marquis 4-door sedan
Wheelbase, in. 114.7
Overall Length, in. 212.0
Overall Width, in. 78.2
Overall Height, in. 56.8
Curb Weight, lbs. 3917
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 20.6
Standard Payload, lbs. --
Fuel Capacity, gals. 19.0
Seating Capacity 6
Front Head Room, in. 39.4
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 42.5
Rear Head Room, in. 38.1
Max. Rear Leg Room, in. 38.4
Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.
Engines
  sohc V8 sohc V8
Size, liters/cu. in. 4.6 /281 4.6 /281
Horsepower @ rpm. 200 @ 4250 215 @ 4500
Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm. 265 @ 3000 275 @ 3000
Availability Standard Optional
EPA City / highway mpg
   
4-speed automatic 17/24 17/24
Engine Key: l/cu in. = liters/cubic inches; ohv = overhead valve; ohc = overhead camshaft; dohc = dual overhead camshaft; I = inline cylinders; H = horizonally opposed cylinders; V = cylinders in a V configuration; W = cylinders in a W configuration; rpm = revolutions per minute; CVT = continuously variable (automatic) transmission; NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.
Safety Features
Antilock Brakes
Traction Control
Antiskid System
Front Side Airbags
Curtain Side Airbags
Rear Side Airbags
NHTSA Crash-Test Results
Test Mercury Grand Marquis 4-door sedan
Collision 5
Collision (HLDI) 69
Front Impact, Driver 5
Front Impact, Passenger 5
Injury 5
Injury (HLDI) 55
Side Impact, Driver 4
Side Impact, Rear Passenger 4
Theft 4
Theft (HLDI) 44
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a vehicle's worthiness in front- and side-impact collisions and rates its resistance to rollovers. Front-impact crash-test numbers indicate the chance of serious injury: 5 = 10% or less; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-35%; 2 = 35-45%; 1 = More than 45%. Side-impact crash-test numbers indicate: 5 = 5% or less; 4 = 6-10%; 3 = 11-20%; 2 = 21-25%; 1 = More than 26%. Rollover resistance numbers indicate the chance for rollover when the vehicle leaves the roadway: 5 = Less than 10%; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-30%; 2 = 30-40%; 1 = More than 40%.
Manufacturer's Warranty
Class Years/Miles Comments
Powertrain None/-- --
Bumper-to-bumper 3/36,000 --
Corrosion 5/unlimited --
Free roadside assistance 3/36,000 --
Free scheduled maintenance None/-- --
Manufacturers may periodically offer additional coverage as a purchase incentive. There offers are not reflected on this chart. The federal government requires two other warranties. The Exhaust Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000 miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any on-board diagnostic device. The Passenger Restraint Warranty covers seat belts and airbags for 5 years/50,000 miles.
Built in: Canada
Drivewheels: rear-wheel drive
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