Heading up the field as Best Buys are the Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid twins. They have real room for six, exceptional road manners, plenty of power, and hefty manufacturer discounts. Toyota's Avalon and Buick's LeSabre are our Recommended choices. Both have room for five and offer a comfortable ride (with modest handling capabilities). If you are looking for towing ability and don't want an SUV, Ford Crown Victoria, with its rear-drive layout and body-on-frame chassis, is an option. Ford has updated it nicely over the years and it comes at a reasonable price.

Despite early introduction of updated '03 models and addition of the nostalgic Marauder, Mercury's full-size line took a sizeable 28.4-percent sales hit in 2002. The midsize Sable was also down, but outsold Grand Marquis by about 19,000 units.

Ford hopes to revitalize the ailing Mercury brand by introducing four new products in the next three years. First up is the Monterey minivan, taking over for the defunct Villager as a luxury version of Ford's renamed '04 Freestar. Late '04 should usher in a Ford Escape-based compact SUV, name to be announced; it'll be Mercury's second SUV and, presumably, sales support for the larger Explorer-based Mountaineer. By 2006, Mercury will also have a compact sedan based on the Mazda 6 and a larger "high package" 4-dr called Montego, based on Ford's 2005 Five Hundred. As for Grand Marquis, it's said to get a major restyling for 2006, though basic engineering stands pat through late decade at least. The same applies to divisional sisters Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car.

Meantime, sources hint that the Marauder may soon get more power and snazzier cosmetics. The neo-muscle car hasn't been selling as well as Mercury hoped, and the hopes were modest to beginwith. Many critics cite disappointing performance and tame appearance as sales deterrents. No word on when a fortified Marauder might arrive, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it for '04.