# A (not so) fond farewell to the Grand Marquis **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953 "2010-12-04T18:58:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/21 "2010-12-06T21:06:41Z")
My Grand Marquis and Crown Vic were hands down the two best cars I’ve ever owned. I’ll probably pick another on up in a couple years when I’m looking for a new to me used car. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/22 "2010-12-06T22:30:30Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > Off topic question from a non-American Subaru driver: Why not? I-80 across those three particular states is 900 miles of flatland with almost no curves in the road. You don’t care about handling, you don’t care about finding a parking space you can squeeze into. What you want is a long, wide wheelbase that doesn’t get whipped around when a truck passes you, an overstuffed seat that feels like your great-grandmother’s davenport, an engine and transmission that don’t labor at highway speeds and just enough reliability and durability that you don’t have a breakdown somewhere in the Great Plains. That’s a job for the classic American car! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/23 "2010-12-06T22:59:55Z")
My nephew drove a big old '88 Grand Marquis. A car came at him around a curve with their brights on. He went head-first down an embankment and into a tree (the tree won). When the EMTs cut him out of the vehicle, they said if he’d been driving a new plastic car, he’d be dead. Life-flight to a 2 weeks stay in a level-1 trauma unit and lots of rehab later and he’s okay. He’s afraid to drive, and says he’ll never drive anything but heavy metal. StG ---
**Author:** ![liberty3701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@liberty3701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty3701)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/24 "2010-12-06T23:48:21Z")
My first love was a 1989 Colony Park … you know, the awesome, “wood” paneled station wagon. My family bought it when I was 8; it became mine after it died and my father had it resurrected (without my mom’s permission), and I drove it cross country four times. It got surprisingly good gas mileage (over 25 mpg on the highways), had a ton of style, carried everything I owned with room left over for me to sleep. I cried when I had to get rid of it. I really, really loved that car. Possibly more than I love my husband. Possibly. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/25 "2010-12-06T23:49:38Z")
There has to be a reason why most PDs used them-reliable and cheap to service.\Many state PDs run their over 300,000 miles. Lots of room and lots of power.RWD is awesome! ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/26 "2010-12-07T00:19:34Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > There has to be a reason why most PDs used them-reliable and cheap to service.\Many state PDs run their over 300,000 miles. > Lots of room and lots of power.RWD is awesome! that’s pretty much the only reasons why. they still used the old 2-valve 4.6 when the rest of Ford’s lineup was running the 3- and 4-valve engines, and not to forget that emergency vehicle upfit equipment is pretty much geared around the CV. Now, with the Charger making inroads into the police market, I guess Ford felt it was time to put the CV out to pasture. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/27 "2010-12-07T02:39:00Z")
My wife’s grandfather had a Grand Marquis (probably an '88 or so), and drove it (very little) for about 15 years, until he passed away. I’ve heard the Marq referred to as a “terminal car” – as in, it’s the last car its buyer ever buys. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/28 "2010-12-08T01:35:58Z")
My parents were generous and anxious, and decided to replace my Accord with an '85 Grand Marquis, the better to envelop me in a heavy steel cage during my teenage driving years. I remember driving to my junior prom in it, sliding around on the bench seat because of my big satin dress. I thought it was a really cool car. I probably wouldn’t want one now due to the mileage, but otherwise it rocked. And yeah, it was totally like floating down the highway on a couch! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953/29 "2010-12-08T01:40:26Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I-80 across those three particular states is 900 miles of flatland with almost no curves in the road. You don’t care about handling, you don’t care about finding a parking space you can squeeze into. What you want is a long, wide wheelbase that doesn’t get whipped around when a truck passes you, an overstuffed seat that feels like your great-grandmother’s davenport, an engine and transmission that don’t labor at highway speeds and just enough reliability and durability that you don’t have a breakdown somewhere in the Great Plains. > > That’s a job for the classic American car! Well said! The GM was a pig, but what a classy pig. Just what you want when you are putting the miles away in a straight line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-not-so-fond-farewell-to-the-grand-marquis/562953.md?page=1)