As a salesman, I require a lot of space. I also wanted a comfortable car for those long trips. Luxury autos were out for fear of being extravagant, and American-made RWD was on the list, also. That really only left one option, the Crown Victoria.

I chose the LX Sport as I'm in my thirties and didn't want the "stodgy" model. The LX Sport gets you:

17" wheels
dual exhaust (with about 15 more horsepower)
rear air suspension
climate control
center console with gearshift on the floor (five passenger seating as opposed to six with the bench)
traction control
leather upholstery

The car has performed well in the nearly four years and 90000 miles of service. To date, the climate control center stopped functioning ($1000) and brake discs have been replaced ($500). There is a problem currently with the headlights turning off and on which may be related to the switch or the automatic lights.

Things I would change about the car:

1) The trunk drips rain all over your trunk contents when you raise it. I've never complained about this with any other car I've owned, but it seems very noticeable on this car.
2) The climate control does not have a mix setting which blends air to the floor and vent. It doesn't seem like a big problem until you get in a cold car and the heat roasts your feet and your hands freeze. My wife had a Mercury car with the same style climate control, except it had the mix setting, so I know Ford makes this, it's just not available in this car.
3) There isn't enough clearance to raise the wipers off the windshield to clean it. To adequately wash your windshield, you must turn the wipers on and turn the key off mid-wipe. I've never seen this problem in any other car.
4) Change the trunk hinges to the european design, which saves space. Sure, it's got a big trunk, but if you pack it full, you'll crush whatever's on top with those hinges when you close the trunk lid.
5) Even though the trunk is big, it would be nice to have a smaller spare tire. The conventional spare sits at the top of the trunk and can block the ingress/egress from the trunk with a large item.

The V8 power is wonderful--no multi-valve technology here, but the car is tried-and-true. There's a reason so many law enforcement agencies and cab companies have used the Crown Victoria for years. Fit and finish is about typical for a car with a 10-15 year old design. There's been very little change in this car since the early nineties. The paint is seemingly weak against chips and scratches. I have the Pearl Blue Metallic.

Even though CAFE has 18 city and 26 hwy mpg published, the best I've been able to manage is 23 hwy. Perhaps they get mileage by driving at forty mph.

This car has terrible resale value, losing about half it's value in three years. But it's a great value on the front end. Buy it and keep it! If track record is any indicator of your experience, you'll be in this car for quite a while.



Amount Paid (US$): 26000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: LX sport