Crown vic as a daily driver

[alphatarget1]

Anyone drive a crown vic here? Looking at a 2003 crown vic that was a university rental ( not a police car). Everything looked fine to me except the power mirrors, which only turns left and down and not right and up. I'm thinking it'll be an easy fix. The vic has 106k miles. How much should I pay for it to be considered a good deal?

 

[LordMorpheus]

If it's had regular oil changes and other maintenance, it'll probably last quite a while.

I drive the big brother of the crown vic (1997 Town Car) and I love it. Such car's aren't for everyone, but I like the space, the comfort, the ability to haul stuff (I probably have more cubic feet of space to put stuff in than most SUVs, not even counting my backseat).

They aren't fast cars but are far from the slowest things on the road. You'll probably see ~25 highway ~18-19 city mpg with the car.

As far as price, you should be able to get the car for very little. They are so incredibly common, and the one you are looking at has relatively high miles. Start at 3k and maybe go as high as 4k, if it's in good shape.

 

[zerocool84]

Everyone will slow down when they get close to you.

 

[alfa147x]

Everyone will slow down when they get close to you.

A reason to buy a white crown vic or impala... Do you want people slowing down in front of you?

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Crown vics are the ultimate luxury buy. Got an automatic tranny, the size of a couple whales ductaped together, and american made with an american price tag. To get a car as good from another country you have to pay 2 to 5 times as much.


ETA: http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/Pri...991|06370|0|0|&Condition=Good&QuizConditions=

$4k. I'd not go $5k, that's a lot of miles. A lot of stuff breaks around 80k-100k miles or needs to be replaced. Ask about the timing belt.

 

[thedarkwolf]

crown vics use a timing chain

 

[BW86]

Get some tints and enjoy people not driving like assholes around you.

 

[boomhower]

The damn car will run forever. My last patrol car had 135k on it with very little issues. Obviously those were 135k very very hard miles with 99% of them being hard run city miles. Probably equivalent to at least double that on a normal car.

 

[Bignate603]

Crown vics were made to stand up to abuse. At 100k as long as its had all of its scheduled maintenance you've still got plenty of miles in it. If you can get it cheap it go for it.

 

[halik]

Crown vics are the ultimate luxury buy. Got an automatic tranny, the size of a couple whales ductaped together, and american made with an american price tag. To get a car as good from another country you have to pay 2 to 5 times as much.


ETA: http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/Pri...991|06370|0|0|&Condition=Good&QuizConditions=

$4k. I'd not go $5k, that's a lot of miles. A lot of stuff breaks around 80k-100k miles or needs to be replaced. Ask about the timing belt.

HA! There must be a reality distortion field where you live.

It makes for a good highway cruiser with atrocious steering, suspension, fisher price interior and seats with support level of a la-z-boy (the bench anyway). The grand marquis trim of it was one of the worst cars I've ever driven.

Even the Lincoln continental or mark 8 do far better in that game imo.

 

[Vette73]

Get some tints and enjoy people not driving like assholes around you.

My grandmother use to have A grey Vic. One time I drove it with a friend and I wore a cowboy hat and some large sunglass's. Just about everybody slammed on their brakes when they saw me. Had one guy, hispanic, start running when I locked up the brakes to mess with my friend. I did not even think of that guy till he started to run. My friend said I bet he ran all the way back to Mexico after that. :awe:

 

[franksta]

I have an '04 Grand Marquis as a weekend car. I got mine for free when my grandfather died so I'm not sure what current pricing is like. The mirror isn't too difficult to replace. My passenger's side was shattered. You have to remove the door panel to get to the electrical connection. The '03s and '04s are as good as it gets IMO. They have the suspension improvements but without the throttle by wire.

I think around town I get 22 miles per gallon or so but I've got the 2.73 gears. On the highway I've seen pretty close to 30MPG.

The forums at CrownVic.net have everything you ever wanted to know about the car. I think you need to register to get to the Body of Knowledge (BOK) which has hundreds of write-ups on how to do everything from an oil change to a limited slip differential rebuild.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Anyone drive a crown vic here? Looking at a 2003 crown vic that was a university rental ( not a police car). Everything looked fine to me except the power mirrors, which only turns left and down and not right and up. I'm thinking it'll be an easy fix. The vic has 106k miles. How much should I pay for it to be considered a good deal?

Fantastic cars. If both mirrors have the problem, it's just a switch...easy to replace.

 

[Throckmorton]

Crappy handling, too long, poor gas mileage, outdated. My dad had one

 

[DarkThinker]

When I was looking around for a good RWD sedan, I considered the Crown Vic, but I just can't stand ford products one bit. I love the crown vic though, very solid and is cheap to maintain, can get parts for it anytime anywhere and it's a spacious RWD sedan, what more can one ask for in a general purpose car? And If one doesn't want people to be slamming their brakes around his Crown Vic, giving the car a custom touch will let everyone know this isn't a Police car, leaving it bone stock will though.

I really considered the Mercury Maurader, that is a mean car, mileage sucks ass on it though and can't comment on sporty feel, so I went with a CTS a much wiser choice.

 

[PricklyPete]

If you can live with the car from a looks/drive standpoint...it gets reasonable gas mileage for its size, is safe, should be very reliable, and can haul a bunch of stuff/people.

 

[franksta]

And If one doesn't want people to be slamming their brakes around his Crown Vic, giving the car a custom touch will let everyone know this isn't a Police car, leaving it bone stock will though.

It doesn't help. Mine is now Subaru Regal Blue Pearl with 17" Mustang wheels and people still think it's a police car. Even worse at night when all they can see is the headlights. No problem with the left lane slowpokes though, they're pretty good about moving to the right.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Also, I don't know if this is a selling point for you or not, but these cars are very easy to work on. One of the reasons I went with the town car was that it is a decent car to learn how to work on cars with.

I bought it 3 or 4 years ago having never done anything on a car, and it hasn't been to a shop since. It has a rebuilt front suspension, new air springs in the back, a couple alternators swapped (cheap autozone rebuilds last about a year), plugs + wires, redone power windows equipment in all doors, etc.etc.

If this isn't something you are interested in, it'll still be cheaper to get a vic fixed than just about any other car on the road in the unlikely event that it breaks down on you.

 

[zCypher]

Go for it. I have owned the older GM counterparts, these are solid and reliable cars and NO they don't guzzle gas, unless you make them. I did very good mileage with two different 80's Parisiennes. I haven't owned a Vic but I've driven a few and they're pretty good. From everything I've heard and read, they are great cars, you really can't go wrong.

 

[alfa147x]

Go for it. I have owned the older GM counterparts, these are solid and reliable cars and NO they don't guzzle gas, unless you make them. I did very good mileage with two different 80's Parisiennes. I haven't owned a Vic but I've driven a few and they're pretty good. From everything I've heard and read, they are great cars, you really can't go wrong.

What is good gase mileage with one?

 

[LordMorpheus]

What is good gase mileage with one?

Better than a truck, SUV, or crossover, but worse than a midsize or compact car.

high teens / low twenties around town, mid-high twenties on the interstate.

I do mostly city driving in a very hilly town and I've been getting about 19 miles to the gallon - and my car is older, heavier, and has more miles than the one the OP is considering.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

HA! There must be a reality distortion field where you live.

It makes for a good highway cruiser with atrocious steering, suspension, fisher price interior and seats with support level of a la-z-boy (the bench anyway). The grand marquis trim of it was one of the worst cars I've ever driven.

Even the Lincoln continental or mark 8 do far better in that game imo.

I'm waiting for you to explain me wrong in a single way. I'll go find the best sand in the world, you can tell me how it's shitty water.