Base MSRP Range: $34,000

Base Invoice Range: $31,000
Price Quote

MSRP As Tested: $33,770

Versions: None

Vehicle Category: Full-Size Sedan

Engine Location: Front Engine

Drive Wheels: Rear-Wheel Drive Rear-Wheel Drive

Engine As Tested: 4.6-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, V-8 cylinder, 302-horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 310 lb-ft torque at 4,300 rpm

Transmission As Tested: 4-Speed Automatic

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 17/23

Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger, front and side airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, "> Antilock Braking System, In-Trunk Emergency Trunk Release, Remote Keyless Entry, Theft Deterrent System, Power Adjustable Pedals.

Competition: Cadillac DeVille, Cadillac Seville, Ford Crown Victoria, Infiniti Q45, Oldsmobile Aurora

El Toro, California -- This closed Marine air base has been idle for years as everyone wants to use it for some purpose, but there's always several other groups ready to object. Well, it's California after all. We have a great idea! The expansive concrete runways are a perfect place to exercise high performance cars like Mercury Marauders in complete safety.

There have been a number of rather rotund male actors and dancers that were light of foot. Remember Oliver Hardy dancing through the pathos of the depression years? Baby boomers, male ones at least, are well acquainted with Curly's balanced shuffling in the Three Stooges, and a newer generation has grown up watching John Belushi, John Candy and Chris Farley cement the notion that big guys can dance. Mercury provides the automotive counterpoint.

For a big car, Marauder certainly does handle well. So well in fact, that more than one tester paled at the realization that police departments, guided with trained drivers and Crown Victorias with uprated suspensions, could give their nimble sporty cars a real run for their money.

Powering the big Mercury through an interstate cloverleaf at twice the recommended speed is no sweat. There are very few solid rear axle cars that feel this connected to the road. Monotube shock absorbers, for enhanced response, and a four link rear suspension with additional Watt's linkage go a long way to putting distance between this taut handler and the land yachts of yore. The engineers at Mercury should be proud. There will be Camaros getting mighty surprised at that big lump of black catching them up on cloverleafs!

Complimenting the well-sorted suspension are BF Goodrich g-Force KDWS tires. Goodrich has developed this all season tire from their sensational g-Force lineup of ultra high performance tires. The tires are mated to polished 18" alloy wheels and provide the final bit of shine to neat package - no matter whether your perspective is inside the car or out. The classic image of the Roman god Mercury is cast into each of the wheel caps to further communicate the car's personality and heritage.

With great tires and new rack and pinion steering, the steering feel is very good. All of this adds up to an unexpected gracefulness that significantly enhances the Marauder's appeal. Monstrous 12-inch ventilated front and 11-inch ventilated rear brake rotors, and twin-piston front and single-piston rear calipers complete the package. The Marauder is finished in black gloss paint for the time being. Non-functional areas of the headlamp units are blacked-out and the tail lamp bezels are dark-tinted to continue the serious, but understated appearance.

Unmistakable but subtle performance cues include the high intensity Cibié fog lamps integrated into the fascia, the three-inch chrome exhaust tips and the "Marauder" name embossed on the rear bumper.

Inside, dual eight-way-power reclining bucket seats are appointed in rich black leather with classic French seam stitching derived from vintage Marauders. The seats have extra padding for better thigh, lumbar, and shoulder support. A modern rendition Mercury god's head is debossed into the front seat backs.

Of course it's the engine that will attract buyers. The all aluminum V8 sports dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder for better breathing and a broader power band. It pumps out 318 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 RPM and 302-horsepower at 5,750 rpm. In use, coupled to a 4-Speed Automatic transmission, this car accelerates smartly if you floor the throttle. Part throttle launches are smooth as silk as the transmission's gearing takes advantage of the engine's power delivery characteristics.

Best of all, the Marauder V8 exhaust rumbles with authority. Not obnoxiously loud as an import racer, but definitely attention getting. A nice contradiction to the "buzzin' bumblebee" sound coming from so many smaller engines these days.

"The Mercury Marauder sends the message that the V-8 rear-drive muscle car is back," said Steve Park, Marauder chief designer.

But with the windows rolled up and the stereo on, the Marauder is a comfortable cruiser. The front seats, while soft and a tad springy, do seem to provide sufficient lateral grip to keep the driver well located during spirited running but relaxed and compliant enough for long cruises. The upside of a sedan this size is that the driver can easily impress four friends, this being a true five place sedan rather than a four+one configuration found in most four door sedans.

A modern, technical-looking dot matrix gray trim accents the instrument panel. A leather-wrapped floor shifter highlights the floor console area that flows into space for two cup holders and a high storage bin for CDs and cell phones.

The white-faced gauges include a 7,000-rpm tachometer that redlines at 6,250 rpm. The 140-mph speedometer has a red-lit "Marauder" graphic. Auto Meter(r) brand high-performance oil-pressure and voltmeter gauges are located just in front of the shifter. The audio system is a 140-watt Alpine AM/FM/CD/cassette player with four 100-amp speakers and a rear subwoofer for excellent top-down sound quality. For convenience, the steering wheel features secondary audio and climate controls.

The only available options are a trunk organizer for $200 and a trunk-mounted, six-disc CD player, which is $350.

This is the perfect car for the NASCAR fan! While there are no longer any Mercurys on the grid, the Marauder has a lot more in common with the real race cars that the fans remember than any Monte Carlo, Gran Prix, Taurus or Dodge that sits on the showroom floor.

And if Chevy is kicking themselves about giving up on the Impala, Cadillac has to be quaking at the prospect of Mercury guys building the convertible concept they showed at Chicago. There are few cars that resonate so fondly in memories, not only in the US but where ever Hollywood movies are shown, as the big, spacious convertibles of the 50s and 60s. Why Cadillac has not even rolled out a concept is a puzzle. And the Marauder droptop has to have them worried.

At this time, the convertible is purely a concept, but public reaction will be closely monitored to gauge whether sufficient demand exists to justify a full development program.

Open Air Marauder Has To Be The Ultimate Retro Car

The Marauder Convertible concept that debuted at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show is designed to deliver a 1960s American muscle car experience with contemporary driving dynamics, comfort, safety and low emissions. The convertible is motivated by a supercharged 335-horsepower V-8 that delivers more horsepower than any other full size convertible priced less than $85,000. Sedan and convertible chassis highlights include rack-and-pinion steering, hydroformed front frame rails, monotube dampers and 18-inch wheels and tires. The concept seats five passengers - all other convertibles on the market today only seat two or four passengers. Rear seat room is generous. At approximately 38 inches, the convertible's rear seat legroom is the same as the Marauder sedan.

"The Marauder Convertible may be the ultimate car for Woodward Avenue or Mulholland Drive because it has the performance we remember, the comfort and roominess of a Mercury sedan, and nothing but open sky when the top is down," says Steve Babcock, Marauder project manager. "The potential market for the Marauder sedan is vast - it could potentially encompass any person who ever owned a rear-wheel drive muscle car and everyone who ever wanted one."

Says Brian Kelley, president of Lincoln Mercury. "Marauders have heritage, performance and charisma. You'll see these same qualities in future Mercurys."

In addition to the Marauder, new Mercury products planned include the 2003 Grand Marquis, a new minivan due in 2003, two all-new sedans, a new multi-purpose vehicle and specialty image-building niche products.

Mercury Heritage Shaped Movie And Racing Lore

1949 Mercury Series 9CM: James Dean drove a de-chromed Mercury six-passenger coupe in the movie "Rebel Without a Cause." Mercury coupes went on to become the cars of choice for performance tuners and hot-rodders.

1963 1/2-1964 Mercury Marauder: The first Mercury Marauders were performance versions of Mercury's mainstream sedans, the Montclair and Monterey. They made their debut at the dawn of the muscle car era and were designed to capitalize on the success of the Bill Stroppe-prepared Marauder stock cars, including the one that Parnelli Jones drove to victory in the 1963 Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the legendary Woods Brothers' Mercurys driven to championships by David Pearson.

Pros: Power

Cons: Springy seats. Stodgy design. Antiquated interior. Soft handling and sluggish acceleration given the engine. Poor build quality.

Ratings (1-10)

• Style: 3
• Performance: 7
• Price: 6
• Handling: 6
• Ride: 7
• Comfort: 6
• Quality: 6
• Overall: 5.9

MORE DATA

Where Built: Canada

Major Options: Trunk organizer ($200), trunk-mounted, six-disc CD player ($350).

Seating: 6

Number of Rows: 2

Crash Test Ratings:

• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested. See Grand Marquis.
• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested.
• NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested.
• NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested.
• NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested.


• IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested. See Grand Marquis.

Length in Inches: 211.9

Warranties: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion, 3 years/36,00 miles free Roadside Assistance.

Weight in Pounds: 4,052

Towing Capacity in Pounds: Not Applicable

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 19.0

Destination Charge: $725