We are considering purchasing a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. Considering this is the last year they will me manufactured is this a wise thing to do? If not why do you recommend not doing this? Thank you.
Who told you that the GM will not be made after '08? I have not seen anything official. Evidence suggests that the St. Thomas plant will be making Panther platform cars for at least a few more years. It is true that the Merc name is at least as vulnerable as Plymouth and Olds were. Not to worry. The GM is virtually the same as the Crown Victoria. The only important differences are the sheet metal on the body. Worry not. If a big, dumb, reliable, and inexpensive car fits your needs, buy it.
Actually, the sheet metal is not different from a Crown Victoria. The only differences lie in the grille, the tail lights, the upholstery, and possibly in the softness of the suspension. The sheet metal of the Mercury Grand Marquis is identical to that of the Ford Crown Victoria.
I’ve driven and owned CVs and GMs for about 25 years and they are great handling cars with plenty of room and great gas mileage, but I wouldn’t buy a new on because of the high depreciation on the first year. It will lose 30% of the value in the first 6 mos and level off to about 40% after the first year. A one or two year will give good service save you money. LEE
It is a very good idea to get one. There are lots of parts available now and in the future. If it was a new model, there would be no used parts in the pipeline and no history of reliability. Mechanics are fully trained on these cars. Nobody would be qualified to do anything on a new model. If a windshield wiper motor goes bad on a new model, you can really pay if there aren’t any rebuilts available. You are getting all the benefits and none of the drawbacks. Don’t pay over 19,000 for it or you will be getting ripped off badly. Tax and dealer fees are extra, of course. They are sale priced everywhere.
My advice is to at least look at some barely used models. This model has abysmal resale value which makes it a great buy used even slightly.
I agree with the other posters who say to get a barely used copy. There are many 1 and 2 year old Grand Marquis (and Crown Vics for that matter) available, which will cost much less than a new one, and provide the same features, reliability, and comfort.
But, the Grand Marquis will be made at least until 2009, perhaps through 2010 and 2011, as the Crown Vic will continue in Police Interceptor form until then. I guess as long as Mercury exists, the Grand Marquis will.
Absolutely, there is very little reason to buy any new car, especially a model that will depreciate rapidly. These cars are not likely to be abused, look for a 2-3 year old one with low mileage and maintenance records.
I was using “sheet metal” as a synonym for “body parts” even though some are not made of metal anymore. I was also looking backwards, somewhat, and extrapolating. I don’t keep up on the specifics of the newest models. I suppose you consult an interchange manual or body part catalog. The interchange is actually pretty complicated when you look across the years. Depending on what car you have, a part from the “sister” brand might not work from the same year, but might work from a newer vehicle. Here is a pretty complete digest up to 2007.
http://www.freewebs.com/oqcvo/Tech/faq4.html
The suspensions have greater differences between the trim lines within models than across the brand barrier, though IIRC, antisway bars are no longer included at all on base GMs while there are some on the CVs.