Hey Wizard! Thanks for the professional inspection! I have a lot of out of town buyers inquiring on this car and decided to go ahead pay to do a PPI for them. I am actually doing my detailed KZfaq video overview on my channel this afternoon and will upload today as well. Who will be the next owner of this special car?

I took your advice a few years ago and purchased a 2011 Town Car. I had one incident with it when driving on the I70. The engine ran rough and check engine light started flashing. I took it to two mechanics. One just threw parts at it and didn't fix it. The other ran tests and declared that one of the cylinders had zero compression. He suggested junking the car as it wasn't worth an engine rebuild or replacement. I took it home and tore off the valve cover. One of the valve springs had broken, explaining the zero compression. I used a borescope to view the piston and saw no damage. I purchased a valve spring compression tool for just this engine and replaced the spring myself. Engine has been running fine with no codes for many thousands of miles since. All that said, you were right!

I'm a cabbie, and we drive these for a reason. We had a Grand Marquis we got over 700k out of, typically these will run 4-500k, they tend to get wrecked before they wear out. My current cab is an 09 crown Vic, it has 90k on it and drives like a brand new car. No rattles or squeaks, I put 420 miles on it tonight, no problems whatsoever.

A friend of mine got his daughter one of those for college. Coming home for Christmas two years ago, she and a friend were struck by an 18-wheeler in Pennsylvania on I80. The Grand Marquis went through a guardrail and down a 300 ft embankment. Car destroyed. The girls walked away. It took her a month but she found another one. Her friend also bought one.

A local used car lot had one of these on the lot with 60k miles, 1999. Tried to convince all my broke college student friends to buy it and none of them were convinced. I picked it up for five grand and have been driving it for a year. I really enjoy it.

I drove a cab from '06 to '07, and we used the Ford Panther platform exclusively. Usually used cop Crown Vic's that we'd get at auction from the various police departments in the local area, with the occasional Town Car which we'd use for airport runs. When I left, the company had TWO of these cars with over SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES on them -- still with the ORIGINAL engines and transmissions! It was *VERY* common to see these things go 350K to 400K before a major failure. In fact, it was unusual *not* to see one hit 400K before needing something big like an engine or transmission. They built the platform for so long that they had literally decades to work out all the bugs. Utterly bulletproof!

I’ve had over 9 cars in the past 10 years. Mustangs, diesel pickups, Toyota Tacoma. Out of all of them the one I’ve kept the longest and drive every single day is my 2006 mercury grand marquis. Hands down the best car I’ve ever owned. Dead reliable is an understatement. Averages 23-25 mpg highway. Mine is approaching 200k miles. I’ll drive it until it needs to be scrapped. I can’t explain how much I love these cars. Best cars ever made.

I've got a Lincoln Town Car and I can't agree more. Car is an absolute tank, reliable as ever, comfortable, and fairly easy to work on. Parts are cheap and easy to find. And if you smoke a deer on an old backroad you can 9 times out of 10 drive it home. And as an added bonus you have enough room to put the entire deer comfortably in the trunk and still have room for a spare tire.

I bought an 04' Grand Marquis for $3000 based on your previous video. From a used car dealer, rebuilt engine yanked from a junkyard,, odometer not working, air only blows out of the dash and this car just won't quit. Multiple round trips from DFW to MPLS at 70 mph. Gotta love it.

My step brother's dad bought a '93 Grand Marquis from an old lady for about $1,500. It only had 32,000 miles on it. All Church and grocery miles. Garage kept it's entire life. Thing was the mintest Panther I have ever seen. Then he traded it for a non running RV with a broken windshield and all the mold in the world. I offered to buy it for $2,000, but he really wanted that dumb RV. And after a month of trying to get it liveable/running, code enforcement told him to get rid of it. So he sold it for like $500. You could imagine how mad I was. We don't talk no more..

These were also used as NYC cabs before the Prius took over. Super reliable cars.

Just bought one of these! 2002 Grand Marquis with 49,000k miles on it. I love it so much, couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's a beautiful blue color, luxurious inside, and I get to use my cassette collection on the road!

I just acquired my dad's 2006 Town Car, in the same color as yours. It's in great original condition, and I agree with everything you've said here. The car isn't exciting or sporty, BUT it's drop-dead reliable, easy to service and fix and is by-far the most comfortable and quiet car I've ever driven, aside from a Rolls-Royce. I'm not a Ford guy, but I highly recommend these...

8 and half years ago I bought a 2006 Town Car with 440,000 miles for $900. Im still driving it daly with 520,000 miles on it now. Most of the repairs (if not all) range in the $100 to $200 range for parts. The Panther Platform is the most reliable car ever built in my opinion. And also (at least with the Lincoln) the heater core can be replaced without pulling the dash out!!!

That owner took impeccable care of this vehicle. Man, it looks nice. I was very impressed by the ease of maintenance that was pointed out. I had a 1996 Toyota Corolla for 25 years and 360,000+ miles. I had handle-operated windows at a time when it had become an oddity. That was my standard of good and low-maintenance and reliable car. It never stranded me. It was the body that gave out, not the engine.

These are actually great first cars for young drivers, especially those who have a desire to learn and do their own maintenance. You can swap pretty much any small modular Ford V8 into this platform. You can throw in power adders, bolt ons or just leave it bone stock for longevity. It rarely breaks down, but it’s like a 15-45 minute fix if does break. This is probably the best platform since the Chevy Caprice or possibly better because it’s easier to get parts and the transmission and fuel system are bulletproof.

We just bought a 2001 Grand Marquis LS after watching this video and reading about them. It was a one-owner, estate sale car with 11,400 actual miles. Always garaged, looks almost new inside, outside, and underneath. Paid $7k, and we love it! Thank you, Car Wizard!

I love these Panther Platform cars! My 2007 Town Car had 465,000 miles on it and still had 181 compression with the original nonrebuilt engine or transmission in it. The Panther Platform first came out in 1979 and went until 2010 for civilians and 2011 were for fleet services.

As far as not scoring points on a date I scored several times in my Grand Marquis, I truly miss that car, drove the wheels off of it and it was one of the best most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. I'm old enough to still think that car is absolutely beautiful.

I purchased a 2004 Lincoln Town Car with 101,000 for $4500. I purchased it knowing it had a few issues. It was sitting a while due to the original owner passing away. I put new tires, brakes, fuel pump. Runs like a top!!! Rides like a dream!! Looks and runs like new!! I'm 65 and retired...I drive 3000 miles a year. It may be the last car I buy!! 😂 My car has no leaks or rust. It's a Florida car! Looks like new underneath.

Ive had many of those during my years on the road as a sales rep. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT 👍🏻

Dude, you will absolutely get points for taking a girl on a date in this thing. Maybe not for how it looks, but once she's in there... It's spacious, extremely comfortable, Rides so smooth. It's literally 2 couches riding on 4 wheels. They're freaking great cars, i kinda want to get another one. The older ones have bench seats front and back so there's no center console getting in the way if your gal wants to snuggle up while you're driving.(with a column shifter) the Lincoln Town car might've kept the column shifter, I'm not sure.

My brother-in-law had one. I borrowed it when our vehicles were down for a couple of days. I asked if he wanted sell it. The ride was so smooth and quiet. The seats were plush. You didn't sit in the seats, you sunk into them. He drove that thing for quite a few years, put a ton of miles on it, much of which towing a pop up camper. He had very little trouble with it.

Agreed. I had a crown Vic. Sold it to a brother. Had a grand marquis. Took a terrible wreck to stop it. Bothe vehicles treated me very well and it was easy to do all my own upkeep. I was very upset when I heard that they’d decided to stop producing them. Great vid!

My Dad had a 93 Marquis. I drove it for him on a trip. I was totally amazed it got 28mpg at 75mph. He said many times it was his favorite car of his life. It was Teal outside and in. Beautiful car. He traded it cuz he got tired of putting the gear for the speedo inside the cluster.

I used to deliver parts to a limo company who exclusively used town cars from this era. He did all his own maintenance on a good schedule. He had a town car with original engine and trans that had over 740,000 miles on it. He even started it up to show me that it still ran, and it ran great. A bit of oil smoke on cold start, but that was it. Was literally shocking to me that they can go that long.

I took a lot of airport limo rides in the late 90s, early 2000s, and rode in some very high milage Mercurys and Lincolns. Highest milage one was a long wheelbase Town Car with 390,000 miles. Dulles Airport mandated retiring the limos at 400,000 miles, so that one was almost done.

My dad had a 94 Grand Marquis LS with the air suspension. Still the most comfortable car I've ever rode in, timing chain went at 190k and that was that, but I think that was because the car had been sitting for a while at that point. It wasn't a speed demon, but the torque was so nice, didn't matter if it was 1 person or the whole family in the car, it could get up and go no problem.

These cars and the Buick Park Ave are two gems from the old guard. That 1996 park ave is legendary. Gives you the modern power platform with the old school luxury. Pillow top seats, metal buttons, justa nostalgia bomb that is actually a great daily drive

I have a 1999 Grand Marquis with 190,000+ miles and will do ANYTHING to keep it running. It is super reliable and very easy to work on. Fantastic car, super comfortable. I believe this is the best car ever built for the money.

Hi Wizard! Grandpas and Grandmas are the best people - not only the're patient, but drive cool underappreciated cars and also maintain them very well! More younger people could learn o lot from them about, simpler cars and life...so respect them, because they and their cars won't stay forever. [comment written by a 38 yo guy that appreciates and likes "grandpa" cars]

Grandpa and Grandma's car maybe, but cool as hell those old panthers are at the same time. I currently drive a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis LS with every available factory option and an original sticker price of 26k, I named her Lisa Rae, I'm not sure why but she just seems like a Lisa Rae. Has to be one of the most attractive and indestructible cars I've ever seen. She has 73k Original miles, no rust from what I can see, and two owners before me. She's served me well so far, I guess time will tell how things go overall. Ironically she's tan with a red pinstripe just about like this 98-02 is.

I’ve got a 2011 Grand Marquis, that was my work car, before I retired. I’ve gotten 30 MPG, on long trips, and other than regular maintenance It hasn’t cost me a dime in repairs. I’ve gotten rear ended twice, and it never even scratched the paint on the bumper. Both other cars had significant damage.

I daily drive an ‘05 Grand Marquis and put 500-600 miles weekly. Bought it several years ago with 60k on it and it currently reads 140k. I have put less than $1000 in non routine maintenance. Hands down the most reliable and comfortable car I have owned. Besides a ‘97 Town Car which I sold with over 300k on it. Great video Wizard!!

Surprisingly, my 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis actually got me a 2nd date because she knew how beasts these cars actually are. Sure, they're Grandpa status type but gets me around with no problems. Thanks for the spotlight Wizard!

I just got a '05 grand marques. I gotta get it in the shop to fix a few little things. It was my grandfather's down in Florida, he got it new then shipped it to Maryland to my father in 2015. Dad's been driving it back and forth to work about 10 miles a day. It has 170k miles on it. I'm so excited to get it looking like new again.

I could not agree with more on all points. I've had the 3.8 Buick in a 97 LeSabre....275,000 miles before it died. Never had the Crown Vic, but I did have a 98 F250 w/5.4L and the same air-filled coils on the rear axle as your Grand Marquis you've shown us here. Great video, you've got another subscriber.

I have a 2003 Crown Vic LX with the HPP option. Has 145000 miles on it now and is still going strong. I love driving it and people really like it. It has the digital dash, leather interior, six cd changer in the trunk (still works), 3:27 gears, 17-inch aluminum wheels, automatic air suspension in the rear. I replaced the air suspension recently with some Arnot replacements. I have owned it for 5 years now and have no plans of selling it now or in the future. Yes, I am an old 73-year-old guy who loves all cars. I also have a 1993 Pontiac Trans Am that I purchased in 1993 when I retired from the military. Have always been a Pontiac guy and am so sad they are gone now. Everyone have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas.

I have 2 Towncars, a 99 and a 97. The Panther platform is the most reliable car I ever had. If I just want to go from A to B without ever even thinking about what can go wrong with the car I always take one of them.

Thanks for the recommendation! I just finished purchasing a 2008 Grand Marquis today from a local car lot. My Grand Marquis came with a Silver exterior, Beige interior. Happily paid $5500 for it in great condition. It drives so smooth, quiet V8 engine and the lazy boy seats are so comfortable! Unfortunately in the past I've gone though so many cars that didn't last, bad cars. Should have purchased myself a Grand Marquis 20 years ago! I'm late but I got myself one. Plan to have it repainted and plan to order a deluxe seat cover set for it.

Absolutely nothing wrong with buying a grandpa car. When I was 17 shopping for my first car with my parents, we looked at a bunch of normal cars. Audi A4, Hyundai Elantra, Chevy Impala Wagon, Nissan Sentra, and so on, but none were hitting right with me until I found and test drove an 07 Ford Five Hundred. The car you would get if a Taurus and Grand Marquis had a baby. I was 17 and WANTED the grandpa car. It was beige inside and out and other than a leaking brake caliper, it never let me down. Had it for a year and a half til I sold it for my 13 Taurus, another old man car. And a few months ago I bought a '90 Ford Country Squire (wood paneled, of course), yet another grandpa car.

Despite not made for several years, these are out there and in very good shape, low miles largely due to fact that they are Grandpa cars. I found 1999 MGM LS in similarly pristine condition with 60K miles 3 years ago for $3.5K. Just drove it 1/2 way cross country to Yellowstone, very smooth ride, absolutely love it.

I have had 5 Crown Vics and Grand Marquis. Currently I have a Crown Vic and a Lincoln Town Car. My brother has had seven. They are bulletproof. I have always gotten around 28 miles per gallon and no repair problems. They are great. I've talked to police officers who don't want to get rid of their units when the department transitions to suv's. Thanks Wizard.

I highly recommend this transmission pan for high mileage models because it includes a drain plug to drain the transmission fluid without removing the pan. Dorman Transmission Oil Pan: Direct Fit, Steel, 17 Quart Part # 265-813 Limited Lifetime Replacement (8 reviews) $39.99

I can attest to the durability of the panther platform. I bought a 06 P71 ( crown vic ex-police car) from the second owner with 140,000 miles on the odometer. The big reason I chose a ex-police care was that they are fleet maintained and I have not been disappointed. Averages 22 mph and a high of 24 mpg.

This appears to be an LSE, based on the dual exhaust, floor shifter/console and air ride. Very nice 👍

Love the Grand Marquis and Crown Vics! My late husband loved big "grandpa" cars and we had three of them over 25 years together. Always reliable, easy to handle, and great on long trips. I kept his last GM, a 2002 GS, for over 5 years after he passed, and I'd still have it now if it hadn't developed chronic engine problems. It had only 214K miles on it, so we must've gotten a defective one, lol. Still hope to get hold of another one if I can.

How lucky you guys are to have your hands on this beauty! It’s really hard for me to fathom that today’s auto industry is progressed in any real sense! They actually went backward in my humble opinion. I simply love these rear wheel drive big ole American cars! Hands down! I am in my seventies, and lived in the US for thirty some years, my current love is Chevy Suburban!

This is a pretty rare spec for 2002. An LSE I believe. I had one of these about 10 years ago. This pre-dates the Marauder which had the same floor shifter, released in 2003. Fantastic vehicles though...I have owned about 8 Panthers down through the years.

Quiet, very strong movement, and V8 authority. I fixed a brake light sensor on the way home from buying it. Almost every part you can get at Advanced. Body on frame build makes it quick to get off the ground. Durable, feels great to drive through various conditions. Most models come without a middle console which I like for some convenience. Gigantic trunk that can fit almost anything. Cassette, CD, radio and bluetooth option(through cassette). Perfect for long drives with cushion and pushin. I could keep going. Its like having Bentley for a couple grand. I highly recommend.

I had a rebuilt alternator fail on my crown vic. I pulled into the parts store and asked for a replacement and a 10mm socket, 3/8 ratchet, and short extension. I had the core on the counter before they had the replacement. Bulletproof for sure, I've had a few, best cars I've ever owned

My grandma has a 2004 Grand Marquis that I drive sometimes and I didn't like it at first, I thought it was too floaty, but once you get it on the highway... you understand the Ford Panther platform. There is plenty of room, the ride is super smooth, and it still has enough power in that old 4.6 V8 to pass slow crossovers. I kinda want to buy a nice late model Crown Vic/Grand Marquis and keep it forever.

I love my 93 Town Car. It's kinda the opposite of this car, higher mileage and not in the best condition. It has a lot of little issues but runs and drives great and has been very reliable. It's a very easy car to work on for the most part, and I only paid $500 for it almost 6 years ago.

I have an 04 Town Car converted to coil overs in the back. Love that thing. It just works. Had an oil leak when I bought it, turned out to just be the drain plug. They don't make em like this anymore.

Love this channel so transparent and honest.

I purchased a 2004 Lincoln Town Car that had 33,000 original miles at the end of this past summer. I did a video similar to this on my channel where I explain it’s one of the best used vehicles to buy. Practical, reliable, comfortable, and plenty of parts on hand. Love my LTC.

Had a 2007 Crown Vic retired cop car with 170k miles. At 220k, I blew out a spark plug , fixed that, then at 230k electric fan crapped out & car overheated but it was ok. After that repair, the A/C went out at 250k & decided to sell it. A year later, saw the kid I sold it to driving it around town! These cars refuse to die!

I went shopping for cars with my son a year ago. Found a Grand Marquis and never looked back. Been spot on reliable for him and I worry just a little less knowing he has such a heavy car.

This is a Grand Marquis LSE, a fairly rare option package, which contained the handling package, which is how you got the air suspension, dual exhaust, and the buckets/console. The air suspension, when if fails, can be expensive to fix. Most people convert it to regular springs. There are also aftermarket repair kits and upgrades if you want to keep it. Precision-Track is the marketing name for the Watt's linkage rear suspension, basically an articulated sway bar, on 1998-2011 cars. The climate control controller is an issue, and was for the entire 1992-2011 run of the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, and the 1990-2011 Town Cars. There are services that rebuild them if the electronics fail (they will). The other issue with them is the O-rings on the vacuum ports dry out and stop working. It's a pain to remove the control unit, but the O-rings are a cinch job themselves. Manual A/C and climate-control cars both use an electric blend-door motor instead of vacuum-operated, and it's prone to failure, and the failure can short the climate control unit. The blend-door motor and heater core are both very unpleasant jobs best left to a professional. I would also suggest leaving the control unit R&R to a pro, too, as disassembling the dash can be a tricky, somewhat delicate operation. The only other real weak spots on these are frame rot (avoided by keeping it clean and regularly getting a quality anti-corrosion treatment), and Ford's AOD/derivative transmissions aren't the strongest. When a rebuild is needed, specify the police or livery/limo clutch packs, and that helps eliminate the problems. I hope that car never sees a snowflake. On principle, I'd probably be oiling the undercarriage and the inner front fenders (known rust-out spot), even if it's never driven in winter.

Mrs and Mr Wizard, thanks for the amazing video, but i could not resist pointing out an EXTREMELY important detail. this is not a regular grand marquis but a very special LSE trim, which is the only grand marquis comes with the floor shifter, the only one that has the h-pipe with dual exhaust, a tighter suspension (03-05 LSEs have air suspension, i do not know about 02 and earlier), and a 3.27 rear diff (as opposed to a 2.73 that most of these have) this car is a holy grail in the panther community. an LSE with those miles is a collector's car. period. I would love to import it into canada if it ever becomes available for sale.

One of the best options you could check was the tow package, With the tow package you get every thing that was on the police Crown Victoria except the extra horsepower that came with the police tuned engine. That's oil and trans cooler, real dual exhaust, heavy duty radiator, heavy duty battery, bigger alternator, 11 inch rear brakes, 3.55 traction lock rear gear, and heavy duty shocks and springs.

Dude!! This car is absolutely gorgeous and it honestly breaks my heart at the lack of Mercury vehicle videos in general here on the World Wide Web. They are SO underrated! I’m from Toronto and I come from a long line of Mercury cars going as far back as my mum’s ‘83 Mercury Zephyr (my father and HIS father) had the Fairmont, ALL with the inline straight 6! My mum had her ‘83 Mercury Zephyr from 1986 till 1997. I Literally grew up in that car…on the road… travelling from the East to the West of Canada.. over the hills and far away and sometimes in brutal unforgiving Canadian weather! By the time my mother FINALLY junked the Zephyr, it was rotted out and full of holes. The straight 6 had about a million CONFIRMED km’s on it and it was STILL going! That engine would NOT die! Then I grew up and I had two Mercury Topaz cars and one Ford Tempo. To this day my ‘93 Mercury Topaz LS with the Ford Vulcan V6 was the BEST car I ever had! I miss that car every day. And you know what? Try to find a Mercury Grand Marquis here in Ontario! There’s actually very few on the market and the ones that ARE on the market have at least 300,000 kms and if it has low kms, you’re gonna pay at LEAST $7,000… and that number is quite steadily going up!

One of my Grandsons calls my 2004 Town Car "The Ole Geiser's Car". We call the Town Car "The Queen Mary Todd, Lincoln". Great car, this is my 5th Panther Platform Car. One Crown Vic, 2 Grand Marquis and this is the second Town Car. Love your videos, I am also a fellow Kansan. Keep the coming.

I have a 2001 Mercury Marquis LS and it’s got just about 178k on it now. It still idles, drives, sounds, looks so nice! It’s starting to look a little worn now, but still very shiny and presentable! It drives and performs perfectly. I don’t necessarily like want a grandpa car to be honest, but it drives so nicely and it never breaks down or leaves me on the side of the road. It’s an awesome car and my deceased step-mother left it to me when she passed 8 years ago! It had almost 100k miles on it then and was flawless. I could not have asked for a more practical and safe vehicle. I’ll probably never sell it.

I've a 2010 Grand Marquis Ultimate with the air ride suspension. I absolutely love t and just turned 40k miles. I love that it's built on a frame so it's built like a tank. HUGE trunk. And the 4.6 V8 runs like a top. Highway driving on long trips I can get 28 mpg, though typical stop and go and short highway runs I average 24 mpg. The ride is so comfortable, it's like riding your leather couch as you cruise down the road...

I visited the Ford plant that made these cars back in 2003 in St. Thomas, ON, Canada. Well done cars. The plant was closed in 2011, stayed under dismantling for several years until the area was purchased by Amazon and a distribution center was built there.

Drove one for years as a patrol car and also unmarked unit. Totally awesome. An out of control driver ran into the left rear at high speed and the car, sustained lots of damage, but seemed unfazed. I was uninjured. It had a fuel cut off switch in the trunk that was activated. I reset the switch and the very damaged car was driven back to the office. These cars were awesome in many ways......

My Grandpa had a Grand Marquis and The few times I got to drive it was addicting. The ride was the smoothest I've had the pleasure of experiencing, while on roadtrips I slept several times in the back seat and it was amazing, like sleeping in my own bed even though the roades could be kinda rought at times. She never ever gave up on my grandpa and he still drives it, even on awfully maintained roads of northern california which have eaten so many cars I've seen around here. Not only that but it had plenty of power and just flew down the freeway. I honestly really want to buy one if I get the chance, and not just cause of the nostalgia.

I had one. I believe 2002. Loved it and it saved my life. T-Boned from the drinker’s side at 45 mph. The center post between front and rear door was less than 12” from my hip after that side was shoved in. Had bench seat with fold down arm rests. Ironically I was already scheduled for a major back surgery which I had about a week later. Great car to by a young driver. Will protect their lives.

These cars are so great because they're built on a recipe that Ford has been refining for many many years. We had a 1986 Mercury Marquis Colony Park that was a fantastic vehicle! That car was built on an earlier version of the platform and used a Ford 302 V8 that was equally reliable. Before that, we had a 1973 Colony Park (400 2bbl) and before that a 1969 Colony Park (I don't know which engine came in that car- I was 5 years old at the time, lol)! All of these were variations of a theme that became the ultra reliable panther platform and they were all fantastic vehicles!😉😎

That is the LSE model which is very rare. Most come with the column shift. LSE is like the Crown Victoria LX Sport or Marauder. I personally been buying as many as i can to save from the junkyard. Great car.

Preach it brother~ I've driven these my whole life & have two in my driveway. Great room, decent power & wonderful to drive.

Couldn’t agree with you more. I just prefer my 2003 for the rack and pinion steering, extensive use of aluminum and slightly firmer ride. I’ve owned mine nearly 21 years with 150k miles and only have replaced the fuel pump. They can also be a great deal used for all the reasons you mentioned.

Just as an FYI that is a rarer model known as the LSE (won't say it anywhere in the car except maybe on the floor mats). More of a "sport" package with the bucket seats and floor shifter/center console, dual exhaust tips and a little more HP. Only made for a couple of years, I believe 2002/2003. I had one and loved it. Compares to the Crown Vic Sport.

had a 2002 Grand Marquis...digital dash...loved it, still one of my favs of all time.

I agree and enjoyed your rationale. TheToronto airport Limo drivers used this platform and I'd always ask them how many KM on them? I often heard 800,000KM and they still drove great.The one to get is the Police package if you can find an undercover model.

These can also be found in the form of the mercury marauder, which looked sick and had the 300hp 32v 4.6 V8 from the new edge ford mustang mach 1. They are also very safe, partly because they rated very well in crash tests, and because if yours is white with a black grille, even without lights or a pushbar, people drive safer around you. This particular car makes 239hp as its the lse trim with the center console, rear sway bar and dual exhaust.

Definitely an LSE. Pretty rare option, especially for the mileage.

Enjoyed the inspection. A year ago we found and purchased a 2011 Grand Marquis with 71,000 miles on it; a real gem. They only made 248 of them in their final year. I immediately added a rear sway bar, and soon had to replace the battery and alternator, but that's it! Best used car I've ever owned, and it has never seen snow. I have planned dual exhaust and intake upgrades, followed by a Marty Tune. Then we'll keep it and use it like it was intended!

I did this similar thinking when I acquired my mercury milan, it was a great platform that depreciated. I still recommend people look for a Milan. I used it to save for a Mercedes. I've been very lucky with both vehicles.

This feels about 5 years too late. I had one of these back then, a 2004 P71 for $1500. It ran great, but was rusty and had a massive exhaust manifold leak. I don't see hardly any of them for sale anymore, especially for that price. It would've been nice to have an alternative being built past 2011.

My first car was a 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis. I paid $500 at an estate sale. Side note, ALWAYS buy at estate sales. You get amazing deals from families wanting everything to simply be gone. Anyway, I drove that Grand Marquis until the engine gave out around 10 years ago. GREAT car.

I have always been a fan of the vehicles on the Panther Platform. I hit tough times recently, and was looking for a cheap car as a daily driver. I found a 2004 Lincoln Town Car with some mileage (270k miles) and some pretty minor problems (mostly cosmetic). After purchasing the vehicle back in July for a mere $500, I replaced the window switch and most of the power steering system. It is now December and I've put a little over 10k miles on this car since the purchase and I can honestly say this is one of the best cars I've ever owned. The only drawbacks are the lack of A/C and that the suspension was replaced with Crown Vic Poilice Interceptor suspension by the previous owner, so no air ride. Side note, I've also owned a Buick LeSabre and can attest to the vehicle's reliability. That was another sub-$1000 vehicle that I can confirm the dependability of.

I owned an 08 Grand Marquis for many years and drove it until it had 200k on it then sold it before I moved to MO because I couldn't take it with me sadly. I could have driven another 200k on it. My God I miss that car so much. You are so right, Wizard. The Panther platform is practically indestructible and I can't believe Ford discontinued it

If there was a car type capable of almost singlehandedly putting the Car Wizard out of business (nothing to fix) these cars would certainly be in the running, pun intended. Nothing like a car that gets praise from the Car Wizard for giving him nothing to do. Kudos for sharing this gem, Car Wizard.

I currently own a 01 crown vic and an 04 town car. I drove 150 miles to buy the town car. It only has 108,000 miles on it. The body and underside is as nice as the one in this video. The interior is immaculate like the car in this video. I spent $4500 to buy it and I have absolutely no regrets. I've had the 01 CV for 3 or 4 yrs now , I paid $1200 for it, it just turned 200,000 miles and runs like a top. It's my daily driver for work. In the past I've owned a 91 town car, 94 town car, and a 2007 town car that was a little rough body wise but it ran perfect. These cars are so reliable and when they do break, the parts are cheap and plentiful, and they're super easy to work on. These cars are the best kept secret in the used car market.

This was my first car. An 01 Mercury grand Marquis LS. Bought it my sophomore year in college. Put three kegs in the Trunk. My college days are filled with memories of this car.

Geez, Wizard, I was just talking to my wife about getting a Town Car as my commuter. Thanks for giving me at least a bit of vindication!😂 Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Wizard!✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

Absolutely agree! My 99 Mercury Grand Marquis had 410,000 before the transmission finally went out. Seriously it was like driving a velour couch with the best air conditioning you ever had.

My wife's parents had a Crown Victoria, and her grandmother had a Grand Marquis -- in this same color! Slow, comfy, and reliable rides!

I had a Grand Marquis and loved it. When I needed a truck upgrade, I went to a E 150 van. It shares the power train with the F 150 and yes, The Crown Vic family!

I just bought a 99 Crown Vic with 80K miles. It’s a South Carolina garage queen grampa car. Already had the intake manifold replaced. All it needs are a few suspension parts and rubber exhaust hangers. Looking forward to a great road trip car.

I'm driving my fourth Grand Marquis now and I"ve driven all of them well over 200K miles with little repair expense. All of they dripped a bit of oil from the rear main seal just before I traded them in. I always got 24+ mpg on the highway. I think they are the best value ever.

Driven over a million miles on these panther bodies. With regular maintenance, they will easily rack up 3-400k miles with no major repairs. I've seen some with 7-800k miles before being scrapped. The biggest issues these things have is that the intake manifold (which is plastic) tends to go bad and crack, and usually happens around 120-175k miles. Most common to happen to happen in northern climates with the fluctuating temps, and really just get a Ford performance manifold and within an afternoon, you can swap a new one in with hand tools. Coil packs also tend to go bad, and you can easily swap it out in a parking lot in 10 minutes. The engine bay is huge, so it is easy to work on. Any mechanic can work on this thing blindfolded. Parts are ready and accessible everywhere. The only downside I've seen recently is that these actually have gone up in value on the used car market. You used to be able to get an unmolested one, driven by a granny with 80k miles for 2-4k. Nowadays, you will be lucky to pay that much for one with twice as many miles, unfortunately.

I owned a 97 G Marq from 70k to 220k miles. Only weird failures were the intake manifold coolant crossover (was a recall but hadnt been fixed) and the turn signal switch. Everything else was wear items. It did oddly have slight wear on the cross shaft in the differential that caused a lil clunk. Same thing happened to a 86 model I had with the same axle.

I agree with you for the most part. However, I am o for 2 on this platform. I live in ohio ( rust belt) and the frames rot out in several places. Brother bought one from Florida in 3 years same problems. All 3 were garage kept and cleaned and regular maintenance. Something to look for and expect from these platforms. No complaints other than that. Great video. Thanks

LOVE these cars. I picked up a 2002 LTC with 110,000 miles for $600, yes $600. Had a ton of lights on the dash so it wouldn’t pass inspection and they basically had to give it away for fear of needing major repairs $$$. Narrowed it down to an ABS module (super common) and all the lights went away and everything was kosher. $200 cost/5 minute install. Most comfortable daily I’ve ever had; and as it turns out, one of the cheapest to maintain. 4.6/4R70/8.8 is an outstanding combo, there’s a reason why law enforcement Crown Vics lasted forever with years of abuse. Super easy and economical to service. And somehow that car still netted me anywhere from 19-22 mpg on the highway hand calculated and per the onboard reading. HVAC controls on the steering wheel, heated seats, PLENTY of leg room front/rear… Phenomenal cars if you don’t mind looking like a senior citizen 😂. People 100% sleep on these cars. I’d venture to say outside of fuel economy, these may be a better purchase than most newer Toyotas; especially those with direct injection, CVTs, etc. Ford hit their mark with these cars.

Take great pride in our 21 year old Mercury Grand Marquis with 130k on the odometer and in showroom condition. Car has been in our family since new I received it ten years ago after he passed. Has the usual replacement parts, manifold, radiator, water pump, front suspension, window regulators and wiper motor we absolutely love the car the most reliable we ever owned. Still driven a few miles daily since it's semi-retired and amongst the easiest to work on for a shade tree mechanic.

I kinda wish you would not tell people about these, I want the prices to stay reasonable.

I have a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis and it is smooth to drive and if you have to do some work on it it is fairly easy to work on. I am very impressed. I bought mine 3 years ago from a CHP officer who bought one as his personal car. They are great cars.