Review: 2003 Mercury Marauder
SEE ALSO Mercury Buyer's Guide
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Mercury first used the Marauder name back in 1963. Although the name first referred to cars specially prepared for stock car racing and powered by a 410-horsepower 427 cubic inch V8, it was soon used for performance versions of street-legal Mercurys as well. Some of those even had the 427, but most were equipped with 390-cubic inch V8s making anywhere from 250 to 330 horsepower. Use of the name lapsed between 1965 and 1969, when is was first resurrected. The 1969-70 Mercury Marauder was a giant-sized two-door ``tunnel-back'' hardtop designed to combine American- style performance and luxury. A 360-horsepower, 429 cubic inch V8 motivated its 4,500-lb mass, but the end of the first muscle car era was fast approaching. Fast forward to 2003. The Marauder is back, again. And this one is the best by far. Based on the full-sized Grand Marquis sedan, today's Marauder combines the bad-boy spirit of a `Sixties muscle car with contemporary technology. It has the proper V8 in front, driving the rear wheels, but that V8 is a modern dual overhead cam unit and each of the four wheels is stopped by a large, vented disc brake. Unlike many of the old muscle cars, the 2003 Mercury Marauder is not adverse to stopping or cornering. I've been driving one for the past week, and haven't had a dull moment. It's a great highway cruiser that can entertain on a secondary road, too. The 4.6-liter twin-cam V8 has all of the punch necessary, and the classic sound. The Marauder answers all the people who say ``they don't make them like they used to.'' Right - they make them better. APPEARANCE: The Marauder has an undeniable presence. Drive one on the highway, and you'll be noticed, if covertly. Traffic around you might even slow. This perhaps has something to do with its similarity in shape to its cousin, the Ford Crown Victoria, the most popular police car in the country. And, with its monochrome black color scheme - the only one currently available - it has a very official look. But police cars are not usually outfitted with ultra-low profile tires - larger at the rear - and 18-inch forged alloy wheels. Nor do they sport smoked headlight covers and a blacked-out waterfall grille at the front and dual oversized exhaust tips at the rear for a subtle performance statement, with chrome trim around the side windows giving a luxury touch. COMFORT: Inside, the Marauder is an interesting mix of then and now. The wide, flat instrument panel comes as close as possible to 1960s styling while meeting all current safety requirements, but a period ribbon-type speedometer is replaced by contemporary black- on-silver analog gauges. ``Dot-matrix'' trim replaces the bright chrome of the old days as well. The oil pressure gauge and voltmeter are at the front of the console, where aftermarket gauges were commonly placed way back when. The shift lever is, properly, in the console. Space is not a problem, and leather seating and style say ``luxury''. The power-adjustable front seats are wide and flat, comfortable enough but lacking in side bolstering. Still, they are a considerable improvement over any `Sixties seats. The wide rear seat can hold three people easily. ``Cavernous'' is the best description of the trunk. Despite containing a full-sized spare tire at the front, over the rear axle, there are few if any car trunks with larger capacity. The optional trunk organizer, four covered compartments in the floor, adds convenience and holds small and medium-sized items securely. SAFETY: No nostalgia in the safety department. The Marauder has four-wheel antilock vented disc brakes, front and side-impact air bags, and the ``Personal Safety System'' as standard equipment. ROADABILITY: Thirty years of improvements in engineering, materials, and tire technology show. Although it's directly from the classic mold, with body-on-frame construction, and the engine in the front, driving the rear wheels through a solid axle, the Marauder far outshines any classic muscle car in the ride and handling department. The full perimeter frame uses both hydroformed steel and cast aluminum pieces in addition to regular steel for improved rigidity and crashworthiness and lighter weight. The independent short-and- long arm front suspension uses Tokico monotube shock absorbers and a hefty 28mm ``Gripper'' front stabilizer bar system. Although a solid axle is used at the rear, upper and lower control arms and lateral Watt's linkage and air springs keep it very well-behaved, with no annoying and traction-destroying axle hop. Four-wheel vented antilock disc brakes stop the 4,200-lb Marauder very well, and the low-profile tires provide better traction and cornering force than any tires available 30 years ago. The rear tires are larger than the fronts to maximize the rear contact patch. The Marauder's ride is firm, but not uncomfortable. It handles remarkably well for its size, but its size shows in fast transitions. Refer to Physics 1A for the effects of mass and inertia.... PERFORMANCE: While the Marauder's 302 horsepower (at 5750 rpm) is less than that of many classic-era muscle cars, those 302 horses are more conservatively rated than in the old days. They could well be equivalent to 350 or more late-`60s ponies. In the late '60s, the Marauder's dual overhead cam, 32-valve fuel-injected engine would have been an exotic racing engine, far removed from the cast-iron pushrod overhead valve engines found in production cars of the day. Modern technology allows what then would have been a ``small block'' engine to make ``big block'' horsepower, although torque, at 318 lb-ft at 4300 rpm, is somewhat less than that of a large-displacement engine. Still, today's Marauder could probably beat any vintage street-legal example in a drag race, helped by good low-end torque, a fast-shifting four-speed automatic transmission, and acceleration-friendly axle ratio. The sound is absolutely right, a fine V8 rumble. CONCLUSIONS: Yesterday and today successfully meet in Mercury's Marauder sports-luxury sedan. SPECIFICATIONS 2003 Mercury Marauder Base Price $ 33,790 Price As Tested $ 35,045 Engine Type dual overhead cam 32-valve aluminum alloy V8 Engine Size 4.6 liters / 281 cu. in. Horsepower 302 @ 5750 rpm Torque (lb-ft) 318 @ 4300 rpm Transmission 4-speed automatic Wheelbase / Length 114.7 in. / 212.0 in. Curb Weight 4195 lbs. Pounds Per Horsepower 13.9 Fuel Capacity 19.0 gal. Fuel Requirement 91 octane unleaded premium gasoline Tires F:P235/50 WR18 R:P245/55 WR18 BF Goodrich G-Force T/A Brakes, front/rear vented disc / vented disc, 4-channel antilock standard Suspension, front/rear independent short-and-long arm with coil springs/ solid axle with Watt's linkage and air springs Drivetrain front engine, rear-wheel drive PERFORMANCE EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon city / highway / observed 17 / 23 / 18 0 to 60 mph est. 7.5 sec Coefficient of Drag (cd) 0.36 OPTIONS AND CHARGES Trunk organizer $ 200 6-disc trunk-mounted CD changer $ 350 Destination and delivery $ 705