Automotive Reviews
Four Doors
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis LS
Jun 19th
Back in 1987, my late great-aunt bought a Mercury Grand Marquis. That darling, feisty old lady decided it was time to replace her eight-year old Ford LTD Landau, walked into the Mercury dealer, picked out a black Grand Marquis, paid for it with a check, and kept that car until she passed away fourteen years later.
Were she still with us, chances are she’d walk into a Mercury dealer and repeat the process. That’s what the Grand Marquis is for. If you’re too young to remember the Reagan presidency, you’re probably thinking, “They still MAKE those things?” And it’s true, they do. Cars like Chevrolet’s Impala and Buick’s LeSabre hint at the glory days of the softly-sprung, highway-bred sedan, but the Grand Marquis is still living that particular slice of the American dream, complete with rear-wheel drive and a big V8 under that long hood. For 2001 the Grand Marquis soldiers on, having carried the same basic structure (with updates, naturally) since the early 1990s. Tweaks include the new Personal Safety System, which regulates the deployment of airbags in an accident, and optional adjustable pedals.
No cutting-edge design here; the biggest Mercury knows its audience, and plays directly to it. The chrome grille with its narrow vertical bars has been a Grand Marquis hallmark since the 1970s. All of the character lines emphasize the car’s length and width. Though it’s not that much bigger than a Chevy Impala (an inch or two here and there), it looks like it’s two sizes bigger, at least. The Grand Marquis’ long hood and long trunk contribute to its classic American sedan proportions. And yes, it still comes with whitewall tires, wrapped around intricately sculpted aluminum wheels. We wonder what’s going to become of the Grand Marquis as Mercury moves into the more edgy, art-deco architectural design featured on the Cougar and upcoming Mountaineer, because Ford’s “New Edge” design is clearly not spoken here.
The Grand Marquis bears an even stronger resemblance to its forebears on the inside. With bench seats up front and tons of legroom in the rear, it’s a good place for four people to spend a cross-country trip. The instrument panel is digital, and the big Mercury defies the modern “cockpit” interior trend with a horizontal wood strip which runs from one side of the car to the other. Interior storage space could be better; although the Grand Marquis is available with a six-disc CD changer, there’s no space to put six CD cases up front. Two smallish cubbies inside the armrests and a pair of narrow door pockets are about it. By contrast, the trunk is huge and deep. The floor isn’t flat, but it’s cavernous under that lid.
Driven a Grand Marquis of almost any vintage? You’ll be familiar with this drill: step on the gas, wait for the 4.6 liter V8 to respond with a muted growl, and that long hood rises slightly as the car squats on its suspension. It’s exciting, but most of the visceral drama is provided by the Grand Marquis’ shocks. It isn’t all that fast. 220 horsepower provides plenty of freeway power, once you get the car’s 3973 pounds rolling. The Grand Marquis is quiet, however. The engine is loafing along at low rpm for most freeway duties, thanks to long-legged 2.73:1 gearing.
Handling hasn’t changed a great deal since the early 1980s, either. Stacked up against all of its competition–Chevy Impala, Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Concorde, Toyota Avalon–the Grand Marquis has only a casual relationship with the road. That’s not a bad thing, since it’s exactly what most Grand Marquis buyers want. Soft springs absorb bumps as well as a balloon-tired sport-ute, and the car’s reflexes are somewhat…reserved. It can take a lot of steering wheel work to get that long nose pointed where you want it. A 40.3-foot turning circle gives urban Grand Marquis drivers plenty of three-point turn time to reflect upon of the glory days of the land yacht. The power steering is heavily boosted at low speeds, to provide that classic two-fingered steering experience. At higher speeds it tightens up nicely, though. One improvement over past years is a lack of floatiness in steering and suspension. Hard brake applications don’t threaten to scrape the front bumper on the ground like they did in years past.
By comparison to newer cars in its class, the Grand Marquis is lightly equipped. Don’t look for steering wheel radio controls or heated seats; they’re not available, and ABS and traction control are options. The Personal Safety System is standard. A Handling Package adds dual exhaust and a quicker final drive ratio, for a slight boost in power and acceleration. Prices start at $24,410 for an LS model. Our test vehicle was a Grand Marquis LS Limited edition, which featured a special leather and wood steering wheel, and gold-painted wheels to match its Harvest Gold paint job. Optioned-up with a six-disc trunk-mounted CD player, leather interior, power seats, and an integrated garage door opener, it stickered for $29,100, which isn’t too much more than my great-aunt paid for her Grand Marquis almost sixteen years ago.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, which we tested.
Length: 211.9 inches
Width: 78.2 inches
Height: 56.8 inches
Wheelbase: 114.7 inches
Curb weight: 3973 lb
Cargo space: 20.6 cu. ft
Base price: $24,410
Price as tested: $29,100
Engine: 4.6 liter SOHC V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: . 220 @ 4750 rpm
Torque: 265 @ 4000 rpm
Fuel capacity: .19.0 gal.
Est. mileage: 18/25
6/2009 update: What’s there to add? The Grand Marquis is a constant, even though it’s out of production. They’re all pretty much the same, have been since 1995, and they last forever unless you do something stupid to them. The electrics are going to fail left and right, but the car itself will just soldier on.
2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Jun 19th
The Ford Explorer is NOT a wimp. Sure, other sport-utes have more off-road ability, but none of them can match the Explorer’s suburban sales success. And now the vehicle of choice for soccer moms everywhere is taking it to the extreme sports crowd, with the brash new Explorer Sport Trac, comin’ at you like a Limp Bizkit song rendered in automotive form. It’s a whole new twist on the old SUV concept.
Or is it? Yes, it’s the only SUV in its class with an open cargo bed, but the four-door compact pickups from Chevrolet, Toyota, and Nissan fill a similar niche in the truck landscape. Apart from its SUV origins, the Sport Trac isn’t that different from those trucks.
One way it is different is in the appearance. Compared to those pickups (even the redesigned Nissan Frontier) the Sport Trac is dripping with attitude. The high sides on the stubby bed make all the difference in the world for the Sport Trac’s design; where the four-door pickups look foreshortened and stubby, the Explorer’s proportions are just right. An aggressive new face leads the way for an equally muscular body. Body-colored fender flares and a “power dome” hood give the Sport Trac a buff look. The sports-gear-friendly roof rails are standard equipment. And, of course, where the standard Explorer’s cargo area begins, the Sport Trac becomes a pickup truck, with an 50-inch bed made from dent-proof, rustproof sheet-molded composite material (SMC). An optional flip-out extender increases the bed’s length by 22.6 inches, and doubles as a cargo cage to keep loose objects from rolling around. Unfortunately, the stainless steel cage is also in the way if heavy objects need to be loaded. There’s a convenient 12-volt power point in the bed, hidden under a waterproof cover. A folding hard tonneau cover is available. Optional 16″ aluminum wheels look tough wrapped in 255/70R16 white-letter tires.
Inside, the Sport Trac shows how the familiar Explorer cabin has gone extreme-sports friendly. The console between the front seats lifts out and doubles as a small gear bag (although the zippers make it hard to use while driving). Cloth seats are dirt- and tear-resistant, and the floor is hose-out friendly rubber, instead of carpet. To take advantage of the open cargo bed, the rear window can be lowered, just like in classic station wagons, to make room for surfboards and other long cargo. The rear seat is comfortable enough for full-sized human beings, and can be folded flat for additional room as well. Unfortunately, the Sport Trac shares the Explorer’s narrow windshield and frontal area, which bites into outward visibility, but the standard Ford compact truck dash has been updated with sporty white-faced gauges and a unique textured dash reminiscent of anti-slip material. The Sport Trac also has the Explorer’s fantastic front seats, which are easily good for a full day of driving without major fatigue. Tube-frame bar-style door pulls jazz the interior up another notch. The available in-dash six-CD changer is a worthwhile option, and sounds great.
Heavy-metal looks aside, though, how does it drive?
More or less like an Explorer, thank you very much. The Sport Trac’s frame is 14.25 inches longer than that of the four-door Explorer, and some lateral stiffening has been added to improve handling. It’s slightly less squashy over bumps and around curves than the Explorer, but the trucky ride is nonetheless familiar. The Explorer’s basic setup (independent torsion bar front suspension and live axle with leaf springs in the rear) has been tightened up with swaybars for the Sport Trac application, but it’s the same basic ride. Yes, it’s tippy in corners; take them slowly. Thanks to a longer wheelbase, the Sport Trac is nominally happier on the freeway than the bouncy, jouncy Explorer. Antilock brakes are standard.
With the option of a shift-on-the-fly four wheel drive system, the Sport Trac won’t hesitate when faced with rough terrain, although the poor visibility to the front and rear quarters may make life difficult for the true extreme off-roaders who want to crawl up and down mountains. As a light-duty off-roader, though, the Explorer Sport Trac won’t disappoint. It’s still got a bumpier ride both on- and off-road than most competitors–thanks not only to the suspension, but also to the tube-style side rails, which tend to drag on short, steep hills
Ford’s 4.0 liter V6 lives under the hood, turning the Sport Trac’s tires with 205 horsepower. Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional 4.10 limited-slip rear end, and had plenty of grunt off the line. It’s hooked up to a five-speed automatic whose overdrive gear keeps the motor quiet on the freeway, even with the shorter optional gearing. This combo feels good on the freeway, and just a little bit strained for power when pressed off-road. For more sport-minded drivers, a five-speed manual is available.
Our test vehicle was a two-wheel drive Explorer Sport Trac, and it was outfitted with the bed extender, limited-slip rear axle, in-dash CD changer, cruise control and fog lamps. It stickered for $26,280. The 4×2 Sport Trac starts at $22,500. At that price, it’ll make a decent piece of gear for the ESPN2 crowd.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, which we tested.
Length: 205.9 in.
Width: 71.8 in.
Height: 70.1 in.
Wheelbase: 125.9 in.
Curb weight: 4183 lb
Cargo space: 29.6 cu. ft.
Base price: $22,500
Price as tested: $26,280
Engine: 4.0 liter SOHC V6
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic, rear wheel drive
Horsepower: 205 @ 5000 rpm
Torque: 240 @ 4000 rpm
Fuel capacity: 20.5 gal.
Towing capacity: 5620 lb. (4×2)
Est. mileage: 16/20
6/2009 update: Holy crap, did I actually make a Limp Bizkit reference? Yeesh. Anyway, the Sport Trac is a pretty common sight these days, like the Explorer. It shares the Explorer’s sort-of dated, sort-of timeless looks and general durability, as well as a tendency toward shabbiness if not cared for. Sport Trac owners are probably more likely to have abused their trucks.
2000 Toyota Echo
Jun 19th
It looks like all those years of slamming Toyotas for being dull and faceless are finally starting to pay off. The new-for-2000 ECHO subcompact is anything but anonymous, and that’s quite a departure for an economy car. Traditionally, small cars are the appliances of any manufacturer’s lineup, but lately appliances have been getting interesting. Toasters have character lines on them, personal computers come in different colors, and the Toyota ECHO is an entry-level car with enough style to ensure that it will leave the showroom floor for reasons beyond its low price.
An all-new design, the ECHO is smaller and priced lower than the Corolla. The entry-level car has been designed with young, first-time buyers in mind.
At first glance, the ECHO looks like a larger car that shrank in the dryer. A short trunk and hood appended to a large passenger area (which has been maximized through cab-forward design and a high roof) lend it a dwarfish look. It sports the very expressive, acute-angle-intensive design theme that’s spreading through Toyota’s once-bland product lineup. The tall roof makes the car look narrower than it is. In spite of the rather awkward overall appearance, the ECHO’s a reasonably attractive car. It has almost no hood; the passenger compartment has been pushed forward as far as it can go. The ECHO’s front end slopes steeply up from a wide lower duct and crosshatched black grill up to the windshield. A deep crease carries the line of the turn signals from front to rear. The ECHO’s profile view is the chunkiest, and a molding around the rocker panels helps to break this up a little bit. The high, flat, vertical tail is also a recurring theme on Toyotas, and suits the very vertical ECHO well. Six-spoke hubcaps on 14″ wheels complete the look. It’s a very expressive, unique-looking small car that’s not going to blend into the background.
Inside, the high roof offers plenty of headroom, of course. Thanks to the truck-sized roof and car-sized floor, getting in and out of the ECHO is easy. The first thing that draws the eye is the unusual, centrally mounted instrument panel. The term “instrument panel” is a little misleading, because the pod contains only a speedometer and a fuel gauge. It’s a nod to the commuter who doesn’t really care about engine speed, battery voltage, or oil pressure. The seats are high off the floor, chairlike, and they’re upholstered in a handsome checkered pattern that is a step above the typical gray econobox interior. Desk jockeys used to sitting in front of a PC will be comfortable in the ECHO, because the view through the windshield is reminiscent of a computerized driving simulator, thanks to the low cowl, extremely short hood, and a slight dip in the windows at the rearview mirrors. Adding to the IMAX theater feeling is a dash that slopes away from the driver and front passenger, and interior trim that dives slightly toward the front of the car. The rounded dashboard features deep crescent-shaped bins on either side of the radio, perfect for holding several compact discs or cassettes each. Another useful shelf is located under the steering wheel, and there’s even a second, smaller glovebox living above the regular one. Large storage bins on the doors will also come in handy, because the optional AM/FM/cassette/CD player provides great sound.
A downside to the extreme cab-forward design is a lack of driver legroom. With the seat set back far enough to accommodate long legs, the steering wheel is out of reach. We spent a lot of time driving the ECHO with our legs bent awkwardly. On the plus side, there’s plenty of trunk space, and the rear seats’ slightly longer cushions are actually more comfortable than those in the front. Four passengers can ride in comfort; although it’s smaller, the ECHO features just as much interior room as its larger sibling the Corolla.
Cramped footwell aside, the ECHO is plenty comfortable and capable on anything less than a road trip. The 1.5-liter, 108-hp engine provides plenty of torque to get the car moving quickly–no flashbacks to dangerously slow Ford Aspires and Geo Metros, here. Toyota’s VVT-i variable valve timing system makes the most of the smallish motor, and enables the ECHO to keep pace with other small cars. The four-speed automatic transmission is unusually refined for a small, inexpensive car; it’s smart enough to stay in a lower gear when it senses that the car is climbing a hill, and doesn’t jump awkwardly from gear to gear.
The high seating position, sharp turning circle and stadium-screen-sized windshield make it easy to take advantage of the little Toyota’s maneuverability. Squeezing into parking spaces and narrow holes in traffic is a breeze. The ECHO enjoys the congestion of the city more than the freeway. On the downside, the car’s light weight and high profile make it somewhat prone to crosswinds, like a minivan. Strong gusts across the freeway make the ECHO nervous, and prone to wandering. When the wind isn’t bothering it, the littlest Toyota’s handling is decent. It’s not a closet racer like the Ford Focus, and feels a little top-heavy in hard corners.
The ECHO is very, very well screwed together. Along with some much-appreciated personality, Toyota has infused the ECHO with the solid, quality feeling usually associated with larger cars like the Camry or Avalon. On the safety front, dual airbags and upper interior impact protection are standard. ABS and daytime running lights are available, as well.
The ECHO is offered in two- and four-door models, and only one trim level. Standard equipment includes wheel covers, a tilt wheel, and an underseat storage tray. Air conditioning, power locks, CD/cassette, a 60/40 folding rear seat, and ABS are on the options list. It may not be loaded down with standard equipment, but the ECHO’s base price of around $11,000 makes up for it. Our test car featured two upgrade packages which included the air conditioning, CD, remote mirrors, and a sport body kit, and it stickered for $14,165. For such a stylish piece of basic transportation, that’s low enough to make the Toyota ECHO worth a look.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2000 Toyota ECHO, which we tested.
Length: 163.3 in.
Width: 65.4 in.
Height: 59.1 in
Wheelbase: 93.4 in.
Curb weight: 2080 lbs
Cargo space: 13.6 cu. ft.
Base price:
Price as tested: $14,165
Engine: 1.5 liter, twin cam DOHC 16-valve 4 cylinder
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Horsepower: 108 @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 105 ft/lb @ 4200 rpm
Fuel capacity: 11.9 gal
Est. mileage: 31/38
6/2009 update: ECHOs are durable and reliable, almost unkillable little beasties like their predecessor, the Tercel. That also means that they command high-ish prices in the used car market, for the amount of car you’re getting, however. That said, the little bastards will run forever and won’t burn a lot of gas while doing it, and that’s a pretty compelling argument.