Fuel Infection
Automotive Reviews
2001 Buick Park Avenue
Jun 19th
The timing couldn’t have been better; the Buick Park Avenue Ultra arrived just as we were heading out of town to visit relatives for the holidays. It was a healthy dose of traditional American driving for a traditional American holiday season.
With the demise of the Roadmaster, the Park Avenue is top dog in the Buick lineup these days. All of the current luxury car amenities are there; GM’s StabiliTrak traction control and OnStar driver assistance were made standard on the Park Avenue Ultra in 2000.
From prow to stern, the big sedan is hard to mistake for anything other than a Buick. A very clean front end is dominated by a thin-barred, slightly oval grille reminiscent of toothy Buicks of the past. The parking lights are moved to a discreet position at the extreme corners, which emphasizes the bumper line and gives the Park Avenue a classic, big-chrome-bumper look without the big chrome bumper. Projector-style headlights reside behind clear covers. A nicely sculpted hood is domed in the middle, and a sharp crease on each side is faintly reminiscent of 1950s Buicks. That crease carries through all the way to the rear of the car, which also retains the big-bumper look. We didn’t find our test car’s 16″ chrome wheels particularly attractive.
Inside, the Park Avenue is unpleasantly similar to the LeSabre. That’s not a completely bad thing; the junior Buick is a well-designed, comfortable car. It’s just that for the price hike, we’d like to see a more unique, upscale interior. The seats are wide and plush, with soft leather. They’re multi-adjustable, but we had a hard time finding a comfortable position. The dash is nicely marked and easy to read, but matches that found in the LeSabre. A large console between the front seats flips out to reveal a dual cupholder, swallows a big handful of compact discs, and also feels like it came out of a less expensive car. Back-seat passengers are treated to lighted vanity mirrors, just like in a Mercedes. Controls for the radio and memory seat functions can be confusing; even after reading the manual, every time we thought we had set the memory seat, we hadn’t. Other gripes included extremely slim door pockets, and thick A-pillars which blocked forward visibility slightly. On the plus side, the Park Avenue is blessed with an enormous trunk, in proper American style. It happily swallowed a full load of Christmas cargo, and a pass-through in the rear seat allows long items to be stowed as well.
The supercharged V6 provides welcome urgency to the driving experience. The Park Avenue has no trouble bullying its way through heavy traffic, even holiday traffic. 240 horsepower makes up for the Park Avenue’s almost-two-ton girth, and it will cruise at disconcertingly high speeds effortlessly. The four-speed transmission shifts smoothly and is geared for maximum freeway efficiency. The Park Avenue gets almost 30 mpg on the freeway; coupled with an 18.5 gallon gas tank it has a range of nearly 400 miles.
The steering is light, just like that of Buicks gone by. There’s a bit of classic American floatiness when piloting the Park Avenue at low speeds–just as nostalgic, in its own way, as watching that big hood swing around. It’s a good thing that steering is precise as well as light. The suspension is tightened for responsiveness, but it’s not particularly well-done, with a tendency to be floaty where it should be snug, and to be sharply resistant where a more refined car would be softer. It’s better than years gone by, but not up to the best modern luxury cars. The brakes are also up to par, but could be better. Four-wheel discs are standard, but they’ve got an awful lot of car to bring to a halt.
The equipment list is refreshingly long. The Park Avenue Ultra also features a special edition, with a unique Laguna Green color and a walnut wood interior. The aforementioned traction control is standard, as are cruise control, heated seats front and rear, and the OnStar system. A new option for 2001 is an ultrasonic obstacle-detecting system in the rear bumper. The Park Avenue Ultra starts at $37,490 and our test car with the Gran Touring package topped the ledger at $39,330. It splits the difference neatly between the mass-market Chevrolet Impala and the high-luxury Cadillac Deville in GM’s lineup, and is quite comfortable between those two. On the other hand, forty thousand dollars will also buy a personality-challenged but nicer-driving Acura 3.5RL, a Lincoln Town Car, or a number of other big, well-equipped freeway-eaters.
Big luxury cars are nearly all good. Deciding on one is a matter of taste more than anything else. The Park Avenue is a prettier car than an Acura 3.5RL, but the interior is a definite step down in elegance. A Lincoln LS is more fun to drive, but doesn’t have much storage space inside for those road trip necessaries like maps and cold drinks.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, which we tested.
Length: 206.8 in.
Width: 74.7 in.
Height: 57.4 in.
Wheelbase: 113.8 in.
Curb weight: 3884 lb.
Cargo space: 19.1 cu. ft.
Base price: $37,490
Price as tested: $39,330
Engine: 3.8 liter OHV supercharged V6
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Horsepower: 240 @ 5200
Torque: 280 @ 3600
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 18/28
6/2009 update: The Park was just about the nicest vehicle in GM’s lineup back in the day, and it’s still a pretty nice expression of Buick-ness.
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.