2003 MERCURY MARAUDER SEDAN

MERCURY Brand Reviews:    • MARAUDER    • GRAND MARQUIS    • SABLE    • MOUNTAINEER    2003 MERCURY MARAUDER SEDAN:    Description:    Full-size performance sedan    Model options:    Marauder    Wheelbase:    114.7 inches    Overall length:    211.9 inches    Engine size:    DOHC 4.6-L V8    Transmissions/speeds:    Auto/4    Rear/front drive:    Rear    Steering:    Power rack and pinion    Braking:    Power 4-disc/    ABS/EBD    Air bags:    2 (front) + 2 (side)    Maximum GVWR:    2WD: 7300 pounds    4WD: 7450 pounds    Maximum towing capacity:    2WD: 8500 pounds    4WD: 8300 pounds    EPA mileage est. city/hwy:    17/23 mpg    Price range est.    MSRP $ 33,790   Read Feature Story   Read New Car News   Read Brand Reviews   Read Car-Truck Test Reviews   Return to Guide's Homepage

MERCURY LINE SHOWS EDGY STYLING

Vehicles badged by Mercury pare to four products for 2003 with the full-size Grand Marquis sedan and mid-size Sable in sedan and wagon formats, plus the Mountaineer sport-utility and a racy new muscle car that ripples with the power of more than 300 horses below an elongated hood. Dressed in black and rolling on flashy chrome wheels, the long and strong new Mercury sedan is called Marauder as the reincarnation of Mercury's muscle car from 1963.

The modern rendition becomes a 2003 marque cast from a souped-up and spiffed-up Grand Marquis. Like the vintage Marauder muscle car, this one can fly down a straightaway, all of the torque from its beefy V8 channeled to oversized rear wheels. Unlike the original, however, the new Marauder can also carve out a tight set of turns on a curvy circuit, thanks to precise new rack and pinion steering gears and a stiff new chassis frame featuring boxed front sections forged from hydroformed steel. Mercury's Grand Marquis also gains the stiff chassis supporting Marauder, plus upgrades for steering system and standard four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS). Grand Marquis wears new exterior trimmings including a fresh grille and new headlamp clusters, while the cabin has supportive new seats and more standard equipment. Sable, Mercury's staple sedan and station wagon, scores upgrades for all trims plus a new Platinum Edition rigged with perforated leather hides on seats and satin aluminum finish on the instrument panel. Mountaineer, Mercury's SUV, appears in the two versions of Luxury and Premier and increases standard equipment for both -- power adjustable pedals, running boards and a premium sound system with CD changer for six discs.

MARAUDER: A monochromatic Marauder shows only dark glossy paint -- strictly black for initial issues, with a version in dark blue to follow. The dark shade makes Marauder look menacing and all-powerful. Ornamentation is minimal, save for a bead of chrome ringing side windows and five-spoke aluminum wheels glinting in chrome. Another bright point: Exhaust pipes with stainless steel Megs tips stretch out several feet. Marauder's dual-cam 4.6-liter aluminum V8 gushes to 302 hp. The engine sucks air through a low-restriction air intake system with aluminum upper and lower intake manifolds. Fuel spurts into the engine through a dual-bore throttle body and high-flow fuel injectors. A four-door passenger compartment has seats for five, with two up front on buckets and three on a rear bench. Seats are clad in luxurious leather that feels incredibly smooth and soft. The instrument panel contains large analog gauges with bright white faces and red needles. Front section of the center console holds two more round AutoMeter gauges -- oil pressure and voltmeter. Tires are 18-inch ultra-high-performance Goodrich g-Force T/As. Rear treads (P245/55WR18) tip slightly higher than front (P235/50WR18) so Marauder makes the pose of a muscle car -- and rear ones also spread a larger contact patch for more traction when accelerating.

GRAND MARQUIS: Mercury's full-size sedan combines rear-wheel power and the latest equipment for safety and comfort. For 2003, the structure has been upgraded with a stiff frame featuring boxed front sections forged from hydroformed steel. These front rails measure lighter and stronger than the welded steel channels on the previous frame. A fresh face applies with bold new headlamp clusters, a bright grille in front and restyled low fascia. In the cabin, seats were redesigned for comfort and fashion more legroom for the back seat. Mercury divides Grand Marquis into the two essential trim series of GS and LS, then adds packaged equipment in further segments, such as the Convenience array for GS or the LS in Premium, Ultimate and five-seat LSE. Beneath the extended hood, a single-cam 4.6-liter V8 achieves 224 hp in all issues save LSE, where twin exhausts increase the output to 239 hp.

SABLE: The mid-size Mercury sedan and station wagon feel quite comfortable, with generous space in the cabin, particularly in headroom for backseat riders. Editions for 2003 divide into trims of GS, GS Plus and LS Premium, in addition to the new Platinum series. It features a satin aluminum grille spear and decklid applique, satin aluminum wheels and Platinum fender badges.Cabins for Sable sedans are configured for either five or six passengers due to a choice in front seat style -- either a bench or buckets, based on trim. The Sable GS wagon seats as many as eight passengers, while the LS Premium wagon fits seven or eight, with a rear-facing third bench seat standard in both. New colors for 2003 include French Blue Clearcoat Metallic and Gold Ash Clearcoat Metallic. Engines for Sable begin with the standard 3.0-liter Vulcan V6 that achieves 155 hp. Optional power comes from Ford's Duratec version with twin cams pumping 200 hp.

MOUNTAINEER: A sport-utility wagon for Mercury's line measures to the mid-size class and totes as many as seven. Completely redesigned in 2002, Mountaineer rides on a long and broad chassis that's stiff and stable. It uses a suspension system that's unusual for a truck-based vehicle, as there are independent elements for rear wheels as well as the front. Such enhancements to chassis and suspension revolutionize the ride and handling traits. Styling is bold in a face marked by corner headlamps, broad grille with bright vertical bars in chrome and thick bumper inset with foglamps and cast in a color contrasting with the body. Such forceful styling with a bulldog face and smooth body shapes conveys an image of strength as supported by a choice of two powerful engines. The standard V6 musters 210 hp, but an optional aluminum V8 sparks with 239 hp. A five-speed automatic links to either plant. In the cabin, Mountaineer carries three rows of seats. Editions of 2003 contain more features. New standard gear ranges from power adjustable pedals to running boards for Luxury and Premier models, a premium sound system with in-dash CD changer for six discs and a power moonroof for the Premier.