Mercury Marauder

[423REED]

I've read many letters in various forums regarding the Mercury Marauder. I don't understand all of the criticisms. It's a great car, good looking, and a lot of high performance high tech V8 power. The 18" tires and wheels are really cool, and combined with the performance handling suspension are first rate. Then, on top of all this is a very comfortable interior and a nicely balanced ride. It is not a Grand Marque car either. Despite the basic similarities, they seem to me, to be almost totally different in their mission and their performance. You must keep the size of the car in mind. This is not a sub-compact performance car.

I took delivery of my own new 2004 Mercury Marauder last week. It has Dark Toreador Red paint and the Light Flint interior trim. I'm told that this is the rarest paint and trim combination for the 2004 model year.

I absolutely and totally love this car! It seems to do everything well, although i'm not beating on it for maximum performance yet. But i've opened it up twice, and i'll tell you it really hauls ass! I really can't understand all the complaints I read, and especially, Lincoln Mercury canceling this great car. Got to be one the biggest mistakes L-M has made in a long string of poor marketing decisions they've made over the last thirty-five years. Namely, the Edsel, Pantera, Capri, Merkur, just to name a few. They should have stood behind it. I think most of the complainers have never owned one of these wonderful cars.

[bull8705]

423REED, i agree with you in the fullest, a friend of mine owns a Marauder and I do say it is amazing. It has plenty of power and good looks too. My dad owns a 92' Grand Marquis and I like that car a lot. Even that has very good power with kick and that has about 210 horsepower. Yet they criticize the Marauder even with its 300 horsepower! that is plenty to me. And the looks too, they criticize them for looking too much like the Grand Marquis. I say it has some similarities but you have to remember the Grand Marquis is a very popular car, Mercury made it a sporty one. I wish it was given a chance, especially since they are using small sports car talk to compare it with others. Bottom line: I wish the car wouldn't have been cut down so much and it was given a chance. I love them and will probably buy one in the future. I'm very thankful someone agrees with me and sees the car as it really is.

[423REED]

The Mercury Marauder is not a sub-compact or a compact sized performance car, and it shouldn't be compared to other car standards. It is what it is, a large American performance car. There are so few of these types of American cars around today, that I think most people don't know what to make of them, unless they're in their forties, fifties, sixties, etc. I want a car that will perform well in all areas, not just the straight-line power. It needs to corner and stop well, and I like the comfort and the convenience of stereo/CD, leather trim, moonroof, etc. A great car is the sum of all of its great parts.

My 2004 Mercury Marauder has the Dark Toreador Red paint (which I personally liked a lot) and the Light Flint interior trim. I'm told that this is going to be the rarest paint (with only 13% of total 2004 production) and interior trim combination for the 2004 model year.

The other day I tried putting my foot into the floor. The car instantly downshifted, and my brother in-law (my passenger) was thrown back violently into his seat. The exceleration was so extreme that we were both surprised (I was very pleased, of course). He said it reminded him of the acceleration of his old 1964 GTO with the 389 tri-carb V8! This technique is the most obvious way to really make the MM fly. Don't even ask how much gas you'll burn by doing this. If you've gotta ask, you just don't get it, so buy something else. Maybe this is the result of the performance improvements L-M made to the 2004 model MM.

I have yet to see another MM on the street after two model years! I really like that rare vehicle feeling. Its nice not to see your exact car on every street. My other car is a 1994 Ford SHO sedan. I guess I like the "Q" cars.

My personal experience with past so-called "performance" cars, was that they are almost always compromises between the main production cars that they are based on. With the MM, you get all of the real solid performance parts! People who are critical about the MM should read the specification listing for the car. Cars like the MM, that give you the whole performance package are very rare indeed.

I still think that most of the people who complain about the MM in the various forums have never owned or driven one of these wonderful cars. Don't believe everything you read in the automotive press. I know its a little early to be predicting collectibility. But when you analyze all of the wonderful performance equipment that has been lavished upon the Marauder, its performance, and its low production numbers (i.e. rarity), I believe the car nuts will still want this car 20 or 30 years from now! And on top of all that, I'm going to get a free leather jacket (both 2003 and 2004 owners will get them)! When it comes to the MM, the old Packard advertising logo says it all. "Ask the man who owns one".