Interested In Marauder - Questions

[LS1Z28]

How's it going?

I'm looking into possibly buying a black or silver Marauder for a daily driver/some fun and was wondering what the overall ownership experience is like.

- What are the problem areas?
- What kind of gas mileage can I expect?
- Does this car have that "cushy" handling feel like the Grand Marquis or does it feel somewhat like a sports car?
- How hard is it to work on?
- How does it sound with an exhaust?

My daily driver is a 156K LS1 Z28 with bolt-ons, suspension and handling modifications, so that's what I'm used to. My aunt has a late model Grand Marquis that's been an excellent car, so that's why I'm looking into a Marauder. I think they're a real cool and versatile car and they seem like they have decent potential.

Thanks.

[Windsor58]

Welcome. This is a great site and has lots of info on the MM.
I bought mine used and love it. It has a supercharger which really gives it a lot of power. The rice is firmer than a GM, but not as firm as your Z28. I like the ride. It doesn't fall all over itself when you push it hard in the corners, but again, your Z28 will handle better.
There are many good upgrades you can do. I have an 04 that has been upgraded by Dennis Reinhart (site sponsor). It has the supercharger, upgraded transmission, 3k stall torque converter, 4.10 gears, metal matrix drive shaft, upgraded brakes, upgraded rear control arms, widened rear wheels (so it will hook up better with the power it's running, now), 05 Ford GT fuel pumps and a few other mods. The torque converter and 4.10s help it get off the line well, since it does weigh over two tons. It is my daily driver and it is a lot of fun. People don't expect a big black sedan like mine to out run the vast majority of cars on the road. No offense to you as a Chevy driver, but my favorite victim is Corvettes.
Good luck.

[Bluerauder]

How's it going?

I'm looking into possibly buying a black or silver Marauder for a daily driver/some fun and was wondering what the overall ownership experience is like. I have had more fun with this car than any other one I have owned over the past 40 years.

- What are the problem areas? Some of the '03s have experienced bad paint problems including blisters. Windshield motor collects water under it and short out causing "wacky wipers". Heated seat illumination blinks. No real problems to speak of in 5 years and 17 days of ownership.

- What kind of gas mileage can I expect? Not a question to ask for a performance vehicle. The MM requires a minimum of 91 Octane. Mileage will vary according to your right foot and how much fun you are having. On the highway at 75-80 MPH over 600 miles, I can get 24.5 MPG. Around town with lots of stop and Go :burnout:, I am probably down in the 16-17 MPG. Got just under 20 MPG on a run last weekend to Gettysburg.

- Does this car have that "cushy" handling feel like the Grand Marquis or does it feel somewhat like a sports car? Much stiffer than the GM with much less body roll. Handles corners well. You can feel the road. Mods available to improve road performance up to and including impressing Porsches and BMWs on a road track.

- How hard is it to work on? Lots of folks here do their own work on the Marauder.

- How does it sound with an exhaust? Gotta have an exhaust. ;) Stock exhaust sounds good. Several have mods to make it sound better.

My daily driver is a 156K LS1 Z28 with bolt-ons, suspension and handling modifications, so that's what I'm used to. My aunt has a late model Grand Marquis that's been an excellent car, so that's why I'm looking into a Marauder. I think they're a real cool and versatile car and they seem like they have decent potential.

Thanks.
I am sure that others will chime in with their thoughts on your questions. My answers are ^^^^^^ in RED.

[Merc220A]

Im not as knowlegable about cars as some of the guys on here...but from personal experience I can give you some info. I Have an 03 Grand Marquis and an 04 Marauder. The marauder is significantly stiffer then the Marquis, but it def is not has stiff or as tight handling like your z28. I always felt the Marauder handled and felt smaller then it actualy is...which is a good thing. Overall compared to a grand marqius, the handling is greatly improved. My Marauder is stock, but i have driven marauders with 4:10 gears and tunes, it def wakes up the car! The stock one feels like it could use a little more kick.

[Joe Walsh]

How's it going?

I'm looking into possibly buying a black or silver Marauder for a daily driver/some fun and was wondering what the overall ownership experience is like.

- What are the problem areas? There was a recall on early '03 rear axle bearings, but they are relatively trouble free..'search' this site for more information.
- What kind of gas mileage can I expect? Most Marauder owners get 18/around town 23/highway (Unmodded)
- Does this car have that "cushy" handling feel like the Grand Marquis or does it feel somewhat like a sports car? It has an upgraded suspension vs. the Grand Marquis...it is definitely a firmer ride, but not too harsh. It is a DREAM on long freeway rides.
- How hard is it to work on? The DOHC engine is more complicated than any pushrod engine, but it is not outside the realm of any good do-it-yourself car buff.
- How does it sound with an exhaust? AWESOME!!! I've got a full aftermarket exhaust...headers to Magnaflows and she sounds SWEET!
There are 'YouTube' clips of different exhausts from various members on this site.


My daily driver is a 156K LS1 Z28 with bolt-ons, suspension and handling modifications, so that's what I'm used to. My aunt has a late model Grand Marquis that's been an excellent car, so that's why I'm looking into a Marauder. I think they're a real cool and versatile car and they seem like they have decent potential. They can really rock n' roll with the right mods!
A great sleeper! People hate to get beat by "a black taxi cab"...:D

Thanks.

Welcome aboard!

[J D]

Welcome to the club. This (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31102) thread could help you decide between an earlier model or a later one.

As far as problems, the first run known as 300A which were built from the start to around late 02 and they have a record of having some paint defects from the factory, but some have been lucky and others unlucky as I have not seen any problems while others have some real horror stories. Though on the other hand, the early runs had more options, and better accessories , which is why I went with one.

Gas millage is a toss up. Its all about how ya drive it. If you're taking it easy on a highway road trip, on cruise control you can see 25 mpg or sometimes more but if you're burning rubber tearing up and down city streets I've gotten as low as 13. Adv would probably be around 19 or so.

Handling is gonna be even better than the Grand Marquis, we have many parts borrowed from the upgraded lines and Police Interceptors. But IF you want more, upgrading the sway bars and control arms, along with maybe lowering the springs and rear air bags, will have the car riding on rails.

Working on it is pretty easy, simple tasks like changing the oil is a pleasure, and working on it is cool too but like any modern vehicle just do your research before jumping in. Get yourself the big red service manual.

The exhaust sound is good for me but sometimes a little lacking, so people get their tips deresonated, change the muffler, or even have whole custom set us from headers down to fresh tips.

All in all, these cars are reliable, and a blast to drive and the people here are great too. And now that you're here, use the search function, the wealth of information buried here is vast and is invaluable to a potential owner. And lastly, if you get an MM you should definately get a tune for it from one of our great vendors here like Lidio Ichabelli at Alternative Automotive or Denis Reinhart at Reinhart Automotive.

[jgc61sr2002]

Welcome to the MM site.:D

[SC Cheesehead]

Im not as knowlegable about cars as some of the guys on here...but from personal experience I can give you some info. I Have an 03 Grand Marquis and an 04 Marauder. The marauder is significantly stiffer then the Marquis, but it def is not has stiff or as tight handling like your z28. I always felt the Marauder handled and felt smaller then it actualy is...which is a good thing. Overall compared to a grand marqius, the handling is greatly improved. My Marauder is stock, but i have driven marauders with 4:10 gears and tunes, it def wakes up the car! The stock one feels like it could use a little more kick.

+1 on that!

The car is much more responsive and fun to drive after these basic mods.

Welcome to the site, and good luck on your search. BTW, check out the forum on cars for sale. Several MM.net members are selling their cars, any of which would be a great buy for you.

Oh, and while blacks and silvers are nice, the blues and DTRs are the really special ones.;)

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I'm looking into possibly buying a black or silver Marauder for a daily driver/some fun and was wondering what the overall ownership experience is like. I bought this car not as an all out performance car, but as a comfortable big car with power. It fills that bill nicely. Big, comfortable, and well-insulated from outside noise.

- What are the problem areas? I have only put 10,000 miles on the car since January of 2007 when I bought it and the only things I've had fail are the wacky wiper syndrome, which once dried out was fine, and my power pedals failed early on, luckily I don't really use them.
- What kind of gas mileage can I expect? 18 mpg mixed with 3.73 gears and a PCM tune. 21 mpg absolute best ever. Usually just under 20 mpg 100% highway cruising around 70-75.

- Does this car have that "cushy" handling feel like the Grand Marquis or does it feel somewhat like a sports car? It depends on what your standards are for handling. This car is probably 18 feet long and weighs over 2 tons. It has a very large rear overhang and a giant nose. It's not a floater like a Lincoln Town car or a 90's Olds, Buick, or Cadillac, but it has a lot of body roll with a stock suspension when you push it. It is a BIG car and it has fairly slow ratio steering. The live axle combined with the fairly stiff spring rate makes for a very busy ride on rough road. It is not going to handle like a smaller, lighter, more sports-tuned car. I drive country roads every day near my house, and I can carry more speed through really sharp corners with my $1500 beater Saturn than I can w/ the stock MM. The difference is I hope no one recognizes me driving the Saturn.

- How does it sound with an exhaust? I didn't buy this car to make noise with near stock performance. I like the stock exhaust, just loud enough to hear it when you stand on it but very quiet cruising. Perfect for a big cruiser.

The stock MM is going to handle like crap, straight up, compared to an LS1 4th gen with handling add ons. It's just not the same type of car. I'm sure putting some aftermarket rear control arms and aftermarket sway bars would help a lot. It will still be a 4200 lb car with a huge behind and long nose. But for a powerful cruiser that's very comfortable it's a great car. All depends on what you want to do with it.

Thanks.

[LS1Z28]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm looking more for a large comfortable car and I like this thing because it looks cool and seems comfortable. Performance is what my Z28's for.

Does the Marauder have the same 2.73s as the Grand Marquis or something above 3.xx?

Does this car develop squeaks and rattles after some years of ownership? Is the interior put together fairly well and can take daily abuse? I know this is almost a police car, but I don't like to drive a rattle trap, even if it's proven itself.

What do these things put down stock, about 265 RWHP?


No offense to you as a Chevy driver, but my favorite victim is Corvettes.
Good luck.

Non taken, they're mine sometimes too, especially the ones with the cocky owner. Good thing that car has lots of head room.;)

[jgc61sr2002]

[QUOTE=LS1Z28;673201]Thanks for the replies guys. I'm looking more for a large comfortable car and I like this thing because it looks cool and seems comfortable. Performance is what my Z28's for.

Does the Marauder have the same 2.73s as the Grand Marquis or something above 3.xx?



Marauder has a 3.55 Locking (posi) rear.

[CROWNMARAUDER]

QUOTE - Does this car develop squeaks and rattles after some years of ownership? Is the interior put together fairly well and can take daily abuse? I know this is almost a police car, but I don't like to drive a rattle trap, even if it's proven itself.

My marauder & my crown vic are squeak & rattle free. These cars hold up very well. That's why cab companies & police departments buy them.