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2008 Mercury Grand Marquis Safety Review

July 22, 2008

SAFETY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Five stars, front impact protection, side impact protection, and rollover resistance
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset impact; "marginal," side impact with side airbags; "poor," side impact without side airbags
IIHS

Rock-solid safety performance
Edmunds

The 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis boasts tremendous size and solid engineering that combine to provide strong crash protection. In addition, the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis also offers a few noteworthy safety features, but nothing like the modern amenities found on more recent vehicles.

The 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis has been subjected to countless crash tests over its 30-year-plus history, but its most recent may be among the best. In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, the government agency finds that the Mercury Grand Marquis holds up well enough to earn a perfect five-star rating for front and side impact protection, along with five stars for rollover protection. Motor Trend writes that the Mercury "Grand Marquis has long been equated with safety, and it's the only car to win, nine years running, the government's five-star rating for driver and front-passenger frontal crash tests."

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also tested the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, though its opinion differs somewhat from the NHTSA ranking. While the IIHS awards the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis its highest rating of "good" for frontal offset impacts, it gives only a "marginal" rating, its second lowest, for side impact protection when the car is equipped with side airbags. Furthermore, when the Mercury Grand Marquis isn't outfitted with those airbags, the IIHS rating drops to "poor," the worst possible.

For those who think that the aforementioned side airbags might make a good addition, Cars.com writes that they are available as a stand-alone option, and "the Palm Beach package" adds them as well. In terms of standard safety features, Edmunds says "antilock disc brakes are standard on every 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, while traction control is optional on the GS and standard on the LS." Motor Trend feels that "the safety equipment profile is about average for cars of its class, though you'll find a few more airbags available on some of the competition." Fortunately, one feature you'll find on every Mercury Grand Marquis is decent driver visibility, which comes in handy in parking lots, as Kelley Blue Book says that "the long hood and rear deck will put even the best parallel parking experts to the test."

Conclusion

If you're considering a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, do yourself and your passengers a favor and opt for the side airbags.

SAFETY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Five stars, front impact protection, side impact protection, and rollover resistanceNHTSAGood," frontal offset impact; "marginal," side impact with side airbags; "poor," side impact without side airbagsIIHSRock-solid safety performanceEdmunds The 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis boasts tremendous size and solid engineering that combine to provide strong crash protection. In addition, the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis also offers a few noteworthy safety features, but nothing like the modern amenities found on more recent vehicles. The 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis has been subjected to countless crash tests over its 30-year-plus history, but its most recent may be among the best. In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, the government agency finds that the Mercury Grand Marquis holds up well enough to earn a perfect five-star rating for front and side impact protection, along with five stars for rollover protection. Motor Trend writes that the Mercury "Grand Marquis has long been equated with safety, and it's the only car to win, nine years running, the government's five-star rating for driver and front-passenger frontal crash tests." The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also tested the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, though its opinion differs somewhat from the NHTSA ranking. While the IIHS awards the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis its highest rating of "good" for frontal offset impacts, it gives only a "marginal" rating, its second lowest, for side impact protection when the car is equipped with side airbags. Furthermore, when the Mercury Grand Marquis isn't outfitted with those airbags, the IIHS rating drops to "poor," the worst possible. For those who think that the aforementioned side airbags might make a good addition, Cars.com writes that they are available as a stand-alone option, and "the Palm Beach package" adds them as well. In terms of standard safety features, Edmunds says "antilock disc brakes are standard on every 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, while traction control is optional on the GS and standard on the LS." Motor Trend feels that "the safety equipment profile is about average for cars of its class, though you'll find a few more airbags available on some of the competition." Fortunately, one feature you'll find on every Mercury Grand Marquis is decent driver visibility, which comes in handy in parking lots, as Kelley Blue Book says that "the long hood and rear deck will put even the best parallel parking experts to the test." ConclusionIf you're considering a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, do yourself and your passengers a favor and opt for the side airbags.  2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS STYLING | [4 out of 10] Edmunds: "When is a car retro without trying to be retro? When it's the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis" Motor Trend: "You won't find modern styling trends such as crisp lines" ConsumerGuide: "Climate and audio systems are a bit far from ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Those eyeing the Mercury Grand Marquis don't have a lot of other choices. If it's a rear-wheel-drive car they want, they might look to the Chrysler 300, which offers better performance, but is also more expensive and not as roomy inside. The Buick Lucerne is a large, expansive sedan that's very refined, and its V-6 brings impressive fuel economy. The Kia Amanti is about the same price as the Grand Marquis and offers a very roomy cabin, energetic V-6 performance, and a plush ride, with more standard features. Finally, there's Mercury's own Sable, a big sedan that just about makes the Grand Marquis redundant, if you're OK with front- or all-wheel drive. The Sable has an interior that's just as spacious, if not more so, than the Grand Marquis, with as smooth a ride, but better handling, and it's one of the IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2008.

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See the Mercury Grand Marquis in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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