Think “Ford Crown Victoria” and chances are, you think of money exiting your wallet. For countless years, these V8-powered, rear-drive, body-on-frame sedans were used as police cruisers, taxi cabs and rental cars. Nowadays, the Crown Vic has bowed out of the Canadian civilian market, focusing instead on the fleet sales largely responsible for keeping it in production for years.
There’s something to this taxi/cruiser/rental car thing, though. As a financial decision for a company or organization that needs to fuel and maintain a fleet of dependable, generously-sized and cheap-to-run machines, the Crown Victoria makes sense for a whole pile of reasons. Many of these reasons make the Crown Vic an ideal fit for Canadian families, too.
Sure-- you probably don’t want to move you and yours around in a taxi or cop-car, but think of it this way: the Crown Victoria has a massive trunk, plenty of interior space and was available with plenty of features and options. In addition to being a classy and handsome sedan, shoppers in the used market can find one with air conditioning, cruise, power accessories, leather seating, a trip computer, CD-changer, a moonroof and more.
All models got an automatic transmission, and a very rare six-passenger seating configuration was available thanks to a front bench seat. To some families, the Crown Vic could almost be an alternative to a minivan.
The last-generation Crown-Vic was available to us Canucks in some form or another from the early nineties until just a few years back. Though several mechanical and visual updates were applied, the underlying platform and overall vehicle concept remained much the same—albeit a widening of the suspension from 2003 and on.
Under the hood, Ford’s 4.6 litre modular V8 engine was on duty, creating between 190 and 235 horsepower, depending on the model and year in question.
No major surprises in terms of likes and dislikes as stated by Crown Victoria’s owners. Most say the model struck an ideal balance of comfort and handling, as well as a nice blend of performance and fuel economy. Many owners state that the Crown Victoria handles surprisingly well for a car of its size, while delivering a spacious and quiet interior. Cargo space, a stable ride and comfortable seats round out the package.
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| 2000 Ford Crown Victoria (Photo: Ford) |
There’s something to this taxi/cruiser/rental car thing, though. As a financial decision for a company or organization that needs to fuel and maintain a fleet of dependable, generously-sized and cheap-to-run machines, the Crown Victoria makes sense for a whole pile of reasons. Many of these reasons make the Crown Vic an ideal fit for Canadian families, too.
Sure-- you probably don’t want to move you and yours around in a taxi or cop-car, but think of it this way: the Crown Victoria has a massive trunk, plenty of interior space and was available with plenty of features and options. In addition to being a classy and handsome sedan, shoppers in the used market can find one with air conditioning, cruise, power accessories, leather seating, a trip computer, CD-changer, a moonroof and more.
All models got an automatic transmission, and a very rare six-passenger seating configuration was available thanks to a front bench seat. To some families, the Crown Vic could almost be an alternative to a minivan.
The last-generation Crown-Vic was available to us Canucks in some form or another from the early nineties until just a few years back. Though several mechanical and visual updates were applied, the underlying platform and overall vehicle concept remained much the same—albeit a widening of the suspension from 2003 and on.
Under the hood, Ford’s 4.6 litre modular V8 engine was on duty, creating between 190 and 235 horsepower, depending on the model and year in question.
No major surprises in terms of likes and dislikes as stated by Crown Victoria’s owners. Most say the model struck an ideal balance of comfort and handling, as well as a nice blend of performance and fuel economy. Many owners state that the Crown Victoria handles surprisingly well for a car of its size, while delivering a spacious and quiet interior. Cargo space, a stable ride and comfortable seats round out the package.
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| 2001 Ford Crown Victoria (Photo: Ford) |