The 2005 Grand Marquis represents the last of its kind: a full-size, body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive V8-powered sedan. They used to rule the roadways; now, with the introduction of the flagship Ford Five Hundred sedan, the Grand Marquis appears to be living on borrowed time.
In the U.S. it’s known as the Mercury Grand Marquis; its sister Ford Crown Victoria, which is only available in Canada to commercial fleets such as police forces, is still a consumer product south of the border.
There are very few changes for 2005: new optional wheels and wheel covers, chrome exterior door handles, a new exterior colour, an occupant weight seat sensor and seat track position sensor for the front passenger’s air bag system, and in a nod to nostalgia, a Two-Tone edition that combines dual colours inside and out.
The Grand Marquis is available in four trim lines; all come with a 4.6-litre V8 that is rated for 224 hp in the three of the lines, and upped to 239 hp in the LSE, which is also equipped with rear air suspension and a heavy-duty stabilizer bar for towing.
The base GS Convenience includes four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control, 16-inch wheels, manual air conditioning, dual heated mirrors, power locks with keyless entry and driver’s door keypad entry, CD player, automatic headlamps, power-adjustable pedals, power windows and eight-way power driver’s seat.
The LS Premium adds alloy wheels, automatic climate control, premium stereo with cassette and CD, overhead console with Homelink garage door opener, leather-wrapped wheel and eight-way power passenger seat.
The LSE adds dual exhaust, the heavy-duty rear air suspension, 3.27:1 axle, aluminum wheels and leather seats; the Ultimate includes regular rear air suspension, wood-and-leather steering wheel with audio and climate controls, and electronic gauges.
Big and comfortable, the Grand Marquis remains the ultimate snowbird’s car, capable of eating up a full day’s worth of highway miles in living-room comfort. It’s also one of the few sedans that even lists towing capacity (maximum 680kg/1500lbs when properly equipped), much less is capable of it. It may be a dinosaur, but there isn’t anything wrong with that.
The Ford Grand Marquis is built in St. Thomas, Ontario.
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