As a parent with a growing teenage son, he will be taller than me in about six months, options for a cool and sporty car with room for three are limited to European and Japanese offerings. I like BMWs, I’m not keen on Mercedes-Benz and my preferred Japanese sedans are Subarus. All three offer solid choices for shoppers in my position, but a lot of folks prefer American vehicles. Side note; I like cars from all countries and try not to limit my car choices by region, but I have owned a lot of Chevys.
Next year I will begin shopping for a larger car than my Mini Cooper and I am receptive to any offerings that fall under the parameters of a four-door car with some performance, that’s affordable, and has aesthetic appeal. Just because I’m a 44-year-old family man doesn’t mean I can’t have a cool car.
The Pick of the Day checks off all of the aforementioned boxes at a pretty good price: a 2004 Mercury Marauder listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Lithia Springs, Georgia. (Click the link to view the listing)
“For all those Ford guys who wanted something like the Impala SS, this rare burgundy 2004 Mercury Marauder is the answer,” the listing states. “A big, rear-wheel-drive sedan with Ford’s most potent V8, updated handling, and big brakes, the Marauder was a short-lived experiment that we are only now beginning to appreciate as it matures into classic status.”
Under the Marauder’s hood is a 4.6-liter V8 four-valve DOHC engine that produced a factory-rated 302 bhp at 5,750 rpm and 318 lbs.-ft. at 4,300 rpm. The engine is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.
At the time of production it could from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and run the 1/4-mile in 15.5 seconds at 91 mph. Fairly pedestrian numbers by today’s standard, but the Marauder’s heyday was 20-years ago.
Much like the Bluesmobile this Marauder has cop underpinnings by using components from the Ford Crown Vic police set up. Ultimately the Marauder is a cruiser with some get up and go, which is perfect for someone in my situation. I don’t need a Ferrari, but something that can scoot when I hit the gas would be ideal.
“This generation of Marauder was only available for two years, and 2004 had a smaller production run,” the listing states. “Dark Toreador Red was only available this year, and it was the rarest of the colors with less than 1,000 believed to be produced.”
The Impala SS has been the go to for a lot of folks that want an American sports sedan in an intimidating package. But this Marauder offers the same aesthetic and performance in a more exclusive package for those folks that prefer the Blue Oval.
This 2004 Mercury Marauder is available for $25,995, and the sale includes the original window sticker, and owner’s manual CD.
and to view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
David-Very cool commentary and interesting pick. Thank you.
I just simply love it! Thanks for this review.
It’s cool, and I’m a GTO guy. But get one in black without the dorkish and useless “spoiler”. Some ECU tuning, better intake&injectors, upgrade the coil packs and put 3″ pipes and 44 series Flowmasters underneath and it might break the cool barrier. Or not.
I just bought an 04’ dark toreador red this past January with only 72k mikes on it. I wanted a panther platform vehicle and this one was the king of them all. It’s very satisfying to drive and a real sleeper muscle car that will probably keep growing in value with time because of its rarity.