Overview & Reviews

You're excused if you don't recall the original full-size Mercury Marauder "fastbacks" of the 1960s. Not as hard-edged as their full-sized competition of the early '60s nor as lean or brutally quick as their pony-car and midsize "muscle car" rivals later in the decade, the sporty Marauder sedans and personal luxury coupes sold in relatively small numbers.

The Mercury Marauder offered big-block power, an upscale interior and a persona that projected elegant, refined performance. But by the time it was retired after the 1970 model year, the big Marauder was out of fashion and had simply run its course. Only after a mid-'90s resurrection of the big, bad full-size muscle car genre by the Chevrolet Impala SS did Mercury try its luck nearly a decade later by bringing out its roomy and powerful Marauder.

Based on the full-size body-on-frame Grand Marquis sedan, the Marauder debuted with an upgraded engine, bigger wheels and tires, a sport-tuned suspension, bucket seats, special interior trim and an exterior paint job in "any color you want as long as it's black."

Though there was considerable initial interest in the car, performance enthusiasts never quite fell in love. In particular, although the Marauder's performance was respectable -- it could hit 60 mph in the 7-second range -- it didn't have the tire-spinning grunt off the line that marked a true muscle car. After two years of slow sales, Mercury shelved the Marauder name once again.

Most Recent Mercury Marauder

The Grand Marquis-based Mercury Marauder was produced for 2003 and '04. Initially sold only in black (blue, silver and red became available later), the car had a definite undercover cop car look to it thanks to the blacked-out grille, dark-tinted headlights and taillights, large five-spoke chrome wheels and dual chrome exhaust tips. Inside, Mercury replaced the more traditional big-car column shifter with a sportier floor-mounted selector along with bucket seats and a center console.

Adding an old-school touch was a pair of Auto Meter gauges for oil pressure and volts, while new-school power-adjustable pedals allowed most anybody to get comfortable behind the wheel. Leather upholstery was standard fare, and was wrapped around big, soft power front buckets that reminded some folks of first-class airline seats. Although they featured pronounced side bolsters, we found the padding a bit too soft to provide serious lateral support when putting the Marauder through its paces.

The Mercury Marauder was motivated by a 4.6-liter DOHC V8 with 302 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque. The engine -- the same one used in the Ford Mustang Cobra before it received a supercharger -- was connected to a beefed-up four-speed automatic and a limited-slip rear differential. The Marauder's excessive weight precluded neck-snapping performance off the line, but once the four-cam V8 hit its stride, the big Merc really pulled with authority. Driven sedately, the automatic changed gears seamlessly, but with your foot in it upshifts occurred quickly, with a satisfying shove to your backside.

As with Ford's other 2003 full-size sedans, the Mercury Marauder benefited from a major update that year, including a new frame and redesigned front suspension. For the Marauder, Mercury also added a sport-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels.

In our experience putting the Marauder through twists and turns, fast sweepers and steady freeway cruises, we were impressed with how well this 2-ton-plus car performed. Although it provided a soft, comfortable ride under normal conditions, the Marauder also handled spirited driving with ease. Body roll was minimal with a neutral attitude, and the steering was light yet direct, with its variable-assist feature offering more weight with increasing speed.

A lack of off-the-line snap was the car's major fault. Though we never were able to perform instrumented testing, other published reports at the time pegged the car's 0-60-mph time in the mid 7-second range. Put simply, there was just too much weight and not enough low-end torque.

Still, the Mercury Marauder's lack of success as a new model pretty much guarantees rarity as a used model. We can recommend it without reservation for a used car shopper in search of a traditional full-size sedan with lots of room and V8 power, topped off with a healthy dose of attitude and uniquely American style.

User Reviews:

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  one awsome car - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By TPbandit - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Its a crown vic with 18" wheels, duel exhast and the mustang cobra engine, its a great sleeper car. with an after market super charger and a chip it can easly get in the 12 sec range, and that not bad for a 4300lb car. Not only is it fast but with its beefed up suspention it handles as good as my mustang. Its one of the nicest looking exteriors in a long time, and its the first attractive interior ive seen sence the 60s. Its great fun to drive and burn so many ricers. Its only flaw is when it rains the trunk and hood jams hold water. But its one of the best and funnest cars ive ever driven.

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  Under the Radar - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By cred - January 4 - 9:53 pm

  The subdued styling, borrowed from the Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria allows the Marauder to be a true sleeper. Considering the weight of the Marauder performance is excellent. Handling is predictable, and can be pushed. Tail slide in hard cornering is likely in hard cornering or slick conditions, but the long wheel base and responsive steering allows a driver to push through it. On the entertaining side, when cruising on or slightly above the legally posted speed limit on the interstate, lines of brake lights will pop up and hearts will skip a beat as police cruiser clone pops out of traffic. Very reliable. I replaced a set of shocks, 18 oil changes, k&n air filter & drove it over 95k.

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  nice car - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By joe t - December 16 - 10:00 am

  this is a fun car. gets a lot of looks. needs more power at low end. i plan to add a supercharger when available.

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  The Marauder is a Machine! - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By Digital Man - December 8 - 9:06 pm

  Very cool, very powerful, very fun, very big. It is an extremely comfortable car to drive, and gives you the power on the road when you need it. It turns heads!

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  American Ride! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Wiking - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I recently moved to US from Sweden were Volvos is born, but NEVER owned one. Volvos are BORING even in Sweden. So I´ve driven many car brands such as Audi, BMW and SAAB. In USA i bought the most american car of them all, beacause: POWER! 300hp V8 is more than enough. COMFORT! A Benz S-Class might beat it. LOOKS! fast even parked. SOUND. Hey It´s a V8. I like V8´s. I love V8´s. HANDLING. When the road is straight it´s perfect. But you can´t cut street corners like a BMW 325. CONCLUSION: This might not be the best car I´ve ever owned. But it will be the most loved and rememberd.

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  Have fun with this one - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Troll - October 22 - 2:00 am

  OK, so I dont have $35K but I got to test drive one for about an hour yesterday. VERY fun car to drive. Looks like a sedan a businessman would own, but handles and performs like a much smaller, faster car. Very tight handling due to the 50/50 weight distribution. One thing I heard is driving this car will attract attention from Officer Friendly - and it makes sense given how powerful this car is.

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  Almighty Powerful Marauder! - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By PMS - August 12 - 2:00 am

  The Marauder is NOT your average family car. Its HOT! From the initial engine throaty rumble eminating from the dual chrome exahaust pipes - you know it! I drive locally and on the Turnpike and have nothing but good things to say. Cornering is a breeze - no body roll - I can take most corners at 40 mph which is accompanied by the adrenaline-rush one gets on a roller coaster. Breaking is smooth and solid. Steering is very responsive -- the Marauder has serpentined many a pot hole here in PA this winter! This is truely a bad ass wolf in sportly styled sheeps clothing. I bought this as an early 40th bday present and love to drive it whenever I can.

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  marauder - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By kaoko8 - June 28 - 10:00 am

  just got last week, looked at many other brands and models, just fell in love with this. always have had nice cars, but this is a head-turner.i live in a small town, so i will not be able to get away with much. this is an auto that makes you look forward to the morning drive to work!

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  Best Car I Have Ever Owned - 2003 Mercury Marauder
  By Irish Rover - June 8 - 7:36 pm

  The Mercury Marauder that I purchased in 2003 replaced a 1993 Lincoln MKVIII with 168,000 miles on the odometer. I was looking for a car with like performance, comfort and convieniences. I bought the only silver Marauder they had on their lot. This car has delivered in every way that I could have imagined. It handles beautifully, absorbs the bumps well and has enough performance to get it down the road smartly. I have 37,000 miles on it now, and other than oil changes, two trans fluid changes and a fuel filter, there have been no mechanical or other problems with the car. It averages 21 mpg in every day driving. It averaged 24 mpg on the trip we took to Florida last year.

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  mercury marauder-2003 - 2004 Mercury Marauder
  By serge ruggio - May 18 - 2:00 am

  I needed a 4door vehicle for family reasons,but WANTED performance ,comfort and safety. I got all of this with this car. good price and incentives made the deal!