Normal Car Thursdays! 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX



Note the angled sign over the front bumper. Wind at work

 

 

Hello! James from the Digital Garage here. Welcome to the start of a new segment here at The Digital Garage! It is time for NORMAL CAR THURSDAYS!! This is where we go over some form of normal car. No sleek and sexy super cars here. No tricked out custom rides. Just vehicles the common driver would be seen in. They are still great vehicles regardless of the stature as a "normal vehicle". I felt to kick it off I would start with my car. This is done following a format which I will explain in a following post later on.

 

 

Year Make and Model: 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX

 

The Ford Crown Victoria 2002. This is a very iconic car for normal car Thursdays. The Crown Victoria is a staple of many a police force. Many drivers see a Crown Vic. in there rear view and instinctively straighten up in there seat.

Basic detail of the vehicle: The Crown Victoria is a rear wheel drive full size sedan. Powered by a 4.6L modular V8 the LX model has a little bump in power compared to the base Crown Victoria.

Not to be confused with the LX Sport which has a center console and gear shifter (that being said the LX Sport is a fantastic car). The LX has the steering column shifter.

Mileage:

As you can see my Crown Victoria LX has a little over 70,000 miles on it. Now for a 10 year old car approaching 11 years that is not bad at all. Most of these cars that are being sold used are above 100,000 miles on them. Note the Digital Dash has no display for a tachometer.

Why did you get this vehicle?

Well firstly I am a Ford fan and when I was looking into a vehicle I naturally looked at Ford. I am also a fan of 4 door vehicles.

I find it makes the back seat more usable and the bigger sedans I find to be more comfortable. Some people call the Crown Victoria an old person's car but I like the look of the car. It is a comfortable ride and the V8 will get me nice highway mileage as well as give this car plenty of pep in it's step.

In need of trunk space? The Trunk on this car is huge. Even with the full size spare in the trunk there is still plenty of room for luggage or whatever you may need to bring with you. This with the large cabin space makes for a very practical car for anyone really. Going on a trip or moving the Crown Victoria will get you there in comfort with plenty of room for passengers or cargo or a mix of both.
It is also Iconic due to its widespread use by police forces (and taxi cabs as well) and a such it is a well known car by people who pay no attention to vehicles.

Modifications (if any):

I have done nothing to this car. It is stock as you can see from the entertainment area.

Anything you want to do to the vehicle?

To be honest not really. I would like a CD player but I do not need one. If anything I would replace this Crown Victoria LX with a LX Sport but only because I do like its center console. The Crown Victoria LX does not need much really. I have a portable GPS for it. The one thing I would consider doing is adding a back up camera but I get by fine without it.

How do you like driving it?

I really enjoy driving it. Rear wheel drive vehicles are not scary and they are not unreliable if you have the basic understanding of handling one. The 4.6L V8 is a very reliable engine and there is a lot of untapped power there if you were so inclined to modify the engine with forced induction or a chip. Even stock as my car is the horsepower and torque is good. When not in overdrive you can feel the pep in this car's step. There is a reason police forces had the Crown Victoria as a main part of the fleets. Being a V8 if you do not beat on it it will get you nice mileage on a long trip if you accelerate reasonably and keep the RPM's down (which is pretty easy to do). I will say that it is not the most nimble of vehicles. But with heads up driving you will not have any real problems with it. But you need to keep the kind of vehicle this is in perspective if your trying to autocross it.


 Any other thoughts on the vehicle?

You have to keep in mind the type of car this is. It is not a high performance muscle or sports car. It is not an economy car with high miles per gallon city and highway. It is a full sized sedan that is great for a family and great for legging it through the long miles of a trip. It is a luxury car that has pep, it can get out of its own way and has some power in reserve should you have need in an emergency. The Crown Victoria LX is a vehicle that you cannot outgrow really. Ford no longer makes this car so all you will find are lot leftovers and used versions.

And there you have it! The 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX. First in The Digital Garage for Normal Car Thursdays! We will do out best to have a new car every Thursday. And as you can see our goal is to showcase a daily driver type of car that is "seeing action" on the roads. We hope you enjoyed!

See you on the road.