2003 Ford Crown Victoria LX

Brakes are also improved with the addition of Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), which dynamically proportions brake forces front-to-rear to compensate for conditions. A new dual-rate brake booster with "panic assist" automatically provides full braking power even if the driver does not apply enough initial pedal force to engage the standard ABS anti-lock system.

The Crown Victoria offers 111.2 cubic feet of passenger volume in 6-passenger mode and has the largest trunk in its class?20.6 cubic feet of usable space?as well as a trunk organizer available on all trim levels.

Thanks to a new steel crossmember and hydroformed front rails with a large crumple zone, the '03 Panther frame provides additional cockpit crash protection to what was already a very crash-worthy car. Ford's Personal Safety System includes dual-stage front air bags—deployed according to crash severity, seat belt usage and driver's seat position relative to the steering wheel—plus buckle-mounted belt pretensioners and a sensor to detect whether the front passenger seat is occupied. New LATCH mounts for child safety seats are standard, and front seat-mounted side-impact air bags are optional.


Our test car—equipped with a $615 Handling and Performance Package, which includes a quicker 3.27:1 rear axle ratio, slightly stiffer suspension tuning and dual exhaust—provided surprisingly responsive steering and agile cornering for such a large sedan. Ride was well damped, not overly firm, and braking was strong from any speed. The 224-hp 4.6-liter SOHC V-8 engine enabled great launches from rest and enthusiastic acceleration through all four gears of the electronic overdrive automatic transmission.


With driver's seat-adjustment travel increased by an inch this year, interior roominess front and rear is excellent. The cloth-covered front bench seat is predictably flat yet fairly comfortable. The trunk (even with its conventional full-size spare) holds 20.6 cubic feet of stuff. Two great Ford features on our test car were fore-aft power-adjustable pedals and a lockable power decklid release. A cleverly designed pullout center tray includes a small ash receiver, two cupholders and a 12-volt outlet that pivots to accommodate bulky accessory plugs.


However, unlike some domestic competitive cars, there is only one 12-volt plug and no "retained accessory power" to keep radio, windows and wipers running for a while after the ignition is turned off. Most annoying was the automatic door-lock feature: all doors lock when underway but only the driver's door unlocks when stopped. If you don't think to manually unlock the other three, you'll be fumbling for your key or remote fob every time you need to retrieve or load something in the back or passenger side. Also, as on too many GM cars, the interior lamps have minds of their own, illuminating whenever a door is open whether you want them to or not, with no override switch.