What other cars were you considering?

[Eric91Z]

Just wondering what other cars people were considering when they ended up with their Marauder? Were you set on the Marauder only? Were you looking for a replacement and the Marauder was just one on the list?

I ask because I love the MM very much and do plan on getting one, but it is not the only one I have looked at. Looked at the 300C, the Acura TL, Cadillac STS, BMW 540i (used of course), and Crown Vic LX Sport. Here are the biggest reasons I want the MM over the others:

1) American full size sedan with V8 and rear wheen drive
2) Unique looks and "What is that" responses from others
3) Has some good aftermarket support with proven power and handling combinations
4) This website

I am actually a big fan of the '04 and newer Acura TL, but have a hard time hanging out at the website sometimes. And the 300C is about the same. Maybe because I am not in to the "BLING" thing and I really can't get in to the Import tuner market with some of the attitudes they have.

Oh, how about the rest of you?

[Tallboy]

I was set on a Marauder only. I saw my first one in St. Charles, IL and was hooked. Having just dumped a boatload of cash into my Mustang, and having two other newer cars my wife and I drove, i had no intention of buying. I saw one on my local Ford dealer's lot, and stopped by to check out the interior, since I had never sat in one. I traded in my wife's car on the spot [I was driving her car that day, and, heck-it was paid for] and I had some splainin' to do to Jennifer when she got home and saw the MM in the garage. [She graciously agreed to drive my 01 Chevy from that day on]. I now owned my dream car. Had it safe and sound in my garage. I sat down, cracked a beer and lit an Ashton-with every intention of keeping her just as she was at that moment.


However...

At that precise moment in time, a man in Maryland was typing away at his keyboard..."Welcome to the collective..."

[Bluerauder]

Just wondering what other cars people were considering when they ended up with their Marauder?

Actually, I wasn't even planning to buy a car. Then 6 hours later, I was coming home in a Marauder. Here's the story ....

At the kitchen table on the morning of 4 October 2003, the wife says "So, are we going looking at cars today -- or what?" Seems she had had it with the '94 Thunderbird with the leaky moonroof (only leaked on her side). Then she says, "Why don't we go look at one of those Marauders that you and your son have been talking about for the past year." So I went out on the net and asked for quotes on MMs from 3 dealers and a Crown Vic LX Sport from 3 dealers. Only one came back with real numbers --- but on a Blue Marauder. Until that time, I wasn't aware that the Blue existed.

Unbeknownst to me, my son had coaxed my wife into sitting in a DTR a day or two earlier and she liked it. Enroute to the first dealer she says "It's about time that you get something that you really want and like !!!"

I looked at an '04 DTR at one dealer (I have not had good luck with red cars). Seems no one had a Black in stock. Test drove a light Ice Blue CV LX Sport and wasn't impressed. It was OK but seemed cheap/flimsy on the interior probably 'cause I had seen the DTR interior.

Finally, she says "Well, we might as well go and look at that Blue Marauder". We did. We both liked it immediately. I drove. She drove. Since I already had numbers to work with from this dealer, I just walked in and said make it $27,000 and its a deal. I was on my way home with a Blue MM in 45 minutes.

Could be that this was all a set-up ..... but I am the one driving the Marauder.

[Marauder386]

I had been driving a Pontywhack Bonneville SSEI for two years but wanted something in the Blue Oval Camp since that was my preference. Saw the Marauder in concept and at SEMA and knew that was the car. Didnt hurt that the Spousal Unit and Son went GaaGaa over it too. Just saved the $$$ up and waited to swoop in and snatch one up. Well...Mom and Son in MVA, Son killed, Marauder was justa pipedream. Well, bullcookies...got it and then found a second one. That one is a memorial to my boy...a garage queen. This Daily Driver has just coming up on 40k...got the OASIS from RoyLPita .... it had 35,500 on it but I was only the second owner...

[mcb26]

We wanted a comfortable car for travel, My F150 and wifes (gasp) Honda CRV were terible trip vehicles. I wanted rear wheel drive V8 American made. Looked at the Mach1, Lincoln LS, CV, Gm and Marauder. They didn't want to look for an 04 Marauder at the dealer, however they had a used 03 on the lot. The Mach1 was nice,but would get old on a trip with all the stuff we carried. Anyway the let me keep the Marauder for 48 hrs. My wife took one look and said get this one. Bought ALI (heavyweight champ, the greatest,ect...) the next day.

[MM2004]

Hearing all the hype about the new MM back in '01 and desperately needing to get rid of my '89 GM as it was starting to nickle/dime me to death at 130k miles.
The MM was not due until the following year and wound up with an '01 GM LSE which is about a close to an MM as you can get (buckets, leather, console, duals, etc.)
Bought it and drove it for 3 years until my wife called from our L/M dealer saying an '03 MM was on the lot for sale. Found out for a few thouosand $'s more, a new MM could be had!
It took the dealer about one week to locate and deliver an '04 DTR which proudly can say it is mine! Uh. . . Ford Credit's, that is.
My dream car is now a reality!

[Patrick]

I had a 98 Mark VIII LSC and didnt want to get rid of it. Just needed more space and something newer. And Browseing Kelly Blue Book I saw a pic of the Marauder. Still prototype. I said if they make that, that would awsome........the rest is history!!!!!

[Go Mifuni]

I was looking for something with some oomph that would be able to seat five and was leaning towards a pick-up because of the work I do around the house. I saw this car on a lot as I was driving by and THAT WAS IT! I remembered the show I saw on it about a year before and had to have it. The dealer sold it out from under me so I went on a hunt. I'm glad I didn't get that one because I realized later after I looked at another one that it was missing the sub box.

[Marauder8]

WRX was my second choice............

[Mike Poore]

I drive an 2002 F-150 Sport 4x4 with 5sp, and when I took out my left knee (ACL's a gonner) needed a roomy sedan with automatic. I was shopping for a CV Sport when Barb & John located the Silver Birch on a lot in Hanover, during a shopping raid, while I was home nursing my poor knee. They called on the cell, and were all excited because of the huge discount, ($10,000) and took lots of pictures. That made it a better deal than the best price I had gotten, so far on a Crown Vic Sport. This was an easy choice.

It was August and the car had been sitting on the lot since December. I called, first thing Monday Morning, made the deal over the phone, told 'em to put a sold sign on it, and picked it up that evening. It's the first Marauder I had ever seen, and knew absolutly nothing about the car, except for seeing that stupid drag race poster at a dealership in Chambersburg.

BTW, when I asked a sales "advisor" at Chambersburg, the day I saw the poster, he said they knew nothing about the cars, except it being a overpriced Gran Marquis, and that there would be none ordered unless a customer placed a special order with substantial down payment.

That's marketing 101, folks.

[jgc61sr2002]

I had a 2000 GM Black with the handling package. When I saw the Marauder I had to have it. Wasn't shopping an didn't need a new car as the GM only had 7K on the odometer.

[LordVader]

Very similar to other stories here. I was in the market for a new/used car and saw a MM on local dealer's website, but it was sold. I had seen one in person a year earlier in San Antonio, but none since. I did a lot of homework and found this was a car that had collectible possibilities, was a V-8, rear wheel drive and could carry a few groceries and some luggage if needed. Ended up driving up to Tulsa, Ok - 258 miles one way to pick one up without taking one for a ride until I got there. I looked at the 300C, and thought about the Mustang for a second, but all things considered this is the car I really wanted. I intend to keep it a good long time and do some mods along the way and have fun while doing so!

[FiveO]

Nothing but the Marauder.

I loved my 99 SHO and had it set up exactly the way I wanted. I would have kept it.

I didn't test drive or research any other vehicle.

[DEFYANT]

I was looking real hard at the Dogde Magnum R/T. They were being schmucks about the price. My wife and I began looking elsewhere. We looked at CV sport and the MM. She wasnt big on the MM cuz of the "old man" look. Then again, her taste in cars was always lacking. I always knew about the MM since I'm a Ford Mustang owner and mag. subscriber. We had the SUV and then the mini van. I really prefer not to drive the mini van. Plus we wanted something sporty, good on long trips and unique. The MM was a new car marked down alot! They were reasonable. I could have probably done better on the price but, I really like the car. From what I've seen here, others have done better, and I've done better than others so, I'm happy.

[Eric91Z]

Defyant,

You looked at one of the other cars that I looked at. I liked the Magnum R/T, but the wife will not have a "station wagon" around (or a minivan for that matter). She also got to sit in my buddies 300C that I have driven and wasn't too impressed with that either. And she has never been in the Acura TL, although I really like that car and know it would last a long time as a daily driver (like my Honda Accord with 271,000 miles on it).

Then we had the Marauder for a weekend on a test drive. The wife really liked it and actually enjoyed driving it. I think she would be happy having that in the garage.