2003 Ford Crown Victoria Walkaround Review at Automotive.com
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Ford
Crown Victoria
2003

2003 Ford Crown Victoria Review: Exterior

Below is a full, detailed 2003 Ford Crown Victoria review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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2003 Ford Crown Victoria Review

The traditionalist's choice.
Walkaround
The Ford Crown Victoria's appearance requires a conservative taste in automobiles to appreciate, and a very critical taste to dislike. It's big, mostly bland but also oddly admirable in its tasteful restraint. From a distance, its considerable rear overhang marks it as a sedan of the past, but as you approach, you realize that its basic shape is still a pleasant thing, and Ford has kept it that way with just the right nips and tucks.

Crown Vic's formal looks suggest dignified duties: going to work and back, shopping excursions, or maybe an excursion to the theater on Saturday night with another couple. The long hood says power and direction; the traditional chrome-ringed grill denotes an elevated station in life. And there's more than a wink of Lincoln influence in its long, liquid flanks, and its thick vertical C-pillars. Fortunately, bright work has been applied sparingly, letting you see the Crown Victoria's true shape, rather than its ornamentation.

The conservative LX rolls on new alloy wheels while the standard model receives redesigned wheel covers for 2003.

The LX Sport version, with its more aggressive wheels, tires, and monochrome appearance makes a subtle pitch for the hot rod fan out there (with family obligations, apparently). The monochromatic scheme, in a choice of colors, extends to the grille, bumpers, taillights and deck-lid applique. Mechanically, the LX Sport includes dual exhausts (helping to add 15-horsepower to its output), firmer springs, stiffer anti-roll bars, a standard air spring rear suspension (optional on LX), a lower rear axle ratio for quicker acceleration, and special 17-inch wheels and tires.

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2003 Ford Crown Victoria