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What You Get for Your Dollar
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With a replacement on the way for the 2005 model year, consumers may be able to buy Dodge’s full-size Intrepid for an appealing price.
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Cars in the full-size category span a wide price range — even more so than for models in other vehicle classes. Full-size cars are manufactured to suit a variety of pocketbooks, from those seeking a practical family sedan for less than $25,000 to the buyer of an ultraposh comfort-laden motorcar that sells for six figures. On cars.com, you can find cars by price with this Full-Size Car Buying Guide, or search for higher-end vehicles in other segments with our Luxury Vehicle Buying Guide.
Even if you find the vehicle you want in your price range, you might want to consider the long-term ownership costs of a particular model. Fuel economy might not be very appealing in this passenger-car segment, but insurance and repair costs may be lower for a full-size car than for vehicles in other classes. But those expenses can still eat up plenty of dollars during the period for which you own a full-size car. Depreciation is another financial factor to weigh before making a purchase.
Total value is what you’re seeking. The price you pay at the dealership is the first factor to consider. That should be no surprise, but plenty of new-vehicle buyers today seem far more concerned with their monthly payments than with the final transaction price. Your best bet is to pay close attention to both price and payments.
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| Least and Most Expensive 2004 Full-Size Cars |
| The five least and most expensive 2004 full-size cars are listed below from lowest to highest MSRP. Destination charges are not included. |
| Least Expensive |
Price |
In a Nutshell |
| Dodge Intrepid |
$21,385 – $24,705 |
Sleek styling and a choice of three V-6 engines |
| Chevrolet Impala |
$21,485 – $27,335 |
New supercharged engine adds performance in 2004 |
| Chrysler Concorde |
$23,480 – $29,105 |
Clean looks and reasonable fuel economy |
| Ford Crown Victoria |
$23,790 – $31,310 |
Most affordable full-size car with rear-wheel drive |
| Mercury Grand Marquis |
$24,070 – $30,320 |
More luxurious sibling of the Ford Crown Victoria |
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| Source: Cars.com 2004 Full-Size Car Buying Guide |
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Even though most buyers don’t pay the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) — also known as the list or sticker price — for a vehicle, using that figure is the easiest way to compare models. Find a full-size car at a price you want to pay by using the sort by price feature on the index page of this Buying Guide. Sticker prices for full-size family sedans start above the $21,000 mark for the Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Intrepid. The Chrysler Concorde starts below $24,000, but if you’d rather have a rear-wheel-drive sedan, prices start at a little less than $24,000 for the Ford Crown Victoria; a few hundred dollars more will buy the similar Mercury Grand Marquis. For these prices, you get a four-door sedan that offers plenty of passenger and cargo space, ample power, and a helpful array of basic comfort and convenience features as standard equipment — substantially more than you’d find in a typical compact or midsize model.
Kia’s new Amanti sedan starts just below $25,000, while models in the $25,000 to $30,000 range include the Buick LeSabre, Pontiac Bonneville and Toyota Avalon. Chrysler’s sporty 300M sedan straddles the $30,000 barrier.
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The last of its breed, the Mercury Marauder is equipped with a 302-hp V-8 engine and eye-catching chrome tailpipes.
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Shoppers with $30,000 to $40,000 to spend may consider the plush Buick Park Avenue or the sportier Lexus GS 300, but the choices here are more limited. A top-end Park Avenue reaches just past the $40,000 mark. For less than $34,000, you could also drive home the performance-oriented Mercury Marauder. Upscale versions of the Buick LeSabre and Chrysler 300M fall into the $31,000 to $32,000 range, respectively, while Pontiac asks more than $35,000 for the new GXP edition of its Bonneville.
Moving up to the premium market, the Cadillac DeVille and Seville, Infiniti M45, Lexus GS 430 and Lincoln Town Car — all equipped with V-8 power — are priced in the $40,000 to $50,000 range. Jaguar’s S-Type sedan starts around $43,000, but a performance-packed R edition commands more than $62,000.
Choices in the $50,000 to $60,000 neighborhood include the Infiniti Q45, Lexus LS 430 and the least expensive Jaguar XJ8 sedan. Stepping up a notch for a supercharged XJR at the Jaguar dealership sends the price past $74,000. For a little more than $68,000, you can get the redesigned Audi A8 L or a BMW 745i sedan, but the BMW 760Li with its V-12 engine has a price that shoots up to nearly $116,000. If a Mercedes-Benz S-Class is in the cards, figure on paying anywhere from $73,600 for one with a smaller V-8 engine to a little more than $122,000 for the super-posh V-12-powered S600.
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Subtle “V12” badging is one way to distinguish an S600 from lesser S-Class models in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup. Another way is the $50,000 price increase.
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For many years, only Bentley and Rolls-Royce resided at the loftiest end of the price spectrum — beyond the $200,000 mark. But in 2003, a third marque joined the ultraposh group: Maybach. Vehicles from this manufacturer are expected to sell for approximately $325,000 for a Type 57 to more than $375,000 for a Type 62. That makes the $149,000 Bentley Continental GT coupe sound almost affordable, but a prime example of the Bentley Arnage sedan can set you back more than $256,000.
Full-Size Car Luxury
Because you’ll be paying a lot of extra cash for a luxurious full-size car, you can expect some tangible returns. Near-luxury models — those priced between $28,000 and $40,000 — don’t necessarily perform better than their moderately priced cousins, but they typically contain a greater number of comfort and convenience features. Items that may be optional or unavailable in lower-priced models can be standard even at the lower end of the near-luxury range.
In the luxury group, which ranges between $40,000 and $100,000, the quantity of comfort and convenience amenities escalates even further. The interiors of these cars are more plush and better-tailored and typically use fine leather upholstery. Their engines tend to be larger and more powerful, and a full assortment of safety and driving-enhancement features are likely to be installed.
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Infiniti’s Q45 comes standard in 2004 with a worthwhile convenience and safety feature: a rearview monitor and camera.
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What does more than $100,000 buy in the ultraluxury segment? You can expect the finest woods and leathers inside, as well as largely hand-assembled construction. But what you get most is the aura of the manufacturer’s name, which is likely to be accompanied by admiration and possibly envy from associates and onlookers. Favored treatment from valet parkers and colleagues alike may ensue.
How Much Fuel Will It Use?
A vehicle’s size and weight tend to determine how much fuel is consumed. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which issues estimates for each vehicle sold, most full-size cars are comparatively thirsty when it comes to fuel usage. Highway driving, however, can yield surprisingly thrifty fuel consumption. Short city trips are the ones that use more fuel when you’re driving a comparatively large, heavy, full-size car. Regardless of the kind of driving you do, selecting a car that achieves a good estimated fuel economy rating will help lower your long-term ownership costs by reducing the number of times you’ll have to visit the gas pump.
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| Gas Misers |
| Some full-size cars achieve fuel-economy figures as good as — or better than — some midsize cars. The following is a selection of the 10 most economical 2004 models, listed in order of most to least efficient, according to the EPA. |
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Among 2004 full-size cars, the frugal-running prize again goes to the Chevrolet Impala equipped with a 3.4-liter V-6 engine, which earns a 21-mpg estimate for city driving and an appealing 32-mpg figure for highway operation. With the larger 3.8-liter engine, the Impala estimates dip to 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Pick the new supercharged Impala SS, and you can expect only 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
Several full-size sedans, including the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue, Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, Pontiac Bonneville and Toyota Avalon, come close to the Impala’s numbers. Unless it’s equipped with a supercharged engine, each General Motors’ model earns an EPA estimate of 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. When fitted with the smaller 2.7-liter V-6 engine, the Concorde and Intrepid are rated at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. Choosing a 3.5-liter V-6 instead drops the estimates to 19/27 mpg. Among rear-drive models, the Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis all earn EPA estimates of 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The same rating has been issued to the new Kia Amanti.
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| Go Figure |
| How much money does your vehicle burn? Use our gas calculator to figure out your annual fuel cost. Gas Price and Annual Miles values can be changed to reflect current pump prices and actual miles you drive. |
Looking for serious number crunching? See our detailed fuel-cost estimator for more fuel-cost options.
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Which full-size cars guzzle the most gasoline? According to EPA estimates, the gas-consumption title goes, again, to the Bentley Arnage, which gets 10 mpg city and 14 mpg highway. Both Maybach models do a little better at 10 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. With its V-12 engine, the Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan earns 12/19 mpg from the EPA, while its performance-focused S55 AMG companion is rated at 14/21 mpg. The new Rolls-Royce Phantom earns an EPA estimate of 13/19 mpg, whereas the BMW 760Li with its V-12 engine is rated at 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.
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Most other premium full-size cars get at least tolerable EPA estimates for highway driving, if not for urban use. The redesigned Audi A8 L is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, and the Lexus LS 430 does 1 mpg better on both counts. Jaguar’s redesigned XJ8 gets an estimate of 18 mpg city and an impressive 28 mpg on the highway.
Estimated annual fuel costs range from $840 for the most frugal Chevrolet Impala to nearly $2,000 for the Bentley Arnage. Keep in mind that in real-world driving, your mileage may differ considerably from the EPA’s estimates.
Can You Save on Insurance With a Full-Size Car?
Will you save money on auto insurance by buying a full-size car rather than a smaller model? You might, but premium costs vary considerably among the various cars.
In fact, Insure.com lists the BMW 7 Series and Lexus GS 430 as two of the 10 most expensive 2002 vehicles to insure. BMWs, in particular, make the list because they cost more to buy and are expensive to repair. Buick’s LeSabre and Park Avenue and the Mercury Grand Marquis are among the 10 cheapest to insure. Insure.com rankings of more recent models have not yet been released.
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Worried about vehicle theft? If so, Buick’s LeSabre may be worth a look, as its theft losses are low.
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A vehicle’s theft rate has an impact on insurance rates, but full-size models often fail to interest thieves. The Dodge Intrepid is the only full-size car listed in the Top 10 in highest theft claim frequencies (for 2000 – 2002 models) by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In addition to the Intrepid, Chrysler’s Concorde and 300M have also suffered more theft losses than the average full-size model. At the other end of the scale, the Buick LeSabre and Mercury Grand Marquis show exceptionally low theft losses according to the IIHS.
Depending on their specific claims experience, insurance companies offer discounts on a portion of the premium for some vehicle models, while they add a surcharge to others. The difference can be considerable, so it’s one more important factor to weigh when contemplating a full-size car.
State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurer, lists models that warrant a surcharge or a discount on collision and comprehensive coverage. Information for 2004 is not yet available, but in 2003, no full-size models were subject to a surcharge on the premium cost. Premium discounts were granted to most full-size models, including the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue, Cadillac DeVille and Seville, Ford Crown Victoria, Jaguar S-Type and XJ8, Lincoln Town Car, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mercury Grand Marquis, Pontiac Bonneville and Toyota Avalon, along with all Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. Standard rates were charged to owners of the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300M and Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, Infiniti Q45, and Lexus GS 300/GS 430 and LS 430.
State Farm also offers Vehicle Safety Discounts of 10 percent to 40 percent based on the company’s personal-injury claims experience. These discounts apply to the portion of your premium devoted to medical payments and personal-injury protection. In 2003, three of the four full-size cars that qualified for the maximum 40-percent discount were premium models: the BMW 745, Lexus LS 430 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Pontiac’s Bonneville also warranted a 40-percent discount. No full-size cars got only the smallest 10-percent discount; all the others earned 20- or 30-percent discounts.
Resale Value Is a Big Part of Ownership Costs
How much your full-size car will be worth as a used vehicle a few years from now is another factor to consider before driving one out of the showroom. The Automotive Lease Guide (ALG), a widely consulted publication that projects residual (resale) values for the leasing industry, gives estimates on how much a vehicle will be worth after two to five years, which is the end of a typical lease term. Intended for use by the leasing industry, these figures also suggest a car’s likely value at that time on the used-car market.
Quite a few full-size cars — especially ones from domestic brands — depreciate fairly rapidly and are therefore worth less than the average resale value as they age. Among moderately priced and lower-end luxury sedans for 2004, the ALG estimates that eight models will be worth less than 40 percent of their initial value after three years.
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Though it has an attractive sticker price, Chevrolet’s Impala is only expected to be worth 35 percent of its initial value after three years of ownership.
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A base-model Chevrolet Impala is expected to be worth 35 percent of its original cost after three years, while the LS and SS editions in the Impala lineup hold their value better. The situation is similar for Pontiac’s Bonneville. Dodge’s Intrepid is at the bottom of the list — worth only an estimated 28 to 30 percent of its initial cost after three years of operation.
Toyota’s Avalon wins the value-holding derby for moderately priced models by hanging on to 55 percent of its worth in XL form versus 51 percent for the more costly XLS edition. More expensive versions of a given model are sometimes a bit weaker than entry-level editions in holding their value.
The Cadillac DeVille should be worth 39 to 42 percent of its initial cost after three years. Chrysler’s 300M retains 41 percent of its initial price, which is several points above the automaker’s less-sporty Concorde. The Mercury Grand Marquis is likely to keep 37 to 40 percent of its original worth, whereas the related Ford Crown Victoria manages only 36 percent. According to ALG, the high-performance Mercury Marauder is expected to retain 43 percent of its initial cost, while the Lincoln Town Car hangs on to 36 to 41 percent.
Luxury full-size cars tend to depreciate slower than their lower-budget cousins. Topping the list is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which costs plenty to buy but retains 51 to 53 percent of its initial value after three years. If you drive home the super-expensive S600 with its V-12 engine, on the other hand, you should expect it to retain only 44 percent of its initial value. Buyers of full-size BMW models face a similar fate: the 745i should be worth 53 percent after three years versus only 46 percent for the V-12-powered 760Li.
At Jaguar, a regular S-Type sedan clings to 48 to 49 percent of its starting price after three years, while the performance-focused R edition should be worth 53 percent. The ALG estimates that Lexus GS 430 and LS 430 sedans hang on to 57 percent, except for the Ultra Luxury Package-equipped edition of the LS 430, which retains only 51 percent of its worth after three years. Bear in mind that a few percentage points on a high-dollar full-size car can make quite a difference at resale time.
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