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Growing old gracefully.

Doesn’t happen too often in the auto industry.

Technology, not tolerance, is the name of the game, and new tech demands new cars frequently.

Why waste time and money investing in fancy gadgets when the simple addition of new headlamps will buy the old car a few more years before phase out?

For 1998 Ford has made what appears to be subtle changes to three of its elder statesmen: Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis.

First up was the Town Car (Car talk, Nov. 9), which has been around so long, Methuselah tookone to work.

Now comes the Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria (on sale Dec. 26), sedans Methuselah’s kids used when learning to drive.

Those minor changes are really major upgrades. Just like Town Car, Ford put more contemporary front and rear ends on Crown Vic and Grand Marquis. Looks good. Far less stodgy.

But, as with Town Car, the real beauty is in what you feel rather than in what you see. Ford revised the suspension and steering systems, giving these cars what they sadly needed–some personality. If they weren’t saddled with the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis names, they might even attract younger buyers.

In developing the ’98s, Ford surveyed 1994-1995 Crown Vic and Grand Marquis owners to learn their likes and dislikes.

“Owners were concerned about directional stability and having to pay attention all the time to keeping the vehicle moving in a straight line,” said Ed Nalodka, head of vehicle engineering for Grand Marquis, at a preview/media drive of the car here for the Midwest Automotive Media Association.

“If a truck passed, the gust of wind would shove the car sideways,” he said of a common complaint against Grand Marquis and Crown Vic. “And steering was too wide of center, meaning too much wheel movement in making even the simplest maneuver.”

For 1998, Crown Vic and Grand Marquis adopt what Ford calls Precision Trac suspensions to eliminate most of the wandering over the road. There’s still a hint of float, but only because owners want some softness in what they consider a plush sedan, Nalodka said.

We tested the Grand Marquis LS and found the suspension vastly improved. Road contour no longer dictates where you stay in relation to the lane dividers.

“The key was changes to the rear suspension to provide more directional stability so that you’d feel more comfortable driving. You now can pass or be passed by a semi without being swayed,” Nalodka said.

Within minutes of his boast, and as if on cue, an 18-wheeler zipped by on the tollway and we held steady in our tracks.

To complement the suspension, the steering system was retuned for faster, more precise response to wheel input.

“You now have more center-line feel. You can make a move and come back to center without delay. Turn the wheel in 1997 and the rear end sways. Turn the wheel in 1998 and the rear end stays,” Nalodka said.

With the suspension system, thanks to new shocks and a focus on reducing body roll, the car sits flatter so you feel more in control. The Grand Marquis no longer behaves as if anesthetized.

You get to choose your Grand Marquis’ personality by sticking with the base suspension for long-distance touring or moving up to the optional handling package for more aggressive maneuvering.

The handling suspension adds heavier stabilizer bars, air springs with automatic rear leveling regardless of load and Goodyear radials tuned for optimum handling and a bit firmer ride.

Base suspension offers Michelin (Grand Marquis) or Firestone (Crown Vic) tires tuned more for softer ride than handling.

You can get the base suspension with optional rear air springs to get level control. It’s a $270 option and comes with whitewall tires.

Our car came with the hand ing package, best bet for those who want maximum control.

The Grand Marquis offers Ford’s 200-horsepower (up from 190 in ’97), single-overhead cam V-8, but when you upgrade to the handling package, you get a 215-h.p. version of that V-8 with dual exhausts.

Both V-8s are smooth and quiet. The focus is on low-end torque for immediate pedal response when moving from the light or into the passing lane.

Ford also tinkered with the 4-speed automatic. The shift points are smooth and less abrupt so you barely notice them.

But we didn’t feel as much difference in power between the 200- and 215-h.p. V-8s as we did more control in corners and turns with the handling package.

And we appreciate the self-leveling rear suspension, a safety factor when it comes to stability and optimum braking under load.

But there were annoyances. The primary one is that Ford shortchanged occupants on seating comfort so they can’t fully enjoy the smart ride and handling.

Seat-bottom cushions are cut too short, robbing thigh support on long trips. Those short cushions make the back and legs tire easily. Thigh support is at least 2 inches short of what it should be on the front and back seats.

And up front, the seat features what looks like an integrated belt bulging from the lower back area. The first 30 to 40 miles of driving, that bulge feels like a grain of sand. The second 30 to 40 miles, it feels like a marble.

The next 30 to 40miles, it feels like a tennis ball. The seats are wide, but much too thick. Thinner bottoms and backs would allow occupants to sink into the cushions for more long-distance comfort–as much as you can expect with so little thigh support. With the overstuffed seat, you feel like you are riding on the seats rather than in them.

And for maximum comfort, we’ll take cloth seats over leather.

Other gripes: ashtrays galore in the back seat, but nary a cupholder; a trunk so deep you could fill it with hot water and bathe in it, but with a rounded opening that makes loading golf clubs and rectangular luggage difficult; a gas tank that holds one less gallon (Ford insists 19 gallons exceeds the human bladder capacity just as 20 gallons does); and the availability of anti-lock brakes and traction control only as options ($775 as a team, $2,400 as part of an “ultimate” option package).

Traction control was upgraded from ’97, which simply applied the ABS when it detected wheel slippage at low (less than 35 m.p.h.) speeds. For 1998, the system applies the ABS and limits fuel flow to the engine when slippage is detected at low or high speeds.

Nice touches include dual depowered air bags as standard, larger brakes with larger rotors and linings and calipers borrowed from Lincoln; a limp-home engine cooling system that shuts off individual cylinder firing to keep the engine at reduced power to prevent overheating if you lose c oolant; a slow-opening glove box door that doesn’t drop on the passenger’s knees; an arrow in the instrument panel showing which side the fuel filler door is on; and rear-seat reading lights.

The Grand Marquis would make an ideal car for those who long for a luxury sedan, such as a Town Car, but don’t want to spend $40,000 to get one.

>> 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

© 1997 Chicago Tribune Wheelbase: 114.4 inches Length: 212 inches Engine: 4.6-liter, 215-h.p. V-8 Transmission: 4-speed automatic EPA mileage: 17 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway Base price:$23,790 Price as tested: $27,575. Includes $2,400 for “ultimate” group package with four-wheel ABS/traction control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, electronic instrumentation, automatic airconditioning, automatic dimming mirr r, dual six-way power seats, premium AM/FM stereo with cassette and teardrop aluminum wheels; $735 for leather; $115 for universal garage door opener; and $535 for handling package with rear air suspension, dual exhausts and upgraded Goodyear tires. Add $605 for freight. Pluses: Suspension and steering systems upgraded for dramatically improved ride and handling. Restyled for fresher appearance. Very roomy front and rear. Dual air bags standard, traction control and ABS optional. What’s meant by growing old gracefully. Minuses: Seat bottoms short on thigh support for long-distance comfort. Towing capability sharply reduced. Fuel tank down one gallon. Biggest trunk in industry isn’t the most user-friendly one. >>