chicagotribune.com's view

Ford`s LTD Crown Victoria is a relic, a car that`s been around a few more years than Ford originally had scheduled. Its longevity is a tribute to the American motorists` contempt for, if not fear of, change.

The Crown Vic is a full-size, rear-drive car in a downsized, front-wheel- drive world, which is exactly why so many people like it and still buy it.

At a time when many consumers can`t even remember the names of all the new cars, much less pronounce them, the Crown Vic is an old standby. It`s a link with the past, when things were simpler and people, not robots, built cars.

The Crown Vic is a bit long of tooth. The boxy styling, landau vinyl roof, and huge egg crate-type grille on the LX we drove are all styling touches from the past. The aero look on the Taurus is now in, with rounded sheet metal and grille-less front end.

We test drove the `86 Crown Vic with its standard 5-liter electronically fuel-injected V-8 and automatic transmission. The car caters to the older buyer, with a soft, mushy suspension yet quick, firm brakes.

Two problems. The 5-liter V-8 consumes gas at an alarming rate. With gas prices well under $1, some potential buyers wouldn`t notice or care about fuel economy. If fuel prices took a dramatic leap upward, though, they`d notice quickly.

The car is EPA rated at 18 miles per gallon city, but certainly didn`t reach that in real-world driving.

A greater irritation was a pronounced lag or hesitation between the time we pressed the accelerator and when the fuel-injected engine made up its mind to respond. If mileage is low, you at least expect better-than-average performance to make up for it. You want immediate response when you hit the pedal.

Once merging and once passing, the engine had a mind of its own, as if the computer controls on the injection system were out of sync.

The inventory of unsold Crown Victorias stood at more than 80 days on March 1, a little more than the 65 days` supply that is considered normal. Crown Victoria has lost some sales to the variety of cars that have offered financing incentives in recent months. It also has lost a few, no doubt, to the new Taurus.

Taurus` ride and handling is firm yet nimble, without road wander or harshness; it gets better mileage from a smaller V-6 than the Crown Vic`s V-8; it holds as many people and probably more luggage or groceries; and features styling for the future rather than metal molded for the past.

If the Crown Victoria has anything over the new Taurus, it`s longevity. Taurus still has to prove itself.

Crown Victoria prices start at $12,562 for the base 4-door sedan, $13,022 for the base 2-door, which includes more standard equipment. The 4-door LX starts at $13,784, the LX 2-door at $13,752.