Just How Tough Is A Ford Crown Victoria? Ford Tough!

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• published: 16 Mar 2013
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It was a rainy day on March 12, 2013 where this 1995 Ford Crown Victoria LX met its untimely end at approximately 7:30a.m. When changing lanes, the car was side swiped by a large 2009 Chevrolet C5500 Duramax Diesel flat bed tow truck. It was then forced back into the left lane and into the car that was previously in front of it, a 2006 Mercury Milan. All parties involved sustained little to no injury and walked away. This was a major accident with extensive damage, involving several vehicles. The car is totaled. With that said however, it is in surprisingly good condition from a functional perspective. Functionally, three doors will no longer open, and one power window, power lock, and power side mirror won't work. All other aspects of the car remain unchanged from pre-accident values. After resetting the fuel inertia cutoff switch, the car was driven home on the interstate between 55 and 70 MPH with no issues. It is absolutely astonishing that even after suffering this much damage at the hands of a large Diesel flat bed tow truck and then being hit yet again by another vehicle, that the car runs and drives perfectly. The alignment isn't even off. There are no warning lights illuminated, no fluid loss, and all mechanical systems related to vehicle motion and control remain functional. The Ford Crown Victoria is ONE TOUGH AUTOMOBILE that deserves even more of my respect and admiration. The Chevrolet Caprice is also another vehicle with similar design and safety characteristics that would likely have done just as well in this accident scenario. I am relatively uninjured save for some cuts, bruises, and muscle aches, but otherwise in good health. I shudder to think how differently this may have turned out in a smaller, less massive car. I'm sure I'd still be alive, but likely would have sustained that much more injury let alone the fact that a smaller car may likely have not been able to be driven away from such an impact (and then driven again today). I've always liked large powerful cars and after this incident, I like them even more. Their only downside is fuel mileage. But then again, it's only fuel (money). You can't take it with you. I'd much rather drive a large, safe car than a smaller fuel efficient car. All it takes is one accident. The resulting medical bills from a less substantial and massive vehicle will far exceed any fuel savings by a wide margin (if you survive such an encounter at all). Driving is always a risk. Stack the odds in your favor and try to choose a larger vehicle the next time you're in the market for a new car. (3/16/2013)