@@CB-sr5jpNope. The 3800 V6 is one of the most prolific and dependable engines ever made. I still see plenty of GM cars of this era that used this H body (or other closely related) platform(s) and the 3800 V6/4 speed automatic power train on the road. They were very dependable cars, from a mechanical standpoint.
@@phantom0456facts. The venerable 3800 IS still the best engine in the V6 category… I’m looking for a 1998 Olds Intrigue that initially had that engine
@@phantom0456I see a lot of them here in Texas still driving, but I'm sure if you go north you will see less LeSabres of this year range on the road, and more in junkyards from rust.
Ill take the Mercury then the Buick followed by the Avalon, you can keep the Concorde and its fragile 41TE transmission. The others last forever if you care for them. I own my grandmothers Grand Marquis, 1998 with 88,000 miles on it. Got it in 2014 when she passed with 55,000 miles ion it ;) another great find from this channel
troll alert. troll alert. whoop whoop whoop. Go back under your bridge. Ill forget more about cars than youll ever know. Danger danger cant have an opinion, Karen doesnt like it. LOL. All three transmissions have their own issues, but not as many or as serious as you do child..HA. Grow up. @JDns-we4fw
The Grand Marquis is beautiful and is built like a tank. The Toyota, while a bit boring is a great choice for years drama free driving. The Buick and its 3800 is peak GM though the transmission is a weak point. The Concorde was total junk from day one. Can't remember when I last saw one on the road.
Agreed. Everyone talks about how great the 3800 Series II engine is but most people fail to mention the 4T60E/4T65E was a weak point. Not as bad as the Ultradrive but it wasn't a match for the engine. And it was even worst on the supercharged cars despite being the HD version.
Its a shame that dodge and Chrysler from this era where so plagued by planed obsolescence. They look good both in and out and they seem to preform well. I cant even think of the last time i've seen a Concord, 300, or Intrepid on the road
It was when Daimler bought Chrysler Daimler sucked out everything they wanted to start putting mandatory ABS and side impact airbags on all the cars as standard equipment and Daimler said no! It's very true. If you look back when the Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde came out they were loaded with standard features towards the end when Daimler took over when Lee iacocca left everything went to shit! That is the truth. I still have an Intrepid and I still see older Chrysler vehicles on the road compared to most others!
Motorweek really did pick the turkey with the Chrysler. These were ugly in the 90's and mechanically they aged like milk. All the other cars in the test are known to be pretty bulletproof. I'd go for the Mercury though, bit more fun to fool around in with RWD and V8. Plus its got the iconic look to it, as it was used by law enforcement and the tv/movie industry for 20+years now.
"aged like milk" thats funny. I worked for Chrysler in the early 2000s you couldnt give me one. ANY Mopar with a 4 speed auto fwd had the 41TE or version of the ultradrive tranny was junk. These transmission were horrible.. But the Crapica(Pacifica), PT Loser, Sebwrong(Sebring) and Crapfire(Crossfire) were all junk (our names at chrysler for them) Even the second and third gen GC and Durangos had issues.. I quit just as Fiat was buying them... Mercedes ownership was bad enough..
Notice how the dash on the Mercury and the Buick had no hump or cockpit feel. Straight across Dash just like old school cars. I used to own a 1994 Buick LeSabre limited it was a wonderful car to do road trips on. You got very good gas mileage and was very quiet. The problem was rust. Even though I got over 200,000 miles on that wonderful 3.8 L engine the wheel wells in the trunk rusted clean through.
They chose the Concorde for styling, but in my opinion the styling of that car aged the worst. I get it though; it was the shiny new toy in the group. Here's my styling ranking: Lesabre Grand Marquis Avalon Concorde (slightly smashed melted candy bar body, googly eyed headlights)
I'd put the GM above the LeSabre. IMO the LeSabre looked aging by the time this comparison took place. Very little changes compared to 93MY. Totally agreed about the Concord. The 2002 refresh when they adopted the LHS styling was much better. That's how the car should've looked from the very beginning
@@patrickmcgoldrick8234I don't know about that I still see them chugging along on the roads where I live I don't remember the last time I've seen an Avalon on Marquee or a LeSa
Grand Marquis is my first choice, but without the “handling & performance package,” which uses more fuel. This is a luxury car, not a sports car. Its rear wheel drive platform gives a superior ride, too, and it’s easier to service. Reliability is a high note as well. The LeSabre or Avalon would be a good second choice.
Those cars held a lot more appeal for me than today's vastly scrunch up, dull looking, over sophisticated and super overpriced and underwhelming jellybeans on wheels .
All three of the non Chryslers are decent cars. I really like the Toyota Avalon but I think back in 1998 I would have gone with the buick. I also really like the grand marquis, but it's not that good on gas. The only downside to the LeSabre is I don't find it to be an ugly car, but I much preferred the way it looked before it had the facelift in 1997. The 96 was an OBD2 car, with the series 2 3800 V6 but still with the better looking front end.
Just like how America trys to compete with imports making small cars I wish it was the same way like the 90s where Toyota tried making full sized American sedans with the front bench seats too!
For me, style rankings are as follows: 1. Toyota Avalon 2. Buick LeSabre 3. Mercury Grand Marquis 4. Chrysler Concorde Toyota is the only one that had a sleek, modern look. Buick and Mercury brought classic designs and interior layouts, which is visually appealing. Chrysler looked unusual and lacks cohesion.
God loves us all so much that he gave his perfect son to die for our sins and raised him from the grave to defeat death. Through faith in JESUS we can be saved and reconciled to GOD. please give your lives to him, he loves you, is coming back soon, and really wants to take us all with him🙏♥️
@@john5389I cannot even remember the last time I saw an old generation Toyota Avalon on the road You know why cuz they're all in the junkyard Japanese junk😂
@@peachyclean93 You must not do much historic research! It's just a FACT Japanese and most imports are overall more reliable than their domestic counterparts! Especially back when this video was made.
@@john5389 🤣🤣 I would take an American car over a Japanese any day I have five Chrysler vehicles still running 34 years old 27 years old My grandmother and grandfather's Camrys are both in the junkyard! Toyotas are junk
As usual the most boring, conservative cars would turn out to be the most durable. I never saw many Avalons growing up in the 2000s, but the few I did see seemed to last a long, long time. I think those plastic intake manifolds killed a lot of those Marquis' early, because I hardly ever see 98-02 models of any kind. The Buick would turn out to be quite durable despite having a series of issues. Of course, the cab forward Chrysler was the most impressive of all but also the most biodegradable. What a shame Chrysler couldn't spare some cash on R&D to make those cars more reliable. They really were a great modernized example of the American sedan.
I barely see Avalons, I see lot's of Buick Lesabres and the 98-2002 Marquis everywhere, but the 03-2011 Panthers I see waaay more. I think time proved that the Panther was just the most reliable platform, and the toughest with it's truck ladder frame.
@@CsalbertCs Must be a regional thing because I hardly ever see any panthers anymore, and the few I do see are ragged (including mine lol). Is it just me or do the 03-11 Marquis' have terrible paint? I swear every single one I've seen in the last 5 years has had clearcoat failure in giant sheets.
They should bring these types of reviews back. The show was nice to watch when they would tie in cars with landmarks and destinations.
It would be great if people still wanted such cars! What people want now is pretty sorry!
I agree, I love these types of reviews, too. They do need to bring these types of reviews back.
The Concorde would be the only one in the Junkyard. All the others, esp the Avalon, would still be on the road today.
It’s possible the Concorde could still be going. Especially if it didn’t have the 2.7 v6
Agreed. If the engine didn't junk the Concorde the crappy transmission would have. Total junk.
there are a huge amount of Buicks from that era still rolling around too
You just can’t kill a Panther, it was the last of the breed and I miss it.
My parents still have a concord and drive it regularly.
Junkyard scene:
“It was here we took a closer look at the LeSabre” lmao
It was soon to end up in there too.
@@CB-sr5jpNope. The 3800 V6 is one of the most prolific and dependable engines ever made. I still see plenty of GM cars of this era that used this H body (or other closely related) platform(s) and the 3800 V6/4 speed automatic power train on the road. They were very dependable cars, from a mechanical standpoint.
@@phantom0456facts. The venerable 3800 IS still the best engine in the V6 category… I’m looking for a 1998 Olds Intrigue that initially had that engine
@@phantom0456I see a lot of them here in Texas still driving, but I'm sure if you go north you will see less LeSabres of this year range on the road, and more in junkyards from rust.
Funny enough, the first of any of those likely to end up in the junkyard, by a huge margin, was the Concorde
Yes, they were mostly sizzle and very little steak. I always like Chrysler design but they’re fit and finish and engineering were horrible.
I like when John would give his interior review in the interior, not the voiceover!!
I liked that too
Ill take the Mercury then the Buick followed by the Avalon, you can keep the Concorde and its fragile 41TE transmission. The others last forever if you care for them. I own my grandmothers Grand Marquis, 1998 with 88,000 miles on it. Got it in 2014 when she passed with 55,000 miles ion it ;) another great find from this channel
troll alert. troll alert. whoop whoop whoop. Go back under your bridge. Ill forget more about cars than youll ever know. Danger danger cant have an opinion, Karen doesnt like it. LOL. All three transmissions have their own issues, but not as many or as serious as you do child..HA. Grow up. @JDns-we4fw
The Grand Marquis is beautiful and is built like a tank. The Toyota, while a bit boring is a great choice for years drama free driving. The Buick and its 3800 is peak GM though the transmission is a weak point. The Concorde was total junk from day one. Can't remember when I last saw one on the road.
Agreed. Everyone talks about how great the 3800 Series II engine is but most people fail to mention the 4T60E/4T65E was a weak point. Not as bad as the Ultradrive but it wasn't a match for the engine.
And it was even worst on the supercharged cars despite being the HD version.
@@engineer_alvand when they put the ls4, literally the worst LS, to it... I've heard of those getting ruined in 30k miles.
Of them all, I call the Mercury a true large car. At ~ 214", it was prolly a foot longer than the rest
That’s true but due to the body on frame design the interior was about the same volume
@@davewilson7602 Yeah the back seats are pretty sad in any of them short of the Town Car and the extra-length Taxi.
Not really the Concorde was 209.1" only about 5in shorter compared the LeSabre 200.8 in and the Avalon's 191.9 in length
"prolly" ????
When you're too stupid to be embarassed...
@@davewilson7602 And thanks to the body on frame it was way tougher and capable.
I still see all of these but the Concorde lol
"lol" ?
No.
*STOP.*
@@gavinvalentino1313shut up
Lol
Its a shame that dodge and Chrysler from this era where so plagued by planed obsolescence. They look good both in and out and they seem to preform well. I cant even think of the last time i've seen a Concord, 300, or Intrepid on the road
ALL bad transmissions to the point of extinction
@@hottew_twat3963 also the water pump failures on those transverse FWD cars. Such good look cars too.
A coworker has a Concord. It looks every bit of its 20+ years old. Chrysler never seemed to get paint/clear coat down to a science.
It was when Daimler bought Chrysler Daimler sucked out everything they wanted to start putting mandatory ABS and side impact airbags on all the cars as standard equipment and Daimler said no! It's very true. If you look back when the Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde came out they were loaded with standard features towards the end when Daimler took over when Lee iacocca left everything went to shit! That is the truth. I still have an Intrepid and I still see older Chrysler vehicles on the road compared to most others!
@@peachyclean93 Lee Iacoca left Chrysler years before Daimler took over in 1998. He retired from the company
around 1993.
I went on a field trip to U.S Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL., when I was in Elementary School.
Motorweek really did pick the turkey with the Chrysler. These were ugly in the 90's and mechanically they aged like milk. All the other cars in the test are known to be pretty bulletproof. I'd go for the Mercury though, bit more fun to fool around in with RWD and V8. Plus its got the iconic look to it, as it was used by law enforcement and the tv/movie industry for 20+years now.
"aged like milk" thats funny. I worked for Chrysler in the early 2000s you couldnt give me one. ANY Mopar with a 4 speed auto fwd had the 41TE or version of the ultradrive tranny was junk. These transmission were horrible.. But the Crapica(Pacifica), PT Loser, Sebwrong(Sebring) and Crapfire(Crossfire) were all junk (our names at chrysler for them) Even the second and third gen GC and Durangos had issues.. I quit just as Fiat was buying them... Mercedes ownership was bad enough..
@@Butchcub75What's your opinion of jeeps of that era?
The only true car there would be the wonderfull ,elegant, and beautiful Grand Marquis
Notice how the dash on the Mercury and the Buick had no hump or cockpit feel. Straight across Dash just like old school cars.
I used to own a 1994 Buick LeSabre limited it was a wonderful car to do road trips on. You got very good gas mileage and was very quiet. The problem was rust. Even though I got over 200,000 miles on that wonderful 3.8 L engine the wheel wells in the trunk rusted clean through.
They chose the Concorde for styling, but in my opinion the styling of that car aged the worst. I get it though; it was the shiny new toy in the group. Here's my styling ranking:
Lesabre
Grand Marquis
Avalon
Concorde (slightly smashed melted candy bar body, googly eyed headlights)
i always like the 300m much better
When talking about Concordes I liked the first generation better than this one
I agree with you one to four rating, the sad part is the Concord did not age well and wasn't reliable for the most part.
I'd put the GM above the LeSabre. IMO the LeSabre looked aging by the time this comparison took place. Very little changes compared to 93MY.
Totally agreed about the Concord. The 2002 refresh when they adopted the LHS styling was much better. That's how the car should've looked from the very beginning
@@patrickmcgoldrick8234I don't know about that I still see them chugging along on the roads where I live I don't remember the last time I've seen an Avalon on Marquee or a LeSa
My top 3 cars i like, in no order: the Mercury, the buick, and the Avalon.
Grand Marquis is my first choice, but without the “handling & performance package,” which uses more fuel. This is a luxury car, not a sports car. Its rear wheel drive platform gives a superior ride, too, and it’s easier to service. Reliability is a high note as well. The LeSabre or Avalon would be a good second choice.
The LeSabre is still on the road, along with the Toyota Avalon,end of story.
You are correct, sir
Grand Marquis too of course
Now large cars are shrinking beacuse of SUVS.
NO large cars. ;(
@@Butchcub75 I know
Those cars held a lot more appeal for me than today's vastly scrunch up, dull looking, over sophisticated
and super overpriced and underwhelming jellybeans on
wheels .
Man those Concordes were total junk. Much better of just sticking with the Toyota
All three of the non Chryslers are decent cars. I really like the Toyota Avalon but I think back in 1998 I would have gone with the buick. I also really like the grand marquis, but it's not that good on gas. The only downside to the LeSabre is I don't find it to be an ugly car, but I much preferred the way it looked before it had the facelift in 1997. The 96 was an OBD2 car, with the series 2 3800 V6 but still with the better looking front end.
Just like how America trys to compete with imports making small cars I wish it was the same way like the 90s where Toyota tried making full sized American sedans with the front bench seats too!
"If you wear gloves or have arthritis" 😂
For me, style rankings are as follows:
1. Toyota Avalon
2. Buick LeSabre
3. Mercury Grand Marquis
4. Chrysler Concorde
Toyota is the only one that had a sleek, modern look. Buick and Mercury brought classic designs and interior layouts, which is visually appealing. Chrysler looked unusual and lacks cohesion.
Sorry, Grand Marquis was the best of the bunch.
The Chrysler was also the least durable. A classic story of you get what you pay for!
Auto motif no signs of still being around. :(
Old car USA signs of being around! :).
God loves us all so much that he gave his perfect son to die for our sins and raised him from the grave to defeat death. Through faith in JESUS we can be saved and reconciled to GOD. please give your lives to him, he loves you, is coming back soon, and really wants to take us all with him🙏♥️
I'd take the Concord 👋👇
You'd most likely have to head to the junk yard then!
@@john5389 there's still quite a few of them on the road!!
@@john5389I cannot even remember the last time I saw an old generation Toyota Avalon on the road You know why cuz they're all in the junkyard Japanese junk😂
@@peachyclean93 You must not do much historic research! It's just a FACT Japanese and most imports are overall more reliable than their domestic counterparts! Especially back when this video was made.
@@john5389 🤣🤣 I would take an American car over a Japanese any day I have five Chrysler vehicles still running 34 years old 27 years old My grandmother and grandfather's Camrys are both in the junkyard! Toyotas are junk
As usual the most boring, conservative cars would turn out to be the most durable. I never saw many Avalons growing up in the 2000s, but the few I did see seemed to last a long, long time. I think those plastic intake manifolds killed a lot of those Marquis' early, because I hardly ever see 98-02 models of any kind. The Buick would turn out to be quite durable despite having a series of issues. Of course, the cab forward Chrysler was the most impressive of all but also the most biodegradable. What a shame Chrysler couldn't spare some cash on R&D to make those cars more reliable. They really were a great modernized example of the American sedan.
I barely see Avalons, I see lot's of Buick Lesabres and the 98-2002 Marquis everywhere, but the 03-2011 Panthers I see waaay more.
I think time proved that the Panther was just the most reliable platform, and the toughest with it's truck ladder frame.
@@CsalbertCs Must be a regional thing because I hardly ever see any panthers anymore, and the few I do see are ragged (including mine lol). Is it just me or do the 03-11 Marquis' have terrible paint? I swear every single one I've seen in the last 5 years has had clearcoat failure in giant sheets.