Driving Impressions

Like many luxury cars these days, the Lincoln Town Car has a single powertrain combination, a 4.6-liter single overhead cam V8 that makes an adequate 190 horsepower (210 in the dual-exhaust Cartier version) and a useful 265 pound-feet of torque (275 for the Cartier), coupled to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. While these engines are adequate for the need of most Town Car customers, even those who tow light trailers, they are not a competitive match for the powertrain sophistication found in the Cadillac Northstar engine--275 or 300 hp--or most of the import entries in this class. Ford's corporate 4.6-liter V8 is a smooth, quiet and economical engine and has an enviable record in terms of durability, but this two-ton car really should be using the 290-hp version from the Mark VIII or the 255-hp version from the front-drive Continental. Ford's corporate product planners undoubtedly rationalize the Town Car's engine in terms of fuel economy, and the car does escape the gas-guzzler penalty. But even so, it could use more muscle. Engine quibbles aside, the Town Car covers ground quietly, almost serenely, when it is in its element, tooling about town or cruising the highway. A new intake manifold takes induction noise down to the lowest level yet, and the four-speed automatic is quiet and efficient. Steering effort can be adjusted by a sliding-bar switch on the left side of the dashboard, although effort does not equate with road feel. The Michelin XW4 tires, coil spring/air suspension and gas-filled shock absorbers do an outstanding job of separating a Town Car's occupants from the lumpy realties of the outside world, coping admirably with potholes and broken pavement. The P215/75R-15 tires are quiet, though we would prefer more rubber on the ground, such as the optional P225/60R-16 all-weather tires, even if there were a slight noise penalty to pay. There is lots of lean and wallow in the Town Car's luxurious ride, and the speed-sensitive power steering is numb on-center, these factors combine to make this car unhandy on winding two-lane roads, but quite stable and comfortable on interstates and boulevards. The ABS brakes were authoritative in their power and especially quiet when the antilock circuits were active, emitting only a mild, high-pitched buzz when we encountered icy pavement.

Final Word

This is the seventh and final model year for the current Lincoln Town Car, and we think they have got it about right by now. We looked all over the car for loose threads, body panel misalignments, poor sealing and less-than-luxurious materials, and we came away impressed. There were some things in the trunk area that could use improvement in terms of materials, fit and finish for a $43,000 car, but the body fits and interior quality were the best we have ever seen on a Town Car of any vintage. Unlike many of its competitors, the Town Car is not a treasure trove of leading edge technology. It doesn't offer the front-drive traction or the electronic chassis sophistication of the Cadillacs, the security of the Lincoln RESCU system used in the Continental, or the handling of the import sedans. But for the traditional American luxury car customer who treasures lots of space and quiet operation--a category that includes tens of thousands of unswerving Town Car loyalists--it's still a favorite.