Introduction

This newest generation Lincoln Town Car was designed in California two years ago with rounded lines and a trimmer, less formal look than before. Handling is better than ever. The Town Car offers a smooth ride and comfortable accommodations. Getting in and out is easy. However, the competition from Cadillac and Japan is stiff.

Walkaround

The Town Car upholds the time-honored American luxury car formula of rear-wheel drive, a V8 engine, smooth ride, seating for six, a huge trunk, and lots of luxury amenities. The current design sports complex reflector headlamps and a pursed-lips grille, as well a chrome license plate surround and big corner-mounted tail lamps. It's 3.7 inches shorter than the previous generation, mainly from chopping the front overhang, and the base of the windshield has been moved forward 4 inches to produce a more swept shape for improved aerodynamics. Our test car was a Signature Series with the Touring Sedan package. In addition to the potent performance tweaks, this version gets perforated leather seats, and a special black birds-eye woodgrain finish on the instrument panel and doors, and is available in seven colors.

Interior Features

Getting in and out of the Town Car is easy, and the front and rear passenger compartments are spacious, but there's not quite as much legroom as in the previous generation car. Also, the redesigned rear pillar makes the back seat cozier than before. Big, comfortable front bucket seats have power-adjustable lumbar support and two-position memory. Their side bolsters feature a new side-impact airbag system. Nearly everything in the interior is new or improved, from the door panels to the instruments to the radio. In addition to the normal fuel and temperature gauges, the speedometer is now flanked by two small displays, one a message center, the other a compass. The system includes a redundant digital speedometer, but no tachometer. A new Alpine stereo with larger controls that are easier to use is standard. The steering wheel contains buttons for cruise control and the sound system. All minor controls are spread out across the huge dashboard, making them easy to reach and understand. You may hear limousine drivers grouse that the trunk isn't as big as it was on the previous Town Car, but it is still capable of handling all but the most demanding duty, such as shuttling four people who don't believe in traveling light to the airport. Despite its vastness, lifting luggage into the trunk takes some effort. One safety improvement we welcome is the addition of a child safety seat anchor in the back seat. One we hate is Belt Minder, which uses a chime sound and indicator light to reminds occupants to buckle up. This strikes us as the return of 1970s technology.