Driving Impressions

The Town Car we tested felt glued to the road in a way that no old-fashioned, American luxury barge could ever match. One reason is a steering system with expensive components that yields excellent steering precision and feel. The air suspension system has twin-tube shock absorbers, which keeps an even balance between confident handling and a superior ride quality. All this adds up to a very pleasant ride. Handling is predictable in lane-change maneuvers, without any momentary indecisiveness. The big Town Car exhibits a bit more body roll and offers less grip than some of the European sedans, but overall it's quite competent. This car is quiet. There's very little wind and road noise - the result of thicker glass and redesigned rearview mirrors and window pillars - and the engine emits a distant purr. The Town Car lacks the acceleration of its fastest competitors, however. Its chief domestic opponent is the Cadillac DeVille with its impressive Northstar engine. A number of top-notch European and Japanese cars compete in the $40,000 luxury-sedan bracket as well, including the Acura 3.5 RL, BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS 430, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Even with the Touring Sedan package, the 3.55:1 rear-axle ratio and 235 horsepower on tap, it just doesn't deliver the punch you would expect in a $40,000 car. Cadillac's DeVille offers 275 to 300 horsepower, a palpable difference. In terms of its technical sophistication, the Town Car has not kept up with advancements from Cadillac, such as the Stabilitrak electronic chassis control system. On the plus side, Lincoln's transmission is silky smooth, with quick, positive shifts. As with many automatics, the fourth-gear overdrive can be turned off for climbing and descending long grades. Also, the Town Car comes with all-speed traction control, which helps the driver control the car by reducing wheelspin under hard acceleration. Traction control can be switched off for powering the car out of snow banks or other special situations. The Town Car's brakes include big, thick front discs and twin-piston calipers, and are not likely to fade when they get hot. Its anti-lock brake system allows the driver to maintain steering control in panic stops.

Final Word

With its huge cabin and trunk, the Lincoln Town Car is attractive, appealing, and practical. Its powertrain is smooth and refined, and the styling is more sensual and modern than any previous Town Car. Many drivers prefer traditional rear-wheel-drive American luxury to the hoard of front-wheel drive products on the market. With that in mind, it's in a class by itself. Nevertheless, the Town Car lacks the power and cutting-edge technological advancements of some of its American and Japanese competitors. In that light, the Lincoln Town Car seems like a more luxurious version of the very competent Mercury Grand Marquis - with a bigger price tag.