Introduction

The Lincoln Town Car is the last of its kind. It's big. A powerful V8 engine drives the rear wheels. Handling is surprisingly good. And this enormous luxury cruiser has enough interior room to satisfy even the most long-legged passengers. It boasts a smooth ride, a cabin that's easy to get in to and out of, and a trunk that allows for a plethora of luggage.

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. 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.

Interior Features

Getting in to and out of the Town Car is easy, and the front and rear passenger compartments are spacious. Big, comfortable leather-covered front bucket seats have power-adjustable lumbar support and two-position memory. Their side bolsters feature a side-impact airbag system. Power-adjustable accelerator and brake pedals (standard) help drivers of all sizes get comfortable behind the wheel. Lincoln's flagship, the Town Car interior has nearly every conceivable luxury feature. In addition to the normal fuel and temperature gauges, the speedometer is flanked by two small displays, one a message center, the other a compass. The system displays a digital speedometer. The optional Alpine stereo has large controls that are easy to use. 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 old Town Car. But this Town Car is 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 due to the height of the trunk opening. 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. There's no navigation system available. A new feature for 2001 is Lincoln's Complementary Maintenance program, which includes free scheduled maintenance for the first 3 years/36,000 miles.