Introduction

Town Car is appealing for its spacious six-person seating and cavernous trunk, with plenty of storage for luggage and golf clubs. This is a traditional American luxury sedan. It's roomy and comfortable. It's smooth and stable. Its V8 engine and rear-wheel-drive layout give it a traditional feel. And it's luxurious. People who buy Town Cars like them; The Town Car is the highest-rated American car in the mid-luxury segment, according to a J.D. Power and Associates customer-satisfaction study; 60 percent of all Town Car customers are repeat buyers. Some 75 percent of limousine and livery fleets are made up of this large American luxury sedan. Yet individuals still account for more than 65 percent of all Town Car sales. The Town Car was extensively re-engineered for the 2003 model year with a new frame, a new rack-and-pinion steering system, a new brake system, and new front and rear suspensions. This resulted in improved handling. Revised front and rear styling distinguished the changes, but the styling revisions were subtle. Changes have been minimal since then. The 2006 model features new aluminum wheels at every trim level, plus new colors inside and out.

Walkaround

New machined-aluminum wheels highlight the '06 Town Car at every trim level. Signature gets new 12-spoke rims, while Signature Limited and long-wheelbase Signature L get a 10-spoke design. The Designer series comes with chrome-plated 18-spoke wheels. Aside from that, however, little has changed since Lincoln last re-styled the Town Car for 2003. Up front, a chromed, waterfall-style grille is flanked by quad-beam headlamps with a jeweled appearance. (High-intensity discharge lamps are available, and they double the output of the standard halogen lights.) A stand-up four-point star hood ornament reminds owners that they are driving a Lincoln. The Division tried to retire the stand-up ornament earlier in the decade, but customers complained that they used it as a lane marker on the road and, to better locate the front of the car's long hood when parking. The trunk lid opening is wide and low to make loading and unloading easier. Inside the trunk, the spare tire is stowed vertically behind the right rear tire, so you don't have to unload the trunk to get at it. A covered and removable storage tray fills the deepest part of the trunk well. When in position, the tray's cover raises the trunk floor and thus makes loading and unloading easier. Like all Lincolns, the Town Car comes with a 48-month, 50,000-mile warranty, free maintenance through 36 months or 36,000 miles, 24-hour roadside assistance and transportation assistance, travel expense reimbursement, destination assistance and trip planning services, and a dedicated customer assistance center.

Interior Features

The Town Car's interior is plush and luxurious, but hasn't changed since the same 2003 facelift brought a completely new dashboard and instrument panel. The panel is elegant, even fun to look at. There's plenty of burl walnut veneer all around the interior, plus brushed satin metal panels, and a winged analog clock at the top center of the dash. The up-level wood-and-leather steering wheel features buttons for cruise, audio, and climate controls. The instruments feature large, easy-to-read numbers. A digital speedometer easily monitors your speed as you drive quickly and quietly down the road. The doors open wide to make it easy to get out of the front and rear seats. Storage space abounds: A fold-down front armrest with a double-hinged top can be opened to either the driver's or passenger's side. Cupholders and a storage tray come out from the front edge of the center front seat. Storage pouches are sewn into the front cushion of the front seats. There are also hinged storage bins in the front doors, a large glove box. Atlas-sized pockets in the front seatbacks, and a fold-down rear armrest with storage and cupholders. The interior is very quiet, with thick insulation in the floor, firewall and pillars. This allows maximum fidelity from the 145-watt Alpine sound system, which includes AM, FM, cassette and single CD play (a trunk-mounted 6-disc changer is optional on all models except Signature). The audio system offers CD and cassette players for buyers who enjoy books on tape. The long-wheelbase Signature L offers 45.4 inches of rear seat leg room, with 116.3 cubic feet of total passenger volume, compared to the standard model's 108.7 cubic feet. Lincoln is selling several different kinds of luxury with the new Town Car, starting with its quietness, materials, and pure spaciousness, and the Signature L has more of that than any other luxury car on the market. Its rear-seat armrest contains controls for the rear climate control and the audio system, two additional 12-volt power points, an ashtray and lighter in each door, and a separate control that can adjust the fore/aft position of the right front seat. Heated rear seats are standard on the Signature L.