The Lincoln Town Car has two distinct personalities, depending on whether
one is riding or driving.

The Town Car is built around the proposition that more is better; its motto
should be "think big." Yes, we're talking big as in Texas-big,
California-big, Alaska-big. While the Town Car continues to prowl the
concrete canyons of New York City as the basis of the hired-car service, it
is equally at home cruising the wide-open prairie or hurtling up inhabited
sections of Interstate 5 in the far West.

As a driving experience, you are pushing around a huge, heavy car with a
very soft suspension that brings to mind the experience of driving an
American luxury car from the 1950s or 1960s. In other words, driver control
is not a Town Car virtue. The car is big and it drives even bigger. It
really forces you to obey those road signs that tell you to slow to 30 miles
per hour when negotiating a curve. The car favors a leisurely driving style.

Power, however, is not a problem. The 239-horsepower V-8 delivers all of the
motive force I¹d ever want to engage while driving the big Lincoln.

While I'm not wild about driving the Town car, I love riding in it. The
expanse of space is fine with me. One thing I really like to do when
traveling is to order limo service from the airport. After a long, hot,
overcrowded flight, there are few experiences that match seeing a big dark
blue or black Lincoln Town Car pull up to the curb. And then to sink into
that extravagant, plush back seat and let that always-reliable surge of cold
air pour over my over-heated body. Ahhhh.

The 2003 Town Car is enhanced with a stronger frame and body to improve ride
and handling. New sheet metal sculpting for the hood, fenders and quarter
panels give it a smoother, more contemporary look. The big sedan comes in
three trim levels and is available as a standard wheelbase model and a long
version that stretches the wheelbase to 123.7 inches and delivers a whopping
120 cubic feet of passenger volume.

The Cartier L edition is the long wheelbase version of huge Town Car and
represents the top of the Lincoln line. It pampers rear-seat passengers and
includes such standard equipment as wider door openings and heated seats, as
well as audio and climate controls for riders in back. The rear legroom
makes the Cartier edition quite like riding in a stretch limousine.

An extended wheelbase luxury car is not a unique feature for the king of
Lincolns, as most high-end European manufacturers currently offer this
alternative. Nor is a longer body a new idea; it was standard issue in the
classic era of the luxury car. Lincoln produced thousands of long wheelbase
models until 1942 just before World War II, which shut down auto production
for several years and brought an end to the classic period.

The emergence of the Town Car Cartier L and other stretched luxury cars
poses an interesting question. Why don't more high-powered executives in the
West (except for Los Angeles) go for chauffeur-driven cars? Many do in the
New York area. If the time of CEOs, corporate attorneys and other members of
the power elite is really so valuable, wouldn't it make more sense to let
someone else negotiate traffic snarls so deals could continue to be made?
And with the advent of the wireless Internet, the back seat of a Town Car
could be outfitted as well as a stationary office.

The Town Car also has a king-size trunk. With 21 cubic feet on board, there
is plenty of room for the king's royal luggage and golf bag. Opening the
hatch and looking inside is somewhat akin to peeking into the Grand Canyon
of trunks; it¹s deep and wide.

While the Town Car Cartier edition casts a sizeable shadow, the $51,000
price tag seems not unreasonable considering that the car is the very tip
top of the vast Ford Motor Co.'s domestic empire. In reality, many cars we
associate with the mid-luxury category such as the BMW 5-Series‹by the time
you add all the necessary equipment easily cross the $50,000 threshold.
 
 

 
Vehicle: Lincoln Town Car Cartier L Series

Price as tested: $51,470

Engine:

         Type: 4.6-liter V-8

         Horsepower: 239 @ 4,900 rpm

         Torque: 287-ft. lbs. @ 4,100 rpm

Fuel economy, automatic transmission

         City - 17 mpg

         Highway -25 mpg

Curb Weight: 4,474 lbs.