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Photo by Joel Radik
By Kimatni D. Rawlins
he all-new luxury sport-
utility segment that has sur­
faced in the last five years with
the Lincoln Navigator, Lexus
LX470
and,
most
recently, Cadillac Escalade,
has diverted attention and
sales away from luxury
passenger cars. Back in
the day, when you
thought o f luxury, one
o f the marques that
immediately came to
mind was Lincoln.
Now Lincoln is trying to
regain that status with its
redesigned Town Car. This $44,000
luxury touring sedan is a far departure
from its predecessors. But even with all
the changes, it’s still perceived as a car for
my Dad, or even his Dad.
At any rate, 1 spent the winter testing
the car on D.C. roads. Unfortunately, it
was like a magnet for cops: twice 1 was
stopped for what I thought was no appar­
ent reason. Each time the tags and license
checked out, and I was free to go with no
citation given. But the question nagged
me: W hy can’t a young man drive a
Lincoln?
But as I continued to think about it
and continued to drive it, something else
hit me: W hy would a young man want to
buy a Lincoln?
The rounded rear, curvaceous design
and touches of chrome draw you to the
car. The stylish exterior is a bit of a sur­
prise given the size of the Town Car,
which is among the largest passenger cars
on the market today. No doubt, it makes
a distinctive statement in a big way, pack­
ing a lot of personality.
Unfortunately, once inside the car, you
are disappointed, as you face a
dashboard dating back to the 1970s.
Sure it has all of the knobs and
buttons to activate the ameni­
ties, but it just looks plain,
dull, uninspired — an after
thought.
This is a stark contrast
to the wraparound dash­
boards found in European
makes.
Still, there are a lot of fea­
tures in the Lincoln that would
appeal to drivers of any age. These vehi­
cles are comfortable, and the seats offer
the flexibility of movement you would
expect in a luxury car. The brutally cold
weather forced me to turn on the heated
seat, which is warm and pleasant. You
might want to monitor the heating level,
because it doesn’t take long for the heat to
kick in.
W hat the interior lacks in appeal, it
makes up in space, seating six comfort­
ably. Large, heated side view mirrors
allow for greater visibility. The trunk can
easily hold enough gear to outfit a bas­
ketball team and groceries to feed them
afterward. The large trunk was especially
helpful during the holidays when it held
loads of packages.
An improved suspension helps the
Town Car’s handling while keeping the
ride classically smooth. Power is another
issue. The 4.6-liter V8 produces 220-
horsepower in the Signature model we re
testing, 20 more than the base model. Yet
THIRD
OF FOUR
REVIEWS
it feels weighted down when fully occu­
pied. It’s chief competitor, the Cadillac
DeVille, gets a 300 horsepower engine as
its top choice.
During adverse weather conditions,
traction control and Michelin all-season
16-inch tires kept the Town Car in full
control. This allowed me to continue my
busy schedule while others were
restrained by the Blizzard of 99's icy
effects.
Driver conveniences, like the analog,
six-message information center, found on
the left of the instrument panel, are help­
ful but can also be a nuisance, as is the
miles-to-empty message, which lights up
at the fifty-mile mark - something that
occurred all-too frequently in this gas-
guzzling car. At 17,000 miles, our Town
Car is in great health. A slow leak, which
led to a flat when the car was docile for
long periods, was our only impediment.
However, the full-service warranty took
care of that.
All in all, the 1998 Town Car is a pure
beauty with added value, yet it needs
more beef in its V8 and a little more spice
in the interior to draw a younger buyer.
SPECIFICATIONS
Base Price...................................$39,680
Price as tested...........................$ 4 4 ,140
Engine.....220 horsepower, 4.6-liter V8
Transmission........... 4-speed automatic
EPA mileage............. 17 city/25highway
Mileage to date...........................17,000
AFRICAN AMERICANS ON WHEELS 39
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