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2008 Lincoln Town Car Performance Review

October 23, 2008

PERFORMANCE | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Tepid V-8 engine, steering too numb
Car and Driver

a surprisingly appealing driving experience
Cars.com

hesitates to kick down for passing
ConsumerGuide

the Jurassic Town Car
Edmunds

The 2008 Lincoln Town Car is underpowered and has little in the way of "road feel," according to reviews from around the Web.

Edmunds says the Town Car Lincoln's "thirsty V8" is "less powerful than many V6 engines." The 4.6-liter V-8 powerplant puts out a mere 239 horsepower, less than many smaller V-6 engines; Car and Driver sums it up as "tepid." ConsumerGuide notes that it is "quick enough," but "trails [rival] Cadillac DTS for overall performance."

ConsumerGuide adds that the "transmission hesitates to kick down for passing, but is otherwise responsive and smooth." This, according to Edmunds, is "a four-speed automatic transmission" from which you can "expect a 0-60-mph time in the mid-8-second range."

Despite its sluggish acceleration, the Lincoln Town Car gulps down an average of one gallon for every for 17.5 miles of travel. ConsumerGuide agrees that fuel economy is a definite "con," considering the 2008 Town Car Lincoln's mediocre levels of performance. AutoMedia damns with faint praise by saying that it is "not especially fuel efficient -- though not all that bad" at EPA estimates of 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

ConsumerGuide advises that the 2008 Lincoln Town Car "leans more in turns than import-brand rivals" and says the steering is "slightly overboosted, but has good accuracy and road feel." Braking is reported on ConsumerGuide as "short and stable" for a heavyweight, but emergency stops tend to cause some nosedive. AutoMedia says that the "big disc brakes bring its bulk to stable stops without drama or noticeable fade...in normal driving." Edmunds is especially critical of the Lincoln Town Car's "antiquated suspension system," which causes the rear end to "jiggle and shake like a bowl of lime Jell-O placed on the head of Carmen Miranda" over broken pavement

Cars.com has a different take on the Lincoln Town Car, praising its "good connection with the road." On the other hand, Edmunds, while acknowledging that performance and power "should be adequate for most buyers," adds that the 2008 Lincoln Town Car suffers from "sloppy dynamics" and is "certainly lacking compared to similarly priced luxury sedans" and if you "like to feel connected to the road in any way, forget about it."

Conclusion

The 2008 Lincoln Town Car has underwhelming power, decent fuel economy, and old-fashioned handling.

PERFORMANCE | 6 out of 10Expert Quotes:Tepid V-8 engine, steering too numbCar and Drivera surprisingly appealing driving experienceCars.comhesitates to kick down for passingConsumerGuidethe Jurassic Town CarEdmunds The 2008 Lincoln Town Car is underpowered and has little in the way of "road feel," according to reviews from around the Web. Edmunds says the Town Car Lincoln's "thirsty V8" is "less powerful than many V6 engines." The 4.6-liter V-8 powerplant puts out a mere 239 horsepower, less than many smaller V-6 engines; Car and Driver sums it up as "tepid." ConsumerGuide notes that it is "quick enough," but "trails [rival] Cadillac DTS for overall performance." ConsumerGuide adds that the "transmission hesitates to kick down for passing, but is otherwise responsive and smooth." This, according to Edmunds, is "a four-speed automatic transmission" from which you can "expect a 0-60-mph time in the mid-8-second range." Despite its sluggish acceleration, the Lincoln Town Car gulps down an average of one gallon for every for 17.5 miles of travel. ConsumerGuide agrees that fuel economy is a definite "con," considering the 2008 Town Car Lincoln's mediocre levels of performance. AutoMedia damns with faint praise by saying that it is "not especially fuel efficient -- though not all that bad" at EPA estimates of 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. ConsumerGuide advises that the 2008 Lincoln Town Car "leans more in turns than import-brand rivals" and says the steering is "slightly overboosted, but has good accuracy and road feel." Braking is reported on ConsumerGuide as "short and stable" for a heavyweight, but emergency stops tend to cause some nosedive. AutoMedia says that the "big disc brakes bring its bulk to stable stops without drama or noticeable fade...in normal driving." Edmunds is especially critical of the Lincoln Town Car's "antiquated suspension system," which causes the rear end to "jiggle and shake like a bowl of lime Jell-O placed on the head of Carmen Miranda" over broken pavement Cars.com has a different take on the Lincoln Town Car, praising its "good connection with the road." On the other hand, Edmunds, while acknowledging that performance and power "should be adequate for most buyers," adds that the 2008 Lincoln Town Car suffers from "sloppy dynamics" and is "certainly lacking compared to similarly priced luxury sedans" and if you "like to feel connected to the road in any way, forget about it." ConclusionThe 2008 Lincoln Town Car has underwhelming power, decent fuel economy, and old-fashioned handling.  2008 LINCOLN TOWN CAR STYLING | [5 out of 10] Car and Driver: "bland enough to make the menu at Bill Knapp's" Cars.com: "appearance [is] noticeably more formal" Motor Trend: "official ride of South Florida retirement communities" If there was ever a car that could be considered ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Few big American sedans can challenge the Lincoln Town Car's dominance in airport fleets, but the Chrysler 300 LWB offers a more sporting alternative, along with increased rear-seat legroom over the standard 300 sedan. The Cadillac DTS handles and performs better than the Town Car, and it's popular in the limousine and hearse industries.

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See the Lincoln Town Car in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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