2003 Lincoln Town Car Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

A big American luxury car that can transport multiple people and their associated material with little effort. The 2003 revisions are welcome, though the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis offers a similar experience for less cash.

Pros

Roomy interior, quiet cabin, throaty V8 engine, huge trunk, availability of a long-wheelbase model.

Cons

Lack of brand prestige, poor expected resale value.

What's New for 2003

Lincoln's full-size luxury car receives an extensive reengineering for 2003 designed to make it safer, quieter and more luxurious than before. Major hardware revisions include a redesigned frame and modifications to the suspension, steering and braking systems. The standard V8 engine is also more powerful. Visually, the Town Car is more formal in appearance, and the old-fashioned Lincoln "star" hood ornament is back by popular demand. Creature comforts are addressed by the addition of newly standard equipment, increased storage space, additional safety features and improved interior materials.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

last of the big american cars

Written by: John angelo on 09/29/2009

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	9	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	10	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	10

Vehicle

2003 Lincoln Town Car Signature 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)

Review

This is my second Town Car. I owned a 1996 which I found to be absolutely amazing in quality and style. This one is also a beautiful car, but, I have had some minor troubles with it that I did not experience with the previous model. Most notably, my power seat broke which resulted in a very costly repair. I do love this car though and am disappointed that the model is to be discontinued. I plan to buy another newer one next spring. I love the traditional look, rear drive reliablilty, and incredibly luxurious feel. Hood ornament, full bench seat without cluttered console, column shift,chrome grille and strips, and gigantic trunk. They don't make many like these anymore. I love it.

Favorite Features

Bench seat, column shift, no cluttered console, traditional long,luxurious style, relative fuel economy and rear drive reliability. Door keypad is critical to me. I could lock the power trunk button (on the inside door) and keep my keys in the trunk if necessary. A great feature.

Suggested Improvements

Could be just a little quieter. My '96 was whisper quiet. The seats, while confortable, are not as soft as they could be.

Report inappropriate post

axle issues on 2003 models

Written by: eugeneinchicago on 09/24/2009


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	9
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	10

2003 Lincoln Town Car Executive 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)

I own multiple cars, 98 town car, s500 98, mercury GM 98 and this one 2003 town car. Better ride than anything else, not as soft as 98 town car though, they changed the front suspension and the ride became firmer. All model year 2003 town cars (made in the year 2002) have issues with the rear axle, I had to replace mine after 18,000 miles on it, and I don't drive much at all so it was at my expense, there was a recall on all of these cars but a free repair was only for vehicles sold to fleets rather than individuals, If you hear a whining sound from the rear, or any sort of "road noise" that means the rear axle is bad. They did resolve the problem on all of 2004+ town cars.

Comfy, Safety, SILENCE inside of the car

Not a chick magnet like my Mercedes S500, seats on the front are too wide and not for skinny people, but all of panther based cars are not for skinny people. So if you are BIG (Tall and wide), then this car is for you for sure. BAD STEREO

Love my Town Car

Written by: djunkins on 12/24/2008


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	8

2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)

This is my second TC. My first was a 1997 model. Both produced a smooth, comfortable ride, especially on long trips. I also use the car for long (100 mi) work trips each week. Yes, style is dated but the car has so many positive features, like good gas mileage for a large car, cavernous trunk, easy to read dash display, automatic climate control, back-up sensor, heated seats, more. Small problems crop up now & then, but I expect that with so many luxury features available. Plus, the car is no spring chicken. Things break.

Luxurious comfort. Great, infinitely adjustable driving position. Classic look & feel

Reduced road and wind noise. But I've driven other "luxury" cars that are quite a bit noisier than this one

One Sweet Ride

Written by: Bill T. on 05/13/2008


Performance:	7	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	10	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	7	Exterior Design:	10

After the first test drive, I knew this was my car. Now that I've owned it for about 8 months, I can only say that I am extremely pleased with the car. On long trips, there's nothing like cruising down the interstate, feeling like I'm driving my leather couch down the road, only without my big-screen tv in front of me. I've had absolutely no problems with the car. I average 18 mpg around town and a very respectable 25 mpg on the highway. Another big plus with the TC is the safety aspect of having that amount of metal and airbags around you. The car simply looks impressive and is a treat to drive. It may not have stellar performance, but the two ton luxury road yacht makes me happy anyway.

The ride and comfort of the seats. The exterior looks of the car.

Another 75 horsepower would be nice and a more powerful fan motor to push the warm or cold air around.

Great ride; Rear End Problems

Written by: omnidj on 01/29/2008


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	9

Bought this used Town Car after having owned a 1996 Executive. Better car; better ride; great styling. Around 72K mi developed noise in rear end. I'm now informed that I need a bearing kit for the rear axle. Wearout at less than 75K mi is unsatisfactory. Ford had a recall on "some" 2003 TC's, but not mine. Also had to replace brake rotors. They seem to warp easily and require regular turning (maybe it's new metallic type pads). Overall, I still love the car and I'll stay with it

Comfort; style; good gas mileage for such a luxury vehicle

Daytime running lights as standard equipment;less wind noise at highway speed

2003 Lincoln Town Car Consumer Ratings & Reviews