2007 Lincoln Town Car Review

The 2007 Lincoln Town Car is not significantly different from the 2006 version. There are a few new colors and a power-open and -close trunk is standard on Signature L, Signature Limited and Designer trim levels.

Lincoln's luxury flagship is one of only a few big American rear-wheel-drive sedans on the market. If that's what you're looking for, the 2007 Lincoln Town Car will not disappoint. However, full-size European and Japanese sedans are better in most respects.

While the name Town Car has been used by Lincoln as a trim level since the 1960s, 1981 marked the first year the Lincoln Town Car became a model unto itself. Since then, it has become a favorite with traditional American buyers as well as fleet operators, and for good reason. The big car's front-engine V8, rear-wheel-drive layout and its body-on-frame construction generally mean lower maintenance costs, plus the car drives and handles in a way that's familiar to many longtime Lincoln customers. The interior is very spacious and comfortable, making it the perfect candidate for family road trips or use as an upscale airport shuttle.

Despite the reliance on improvements and redesigns over the years, the 2007 Lincoln Town Car still has a distinctly old-school look and feel. For some, that's clearly a selling point and likely attracts plenty of repeat buyers. For others, however, there are many other choices available that provide similar or better amounts of luxury wrapped in more modern packages. For that latter group of shoppers, luxury sedans like the Lexus ES 350, Chrysler 300C and Infiniti Q45 provide more modern styling, high-tech features and better driving dynamics.

All Town Cars are powered by a 4.6 liter V8 that makes an adequate 239 hp. It's mated to a four-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. The EPA estimates fuel economy for the 2007 Town Car to be 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway -- fairly respectable numbers for a big luxury sedan.

While the Lincoln Town Car comes standard with side airbags for the front seat occupants, it does not offer head curtain airbags for either the first or second row. Still, the Town Car receives a five-star rating for both front occupants from the NHTSA for the fourth year in a row; five stars is the government's highest rating. Traction control is also standard but stability control is not available. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Town Car a rating of "Good" for offset frontal impacts, which is also that organization's highest rating.

Power from the Town Car's V8 should be adequate for most buyers. The car is able to pass with ease, and freeway cruising at 80 mph is quiet and comfortable. The 2007 Lincoln Town Car has few peers when it comes to transporting large, or large numbers of, people. Besides offering a comfortable ride, this Lincoln is a decent handler -- the steering has some feel to it, and the body doesn't roll too much around corners.

The 2007 Lincoln Town Car is, first and foremost, big. It has a generous interior and a massive trunk (20.6 cubic feet). The car's main goal is to transport multiple passengers to their destination silently and comfortably. Buyers can also select the L version, which offers a limolike 47 inches of rear legroom thanks to its 6-inch-longer wheelbase.