2008 Lincoln Town Car Review
2008 Lincoln Town Car Review
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos
+55
Used Town Car for sale
Appraise This CarSee Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Large interior, humongous trunk, reasonable price, nautical ride.
Cons
- Nautical ride, dated in terms of design and feature availability, poor power-to-fuel-economy ratio, being flagged down by confused limo-seekers at the airport.
What’s new
Two trim levels, most options and half of the numerous exterior colors were eliminated for the 2008 Lincoln Town Car.
Edmunds says
The 2008 Lincoln Town Car may appeal to those who appreciate an old-fashioned large American luxury sedan, but newer offerings exist that are much better in almost every respect.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2008 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$241/mo for Town Car Signature Limited
Town Car Signature Limited
vs
$219/mo
Avg. Large Car
Vehicle overview
Let's cut to the chase for a moment; shoot straight, keep it real, beat through the bush. The 2008 Lincoln Town Car is a very old design with sloppy vehicle dynamics and a thirsty V8 that's less powerful than many V6 engines. While it may appeal to those who appreciate the good old days of large American luxury sedans, these good new days of car design offer superior engineering, equally strong safety ratings and large amounts of interior space without the Town Car's enormous exterior proportions.
Despite continuous improvements and redesigns over the years, the 2008 Town Car is a relic from a different time. It uses a body-on-frame platform that dates back to 1981, and along with the related Mercury Grand Marquis, is the only body-on-frame car on the market. The Town Car's suspension is equally antiquated -- take a turn over broken pavement and the rear end might jiggle and shake like a bowl of lime Jell-O placed on the head of Carmen Miranda. Finally, the 4.6-liter V8 makes 239 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque while achieving 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. That torque number is certainly respectable, but the combination of sluggish acceleration and SUV-like fuel economy is a tough pill to swallow.
Unless you're in the livery business or must have the extended backseat space, the Lincoln Town Car outlived its usefulness years ago. Similarly or lower-priced luxury vehicles like the Cadillac STS, Chrysler 300C, Acura RL and Lexus ES 350 offer large amounts of interior space, better power-to-fuel-economy ratios, strong safety scores and better driving dynamics for greater vehicle control. We're not a big fan of the Cadillac DTS either, but at least it's more modern than the Jurassic Town Car. To be perfectly frank, we'd look elsewhere.
Performance & mpg
All 2008 Town Cars are powered by a 4.6-liter V8 that produces 239 hp and 287 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. Expect a 0-60-mph time in the mid-8-second range for the Signature Limited and longer for the Signature L. Fuel economy estimates for 2008 are 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.
Safety
While the 2008 Lincoln Town Car comes standard with front side airbags, it does not offer head curtain airbags for either the first or second row. Traction control is standard but stability control is not available. The Town Car received the top five-star rating from the government in all crash test categories -- one of the few vehicles to do so. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Town Car the highest rating of "Good" for offset frontal impacts.
Driving
Power from the Town Car's V8 should be adequate for most buyers, but is certainly lacking compared to similarly priced luxury sedans. Nonetheless, the big Lincoln is able to pass with ease, and freeway cruising at 80 mph is quiet and comfortable. The ride is comfortable, in an on-the-high-seas sort of way. Many luxury buyers may like it, but if you like to feel connected to the road in any way, forget about it. Compared to past Town Cars, the 2008 edition is a decent handler -- the steering has some feel to it, and the body doesn't roll too much around corners.
Interior
The Lincoln Town Car is, first and foremost, big. It has a generous interior and a massive trunk (21 cubic feet). The Signature L adds an extended wheelbase with humongous backseat space that is rivaled only by substantially more expensive import luxury sedans. Seats are La-Z-Boy comfy without any of that side-pinching lateral support. Audio and climate controls are straightforward, while the dash essentially maintains the same flat T-shape design that has been in the Town Car since the 1980s. If you've owned a big Lincoln before (or driven in a lot of limos), you'll feel right at home. If you haven't, you may start to wonder if Ronald Reagan is still president.
2008 Lincoln Town Car models
The 2008 Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan available in two wheelbases/trim levels. All Town Cars seat six people thanks to a three-person front bench. The regular-wheelbase Signature Limited comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with door keypad, a power-closing trunk, a tilt steering column, eight-way power front seats with driver memory settings, power-adjustable pedals, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a six-CD changer and a wood and leather steering wheel with audio, climate and speed controls.
The Signature L adds 6 inches to the wheelbase, creating a much larger backseat. It also includes heated rear seats, redundant rear seat audio/climate controls, a folding armrest with storage bin and two power points, redundant front passenger seat fore/aft control, and rear-seat vanity mirrors. The only factory-installed option is xenon HID headlamps, while satellite radio can be added by the dealer.
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4 out of 5 stars4/5Excellent
#5 out of 48 among Luxury Fullsize Cars
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Lincoln Town Car from 2008-2022.$388/yr
vs. $729/yr
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).1.25x/yr
vs. 1.74x/yr
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).6.9%
vs. 14.7%
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
for Average Luxury Fullsize Car
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2008 Lincoln Town Car.
5 star(77%)
4 star(15%)
3 star(5%)
2 star(3%)
1 star(0%)
40 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4 out of 5 stars
Lincoln Land Yacht
Botcho, 01/15/2017
2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
Big, roomy, smooth as silk. Don't expect sporty handling. Handling is fine for a luxury land yacht. It's like riding on a spacious cloud. Parking in a crowded city can be sporty. For a big car, the mileage isn't bad.
5 out of 5 stars
Older design that still works!
Andy, 09/06/2009
2008 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
This is Lincoln number nineteen for me and no, I'm not 100 years old! I have driven this car for up to 14 hours at a time with absolutely no fatigue while obtaining 27+ mpg. I've tried it in other cars (namely, my wife's Jaguar, the BMW that preceded it, and a Cadillac I purchased once in a moment of temporary insanity) and I'll take the Lincoln anytime. Sure, other cars have lots of … fancy technology. Would be great if it worked, which has not been my experience. Like I said, I've had 19 Lincolns and have never been stranded by a single one of them, nor even had a major repair for that matter. I'm 52 years old and hope they keep building them for as long as I live!
5 out of 5 stars
elegant
victor potter, 08/16/2006
2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
like sitting on your couch on a trip, while seating twice the people a vw rabbit . bet the rabbit does'nt get twice the milage unparalled reliability of any automobile i've ever owned. will not switch even if they quit making it.
4.38 out of 5 stars
Brief losses of power - resolved
mclark, 04/28/2010
2008 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited 4dr Sedan (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
In response to review Written by: Vance on 09/03/2009, I also experienced this same situation with my Town Car. After four trips to the dealer over a three month span, and several different attempted solutions, the fix was to replace the fuel pump / fuel float device. This change solved the performance problems, smoothed out the ride and improved gas mileage. To their credit, Lincoln … never stopped trying to solve the problem and made me a happy customer and proud owner of this fine vehicle.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2008 Lincoln Town Car, so we've included reviews for other years of the Town Car since its last redesign.
2008 Town Car Highlights
Signature Limited
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $45,295 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $241/month |
Seating | 6 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 21.0 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Town Car include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover5 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintMarginal
Related Used 2008 Lincoln Town Car info
Vehicle reviews of used models
- Used Lexus GX 460 2011
- Used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2020
- Used MINI Cooper 2020
- Used Ferrari 458 Italia 2012
- Used Toyota Land Cruiser 2013
Shop used vehicles in your area
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- 2023 Audi S5
- 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS
- 2023 MINI Clubman
- Volkswagen ID.4 2023
- 2023 Volvo S60
- 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
- 2025 Chevrolet Colorado News
- 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman
- BMW i5 2024
- 2023 Ford F-450 Super Duty
Research other models of Lincoln
- 2023 Lincoln Navigator
- Lincoln Corsair 2023
- 2025 Lincoln Aviator
- 04 Lincoln Navigator
- Lincoln Aviator
- 2023 Lincoln Nautilus
- Lincoln Corsair
- Lincoln Nautilus
- Lincoln Aviator 2023
- 2023 Aviator
Research similar vehicles
- 2023 2
- 2024 Camaro
- 2023 TLX
- Porsche Panamera
- 2023 Mazda 3
- BMW 7 Series
- 2023 Crown
- 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- 2024 Elantra N
- 2024 CT5
Other models
- Used Chevrolet Astro in Blacksburg, VA
- New Nissan Leaf for Sale in Honolulu, HI
- New Volvo S90 for Sale in Laguna Hills, CA
- Used Kia Optima-Plug-In-Hybrid in Springfield, OR
- New Toyota Corolla-Hybrid for Sale in South Elgin, IL
- Used Audi RS-Q8 in San Francisco, CA
- New Jeep Gladiator for Sale in Maple Shade, NJ
- Used Chevrolet Cobalt in Palatka, FL
- Used Alfa-Romeo Giulia in Albany, OR
- New Hyundai Nexo for Sale in Fitchburg, MA