(1998-99)Īccessory belt Description: The serpentine accessory drive belt on 4.6L engine comes off in wet weather requiring a redesigned water pump, tensioner pulley or both. Windshield Description: Water may leak from the windshield area because of a gap in the sealer. Vehicle noise Description: The heat shields come loose on the catalytic converter and muffler causing a rattling and buzzing noise. Steering problems Description: The steering wheel may vibrate and/or buzz. Heater core Description: Installing a restrictor in the heater inlet hose may repair heater cores leaks. Installing a damper on the right side of the Y-pipe corrects it. The manufacturer is reimbursing owners who paid for fixes up to $735 and extending the warranty for others (1998-2001)Įxhaust system Description: The engine idles rough due to the exhaust system vibrating. Trouble Spots Coolant leak Description: The intake manifold on 4.6L V8 engines is prone to breakage resulting in coolant loss and possible overheating. Workmanship on our test Cartier sedan was flawless, though materials felt less-expensive than in some rivals. That still leaves a lot of luggage space, though much of the volume is again within a deep center well–which can be a strain when you need to load and remove heavy objects. Outward visibility is compromised by thick side and rear roof pillars and a tall rear deck. User-friendly climate and audio controls are easy to see, reach, and use. Gauges now are analog (needle-type) rather than digital, and very legible. If anything, the new model is even more serene inside than its predecessors, with almost no road or wind noise intruding, and no more than a muted roar from the engine. Quietness is another long-standing Town Car tradition. Leg room is good but not great, and the car isn’t really wide enough to fit six adults without real squeezing. Large doors make it easy to get in and out of both the front and rear seats.
Even though the latest Town Car is a bit trimmer, interior room has not suffered. Less body roll in turns and sharper steering response help it tolerate spirited driving–if not exactly encourage such exuberant behavior.Īccommodations always were spacious. Handling also has improved, so the big sedan is no longer as wallowy and boatlike as Town Cars of the past. Minor wheel pattering at speed can be expected, however, on some freeway surfaces. Ride quality remains smooth–velvety and absorbent, in fact–but the Town Car is now less floaty over pavement irregularities and more controlled than in the past, thanks to a revised suspension. The reworked automatic transmission still upshifts seamlessly, but now it also downshifts more promptly for passing–though the latter task sometimes demands a hefty shove on the gas pedal. A Cartier edition with the stronger engine took a somewhat leisurely 9.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. Even so, acceleration cannot match that of a Northstar-equipped Cadillac DeVille. With a tad more horsepower and a little less weight than before, the latest Town Car moves off the line in a fairly spirited manner. Rivals included the Cadillac DeVille, Jaguar XJ sedan, and Lexus LS 400. All Town Cars had traction control, leather upholstery, and a 40/20/40 front bench seat, for 6-passenger capacity. Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes were standard. A 4-speed automatic transmission was installed in all models. A Signature Touring option included the 220-horsepower V8 and a firmer suspension. In the top-line Cartier edition, the V8 added dual exhausts, which helped boost output to 220 horsepower. The 4.6-liter V8 engine made 200 horsepower when installed in the base Executive or midlevel Signature model. Three models went on sale, in escalating levels of opulence. Appearance also changed markedly from the prior generation, which had been on the market since 1990. Overall length of Lincoln’s “flagship” model was trimmed by three inches, though the car remained quite large. Redesigning of the only American-brand rear-wheel-drive, full-size luxury sedan slashed nearly 200 pounds from the Town Car’s weight.
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