- sedan 126,246
- 341 below average
- 3,995 good
- Rapid City, SD
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- autoshopper.com
- 341 below average sedan 126,246 automatic
1997 lincoln town car review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Last of the traditionalists. introductionwith the recent demise of the cadillac'sbrougham, the lincoln town car remains as the only rear-drive traditional luxury car made by an american manufacturer. It's also the biggest production car sold in america. this big cruiser was part of a price realigment strategy at the beginning of the 1997 model year that put the town car, continental and mark viii all at the same starting price--$37,950, including $670 destination--a substantial reduction for the other two, a $370 increase for the town car. It comes in three trim levels--the base executive series, the volume signature series and the fully loaded, top-of-the-line cartier 43,870), for those who don't care to waste time checking option boxes on order forms. walkaroundfor 1997, some of the standard luxury content that has crept into the town car over the past few years has been thrifted out of the car, small items that most of us won't miss because we didn't notice them when we had them (illuminated rear ashtrays, robe cords on the seatbacks, the trunk key cover, an extra power point underneath the dashboard, cellular phone wiring, etc.). what's new and improved for this year is an entirely new recirculating-ball steering system that is more precise, smother and more durable than the previous system. There's also a more durable cloth used on interior trim. Other than the major system change, the town car is as it was last year, which is to say, loaded. The changes were minimal because a substantial redesign is due next fall. we tested the mid-grade signature series version, which starts at $40,310. The town car's interior is simply huge. the instrument panel uses blue-green electronic digital readouts for all of the instrumentation, which are somewhat incongruous in a car like this, but they are large, easy to read and not cramped together. We found the seats enormously comfortable and supportive, and we thank the designers for finally removing the embossed lincoln star from the seatback, where it was neither luxurious nor necessary. five-star seats coupled with generous head, hip, leg and shoulder room make the town car interior ideal for two couples living together, and the 22. 3 cubic-foot trunk leads the industry in width, depth, breadth and utility. The electrically-operated trunk lid goes all the way down to bumper level, and is easy to load and unload. But even so, it could use more muscle. engine quibbles aside, the town car covers ground quietly, almost serenely, when it is in its element, tooling about town or cruising the highway. Steering effort can be adjusted by a sliding-bar switch on the left side of the dashboard, although effort does not equate with road feel. the michelin xw4 tires, coil spring/air suspension and gas-filled shock absorbers do an outstanding job of separating a town car's occupants from the lumpy realties of the outside world, coping admirably with potholes and broken pavement. The p215/75r-15 tires are quiet, though we would prefer more rubber on the ground, such as the optional p225/60r-16 all-weather tires, even if there were a slight noise penalty to pay. there is lots of lean and wallow in the town car's luxurious ride, and the speed-sensitive power steering is numb on-center, these factors combine to make this car unhandy on winding two-lane roads, but quite stable and comfortable on interstates and boulevards. the abs brakes were authoritative in their power and especially quiet when the antilock circuits were active, emitting only a mild, high-pitched buzz when we encountered icy pavement. summarythis is the seventh and final model year for the current lincoln town car, and we think they have got it about right by now. We looked all over the car for loose threads, body panel misalignments, poor sealing and less-than-luxurious materials, and we came away impressed. There were some things in the trunk area that could use improvement in terms of materials, fit and finish for a $43,000 car, but the body fits and interior quality were the best we have ever seen on a town car of any vintage. unlike many of its competitors, the town car is not a treasure trove of leading edge technology. It doesn't offer the front-drive traction or the electronic chassis sophistication of the cadillacs, the security of the lincoln rescu system used in the continental, or the handling of the import sedans. but for the traditional american luxury car customer who treasures lots of space and quiet operation--a category that includes tens of thousands of unswerving town car loyalists--it's still a favorite. assembled inwixom, mi. options as testedpremium am/fm/cd audio, traction assist, heated leather seats, auto-dim mirror. model testedsignature series. Power Seats✔ Heated Seats✔ AM/FM✔ Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ CD Changer✔ Leather Seats
3,995 Rapid City, SDRapid City, SD at autoshopper.com