Large fleet owners love this car, they say it's bullet-proof, reliably turning hundreds of thousands of miles for them. Roomy with plenty of people and luggage space, the Town Car makes a great hauler for airport runs. For the individual owner, if you have a long commute and live in snow country, don't worry traction control, ABS, and front side airbags are all standard.

The interior will hold six real sized adults, if you want to ride in the fast lane in some cities. They will be comfortable, enfolded in leather upholstery and barely intruded upon by engine or wind noise. Passengers have a lot of legroom fore and aft and only the middle of the back seat feels awkward with the transmission hump - a memento of those large American highway cruiser days.

The ride, however, has evolved beyond land barge to that of a more mature sedan with good body control over humps and washboard roads. The trunk, however, remains a relic, cavernous but poorly laid out with the deepest section in the center making for extra leaning over to get things out; though there are some useful removable bins back there.

The driver will find good steering control with a nice sense of road feel. Some reviewers felt the braking adequate given the sheer mass of the Town Car, but with a bit of nosedive accompanying sudden stops. The 4.6-liter V8 only manages to churn out 239-hp, but does get the car to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds. Yet that still trails the Cadillac DTS. Although the EPS rates the Lincoln at 17/25 mpg, one reviewer got 16 mpg all around.

The Lincoln Town Car, once a proud standard-bearer, now shows its age. The competition - the Audi A8, Lexus LS 430, Buick Park Avenues, and various Cadillacs - are all ahead of the game. The Town Car must evolve, but Ford has to decide if it can afford it.