Faults:

Nothing mechanically so far.

Headlights started leaking water inside, replaced both. Fairly common with today's plastic headlights.

The car was maintained well and at the dealership (has a lot of Motorcraft replacement parts) before I got it as the third owner.

General Comments:

I love this car. I had a '99 before this and it was a good car, but felt really cheapened compared with the older models in many ways. This showed up in reliability also.

The '06 feels more substantial and better built. They really made a lot of improvements to these cars when they refreshed them for '03, and you can feel it when you go for a drive. The rack and pinion steering, redesigned suspension, and added power inspires confidence and really makes this car much more fun to drive.

I gave it a 7 for performance because the car performs well in all respects, but has a couple minor things I think Ford could have improved on. One is the gearing in the rear end, I think this car should have 3.55s for better acceleration. The motor doesn't have enough torque for the 3.27s. The stock gear is OK but kind of sluggish, really they're a highway gear. My '99 had the 3.55s and they really woke the car up, and barely lost on gas mileage. Also I wish the car tracked straighter on the highway; it wanders a little bit even when lined up right.

Overall it's a very balanced package, can be driven in fast and in a spirited manner if you feel like it, and be totally secure.

Handles really well for a big car, and steers precisely. Ride is very good, it's soft but firm, almost like some Euro cars I know. Sometimes a little harshness does creep in, it's not like the total isolation of past Lincolns where you just float and don't feel anything. But I like feeling a little more connected to the road.

Interior is really nice. Seats are comfy and have decent support, need a little more lumbar though for long trips. Quality of materials is better than on my '99, and it looks very polished. Some plastics remind you of its Crown Vic roots, but they hold up well. '06 was the first year with a tach, which is nice to have. I really like the analog clock, it's a nice touch.

It's a low maintenance vehicle, just basic upkeep like brakes, oil changes, filters will make them run a long time. Past owners of mine went above and beyond doing repairs like new water pump and steering shaft for peace of mind, a good idea for a high mile car like this. Parts are cheap, and I only expect to do a little suspension work and maybe electrical as time goes on. Hopefully make it to 300K!

The 70s models are still my favorite of all time, but for a reliable, economical daily driver, this body style is about the best in my opinion. They had worked almost all the bugs out by this time.

Faults:

Nothing. Just general maintenance.

General Comments:

Fantastic car. Comfortable. A bit dated in terms of looks, but surely makes up for it in every other area. Easy enough to do work on yourself for many things.

Without much experience in vehicles, I've been able to do the following:

Replaced air filter.

Cleaned mass air flow sensor.

Cleaned air intake manifold.

Replaced oil and filter (needs a filter cap tool for about $5 to get the filter on and off).

Replaced transmission fluid and filter.

Replaced fuel filter.

Replaced rear end fluid.

Replaced spark plugs and boots (moderate difficulty and will take a good 2 hours).

Added refrigerant to the A/C system.

Replaced serpentine belt.

For everything here I spent about $350 and that was for best quality parts, fluids, etc. I probably put 10 hours into the car in terms of labor for all these things.

The only downside is the cost of specialty parts such as sensors, mechanical, and electrical parts. You may be able to do a lot of the work yourself for replacing these things, but the parts can be expensive if you need them, $300 for a fuel pump or $100 for a mass air flow sensor for instance. The only upside to this is the sheer reliability of the car, so hopefully you rarely, if never at all, have to replace any high dollar parts. I reflected this as the 8 in running costs.

Overall I love this car and plan to drive it for many years. You see these "Panthers" (Crown Vic, Grand Marquee, and Town Cars - which are the same everything with the exception of exterior accents, interior accents, and sound dampening) go for over 300K no problem. Look at any police car or luxury taxi service, they choose these "Panthers" for a reason. So I'm hoping my Town Car will be one of these cars that do exactly that.

My only complaint is the 4 speed transmission (including overdrive, so it's a 3 speed plus overdrive). It shifts extremely smooth and is bullet proof as some would say, but your engine will hover at over 2K RPM at 80 mph highway speeds and that cuts into your gas mileage pretty hard. At 85 mph you will average 21 MPG. At 65 mph you could be 25 MPG or more. What's surprising though is you can pull 17-20 MPG in the city, which is great for a decently large V8 pushing a 4500 pound car.

Oh, and for anyone worried about safety, don't. These cars were the only cars to ever get a 5 star crash test rating across the board for the 2010 Town Car when they raised the requirements and added the new tests. So anyone who says body-on-frame cars aren't safe hasn't done their research. Compare a 2010 Honda Accord with a 2010 Town Car on KBB for safety and you will see. The Town Car hasn't changed much at all from 2003 to 2010, so I have no doubt my 2006 is safer than your car.

Oh and if it helps, I'm a GM guy and I know comparable Cadillacs look better, but if you care about reliability, comfort, ease of repair, and better bang for your buck, get a Town Car. Ask anyone about the Northstar Cadillac Engine and you will know what I'm talking about.

That's it for my review. Thanks for reading if you came this far.