Lincoln, for those who travel well.

Initial thoughts of the 2003 Lincoln Town Car

When I first laid eyes on the new Town Car my first thought was wow, what a change for the better! Those were my initial thoughts as I looked at the new car at the local Lincoln-Mercury dealership.

Exterior
The 2003 Town Car exterior still looks pretty much like the 2002 Town Car. But still a few revisions to the exterior will grab your attention at first sight. The very first thing that caught my attention was the return of the Lincoln Star hood ornament (previously removed since 1998, the major redesign of the Town Car). To me the hood ornament brings back the true American Luxury attributes the Town Car boasts. The old traditional waterfall grill has been replaced with a more subtle, but sophisticated and elegant looking grill. The new headlamps are no longer attached to the grill, thus giving it a more stately appearance. The wheels of the Town Car have been improved very much for this model year. The Town Car comes with standard 17- inch wheels with the option of having 17-inch 14-spoke machined aluminum finish or 17-inch 9-spoke chrome finish. On the rear end of the car you will notice that the LINCOLN name has been moved to the bottom left-hand corner of the trunk (previously above the license plate bracket). On the 2003 Town Car you now can have available fog lamps integrated into the front bumper of the car.

Safety
Safety is one of the main factors to Lincoln when it came to designing the Town Car. First of all the overall size of this car contributes very much to the safety of this car. This is a very big car, and because of the heft of the vehicle (4,339 pounds) it is more than likely going to stand its ground much better than a smaller sedan during a collision. Aside from the fact that this car is big it has many more safety features designed to deliver you to your destination safely. The Town Car has dual-stage front and side-impact airbags for the driver and front passenger. Dual-stage means that the Town Car knows how much force to deliver to the airbags based on the severity of the collision. For the front airbags the Town Car knows how far away or how close you have your seat from the airbags, it also knows if you are wearing your safety belts and therefore determines the deployment rate of the airbag. The side-impact airbag’s purpose is to protect you in the event of a side-impact collision by deploying an airbag in the upper part of the seat’s back. The Town Car will know if you are leaning against the window or if your arm is rested on the side of the door and therefore will deploy the airbag at a slower rate. The safety belts in the Town Car have redesigned to improve safety in the event of a collision. All safety belts in the Town Car (except for the front middle-seat passenger have 3-point safety restraints and pretensioners, the front outboard seats have height-adjustable D-rings. The Town Car also has a safety belt warning sensor called BELT-MINDER which detects if the driver does not have their safety belt fastened, and also the front passenger if one is seated, the system will display on the instrument cluster “FASTEN SAFETY BELTS” and a warning chime will sound for 6 seconds every 30 seconds for 5 minutes. The Town Car comes standard with ALL-SPEED TRACTION CONTROL which gives the vehicle better traction on slippery surfaces. EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST is also standard on the Town Car, the system detects when a rapid stop is being made and enhances the level of braking pressure. Standard on all trim levels of the Town car (except for the EXECUTIVE trim level which it is an available option) is the EXTENDED REAR PARK ASSIST. When the Town Car is put in reverse the system will notify the driver if the vehicle is about to hit an object behind the car by sounding an audible chime and a display that shows you how close the car is away from hitting an object.

Trim Levels

EXECUTIVE: Includes all of the standard equipment that you would expect to find on a luxury car. Things like dual powered 8 way adjustable driver and front passenger seats with power lumbar support. Premium radio with AM/FM stereo/cassette and single CD player with premium sound. Leather wrapped tilt steering wheel with duplicate audio and climate controls. Cruise control. Dual illuminated vanity mirrors with driver’s built in map sleeve. An incredible amount of storage compartments (the 2003 Town Car contains 40 % more storage capacity than last year’s Town Car). Cup holders built into the front seat, the rear seat also has a pair of cup holders in the armrest. Power pull-down trunk lid and remote lid release. Keyless entry which includes 2 key fobs and a valet key, the Town Car also has a key-pad on the exterior of the driver’s door. SECURILOCK ANITHEFT SYSTEM. Electrochromic (auto-dimming) rearview mirror and dual power heated exterior mirrors with driver’s side electrochromic mirror. Luxury analog clock. Autolamp headlamps that since darkness and automatically adjust the headlight’s brightness. Map lights and rear seat reading lamps. Front seatback pockets. Power-Adjustable foot pedals overhead console which include a compass, oil life displays, messages to the driver, the HOMELINK controls which can be programmed to open garage doors or activate house lights, available power moon roof switch, available Rear Park Assist disable switch, available Vehicle Communications System which you can use to contact Lincoln in the event of an emergency, to book hotel arrangements, or to find out stock readings or the weather. The Town Car also includes a standard digital message center which displays useful information to the driver.

Signature: In addition to the standard equipment the Signature Series includes the following. Extended Rear Park Assist. Memory system which includes up to three memory positions for the driver’s preference which includes the driver’s seat, exterior mirrors, and adjustable foot pedals. An upgraded radio, an Alpine Audiophile Sound System with subwoofer and Audiophile speakers with AM/FM stereo and single CD player. Rain-Sensing Digital Windshield Wipers that activate windshield wipers to the appropriate speed and duration when they sense precipitation. Easy entry/exit driver’s seat that moves back when the key is taken out of the ignition and moves back to your desired memory setting when the key is reinserted. Heated front seats with 2 temperature settings. A wood and leather trimmed steering wheel with duplicate audio and climate controls.

Premium Signature: This is the trim level that we chose to purchase. This trim level adds a 6-disc CD changer (located in the trunk) and a power moon roof.
Cartier: In addition to the Signature Series standard equipment, the Cartier Series includes the following. Fog lamps located in the front bumper. Cartier logo embroidered on seating surfaces and also on floor mats. Full power trunk pull-down with the trunk amenities package.

Premium Cartier: This trim level adds a 6-disc CD changer (located in the trunk) and a power moon roof.

Cartier L: In addition to the Cartier Series standard equipment, the Cartier L Series includes the following. High Intensity Discharge headlamps. Orientation lighting. Alpine Audiophile Sound System with subwoofer and Audiophile speakers with standard 6-disc trunk-mounted CD changer. Rear Seat Amenities Package: tissue bins; heated rear seats; duplicate audio, climate, and front passenger seat controls; carpeted one-piece luxury floor mat; rear seat 4-way head restraints. Rear illuminated vanity mirrors. The Cartier L Town Car’s wheelbase has been stretched an extra 6 inches so that drivers who may want their rear seat passengers to have EVEN MORE ROOM may have that choice. The Lincoln Town Car’s rear seat is already the largest in its class to begin with, but someone who transports people all day (like an airport shuttle) may like the idea that its rear seat passengers have the room stretch out if the like.

Options
The Town Car comes with several options that you may wish to add to your already well equipped car. Trunk organizers, specially designed floor mats. A navigation system, The Vehicle Communications System, or a Limited Edition Town Car package.

Interior
The 2003 Town Car’s interior has gone through a major design change. This year’s Town Car looks much more elegant than the Town Cars of previous years. The entire interior has been accented with new wood and polished satin nickel finishes. The leather seats are some of the most comfortable that you have ever sat in; when going on long trips you will never feel that you are lacking any kind of support. The new dashboard and instrument cluster have been changed dramatically. The audio and climate controls have been grouped together so that both the driver and front passenger can access them with ease. There is now a digital speedometer accompanying the standard speedometer so that you will have a precise read out of exactly how fast you are going. The new center armrest opens up to the driver or front passenger control so that you can retrieve and store your items quickly. There are air vents for the rear seat passengers therefore cooling down the temperature of the cabin quickly. The new overhead console gives the driver and front passenger easy access to perform the many functions that it has to offer. Anyone should be able to find a comfortable seating position in the Town Car thanks to the standard 8 way power driver and front passenger seats. Standard adjustable pedals help drivers of all heights find a comfortable driving position. The available memory system for the driver will remember up to three driving positions which is nice to have if there is more than one driver. Available heated seats will help warm the driver and passengers in cold weather. Automatic headlamps and available rain-sensing windshield wipers add to the convenience of driving the Town Car in inclement weather. There is also a power point located in the front seat which you can connect cellular phones, laptop computers, and many other devices. The Town Car has many more features but I just wanted to list a few of its more interesting features.

Engine and Body Specifications
The Lincoln Town Car is powered by a rear-wheel drive 4.6 liter V8 engine. The Town Car’s horsepower is 239 @ 4900 rpm and it delivers 287 lb. –ft of Torque. It uses 87 octane (regular) fuel. The Town Car’s wheelbase is 117.7 inches long. The Cartier L Town Car’s wheelbase is 123.7 inches long (because it has been stretched 6 inches).

Final Thoughts
Even though the Town Car has gone through a design change it still has all of the characteristics that you have grown to enjoy from Town Cars of previous years. The new Town Car has a revised suspension so that the Town Car maintains excellent stability and ride control. The silky smooth ride that Lincoln is known for is still there thanks to the rear air suspension that maintains a smooth and comfortable ride to make your drive as pleasant as possible. Our local Lincoln-Mercury dealership provided us with excellent service during the purchase of the car; they were very pleasant and informative and made the purchase of the car as simple as possible. I recommend this car very highly to anyone in the market for a luxury car that is pleasant to the eye and a joy to drive.