Affordable Luxury with Top Safety Ratings

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) was first founded back in 1970. At the time, the United States government was looking for a way to standardize automotive safety regulations, while also working to reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities. In response to mounting public pressure, the US Congress passed the Highway Safety Act of 1970, establishing the NHTSA as America’s automotive industry’s safety standard governing body.

Since 1978, the NHTSA has been heavily involved in crash-testing automobiles in order to inform the public of each model’s individual performances in the test. This way, Americans could make informed decisions courtesy of an un-biased, official party as to which car they’ll buy next, should safety be one of their concerns. Since 1993, the NHTSA has ranked crash test results by “stars”.

In 2006, the Lincoln Town Car managed to be one of the first models to gain a five-star rating for both the frontal and side-impact tests. These days, a used ’06 Town Car is extremely cheap, and it also sports one of the most reliable engines ever made.

Old-School Safety

Lincoln

Quick Facts About The 2006 Lincoln Town Car

• Currently sports an average used price of $5,246
• One of the first cars to score five stars in both frontal and side-impact crash tests
• Employs the use of Ford’s Modular 4.6-liter V8
• Constitutes one of the final American body-on-frame sedans
• Built upon Ford’s Panther vehicle platform

The Lincoln Town Car was one of Lincoln’s oldest nameplates when it went out of production in 2011. It had been in continuous production since 1981, when the Town Car nameplate was granted its own, standalone model, rather than continuing life as a trim level for the Lincoln Continental. Nearly 10 years after its introduction, the Town Car was given its second-gen makeover, wherein it gained the use of Ford’s Panther vehicle architecture, a platform it would share with both the Ford Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

Along with its use of the Panther architecture, which would wind up being one of the most durable and well-sorted large car platforms produced in the modern era, the Lincoln Town Car also secured the use of Ford’s Modular 4.6-liter V8. The iconic engine would go on to win quite a few spots on Ward’s 10 Best Engines for its near-peerless penchant for reliability. In short, the second-gen Lincoln Town Car was shaping up to be one of the most reliable luxury cars ever produced.

Its durable and reliable streak continued into the late 1990s, when the Town Car entered its third and final generation in 1998. The Panther platform and Modular engine remained, but both received numerous tweaks. In addition, the Town Car also gained a slew of safety features following its 2003 refresh, such as dual front side-mounted airbags, a rear parking sensor system, and four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS). It also doesn’t hurt that the Town Car is a big, steel-bodied sedan.

Lincoln

However, the Lincoln Town Car’s affinity for keeping its occupants safe wasn’t widely known until 2006. That year, the NHTSA tested the Town Car’s safety and found that in both the frontal and side-impact categories, the big American brute managed to achieve five-star ratings, a feat few cars had managed previously. This meant that the Town Car ended up being one of the safest vehicles on the road at the time.

While a video depicting the specific feats of strength the 2006 Town Car managed doesn’t exist in the mainstream, we’ll include a video showing a 2003 Lincoln Town Car undergoing a side-impact crash test:

The 2006 Lincoln Town Car’s Detailed Specs & Features

Lincoln

Many of you may already know the Ford Modular 4.6-liter V8’s esteemed background when it comes to reliability, but it’s important to flesh it out regardless. Beginning in the late 1980s, Ford’s then-new Modular engine program was meant to provide the company with a slew of new, easy-to-build motors that offered a great deal of reliability and parts-interchangeability. The first mill to belong to the engine family was the 4.6-liter iteration, which saw its first use within the 1991 Lincoln Town Car.

By 2006, the 4.6-liter motor had 15 years of faithful service under its belt, most of which were seen under the hoods of Ford Crown Victorias serving as police cars across the country. The Lincoln Town Car received a slightly more powerful version than the standard, civilian-bound Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand Marquis did. However, despite the extra oomph, the Modular engine was still under-stressed, which was one of the signature aspects of the powerplant’s reliability.

Bring A Trailer

On top of its dependable engine, the ’06 Town Car employed the use of a Ford-bred four-speed 4R75E automatic transmission. After the Modular engine’s power was transformed into usable motion, a driveshaft channeled it to the rear wheels. A pair of air struts handle the Town Car’s rear suspension, and the front end is held up with an independent setup. Stopping is taken care of by a set of disc brakes. It’s important to note that, while the Town Car’s air suspension setup was known to be one of the best Lincoln had ever made, they are still somewhat prone to failing.

We’ll lay out the 2006 Lincoln Town Car’s detailed engine and performance specs in the table below:

*Specs courtesy of Lincoln and Kelley Blue Book

Interior

Lincoln

Being a luxury liner, Lincoln made sure to cram as much tech and creature comforts into the Town Car as it could. While not standard, most examples you’ll find on the market come with heated seats. In addition, an analog clock, dual-zone climate control, and leather seats are all standard kit. Optionally, you could wind up with a moonroof, memory seats, and an old-school navigation system. Rear air ride suspension was standard in 2006, as well.

Want Even More Safety?

Hyundai

If the 2006 Lincoln Town Car doesn’t pack quite enough safety into its large body to satisfy, you can always go searching for a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. That’s because, in 2011, the Sonata was one of the first cars to achieve a double-five-star safety rating under the NHTSA’s revised safety standards, which are still in place today. The other model to achieve this first was the 2011 BMW 5 Series, although a used example of one of those is a bit more expensive.

Hyundai

When it comes to the ’11 Sonata, you can pick one up these days for approximately $4,713, at least according to Kelley Blue Book. Underneath its hood sits a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four-cylinder engine. Optionally, you could go for a turbocharged 2.0-liter mill, or a 2.4-liter hybrid powerplant. However, while the 2011 Sonata may be extremely safe, it’s not the most reliable sedan out there. According to JD Power, the 2011 model scored a 74 out of a possible 100 points, giving it an “Average” score.

So, if you can swing the extra few hundred bucks and don’t mind driving something that looks like your grandpa’s ride, the 2006 Lincoln Town Car is a better bet over the Sonata. Not to mention, a big boat of a sedan is a great choice for new drivers. It’s hard to get hurt when surrounded by two tons of modern American steel.

Sources: Lincoln, Hyundai, JD Power, Kelley Blue Book