I had an '88 TC.. It was a great car. I agree that the 83-86 models were kind of ugly, but IMO the 87-88s look great!
wontgrowup -- if it's just the accumulator that's dead, IIRC it costs about $80-100, and is a pretty straightforward repair. The pump itself is the scary $1500 part, but fortunately it doesn't crap out all that often.. Of course after 16 years, anything can break.
As far as handling goes, my '88 TC could outhandle my '93 Cougar and '93 Mark VIII. But the steering feel wasn't as good, and it could get a little squirrely--in fact one time I was cornering hard when the rear end suddenly broke loose without any warning at all.
