I for one was actually in favor of the 300. It's more unique, has a better power train warranty, 7yrs/70K I believe. The mpg will likely be better over the long run. You can dress them up very nicely with after market to give it the Bently look.
Everyone uses the Town car and it is almost identical to the crown vic. Do you guys have the Mercury Grand Marquis? They are nicer than the crown vic and cheaper than the lincoln....
Eventually the prices for parts/repair will come down on the 300. When they phase out the CV they will likely become more popular choices, thus lowering prices.
Let us know what you end up getting.