Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Chrysler 300 or Lincoln Town car? (need opinions)

2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited vs. Chrysler 300 Touring (or Limited) RWD V6 no hemi!


Heh, yes these cars do have something in common, they can both be used as good passenger transport vehicles. Let me start by saying that like a lot of Indian people, I have a big family composed of lots of family and plenty of family friends. Well my uncle (or father's cousin) owns a taxi business (please don't laugh :s) after immigrating to this country about 15 or 16 years ago. He's a good old fashioned hard working blue collar guy who just works as hard and as long as he can. The issue of buying another car came up and he asked for my opinion since i'm such the car enthusiast. He basically said he wants to retire a bunch of his Ford Crown Victorias, and never wants to see that particular car again. He himself is a driver (hard worker, and likes the work) so this is mainly going to be for him, and if possible may obtain a few more to replace some of the aging cars on his small little fleet.

For day to day service, he's basically thinking of only 1 car, and that's the Lincoln Town Car signature limited which is the perfect combination of luxury and style but comes with a hefty price tag of about $58,000 CDN (after taxes). t comes in Black on Black which is standard for a limo and very luxirous looking. The price though is a little high especially since he's looking to replace this car for himself at first and then slowly replace the crown victorias out. Though mechanically it's pretty much a Crown Vic so he has experience and part sources as well as mechanics that can work on this car very cheaply. He knows how durable this car's drive train is and has personally driven a Crown Victoria to about 550,000KM or about 320,000 miles. THis was the car he's had his eye on ever since the municipal government decided that he can no longer keep cars on the road that are more than 5 years old. At this point he asked my opinion just because I know a little more about the negociating process as well as how I feel about the car.

I recommended the Chrysler 300 RWD V6, not the 300C Hemi because even though it's a V8, it's just going to be an ongoing expensive he could've saved on by getting the 6. It's a little smaller when compared to the Town Car, but for those who've been in it either as a passenger or driver know it's more than adequate. It has a lot of luxury amenties with the comfort group package + leather or whatever. The rear room is very much enough space for 3 people, and the ride is smooth. I thought this car had the perfect shape for an everyday taxi with the bold look but not too round or too square. I even suggested getting a modified grille + HIDS to make it stand out and tint the windows privacy and of course, the car would be black exterior + grey interior.

Pros and cons that I've found;
2006 Lincoln Town Car black on black.
Pros:
- Looks and feels like a limo with that distint look and reputation it has going for it.
- Can be used with a propane system for higher fuel mileage combining gas and propane.
- Very comfortable quiet v8,
- Lower maintenece costs because it's techinically the Crown Victoria but with a few aesthetic changes (Contique lol).
- Dual exhaust for comfort and making the ride a little more smooth.

CONS these were basically a turn off but my uncle still likes it:
- COSTLY in the end it's about $25,000 more than the very 300 I described.
- Slower with only 239HP listed on a V8.
- LOWER fuel economy, ceteris parabis the gasoline consumption is higher with 14L/100KM city and about 8.5/highway.


And ...

2006 Chrysler 300 Touring (or Limited) V6 black on grey or beige.
PROS:
- AFFORDABLE, for the price of the Town Car he could buy one of these and maybe a Chevy Impala or similar car. This car finished at about 35,000 with taxes.
- POWERFUL and responsive! The V6 is a 250HP engine with plenty of pickup.
- Very nice as well, with mercedes ideas combined with American engineering this car does have that luxury feel to it with safety to boot.
- 5 speed auto with stick / manual mode. (just makes the experience a little more fun)
- Better GAS fuel economy and smaller engine (3.5L vs 4.6L)

CONS
- It doesn't look like a luxuriosu limo ride that may appeal to his current customer base of CEOs and directors that he frequently picks up himself.
- PARTS, this car is in it's second production year and the parts are scarce and expensive (supply and demand).
- No known problems as mileage goes up. He can easily do about 100,000KM or 60,000 miles in a year himself and doesn't know if the V6 is dependable.
- Ride wasn't AS smooth as the lincoln, but a very fun to drive car.
- Slightly smaller trunk and cabin.
- Propane won't be viable.

Now I thank you guys for taking the time to read in and would like to honestly and simply ask you guys, what would you do in the situation? What I've been telling him is that even if you get the Lincoln, you're not guranteed more business without working extra hard and being proactive in a lot of different ways. I also said that with the Crown Vic already phased out in Canada, and the premium price of a Town Car, 300s may be MORE common on the road thus making his car not as unique or different as others. But with that being said, parts will get cheaper. I want him to make the best possible decision as this first car will be for him and as business goes he will slowly upgrade. I'm completely conflicted and don't know what to do or to recommend because I feel both cars are great, but both have their flaws and could easily go one way or the next. TIA CEG.

Oh by the way, I've pulled the carcostcanada reports and will have the cost price and top price for negociation. I will get the best deal on either car for him so can't wait to get into the dealership to rip them a new one. Too bad I know what exactly they're going to give me as bottom line otherwise I'd pull the 'assume I pay cash and get the warrenty' thing but eh, lol.

Is he a taxi company or a town car provider?

If he is a town car provider serving higher end clients, I would go with a Town-car or DTS. The new Lucerne might fit in here as well.

If he is a taxi Company I would go with the Chevy Impala and the mighty Series 3 3800. I also like mini-van taxis as they are spacious and comfy with plenty of luggage space.

While the 300 is nice, I'm not sure how durable it is past the 150K mile mark as it was not designed for fleet usage.

I've looked at the DTS, and 2005 Deville and these are the cars he's settled on. He runs the small company, but also drives within it. He may replace some of the Crown vics with Vans, and I never actually thought of the Lucerne beause the DTS/Devilles were my GM cars of thought.

so would adding propane cut down on the negative mpg on the Linc? cuz if so, that's not so bad then..

if its going to be used as a taxi then there are going to be times when there are four passengers, and the driver. that means lots of bags to stuff in the trunk. the Linc's V8 may not have so much hp but that's not as important as torque. from a dead stop, with five grown people and luggage in the car, then accelerating, constantly, i would think the Linc would be all over the 300. what you guys need to do is go to both dealerships with five adults and some luggage and let your uncle see which one seems more fit for the job. after all, if its for a business then you need the best tool for the job, the costs are write-offs.

did you guys check out the Ford 500? what about mini-vans?

For a fleet car it might be cheaper in the short-run to pick up something else, but there's nothing like the good ol' Body-on-frame Town Cars. There's a reason why every major fleet in the US uses the old Panther cars; because you can swap out a rear-end in a lunch break.

If I was a business owner I'd be real hard-pressed to change from what's VERY tried and proven. Particularly with something that I know is going to significantly increase my variable operating costs over what I'm used to.

And though I doubt it's of much importance, I'd check on whether the V6 300 is indeed any faster. I know that the 300 Touring is the slowest accelerator in its' class, even slower than the 200hp Duratec in the Five Hundred (when attached to CVT) in reviews.

Oh, and for a counterpoint, the Town Car is slated to end production next year. So, in the long run, parts (those that are unique to the Town Car) might get more difficult to come by. But I imagine 99% of the Town Car parts are interchangeble with the Crown Vic.

thanks guys, I've talked to him and he's firm on these two cars because of the look and feel he wants to give his customers. It's not me, it's him, but now it's up to me to decide on what'll be better for him in the long run. ANd yes keep bringing up the points that I haven't mentioned, makes running it by him a lot easier, please and thanks CEG

Yes I know the town car is probably oging to be replaced with the MKS.

If he's picking up executives, there's only one choice: Lincoln Town Car.

Scott

Town Car. One reason - trunk. You can hide at least 5 dead bodies in there - 7 if you get creative.

The Town Car V8 is FFV, though I believe that means it is capable of using ethanol, not propane or CNG.

It does suck that you don't have the base Signature model in Canada. It would pare away a few features ans reduce the price tag.

The rear seat of the Chrysler 300 is not impressive. Room is just OK for such a large car, and the high windows make you feel closed in. Because the windowsill is so high, I found no good location to rest my arm.

I do wonder if the Town Car is really going away, or if it will continue as a fleet model (much as the Taurus has). Lincoln has the vast majority of the livery market and they would be crazy to throw that away.