Everything in the interior is new and improved, from the door panels to the instrument panel to the radio face, switches and controls. The smaller analog instrument cluster features a centered speedometer flanked by fuel and temperature gauges.
Two small display screens on either side of the speedometer serve as the message center and compass. The system includes a redundant speedometer display, but no tachometer. The radio face has been replaced with larger and easier to use buttons and controls. Below the radio is the control center for the climate control system. Nothing is difficult to reach or understand, and there is so much available width that the controls are not crowded.
The Town Car's front and rear passenger compartments are very spacious. A new rear pillar design makes the rear seat cozier than the one in the old car. The big, thick seats are comfortable and the power front bucket seats offer lumbar support and two-position memory. The steering wheel contains buttons for cruise control and the sound system.
Interior noise has been reduced significantly over the previous model. The windshield has been moved forward four inches for improved aerodynamics. Rearview mirrors have been designed to generate much less wind noise. Thicker glass, triple seals on the doors, and redesigned pillars all help to further reduce noise.
Town Car owners will notice greatly improved steering and handling response. Ford has redesigned the steering system with more expensive components that yield improved steering precision and feel. The air suspension system boasts new twin-tube shock absorbers. Another more expensive solution is the rear suspension that uses a Watts linkage between the axle housing and the frame designed to improve both handling and ride quality. Trailing arms have been redesigned to be parallel to the frame.
All this adds up to a much more pleasant ride. The 1999 Town Car feels glued to the road in a way that the previous-generation could not match on its best day. Handling is much more predictable in lane-change maneuvers, without the momentary indecisiveness that characterized the old car. The Touring Package comes with shocks that are 50 percent larger for a firmer, more controlled ride.
Even with the Touring package, 3.55:1 rear-axle ratio and 220 horsepower on tap, the Town Car lacks the acceleration performance of its fastest competitors. Equipped with a 282 cubic-inch engine, it just doesn't accelerate like a $40,000 car should. Its chief competition has 275 horsepower, a palpable difference.
Transmission feel and function are greatly improved over the old automatic, with quicker, more positive shifts. The fourth gear overdrive can be turned off for climbing and descending long grades. The full-time all-speed traction control system can be switched off for climbing out of snow banks or other special situations.
The Town Car's brakes have been upgraded with bigger, thicker front discs and twin-piston calipers. With 25 percent more swept area, the brakes are much less likely to fade away when hot. ABS is standard.