Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. Premium Large Cars are top-of-the-line sedans in size and luxury. Many are manufacturer flagships and/or showcases for the newest automotive technology. Some have 6-figure price tags.

Our Best Buys include the Audi A8 and Lexus LS 430. Our Recommended picks include the Buick Park Avenue, Cadillac DeVille, and Volkswagen Phaeton.

A new flagship Lincoln sedan is on the drawing boards as an early-2009 model. It's said to use a stretched version of the corporate "D3" platform originated by Ford-owned Volvo. A shorter D3 variant reportedly serves a replacement for Lincoln's midsize LS sedan, tentatively set for 2008. Because D3 is basically a front-drive platform that can accommodate all-wheel drive, neither new model will be a traditional rear-driver. That's led to speculation that the elderly Town Car could be kept around into 2009 and maybe beyond. For now, though, sources say Ford is still only thinking about that.

Meantime, the old Town Car will again be freshened for 2006. Look for a moderate restyle, a standard 6-speed automatic transmission and possibly a revised V8 engine with three valves per cylinder instead of two. The related Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis get their own updates for '06.