Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 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 six-figure price tags.

Our Best Buys are the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS. Our Recommended picks are the Audi A8 and Cadillac DTS.

Ford Motor Company now says Town Car will hang on through 2009 and possibly beyond. Expect few changes along the way. Town Car would have died with a 2007 plant closure, one of many cutbacks under Ford's "Way Forward" recovery plan. Instead, the company decided to move production to the Canadian plant that builds the related Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis.

Meantime, a new midsize Lincoln sedan is due for 2009 on the Volvo-originated D3 platform of the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego sedans. Styling and name are taken from the recent MKS concept. A 3.7-liter V6 being developed exclusively for Lincoln will probably be the sole engine and should team with a 6-speed automatic transmission. MKS takes over from the old rear-drive Lincoln LS, but will offer front drive and optional all-wheel drive. And once Town Car dies, it will be Lincoln's flagship car, as a planned larger version fell victim to Ford's mounting money losses.