Only I would see a shot like this one posted by Roshake, and find my eyeballs instantly moving to the left side of the image, more drawn to the Agila (Suzuki Wagon R) than the Town Car. Yes, I’m a weirdo, and I have a major thing for tall, short and boxy Japanese cars.
So let’s find if I really am the only one: if you had to make one of these your daily driver for a year (or longer), which would it be?
If I lived in the Midwest and spent lots of time rolling down the straight and mostly flat roads there, I might take the Lincoln just to relive the experience of floating and wafting between the endless fields of corn or soy beans. I used to enjoy that when I lived there. But I don’t, and in the compact town I live in and the trips I take up rugged narrow Forest Roads to remote trail heads, the Agila is simply and obviously better suited, never mind how it suits my tall and narrow frame.
I didn’t really have to justify my choice, and you don’t either, but you can too, if you want.
It is a harder decision than in the past. I have always been a fan of large cars. It would have been a no brainer but with gas being over $9.00 an imperial gallon here in Canada if I could get the agila with ac( a health must ) I’d probably consider it.
Talk about a cosmic shift in my universe! My attitude had always been you drive big you pay big but no more!
The Agila (Suzuki Wagon R). The size and color draws my eye.
Town Car for sure. Always did like the crisp boxy styling of the 90’s Town Car over the ugly ovally mess it became in 1998.
I do most of my driving on the interstate or on 5 lane suburban roads. Parking spots in Nashville are generously sized(except maybe east nashville) The lincoln is built EXACTLY for this type of driving.
Im betting that crap box would struggle doing 75-80 and would get blown all over the road. Plus you are a dead man in a wreck with all the huge pickups and suvs around here
Id go with the Lincoln for its presence and character if fuel economy and parts availability werent such an issue for it in this time and place, but things being as they are my rational choice would be the Agila, no matter how boring/lame it is. I guess it could be reasonably fun to throw around while blasting my music lol
Also i just realized these both have a reputation for being old peoples cars in their respective lands, despite being basically polar opposites
With you 100% on opting for the Suzuki wagon, even moreso if it’s manual.
I can’t imagine a period of my life when this wouldn’t have been my choice.
Space utilization and fuel efficiency of the Agila is excellent. In tune with the times. Old school full-sized domestic luxury cars are virtually extinct in my city. With a coming recession likely, the Opel makes so much more sense.
When I see this era of Town Car these days, it’s most often driven by an older gentleman who either (a) didn’t plan well financially for retirement or (b) can’t abide by “modern” cars. Actually, most of them around here were used for “sub-limos” and retired long ago with 350,000 miles.
I’ll take the Aglia, given that I don’t drive much on the freeway any more, and also $5 gas.
I have a 2010 Grand Marquis with 92,000 miles and fit your description of Town Car owners. I hope the car lasts the remainder of my life. I only drive 150 miles per month. Should I ever need to replace it, I will just get a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio for basic transportation.
I hope you live until your Marquis has 350,000 miles!
Not that easy… My favorite (well, the only one I like) Town Car generation. And the little rollerskate. Both appeal to different sides of the brain/being and I can readily identify distinct uses for each of them with “hard no” scenarios for other unavoidable needs as each would be as horrible for some things as it would be great at others.
I guess Agila, but it’s close and might be a year of regrets. But I could say the exact same thing for the Town Car.
Interestingly, my aunt and uncle actually owned an Agila (mainly hers) while at the same time also owning an Opel Omega V6 wagon (mainly his) which is probably as close to Town Car as realistic in Germany. I rode in both at various times, those times distinct as to which car best served that journey’s purpose with never a thought as to wishing we were in the other car at that particular time…
My answer should be obvious without even stating it. based on my current fleet: 13 mini cooper clubman (my 3rd of the BMW produced MINIs and my keeper till i stop drawing breath) 08 Honda Element and 2 old rides inherited from elderly relatives when they stopped driving: 2000 honda civic coupe and 87 ford escort wagon. the civic had 56000 mi and lived its life on the streets of cliffside pk NJ. banged from parking incidents, but otherwise well tended. no A/C, it now timeshares duty with the escort fro son’s short commute . civic taking the winter season in upstate NY. the escort came to me some 10 years ago with 5,200 miles on the clock having lived in a brick attached garage in Arlington VA. in the ensuing decade we have “driven the wheels off it” now up to 21000 mi. has working A/C and serves as son’s summer commuter to work. 1000 mi/year for last several. pretty sure this collection shows i am not longing for a 21 foot schooner that steers like it is turning a rudder on a lake. space utilization of boxy japanese cars? Amen to that. i have loaded the honda element with a Tandem Bicycle, a single road bicycle, suitcases for week stay on OBX and 3 adult passengers. no roof rack. all inside. think the lincoln could manage that? and 25+ mpg? the element’s party trick most are not aware of: models with the “skylight” sunroof over the package area- flip it up to vent position. nearly no induced wind noise or turbulence and the negative pressure pulls A/C cooled air to the rear seat passengers upper bodies very nicely.
My answer would be similar to Jim’s above. This also my favorite (or least unliked) version of the Town Car and the Suzuki seems a bit small to be versatile, not to mention parts issues in the US. My own Suzuki, a DR650 motorcycle, is adequate for around town errands and still lots of fun on the road. But if forced to pick one, I’d take the Agila.
Drifting slightly off topic, yesterday’s Dangerous Roads post sent me into the YouTube vortex and I watched this: https://youtu.be/zmOrihb-dv0
Regardless of how one feels about low riders, they are true car enthusiasts and the passion is real. I was surprised to see that Lincolns, Town Cars and Marks, are quite popular. And there’s even a glimpse of a 2nd gen Corvair in the video. In my area I actually see more 1940’s and ‘50’s low riders than the later GM stuff that’s so popular.
Choice? Neither!
Town Car, hands down. Sorry, Paul!
Town Car
#1 rule of CC is never choose the GM Deadly Sin crapbox, even if it is really a Suzuki underneath. GM owned a large share of Suzuki for many years, one of the many reasons Suzuki failed to survive in the US auto market.
This is a tough one, since I own a Suzuki Samurai, but I’m going to have to go with the tried-and-true Town Car if it’s to be my daily driver.
I can walk into just about any parts store in the United States and get whatever I need to keep a Panther running, and mechanics who are familiar with them if I don’t want to do it myself.
But I have no doubt that the Agila would be more fun to drive.
No question, the Agila is for me. I’ve never been a land yacht kind of guy. I’d just have to find a set of correct wheel covers for the Agila, and I think I’d be quite happy.
Comical and ironic, the way the background architecture also reflects each design. Opera windows for the Lincoln. And large view windows for the mini-minivan.
Town Car by a million miles. MPG doesn’t matter when you don’t have a car payment and if you wish to have some sort of comfort. I’d walk before I would take that other blob.
Imagine Wagon R’s space efficiency + Town Car’s length
Thats what you call a full size van
Ha ha. You beat me to it. I was going to follow up with “FIAT Ducado / RAM ProMaster” It even has FWD.
The rear door of the Town Car appears to be the same length as that of the Wagon R.
Urf. I’m highly averse to Panther cars, and I’d rather not get roped into the political/voting-loyalty requirements that come with owning one. The Agila appears to do better in crash tests than I assumed. I certainly didn’t feel at all safe in my 2- or 3-hour trip as a passenger in a Wagon R, but then again it was the India-spec model in Delhi traffic.
Town Car
Suzuki/Opel, $13.00 per gallon gas here rules out big Fords on my income.
About half that here; still unviable on my pension though.
When I briefly had a 2008 Honda Accord, I thought it was a bit ponderous, so you can guess that the Town Car would be way too big. I’d have some concerns about the Agila’s passive safety, but between its packaging and the fact that I’m a single man, it should do the job. As you might guess, my ideal car would be between those in size.
Driving past fields of corn and soybeans sounds boring, no matter what kind of car you’re in.
I loved the small Suzi I used to have, so that gets my vote. I’d want a chauffeur for the Lincoln; don’t have a heavy rigid licence. 🙂
The little green ride looks like it’s had an allergic reaction causing swelling.
Not their coolest design, not by a long shot.
Lincoln Town Car. No car payment. Sweet ride. Nuff said.
If I absolutely have to pick one it is the Lincoln. I do way too much highway driving to want something as narrow & short wheelbase as the Opel. Reminds me just how “right size” my 2004 LeSabre is. “20 shorter than the Lincoln, but only “5 less wheelbase. Front seat head & leg room is basically identical and I’m only giving up about an inch of width.
I would get the Lincoln. It’s the best car there is and way better than a Suzuki opel you probably can’t get parts for.
The Suzuki, hands down. My first car was a 1968 Plymouth Fury, and (except for some brief journeys in my parents’ Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs) I’ve never driven a big ol’ piece of Detroit iron since. Learned to drive a manual in a cranky old Spitfire, and a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt was the first car I paid for on my own. I just get no pleasure from driving a car the size of that Lincoln. No room for it in my garage, anhway.
Town Car
Town Car, no question.
My mother in law had one of these Agilas. Even the engine sound hurts ears.
Town Car.
Town Car no question. Plus it would make a nice addition to the 76 Mark IV in my garage!
My first car was a ’68 Plymouth Fury, inherited from my dad. That great wallowing beast got wrecked on I-80 in Wyoming, so maybe I’m scarred for life. The first car I bought on my own was a ’72 Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, and I haven’t driven a big ol’ piece of Detroit iron since. So I’d take the little Suzuki. There are Lincolns I love, but not this one. I hate opera windows! Besides, that thing would never fit in my garage.
Current DD is a Honda Fit/Jazz, so you know my answer. Opel by Suzuki reminds me of Opel by Isuzu long ago.
The 1990s series TOWN CAR is the best ever made, it’s great on gas mileage, I’ve owned 4 of the 1990s 2 1998s, and now I have 2 2008 TOWN CARS
My wife had a (Vauxhall) Agila from the next generation, precisely because it was easy to drive and park in crowded urban areas.
Ride well, had a cheap feeling interior and was very reliable.
And answered to the name of Victor.
I’d go for the town car.