Toyota Avalon To Replace Lincoln Towncar?
Jason Lancaster | Mar 08, 2012 | Comments 7
When Ford stopped building the Lincoln Towncar in August, 2011, a vacumn formed in the livery industry. For decades, limo services and up-scale car services had purchased Lincoln Towncars by the truckload, using them almost exclusively to ferry passengers from point to point. Towncars were the car of choice – so ubiquitous that people didn’t just order a “car” to take them to the airport, they ordered a “Towncar.”
The new livery edition Toyota Avalon - will it replace the Towncar?
Good or bad (I personally like big RWD sedans), the Towncar is no more. Toyota, seizing an opportunity, is trying to fill that void with a special version of the Avalon.
Avalon Wins In Fuel Economy
Most analysts agree that the Lincoln Towncar was discontinued because Ford didn’t think they could make the platform meet fuel economy standards without dramatically raising the price of the vehicle. The Avalon, while more expensive than a similar Towncar, wins the fuel economy comparison test. From Limousine Digest:
[the Avalon} does beat the mileage we’ve seen from other livery vehicles in the past. Toyota plans on introducing its hybrid version of the Avalon, which will only increase the very decent MPG of 20 (city) and 29 (highway). Combined with a palatable price point-in the low to mid-30s for a nicely equipped model-the Avalon should be a real consideration for any operator, especially for airport transfers.
As fuel costs climb, an extra few miles per gallon can really help limo companies and car service providers maintain their margins. After all, it’s not unheard of for livery drivers to buy a tank’s worth of gas every day. Stretching that tank as far as possible with a hybrid powertrain or fuel-efficient V6 from Toyota makes financial sense.
So What About Lincoln – Don’t They Have A Replacement?
Yes – Lincoln is pushing livery companies to replace their Towncars with the Lincoln MKT – at a cost of $40-50k per vehicle, depending on options.
The Lincoln MKT is larger than the Avalon, but it's also more expensive to buy and operate
The problem with the MKT is that it has a combined EPA fuel economy rating of just 20mpg. The Avalon, with a combined fuel EPA fuel economy rating of 23mpg, will save livery companies 10%-15% of fuel costs. What’s more, the “livery edition” fleet Avalon has a starting price of $32k, which doesn’t include fleet incentives, which can easily bring the cost down to less than $30k.
So, the Avalon costs 10-15% less to operate AND it’s 15-20% less expensive than the MKT…and it’s still very nice. Check out the photo below from Acton Toyota:
The backset of a livery-edition Toyota Avalon
See more Avalon “Black Car” photos here.
Next time you go to the airport, the car service just might pick you up in an Avalon. Wouldn’t that be nice?
P.S. The “black car” edition of the Avalon is only available to fleet buyers. Everyone else will need to buy the more expensive car that includes both a sunroof and a back-up camera.
Filed Under: Auto News
I like the ending of P.S. about having the general public spend more money and get the sunroof and backup camera. It ticks me off toyota thinks the general public wants all that extra money into fancier gizmos into a nice, already well equipped, larger vehicle. Heck, give me my 1986 caprice classic brougham 305 V8 all day long in terms of size still achieving near 20 mpg in a rear wheel drive vehicle. I just need to fix the headliner that is falling down – ha ha!
Just like in 2012 tundras: I demand a pwr. drivers seat but must in order to get that get SR5 pkg which I do not need nor want to spend the extra 1700 bucks to get the SR5 package that includes options I do not need nor want to spend the money on which includes rear backup camera, electrochromatic dimming mirror with homelink transmitter, along with pwr. rear sliding rear window. If I want a pwr. drivers seat and say just a pwr. sliding rear window, let me buy them individually and save a grand. Not a fan of how toyota bundles their pkgs. and also the way toyota is making the exact same colors in their entire lineup. For instance, the salsa red tundra is replaced with barcelona red found in the corolla and RAV4, etc. which is dumb for all that medium red on a huge tundra is not good looking at all plus the radiant red tundra is darn near the same color now – dumb and cheap!
mk – Your commitment to spartan accouterments is an inspiration to me! I agree that we could all live without a lot of the little niceties…
As for bundling, it’s the cheapest way to build them (fewer configurations makes for faster build times and better component pricing) and it’s arguably more reliable (fewer configurations means engineers can spend more time honing systems), but I agree 100% that a lot of the packages aren’t ideal.
The first time you back into a pole you didn’t see you would want a backup camera. Nothing wrong with a little technology. I use my camera daily since I back into my garage and any parking place I come to. If safety is paramount you would back into spaces vice pull in. Proven factor more accidents when you back out of a space vice pulling out of a space.
Ug. I use TC’s frequently (don’t own a car) and rely on them, as I have health issues that are exacerbated by the firm ride of a typical taxi. Seems like there’s just no replacement for the TC: that MKT will have higher running costs so fleets will look elsewhere, and more importantly for me it won’t have the TC decent ride. If you leave the factory air suspension unmodified and don’t overinflate the tires, the TC was the last smooth riding passenger car short of high end luxury vehicles.
Some of the fleets here are transitioning to Camrys, often hybrids. Far lower fuel costs, but cr@p to ride in. I have to wedge into the back seat, but mostly I notice they have a harsh ride in back. Of course, so does virtually every other new vehicle except a TC. TC’s also had a livery version with a 6″ stretch and a back door that opened 90 degrees.
Real shame Ford had to drop this one due to CAFE and lack of cash. It may have made economic sense for them, but they lose a whole market segment.
My friend bought this new MKT and I must say it is just as smooth as the TC and the engine is alot quieter. I’m a limo driver that works for a company that has 68 TC’s in their fleet, and I’m glad that the TC is discontinued. the seats on the TC are poorly made unlike the MKT. The wood panels in the front and back are extremely nice, better leather quality and better gas then the dumb old TC. Good job lincoln.
Tony – Cool! Thanks for commenting. Any cool stories about driving around celebs?
BTW, that new MKT sure as heck ought to be better than the TC – it costs more and it’s a much newer design. But it’s good to hear that it’s the real deal from someone who would know. Thanks for commenting! 😉
Please comment here more frequently – I like your insights.