Two of the finest pieces of American luxury.

I'm a GM guy, but that generation of Town Car is special...my uncle drove one as a chauffeur and sitting in one as a kid just felt like you were the king of the world.

I've owned 3 1996 town cars, and now own a 1997. The only cars I currently ever buy, cause I love everything about those cars.

Fleetfood looks like an industrial tycoon, and town car looks like an elegant guy

The town car is definitely my favorite, elegant looking car. And extremely reliable.

I absolutely love the Cadillac Fleetwood. My first Fleetwood I had got when I was in high school. A 1993 metallic blue Brougham!! That car was bad ass!! My father bought it in the country from this who’s mom had passed, he also had a 1996 Lincoln town car for sale, but the Cadillac was calling my name. Then years down the line I owned a Maroon 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood that ran like a bat outta hell. I miss both of those cars to this day!!.

Love the 95 -97 town cars 👍

We have a 1996 cartier just like this one, excellent piece of American history with such a legacy of comfort. There hasn’t been a car built as comfortable since. Very sad Lincoln & Cadillac have abandoned comfort for sportiness & speed.

The “tri-nine” (95-97) Lincoln Town Cars are my favorite luxury car.

I'm with you. I've always been a Cadillac guy through and through, however, I have driven both the '96 Fleetwood Brougham and the 1997 Town Car Cartier, and there is such a difference in ride quality there is almost no comparison. As far as ride quality, the Town Car does circles around the Fleetwood. The Town Car's ride on the freeway is so whisper quiet, you can hear your passengers blink. With the Fleetwood, the ride is still soft and somewhat quiet, but nowhere near as controlled as the Town Car. The Fleetwood drives a little more like a large pickup, whereas the Town Car's interior sort of envelops you. In my opinion, Cadillac wasn't even trying by this point. They knew the market for behemoth luxo-barges was coming to a close, and they just didn't want to invest much into the segment anymore. Big mistake. In fact, if you ask me, Cadillac ceased to be authentically Cadillac after the demise of the Fleetwood Brougham.

Man both of these cars were retiree cars when i was growing up. They both had seats that were probably living room couches

I have a 95 Town Car and I love it ! It’s most reliable car I’ve ever owned. On the other hand I love the style of the Fleetwood . I would take both of them.

The 93-96 Fleetwoods turns heads. I get compliments daily when I'm driving my Fleetwood.

The correct term for the headlights used on the Cadillac is “done right!” I’m a Cadillac Man! 💯%! Born this way!

That's tough, both are really nice. Great time to buy them before the prices really take off. I'd go Caddy.

When something is chill and relaxed they call it CADILLAC!!!

I'm 100 percent Lincoln. From my dad's 63 Continental back in the day to my Mark IV & my Mark V that was the twin of yours to my current 18 Continental, it's Lincoln baby!!! 🙂

That’s my Cadillac!😃

My mom had a 96 town car cartier. We LOVED it! I called it the "pimp mobile" and it had everything! Sweet digital dash, heated super comfy leather seats 10 disc CD changer, great for long trips. I used to borrow it all the time in my early 20s, I raced people at lights (beat a v6 camaro, lost to a tahoe tho.) It's also fun in the snow. I would go to empty parking lots and do "snownuts" it was a BLAST! I really miss the old pimp mobile, such a great car

Lincoln ALL THE WAY ! The Quality is bar none ! Cheers from Calgary.

As you can see by the Lincoln in my pfp I'm a Lincoln guy, but in reality I'm an all cars guy. But the Town Car is one of my favorite vehicles of all time, especially this specific generation variant (95-97) love the boxy body, love the flowy interior, love the ride quality, love the trunk space (root of endless dead body jokes) and absolutely love the plush seats. We rented one for a trip to Arkansas from Illinois back in 95 when I was a kid, I remember my cousin and I having space to play on the floor in the back while our moms sat in the seat, and I loved peeking up at the digital speedometer.

Great comparison vid Anthony! Although I drove the mid-‘80s Fleetwood, which I love, the more ‘bulbous’ style changes of the ‘90s got weird to me, and Caddy’s didn’t grab my eye at all again until only more recently (DTS/CT6) - So my personal choice here is definitely The Cartier. And I absolutely love the interior styling of the Cartier, even a lot more than my ‘05...just love it. I totally agree the Caddy interior they didn’t seem to care...square, plain-Jane, and not as sharp as they looked in the ‘85 Fleetwood I drove back in the day.... Once I got driving the Town Cars in ‘16 though, I fell in love, and I’m now a proud and dedicated Panther owner, thanks to you! 👍

The 90-94 Lincoln is much closer in style to the caddy, inside and out. The Cadillac ended before they could refresh it though. I do think the Cadillac interior is too plain though. The previous brougham definitely had more flair and style. I drive a 94 Fleetwood for the power and rarity (only 90k made). The town car has a much nicer more modern interior.

I remember as a kid going with my dad cross shopping these 2 cars he ended up with a 97 town car signature series and had until someone totaled it in 2016 and now they don't make them anymore not everyone wants a sports car we want a boat on wheels lol

As someone who has owned both cars. I owned a 94 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham for 8 years as a daily driver that never gave me any serious issues, and a 93 Town Car for 2 years. The Fleetwood was the overall better performing car power wise and the interior space was huge. I loved the drivetrain on them the LT1 and the 4L60E trans was a perfect combo, but the Lincoln and especially the 95-97 years, rode smoother and felt like you were gliding on air. The Fleetwood didn’t have a floaty soft ride, but it did well over bumps and pot holes. I absolutely hated the cheap looking and feeling interior of the Fleetwood, I could never accept it as a true Cadillac IMO. The seats in Town Cars are way more cushy and nicer feeling and more comfortable than the Fleetwoods. The interior styling and quality was a bit better in the Town Car although cheap plastics were used in certain spots. I think the 4.6 V8 in the Lincoln was smoother and quieter than the LT1 in the Cad. It lacked the brute force in torque, but made up for it with a extremely nice idle and silence. It’s hard to pick which one I like better, I think the Fleetwood feels a lot more sturdy, the doors and trunk lid is heavier, plus you have steel bumpers in case you accidentally hit something you won’t automatically damage it too bad, while the Lincoln’s tubaware plastic bumper would easily get ruined with the slightest tap. Compared to my 87 Brougham that I owned prior, the 87 definitely felt like a real Cadillac to me, plus it’s interior was a million times better than the crappy 93-96 Fleetwoods. But the 93-96 Fleetwood are the better drivers, they are quieter and smoother riding than the older Broughams. I like both cars, each have their strengths and weaknesses. I honestly feel like Cadillac didn’t even really care to make the these Fleetwoods nice or special to own, it was just “Whatever’s”, while Lincoln offered more luxurious options that made the car better than the Fleetwood in higher trims. Especially with the seats, this generation of Fleetwoods to me aren’t real Cadillacs, but more of a corporate bloated GM one. The 92 Brougham was the last high quality, stylish Cad IMO. Town Cars did suck after 97, with rounded bland styling and horribly cheap interiors, they never looked as nice or elegant ever again.

I've always been a Lincoln guy & always have had one love the old panther body

Man if ever miss 90s cars just see the movie heat. 90s cars got that modern American feel to them.

Two American luxury cars that are built for equally real American comfort and not just put together like these new cars they call luxury, I love the snow scenes in the background also, great job Anthony!!

I had one of those Town Cars with 260,000 miles. Ran & drove beautifully.

Seeing the gorgeous interior on the Lincoln brings me right back to my 96 Signature, what an awesome car!! I'd take one of those hands down over the 94 Brougham I had, got sick of replacing transmissions in that car!!

Both Card are American Icons but The Cadillac Fleetwood take it on choice Lincoln town car second place. Would love to own them both.

Just bought a '97 towncar for my ma, super excited to give it to her! Such a great cruiser, it's like driving an Italian leather sofa on wheels!

Now this is the content I want to see

One "toot" of the Caddy's horn and it wins by a country mile! That 3-Note horn has always been a treat!

no contest in the power plants, fleetwood had the 5.7 liter chevy motor, town car had the 4.6 liter motor

My dad was a funeral director so I grew up with Cadillac but, my heart is definitely Lincoln colored

I'm a Cadillac man (GM too) through and through, but I have nothing but respect for Lincoln Town Caws! I would love to have either one of these beautiful cars! Cartier package is my favorite on the Town Caws! I'm want a white Fleetwood Brougham with red leather interior! Ok and a Cartier Town Car in the same color combination as this beautiful TC! I remember when I used to service cars for a living, a 98-11 style TC cam in and the R was missing of the rear emblem! So it was an actual Town Ca(w)!

Two of my favorite cars of all time! I've had two Town Cars, one a 96 (Currently own) and a 2006 which I sold two years ago. On another note I absolutely HATE those aftermarket gaudy grills like the one on the Fleetwood.

Love both cars. I've driven both. At 16 my father had a 1964 Lincoln Continental. I lived driving that car! I love these road yachts!! Love the videos so keep them coming. Maybe you can do a once a week video on what's new in the shop. Car coming in and going out ect... My father and I enjoy your videos. Shout out to Papa bear! Keep up the good work!

Very informative Anthony thank you! I think you know which my favorite is, however, I absolutely love the 95 to 97 town cars. I’m a huge fan of carriage tops and I would love to own one someday.

Great vid. I've owned my 04'TC almost 10 years. Never had an issue. Have about 132k on it now. Amazing cars. Luv the Cadillac to though.

I had that Caddy in dark green, and I’m a Lincoln guy, but that was a hell of a beautiful Caddy that had incredible power, and yet was tuned so smooth that you couldn’t tell it was running. At stop lights, friends would say “your car died”, and when the light turned green and I took off, they couldn’t believe it. But yeah, the Lincoln was better in most ways.

I would have to go with the Lincoln Towncar on this round. They are more reliable, easier to work on....and although not as powerful, the durability of well tuned 4.6l V8 will easily surpass 200,000 miles without any major costly repairs. I dont believe the same can be said about the Cadillac Brougham. Both are quiet, comfortable, luxurious and status symbols for anyone who wishes to make a grand entrance or arrival. It is like showing up driving your own limousine. IMO, a Lincoln really was 'what a luxury car should be'. They will be missed.

Ford Guy here, but I have a lot of respect for Cadillacs. Wish I had just one of the 50's and 60's editions that my grandfather owned,

Go for Cadillac! I’m a Cadillac lifer! I bought my first when I was 15, and I’ve had nothing but Cadillacs since. My grandparents had them, and I feel like it’s part of the Italian American tradition. In my opinion, Lincolns are not as nice as Cadillacs. They do not have as much panache. I find them to be more brutish than Cadillacs. I will say, I stopped liking the Fleetwood Broughams after the 1992 model. They got round and bubbly after, not so elegant.

excellent vid! would love to see comparos of the previous and the next generations to these cars. Would still got for Lincoln, but am curious what Caddy had and how reliable it was. thanks for this one, glad i bumped upon this channel.

You hit the nail on the head Anthony. The chrome gives the Cadillac extra points!

I believe it was this video of yours that introduced me to your channel, and for that I am extremely greatful to have discovered you here on KZfaq, I am now just graciously waiting the day you find a nice condition 2nd Gen Cadillac Escalade specifically the ESV so I can snag up that thing when and if you list it for sale :D

The town car just aged so much better, the caddy is cool but it dated very quickly. edit: love those caddy wheels though!

The durability of both are incredibly strong

I’ve had the opportunity to ride and/or drive examples of both of these when they were current. IMHO, in the appearance department the Cadillac wins hands down. It has an elegance and upscale aura the Lincoln doesn’t duplicate. To me, it’s like the Lincoln came to the dance in a Men’s Warehouse suit, the Cadillac in a Brooks Brothers. Nothing wrong with Men’s Warehouse, but it just doesn’t look as expensive. In the interior, the reverse is true. The Cadillac dashboard is way too big for no real reason, it’s clunky and plain, where the Lincoln is appealing and functional at the same time. Ride and drive is also a mixed bag. The Cadillac’s 5.7 V-8 smokes the Lincoln in performance, and I think it even matches or betters it for fuel economy. The snarl it makes when pushed is a thing to behold. The Lincoln’s 4.6 is no slouch, but doesn’t have the same visceral effect as the Cadillac; Caddy engineers figured out how to let just enough of the fun noises in and keep most of the bad ones out. But if you like the old fashioned cocoon type motoring experience, isolation from everything outside, you have to go with the Lincoln. The ride is unmatched, you basically feel none of the imperfections beneath you, hear and feel virtually nothing, except maybe the engine when it’s at at full tilt which is pleasant enough. I think Lincoln’s seats are more plush and cushioned than the Cadillac too. I wouldn’t turn either down, though.

anthony, jim here from so. cal again.thanks for the reply back last time! you and i both know the cadillac is truly the better car in all aspecs. hands down.have driven both and currently own a 95 town car with 154000 on it. why?, because at the time i could not afford the caddy. anyway, enjoy your videos.some of your cars make me drool! because i know what a unique ride it is!

Great side by side comparison video on these cars

Hi Anthony, You are a really likeable person. I love your videos. I was a car salesman for 10-15 years, always selling American cars as I grew up in the Detroit. suburbs and wanted to support our everyday neighbors here in the Good Old U.S.A. I am going out tomorrow May 21st 2021 to buy a 92 Lincoln Town Car Signature Triple White with beautiful mag wheels with a big Chrome center. 120K miles

I LOVE them both. All years too. Im a GM guy, BUICK is my all time favorite & extremely reliable but honestly, I love & want them all. They're like Pokemon to me "Gotta collect them all" My grandfather had these beautiful 80s Buick Park Avenue, the Sears were like Lazeboy recliners, & the door lamps that lit up. So sexy. The old Buick Park Avenues are amazing. All buicks really, one day I'll own a Buick Regal or Olds cutless supreme...& You know, I never had a Chrysler 5th Avenue but I gotta admit they do look really nice. ANYWAYS...... I currently own a 97 Lincoln continental & a 98 Lincoln towncar. I do LOVE the 98 towncar personally. I just wish they had the hood ornament. & I would really really LOVE a custom spare wheel cover that sits behind the trunk on the outside. Idk what that's called but they're so badass classy looking. Have you ever seen the tv show The Sopranos? Mobster Phil Leotardo aka "the shah of Iran" has this immaculate custom 98 Lincoln towncar with the spare wheel cover behind the trunk, which flops down & then the trunk pops open when he hits the trunk button. That was beautiful. So classy. I'm all about white walls & spoke wheels. Great video btw

Love your videos bro. I’ve been driving Crown Vics since high school. I’m 39 now and still love my Crown Vics and Lincoln’s. 4.6 V8 engines are the best V8 engines ever made. But I do respect the 5.7s that GM put out in the 90s.

Lincoln Town Car for me, Caddy is nice but I have been a TC guy since I got my first one in 2010 (it was a 1994)

I like the fleetwood better owned a 1994 loved the car floated down the road and the lt1 had enough power to keep the car going down the road. The only thing I added to the car was dual exhaust and old school fat white wall tires.

The Lincoln. The Panther cars are just excellent. Comfortable and extremely reliable. The 2 valve 4.6 mod motor is extremely smooth and lasts forever. The Lincoln also has a more sophisticated interior and subjectively, I like the smoother styling better.

I think I’ve watched this video 100 times. These are 2 of my favorite vintage Cadillac/Lincoln. I’ve always preferred the plain jane look of a car, so I love the hubcaps on the Cadillac. Also like the glass headlights on the Cadillac, but love the thin headlight on the Town Car. I won’t waste your time, but I could go on and on and on and on. Bottom line, I absolutely love both. Once I find this vintage Cadillac, I’ll have them both!!!

excellent video Anthony, a lot of interesting info on both cars!

My grandmother was sold on Cadillac's, but when I took her to the Lincoln dealership to ride in the new 1997 Lincoln Town car Cartier series......she definitely was jealous, and that felt so good because I have always been a Lincoln Town car enthusiast....the way she floats and whisper quietness.....❤❤

I'd still take the Caddy. I know the Town car's 4.6 is Bulletproof and the Caddy's Northstar is a POS but it rides on a cloud. Super quiet too. The reason this Caddy is still kicking is that it has the rare LT1 option.

Loved it ! Had my eye on the town car since the 1992 model came out. The size the grill all the molding and chrome where they should be. Even the Cadillac Beutiful, if Cadillac would continue to build large sedans in the 2000's. I would of ended up with one for true.. I ended up getting a 2008 Lincoln Town Car. Thanks again for the side by side video...

97 town car looks like 99s car while 96 fleetwood looks like a 89s car

had a marauder and it was fun, now i want a fleetwood.

Anthony.... love your web site! I can't imagine the amount of networking you have to do to find these cars. It would have been my dream job when I was a young man. My father worked at a GM factory in Michigan when I was growing up so in my youth, I tended to drive Cadillacs (predominantly Fleetwood’s) however, my gramps (the Patriarch of the family) was a Ford man through and through so his influence had me owning several Lincolns (Mark IV, LS, Town Car, etc.) & Thunderbirds (64, 69, 72) and for the last twenty years the same 1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series. Of all the cars I've owned in my 63 years I'd have to say my 97 Town Car has been the most enjoyable. The color combo of White with the Tan leather interior still gets guys coming up to me in the supermarket parking lot asking if I want to sell my car. I've always kept it highly polished/waxed given my parking situation. The Town Car was a lease return when I purchased back in Fall of 2001 off the lot at my local Mercedes dealer (the leasee must have received a promotion in order to have upgraded to a Benz). Since the Town Car was a lease return it was still like a new car with only 17K miles on it. Twenty years later I've finally crossed over to 100K miles last year. An early retirement due to health several years ago caused me to reduce my annual mileage to only 3K miles. My only regret is that my parking choice is in an open-air situation of an apartment building. The exposure to daylight and only blocks from the beach has caused my interior to fade.... although you wouldn’t know it unless you saw the car when it was new. I've kept meticulous service records in an Excel spreadsheet format that keeps a running total of what the Town Car has cost me over the years. I didn't include the cost of gas or insurance as those cost apply to every vehicle in order to operate. So, my initial purchase price was $17K on a lease return car that had an original sticker price of about $38K. My current running total to operate my Lincoln over the years (including purchase price) is pushing $46K. Some of those costs were covered by my insurance after the front end has had the same identical body repairs three times. For some reason drivers "slightly older" than me used to like backing into my car at the hospital. When the plastic chrome grill and grill surround were no longer manufactured by Ford, I purchased an extra set to have "just in case". They are aftermarket parts but look just fine. The cost of the plastic chrome grill went from about $400 for the Ford version to $48 bucks for the aftermarket. The- less than ideal parking that I have is starting to take its cosmetic toll so I'm looking for another Signature Series Town Car identical to the one I have (White exterior with Prairie tan interior, Top choice of the factory stereo systems, etc.) As most long-term Town Car owners are aware, the ETC system including the blend doors, heater core, and other "big ticket" repair items should have been addressed on any candidate that I would consider buying. My apologies for the long-winded commentary! Anthony, you're the best when it comes to vintage luxury car taste! Thanks for providing hours of automobile art for viewers to salivate over! RJ - Santa Monica, CA

How you doing Anthony, great vid. I've had 3 panther body cars and there extremely reliable. In this case though i'd have to go with the Caddy. I love the overall look of the car and the motor.

hi Anthony! Thank u very much for making wonderful comparison between these two lovely American luxurious landyacht cars Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac Fleetwood so as per ur experience in driving both so which one of them have lightest power steering and most comfortable soft cushion seating?

I drove a 1976 Fleetwood Brougham, which was very different from the 1996 Caddy. The 1976 Cadillac was the most comfortable car I ever drove. The ride was amazing, with no air suspension, it just floated. I never drove those 1990s Cadillac's, so I can't speak from experience about them. I have never drove a Lincoln, so I can't speak about them either.

Loved my grandmas 92 town car signature.. I remember being so young when they bought it and riding in it and not knowing if we were moving because of how smooth it was.. she would drive with one finger going 85 mph on the interstate.. we still have it also but 95-97 was my favorite. I had bought a 97 but from Ohio it was ruined from the salt.. I have a 98 that I bought as my first car but couldn’t stand the way it drove replaced everything on the suspension ended up giving it to my mom then my mother in law now

I disagree. I think the Cadillac is so much more elegant than the Lincoln. You call it being "more modern" on the Lincoln but I call it decontented. The Cadillacs interiors were so much more luxurious and looked the part. The lincoln dash looks cheap with their use of plastics where the Cadillac still retained chrome accents. Both are nice cars but the Cadillac is my winner.

I am heading out to scope out a 97 town car signature tomorrow. pretty stoked. My caddy is a 78 eldorado biaritzz, and i also have a 78 cougar kicking around. Looking to pick up the town car as a summer daily for a minute or three.. from what i have been learning, I may fall in love with her though..thanks for this side by side vid. very cool

I own the 96 Fleetwood it was my grandfather he bought it brand new I remember going with him to pick it up from the Cadillac dealership. He barely drove it took care of it only have currently 17,000 miles. I own it now because he can no longer drive I love the 93-96 Fleetwood.

I agree with you on the dashboards and steering wheels. But I like the Cadillac style overall better than Lincoln. I prefer cars as original as possible without the aftermarket stuff. But as you say, to each their own.

I could've sworn that the grill on the Fleetwood was offered from the factory and a dealership option, and not aftermarket. And I believe there was a trim package above this one titled d'Elegance, was there not? Either way, the Lincoln is nice, but it's only second best as long as there's a Cadillac around.

Lincoln for sure! Lincoln as you said, they seemed to really car and improve!

To Anthony: I like the Cadillac over the Lincoln. My 1949 series 60 special Fleetwood, with rear leaf springs, rides much nicer then my wife's 2005 Lincoln Signature L, with air ride. The Lincoln is a very nice car when your inside. Getting in or out you have to become an accordion where the Caddie all you do is just slide right in. They both ride beautiful, the Caddie has it over the Lincoln.

I watch this video every few months. I absolutely love those Lincoln town cars they are truly my favorite cars ever,

The Fleetwood is THE luxury car. Blows the Town Car out of the water in that era. A closer comparison would be an '89 Brougham and an '89 Town Car. Those were both stunning, body wise.

I love both these cars. I am a caddy guy, but I also love Lincolns. I would own each of them. The Lincoln to drive every day and the Caddy for special events.

Easily the Lincoln, though I do like the more traditionally American look if the Caddy front end and it's more secluded rear seat. In the 80s, it's a tougher call between the Lincoln and Cadillac Fleetwood. I rate the Caddy ever so slightly higher exterior wise but the Lincoln a lot higher for the interior.

Love this. Really detailed knowledge of these cars and was really fun to watch. Makes me want to sell my Town Car and buy the Caddy to experience the other side of this big shiny floaty plasticy coin.

The 95-97 Panther and 94-96 bubble Caddy are the cream of the crop for American crusiers. There aren't any losers in this group. Yes, he Caddy was a sleeper hot rod with the LT1 and Lincoln was probably a little more polished, but these cars really have stood the test of time. Lincoln had a little more tech, but the Caddy just had PRESENCE!

I'm in Massachusetts. If you have these kinds of rides on a regular basis I'll be looking in the fall and check out what you have.

Owned both - still have my 1993 Fleetwood Brougham. Wish I didn't sell my 93 Lincoln Town Car - both are great cars, but the Caddy has a bit more presence

Thanks for all the hard work and, too, will probably have to go with the Cadillac!

Both are great cars but I wouldn’t think twice and take the Caddy.

Those 96 Cadillacs body style used to be everywhere, now you don't see one anywhere. That body style Lincoln seems to be everywhere now, like they are still making them somewhere !!!

Really like your headset microphone. In the past, your volume would go too low, when you changed your camera to the selfie direction (facing you).

A pierce to my heart to see that 97 again! A stunning example.

I'd take either...but prefer the Lincoln

A great comparison. Very thorough. Thanks for the video.

I like them both but I prefer the Town Car. I owned a 95 Signature Series Town Car it had been retro fitted with a spring suspension in the rear that I put back to the factory air ride. Most comfortable ride ever like floating on clouds. These are what I consider true luxury cars nothing today even comes close.

I think the Lincoln 4.6 motor will be the selling point for reliability on either car. It's basically a 500,000 motor easy well taken care of

I have a 97 Cariter and I love it but u can't deny that the caddys rear end has way more class, not to mention the low look as well other than that Its all Lincoln for me both great cars.

I’m with you Anthony .I prefer the Lincoln! Love your site! Appreciate your road trips with papa bear!

I had a 1991 Town Car Executive. A plain Jane TC. Owned it 5 years,only problem was front brakes seizing up.

My two favorite cars from the 1990's. Beautiful luxury cars

11:42 Lincoln/Mercury used the long horizontal tail lights back in the day. The current models actually illuminate (with LED) whereas back then I think it was mostly for looks on some models.