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I resisted the urge to utter, as we got ready to head to the school bus stop, “Children, your ride awaits.”

I knew where that could lead — me in a chauffeur’s cap.

Instead, I let them wander up to the driveway, take their seats in the rear of the 2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier L, and allow the car to reveal itself.

It did not take long.

“Check this out, dad,” came the cry from the rear, where Jake the Snake, back against the seat, had his legs outstretched perpendicular to his hips, his feet not even touching the back of the front seat. “This car is huge.”

That it is, and that is why it is a favorite of those who run executive shuttle services, those who want a whale of a time with a rental car on vacation, and private buyers who want luxury and whopping size in one big package.

I remember a Christmas vacation with friends when the rental car company outfitted us with a Town Car, complete with standup hood ornament. We affixed a small Christmas tree to the hood ornament and made a run from Santa Fe to Taos, N.M., using the tree as our fixed sight through swirling snow.

If I had any problems with the Town Car this time it was that I had to deal with the lingering feeling that I’m not old enough (at 51) to be driving this car. After all, the average age of a Lincoln buyer is 70. Yet the new Town Car, the fourth generation since its introduction in 1981, is meant to display at least hints of where Lincoln is going in the future. This year, besides the Town Car, Lincoln is bringing forth a new Navigator (in the driveway as I write this) and a new Explorer-based SUV called the Aviator.

The Town Car is unique in the Lincoln lineup in that 60 percent of its sales are fleet — rental or executive service.

In its latest iteration, the standup hood ornament, missing for a while, is back like a gunsight out there at the end of a long hood. Lincoln boasts that it helps in navigating this big boat of a car.

Lincoln also says the exterior redesign is meant to give it a more formal look. I call it more formidable, with the grille standing nearly upright instead of gently sloped, that long hood rising gently to a raked windshield, the roof sitting high and only slightly arched and dropping precipitously at the C-pillar to a desert of a trunk lid and a slightly angled rear end.

Inside, as you would expect, pure elegance — subtle, not flashy — abounds. The dash is bisected horizontally by a burled walnut strip. Low-gloss nickel amenities offset the wood and cream finish of the dash and leather seats. The steering wheel is wood and leather. A compact black rectangle is the center-dash control for audio and climate controls and is adorned with buttons easy to decipher and use. A secondary digital speedometer is a nice option to the standard speedo.

Rear seat passengers get, with the Cartier L, a batch of controls in their fold-down center armrest that allow them to control audio, climate, and even the front passenger seat. “Let’s squish mom” became a favorite game for my kids when they found they could move that seat forward.

The console box between the seats is huge (driver and front passenger don’t have to fight for elbow space on its surface) and its interior space is plentiful. In fact, usable storage space is a great feature of this car, with a giant glove compartment, pouches at the front of both front seats, pouches in the rear of the front seats, and covered bins with hinged doors in the armrests.

The Town Car is available in five models: Signature, Cartier, Executive, and “L” versions of the Cartier and Executive. The “L” versions have a longer wheelbase — 123.7 inches compared to 117.7 in the others — and are about 6 inches longer overall. That length shows up in rear seat legroom of 46.96 inches as opposed to 41.1 inches.

The Cartier L weighs in at 4,467 pounds (315 pounds heavier than the standard Cartier).

All Town Cars are powered by a 4.6-liter, single ov rhead cam V-8 that produces 235 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque. It is coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission. In this day of small sports sedans approaching 300 horsepower, 235 horsepower may not sound like much but, coupled with that torque number, it was plenty to move the Town Car smoothly and efficiently.

It accelerated with ease for highway passing, pulled steadily up long grades, and took off from dead stops as fast as you need to go in what is really a small limo.

The ride was typically American-luxury soft. That meant a floating sensation for the driver (“boaty” is the phrase) but a gentle, soft ride for the passengers. The Town Car rides on a suspension that includes independent short and long arms, monotube dampers, air springs, and a destabilizer bar up front and, in the rear, a live axle with multilinks, monotubes, air springs, and stabilizer bar.

Very noticeable when compared to Lincolns I have driven was the steering. It was almost tight and it was responsive. That’s because Lincoln has finally dropped the recirculating ball gear steering system (turn, wait like you’re watching a blinking cursor, then the steering kicks in) with sturdy and direct rack and pinion steering.

The steering made for effortless maneuvering as the Town Car glided whisper quiet through lane changes, cornering on country roads, and parallel parking.

With its huge interior space, length, and massive trunk (lid power operated from the key fob), the Town Car may well be best sold to fleet owners. Yet for the right individual buyer, it’s a boatload of elegance and effortless travel.

Nice Touch: The analog clock at center dash. It sits polished and classy above the black rectangular control panel. Like looking down to find you’re wearing a fine wristwatch.

Annoyance: The fear that my kids would realize exactly what it was they were riding in and would take to saying, “Drive on, Dad!”

2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier L

Base price: $58,390

Price as tested: $63,655

Horsepower: 235

Torque: 275 lb.-ft.

Wheelbase: 123.7 inches

Overall length: 221.4 inches

Width: 78.2 inches

Height: 59.1 inches

Curb weight: 4,467 lbs.

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel economy: 15.8 miles per gallon

Source: Ford Motor Co., Lincoln Division; fuel economy from Globe testing.