Mike, I don't think we're talking about the tailgating scenario you describe. As slunar indicated, he was exceeding the speed limit, and even worse, the mindless driver behind him followed suit. Had slunar not been speeding, the driver behind him wouldn't have been able to. Both you and Slunar have a point that drivers need to active participants in the operation of their cars, but two wrongs dont make anyone right. It's just not a good idea to speed in populated areas.
Sorry for the preaching overtones, that's just my view.
It's not about litigation, or even responsibility. I have the same opinions about paying attention and being responsible for the operation of one's automobile as those expressed above. I commute 90 miles every day so I see all the things you guys have mentioned. All I meant by my earlier post was, if I'm playing on that stretch of road and there's a 16 year old kid who is all over the place trying to keep up, driving way beyond his, and his car's, abilities, I'm going to back off. I'm not lecturing anybody, nor giving advice. I just know how I'd feel if I looked in my mirror and saw that kid going down the embankment. When Tom brought the point up, I felt it was worth acknowledging.
Besides, since the Big Kahuna helped get me hooked on autocrossing, I don't have near the desire for playing on public roads. There's nothing you can do on the road that can compare with putting yourself and your LS right at the limits and keeping it there for 60 seconds. Or 70 seconds, if you're a rookie like me.:)
Who does the Magnaflow systems in S.D.? I am definitely interested in making some cool modifications to my ride....but what to do, where to go??? (sorry, I am clearly "LS illiterate"!) I hope to join llsoc soon.
Hey Mike,
I applied to llsoc for a trial membership a while ago, but they have not responded yet. I was the one who sent you the email.
I sent you an email. That should answer your question and clear up any confusion. As for the Magnaflow system, it is available only through the club. We are the exclusive distrubitor. This is a complete, custom designed system, from the cat back.
That does seem too good to be true. Dealers in my area (near Northern VA) are still asking low to mid-twenties for V8s, and more for low mileage, "cherry" cars. Don't know what they're getting.
Lowest priced LS at CarMax here is low-twenties ($21 or 22K). Don't know mileage, engine type, or equipment though.
I need some advice concerning replacement tires for my '00 LS V8. My Firehawks are quite noisy after only 25000 miles. I am thinking of replacing them with Michelins. I would appreciate any information anyone has about this. My top priority is QUIET and comfort. Thanks.
I just replaced my 17" FireHawks with three new ones and the new, OEM spare. Couldn't beat the price. I had no idea how noisy the old tires were until I replaced them (I bought the car with 32K on the 'Stones, and added 3K more before replacing them).
Many here will rave about the Pilot Sports (Michelins), which I hear have fine performance and are very quiet. They'll run you $90 more per tire than the Firehawks.
If you want quiet and comfy, the Stones are the deal. After 26,000, I replaced my Stones with Bridgestone S0-3 Pole Positions. Quiet they are but comfy they are not. They have so much rayon in them that they act square for the first ten miles or so. But they love corners and don't bark at the limit. I guess everything is a trade-off. The Stones are a great all-season tire. Even at $120 each.
I really didn't think about responsilbity for the people behind me when going through off-ramps and the like until a few weeks ago when I had a friend of mine in the car with me and I was showing him how well the LS handled. The bad thing about it was the I wasn't even pushing it all the way to the limit because I was coming up pretty quickly on the car ahead of me.
When we got to where we were going, I found out that another friend of mine, who recently purchased a new Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, was right behind me going through the off-ramp. In trying to keep up with me, he almost put himself into the wall. I explained to him that he should have known better than to try and keep up with a car that is rear-wheel drive and has bigger wheels and tires than his and his response was "Yeah, but you're driving a Lincoln. If it was a Corvette, Porsche or BMW, I wouldn't have even tried." So, maybe just by the nature of our cars, we do inadvertently bait people into dangerous situations.
Of course, I still don't, or didn't that day, feel responsible for his or other people's ignorance. Just pity them for not knowing any better.
If you want quiet and comfy while still maintaining a high level or performance I don't think you can beat the Pilot Sport A/S. But they'll set you back around $225 each installed (235/50R17). I thought the Stones were good but these are even better - and they're far superior in the rain. Less expensive alternatives might be the Michelin MXM4 - OEM on the Tbird and I think the 2002 LS but I'm not positive. Less performance but also cheaper. My personal experience is that the Michelins are always easy to balance and stay balanced and they're smoother and quieter than most others. I'm sure there are others that are very good for a lot less money if budget is a factor. Check out the alternatives at tirerack.com - they have an owner's survey for most tires that rate each category 1-10 plus some comparison tests.
I recently replaced my Firehawks at 32K miles with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S's.
As I related in an earlier post, they ride more smoothly and quietly on the highway, but don't appear to have a significantly higher degree of grip in the corners.
I happen to think they look good from behind as well (which is the view most cars have of my LS as they fall behind in the twisties).
Do you have the sport or non-sport? If quiet and comfort are top priorities, I presume you have the non-sport with 16 inch wheels. If so, you have many choices and you can do a lot better than the Firehawks for quiet. Michelin and many other manufactures have a wide selection that fit your needs. Check out the Michelin website. I put X-ones on mine specifically for the reduced noise on concrete surfaces. They are excellent. If you have the Sport, the Michelin used on the T'bird might be a good choice.
rqnmstr: PS (& other rags) are most likely excluding the LS from their reviews & comparos. because the LS is a 3 year old car that had been reviewed many times before, that is there's no news to write about. Of course us LS fans would like to see our 3 year old coming out great in a comparo. with new models, but that's not what most of the readers want to see. I give credit to PS for at least putting in the LS side bar. It says to me that PS genuinely likes the LS.
Regarding my favorite corner, I have never and still do not consider my actions baiting anyone. Around here 10 MPH over the limit is usually accepted by the enforcers. If I'm 10 over and someone behind me is trying to push me to go faster I have to assume that they are responsible for their actions. No I wouldn't want that idiot in the SUV to run into your wife and kids, but it's my responsibility to operate my vehicle in a safe manor and the other guys to operate his the same. Every action anyone takes can have an unintended consequence. If we tried to predict every unintended consequence of every action we took, we'd never make it out of bed in the morning.
The main 2 lane road near where I live has posted limits of 50 and 45 in different sections. The road has wide shoulders and in most places long sight lines. Even though its a secondary road with houses and businesses on it, at 50 you feel like your're going slow, so 60 & 55 seems to be accepted. Every few months the gendarmes need to have a speeding crackdown due to the idiots who seem to lack any common sense. The winner in the last crack down was a jerk clocked at 110 MPH and there were several busted for over 80. Yes these idiots are a danger to themselves and everyone around them but don't look at me to protect your wife & kids from them.
Fair enough. "Responsibility" was poor word choice in my followup post, and without baiting, there is no responsibility.
I'll still follow the golden rule myself, rely in karma, and hope that when some of these clowns remove themselves from the gene pool, they do it alone.
I too have been in the old lead 'em into the turn too fast game and have had it be the same situation everytime as slunar. Driving 5-10 mph over the posted speed, idiot tailgater, take turn without brakes - watch idiot scramble/recover.
In almost all of the situations I believe the other person following KNEW the road very well - but thought they would be able to follow the "Lincoln" through the turn. Too bad!
Got to see a Buick Park Avenue do a panic stop at a red light today, in the lane beside me. WOW. I didn't know the rear end could go up so far and the nose down so far on one of those things. YIKES!
I don't think anyone would say you were responsible if the person behind you wrecked. But I look at it more of a moral dilemna. If I know that the person behind me is likely to wreck because they're going too fast and I have the ability to prevent it by slowing down a little before entering the corner but choose not to, and that person crashes out - wouldn't you feel bad? If you saw someone who wasn't paying attention about to walk in front of a speeding train - would you let them continue or try and stop them?
As much as I enjoy seeing stupid drivers get what they deserve I don't think it's worth risking a serious accident. I couldn't live with myself if I did that knowingly and someone ended up in a body bag - even though it was their own fault. I'm not preaching here - just asking you to think about the possible consequences and make sure you can live with them.
I think the PS article was really about the 2 new kids on the block (G35 and CTS) and how they're going after the king of the hill 3 series. Not really a comparison test.
I think the comment about the CTS being sluggish in comparison emphasizes how quick the LS is once you get it moving. I think the CTS has better low end torque and/or gearing for quicker off the line acceleration and as a result is just as quick 0-60 as the V8 LS - low 7's. But I don't think it will keep up 60-80 or 60-100. Fixing the lack of low end torque and/or gearing for quicker launches in the 2003 should make the LS 'feel' even quicker.
I've never driven a car that stops as well as my LS, with OEM pads yet. It's awesome!
It's also another problem vis-a-vis tailgaters. There aren't many cars that can get behind me and stop anywhere near as quickly as I can.
One more reason to give the lead car a little cushion...not so much that I need it to keep from hitting him, but so that I can brake slowly enough to not get rear-ended.
Geez---I may need to buy an appliance. A car that goes this well, corners this well, and stops this well may be hazardous. Nahhhh!
I've found the same thing (even worse with the Porterfields) - I'm more worried about getting hit from behind than hitting the car in front of me. As soon as I hit the brakes I start checking the mirror - expecting the worst. Seems strange, though, that we now have such a great car with so much higher margin of error but we still have to drive it like a 2-ton pickup so the 2-ton pickup behind us won't turn us into a speed bump. If only we could get rid of all the other drivers.......
Automotive News is reporting the following in its June 24 edition. With only 5 months since introduction Cadillac already plans to freshen the CTS interior for 2004 and add a V-8. A more powerful V-6 will be standard in the base model. The V-8 CTSi will have a 5.7 V-8 rated at 350 hp with a manual transmission only initially and will begin sales in Fall, 2003. They expect to boost manual transmission sales from 8% to 10%.
Lincoln LS Team...we are counting on you so Cadillac's effort will again be too little, too late.
Mania II and III attendee and 2001 V-8 Sport owner with 0 problems and enjoying the heck out ouf my LS. Mileage has suddenly jumped 2 MPG since 27,000 miles (now 28,000) to 20.7 in the same daily 40 mile commute. Averaging 27+ MPG on 79+ mph highway trips. This motor is a real jewel with a 27,000 mile break-in period.
While no one is resposible for the driver behind you, you certainly have to manage them! Isn't it funny now that the "instinct" is to check the rearview mirror the second you jam on the brakes? I know I'm not going to hit the guy in front of me, it's the guy behind me that I'm worried about. I've been rear-ended twice in the last 10 years. Each time, the guy behind me was PUSHED into me by the driver BEHIND him!
The first time this happened, I was the lead car in a 5-car chain in Newnan, GA. I myself was stopped behind a long string of cars waiting on a stopped school bus on a busy secondary road. The insurance company of the guy immediately behind me got stuck with my repair bill, but the last time this happened (only 3 cars - Dec. 1999 on heavily congested Phoenix highway at rush hour) the insurance company of the guy that started the chain reaction got my repair bill and the bill for the guy that hit me. That had to hurt! Luckily, no one was injured in either of these incidents.
I visited a buddy in Montreal last week and was surprised to see an LS in his driveway (02 Sport). I asked him why he bought it as he'd owned 3 Sevilles in a row. He said it was the best value bar none in that price range plus he was back with a rear driver. I was surprised to hear him say the LS had better passing power than the Sevilles even though they have the 300 HP Norstar engines. He's fairly tall and found the LS interior a little cramped (as most of us do) He wasn't aware of all the design features and doesn't care - he uses the car to go from A to B. He also stated it handled better in snow then the Caddy which also surprised me. I told him about the club and will try and get him to join.
Its a while back, and a long story, but I was rearended by an 18 wheeler who was rear-ended by another 18 wheeler hauling lumber. Stop and Go, on rain slicked roads.
Anyway, I was driving an Escort. Its brakes held enough that I wasn't pushed into the car in front of me (cushion anyone), and the truck had more damage to its cosmetic bumper than I had on the Escort. The real damage was the truck loaded with lumber. His load slid, intruded well into the cab, and nearly took out the driver.
Good brakes are a plus... but try not to need them!
As a motorcyclist (for 52 years now), I have almost always been driving a vehicle that can stop in a shorter distance (on dry pavement) than about 95% of the automobiles out there. Does this suggest anything about defensive driving?
It is wonderful to have great brakes and a very short stopping distance, but it is a last choice method of avoiding an accident... ESPECIALLY on a motorcycle!
One of the most effective defensive driving guidelines I can give is to drive in such a manner that one almost NEVER has to brake hard. If you do this, you'll be driving in tune with the traffic flow and much more naturally aware of the traffic space around you.
To the degree feasible, I drive my automobiles according to the same defensive guidelines I use on the motorcycle. It has a lot to do with space awareness and traffic flow. The one big advantage the bike has is its small size and ability to fit into escape paths too small for a car. The main disadvantage is that it is necessary to assume I am invisible to other drivers, because LOTS of them really don't really see a motorcycle in the same way they do a car. Even when they do see it, they often misjudge its speed and distance, so it is a lot like not being seen.
If you drive with this basic assumption, you'll have very few close calls.
Its a while back, and a long story, but I was rearended by an 18 wheeler who was rear-ended by another 18 wheeler hauling lumber. Stop and Go, on rain slicked roads.
Anyway, I was driving an Escort. Its brakes held enough that I wasn't pushed into the car in front of me (cushion anyone), and the truck had more damage to its cosmetic bumper than I had on the Escort. The real damage was the truck loaded with lumber. His load slid, intruded well into the cab, and nearly took out the driver.
I think it's time that the LM Marketing Dept be purged. You really couldn't do worse than the present ding-dongs, who tried to go too upscale with an incomplete thought process. The money wasted could have been aimed at a less affluent but more numerous market such as the LS enthusiast. Gee, we could have had a V-8 (Manual that is).
You're a man after my own heart. One of my fondest memories of my Bavaria 3.0 was the time a mullet-head in a late-model Z28 tried to keep up with me on a favorite driving road. The road consisted of several tight corners linked by short straights. Z Dude was terrified of lateral G forces and slowed waaaay down for the corners to the extent that his 100+ hp advantage would not allow him to catch up on the straights. Now, there was a long straight right after a particularly tight corner, and this straight "featured" two huge frost heaves about 1500 feet past the corner. I had fitted the Bav with european sport springs and HD Bilsteins and I knew from experience that the heaves wouldn't unsettle the old girl- even at 85+ mph. Well, I hammered through that last corner at better than 70 while Bowtie Guy slowed to under 40. I was just touching 85 when I blasted over the frost heaves, with the Z28 closing fast. I wish I could have seen Mr Mullet's expression when he hit(literaly) frost heave #1. The front crossmember/oil pan sent up a tremendous shower of sparks. The impact with the second frost heave was even more spectacular... Last I saw he was slowing to a near crawl as I drove away. I laughed all the way home. Evolution in action is a wonderful thing...
So Cadillac will reverse evolution by putting a pushrod engine in the CTS? Gobs of torque but no top end? Two valve instead of 4 valve? Since no GM car is allowed to have more power than the Corvette, the CTS will get a "detuned" Vette motor. Will Caddy dealerships start selling speed equipment? Watch out for that CTS with headers and side pipes! Should look good with the Landau top. I mean, could it look any worse?
always trumps big balls. Having a good car helps, big time.
I also have baited drivers with cars they thought were better than mine. The Fraser Canyon in British Columbia is a fun place, with an s-curve into and out of a railroad overpass, among several other highlights. I've driven other curvy bits around the continent often enough to engage in this sort of thing from time to time, as appropriate.
Sucking idiots into corners is a cottage industry where I come from. Unlike Solo II stuff, if you screw up, you die. Worse yet, as has been pointed out, you kill others. People who drive over their heads certainly don't need to be encouraged by us to be unsafe, but most of my work was done between midnight and 4 a.m. Driving lights were not optional.
Agreed. In my case, the road I mentioned was usually deserted after 9:00 PM and the Camaro driver was creeping around the turns at near jogging speed. What ticked me off was the fact that the imbecile initially zoomed up to my rear bumper-so close that I couldn't see his headlamps-just as I was entering the twisty bits. I immediately saw that fast cornering terrified the jerk, so I was 99% sure that he'd take the bait and get clobbered by the frost heaves. Was I sorry? Are you kidding? The moron got EXACTLY what he deserved.
I was at my dealer today (my auto dimming mirror doesn't auto dim in spots ). They told me they have sold (drum roll, please) a grand total of..............................................................................(should I keep you in suspense any longer?)..........................................................TWO, count 'em, TWO Blackwoods!! That sure looks like money well spent!
Love the story, but all Camaros, and their drivers, are not created equally. Even though the LS, which is really my wife's car, is a great handling sport sedan, my tricked-out Camaro will ultimately out handle it. Plus, the additional torque and HP don't hurt either.
Well, that goes without saying. Truth be told, I'd love to have a 1970 Z28 with the Rally Sport package. Or even a 1980 Z28. The new F Bodies are too big and heavy for my tastes, but they can certainly be made to run...
LS is beautiful but definitly not "sporty" Comparing LS to Camaro with regard to sportiness is like comparing Steak (filet) and Hamburger. Reverse with luxury though
You've either never driven a LS or you're just saying that to start an argument. I guess by the same token you don't consider your BMW (if you really have one) to be sporty either. If you define sporty as rough riding nose heavy pony cars then I guess you are correct.
I currently have a 1999 Lexus ES300 that I purchased last August. I am seriously considering trading it in for a 2001 LS V8 with the Sport Package. I am quite happy with the Lexus and quite frankly it comes with more standard options that the LS but I just love the way the LS looks. Comments?
The Lincoln LS has feature advantages over the Lexus GS 430 (Don't know about the ES 300): Superior memory seat, mirror & wheel, rain-sensing wipers, heated wiper blades,laser-straight tracking on the expressway.
Thanks for your comments. I was just surprised that a moonroof was an option but it wasn't for the ES300. The ES also has a one-touch up and down feature on both the drive and passenger front windows. The LS doesn't have the feature at all. Since the LS is rather expensive, I was surprised that these features were not standard.
Look at this option thing from a different perspective - if you didn't want a moonroof you would be very happy that you could get the LS without one and cursing Lexus for not offering the ES300 without one. As for the other features, the LS has features that the ES300 doesn't AFAIK (like rain sensing wipers, anti-dive anti-squat suspension, etc.). Since the LS was a brand new from the ground up vehicle in 99 there was only so much they could put in, and it won't be updated til this November when the 2003 comes out. Since I don't believe Ford had done a one-touch up window before it's not that easy. I'm sure Lexus already had this on their LS400 so that makes it a lot easier.
Bottom line - option them the way you want and price them out. If you're looking at used only then I understand the issue with optional equipment. That's part of the reason I normally buy new and order mine from the factory - so i get exactly what I want. When i was buying $16K trucks it wasn't a big deal but now that I'm into $40K territory, I may be looking at a used 2003 LS in 2004. Should save about $15K at least.
Comments
Sorry for the preaching overtones, that's just my view.
Besides, since the Big Kahuna helped get me hooked on autocrossing, I don't have near the desire for playing on public roads. There's nothing you can do on the road that can compare with putting yourself and your LS right at the limits and keeping it there for 60 seconds. Or 70 seconds, if you're a rookie like me.:)
Any updates you can provide the rest of us regarding this issue will be appreciated.
Hey Mike,
I applied to llsoc for a trial membership a while ago, but they have not responded yet. I was the one who sent you the email.
Lowest priced LS at CarMax here is low-twenties ($21 or 22K). Don't know mileage, engine type, or equipment though.
Many here will rave about the Pilot Sports (Michelins), which I hear have fine performance and are very quiet. They'll run you $90 more per tire than the Firehawks.
I guess everything is a trade-off. The Stones are a great all-season tire. Even at $120 each.
When we got to where we were going, I found out that another friend of mine, who recently purchased a new Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, was right behind me going through the off-ramp. In trying to keep up with me, he almost put himself into the wall. I explained to him that he should have known better than to try and keep up with a car that is rear-wheel drive and has bigger wheels and tires than his and his response was "Yeah, but you're driving a Lincoln. If it was a Corvette, Porsche or BMW, I wouldn't have even tried." So, maybe just by the nature of our cars, we do inadvertently bait people into dangerous situations.
Of course, I still don't, or didn't that day, feel responsible for his or other people's ignorance. Just pity them for not knowing any better.
As I related in an earlier post, they ride more smoothly and quietly on the highway, but don't appear to have a significantly higher degree of grip in the corners.
I happen to think they look good from behind as well (which is the view most cars have of my LS as they fall behind in the twisties).
Regarding my favorite corner, I have never and still do not consider my actions baiting anyone. Around here 10 MPH over the limit is usually accepted by the enforcers. If I'm 10 over and someone behind me is trying to push me to go faster I have to assume that they are responsible for their actions. No I wouldn't want that idiot in the SUV to run into your wife and kids, but it's my responsibility to operate my vehicle in a safe manor and the other guys to operate his the same. Every action anyone takes can have an unintended consequence. If we tried to predict every unintended consequence of every action we took, we'd never make it out of bed in the morning.
The main 2 lane road near where I live has posted limits of 50 and 45 in different sections. The road has wide shoulders and in most places long sight lines. Even though its a secondary road with houses and businesses on it, at 50 you feel like your're going slow, so 60 & 55 seems to be accepted. Every few months the gendarmes need to have a speeding crackdown due to the idiots who seem to lack any common sense. The winner in the last crack down was a jerk clocked at 110 MPH and there were several busted for over 80. Yes these idiots are a danger to themselves and everyone around them but don't look at me to protect your wife & kids from them.
I'll still follow the golden rule myself, rely in karma, and hope that when some of these clowns remove themselves from the gene pool, they do it alone.
In almost all of the situations I believe the other person following KNEW the road very well - but thought they would be able to follow the "Lincoln" through the turn. Too bad!
Got to see a Buick Park Avenue do a panic stop at a red light today, in the lane beside me. WOW. I didn't know the rear end could go up so far and the nose down so far on one of those things. YIKES!
As much as I enjoy seeing stupid drivers get what they deserve I don't think it's worth risking a serious accident. I couldn't live with myself if I did that knowingly and someone ended up in a body bag - even though it was their own fault. I'm not preaching here - just asking you to think about the possible consequences and make sure you can live with them.
I think the comment about the CTS being sluggish in comparison emphasizes how quick the LS is once you get it moving. I think the CTS has better low end torque and/or gearing for quicker off the line acceleration and as a result is just as quick 0-60 as the V8 LS - low 7's. But I don't think it will keep up 60-80 or 60-100. Fixing the lack of low end torque and/or gearing for quicker launches in the 2003 should make the LS 'feel' even quicker.
It's also another problem vis-a-vis tailgaters. There aren't many cars that can get behind me and stop anywhere near as quickly as I can.
One more reason to give the lead car a little cushion...not so much that I need it to keep from hitting him, but so that I can brake slowly enough to not get rear-ended.
Geez---I may need to buy an appliance. A car that goes this well, corners this well, and stops this well may be hazardous. Nahhhh!
Travel Well
Lincoln LS Team...we are counting on you so Cadillac's effort will again be too little, too late.
Mania II and III attendee and 2001 V-8 Sport owner with 0 problems and enjoying the heck out ouf my LS. Mileage has suddenly jumped 2 MPG since 27,000 miles (now 28,000) to 20.7 in the same daily 40 mile commute. Averaging 27+ MPG on 79+ mph highway trips. This motor is a real jewel with a 27,000 mile break-in period.
The first time this happened, I was the lead car in a 5-car chain in Newnan, GA. I myself was stopped behind a long string of cars waiting on a stopped school bus on a busy secondary road. The insurance company of the guy immediately behind me got stuck with my repair bill, but the last time this happened (only 3 cars - Dec. 1999 on heavily congested Phoenix highway at rush hour) the insurance company of the guy that started the chain reaction got my repair bill and the bill for the guy that hit me. That had to hurt! Luckily, no one was injured in either of these incidents.
I asked him why he bought it as he'd owned 3 Sevilles in a row.
He said it was the best value bar none in that price range plus he was back with a rear driver.
I was surprised to hear him say the LS had better passing power than the Sevilles even though they have the 300 HP Norstar engines. He's fairly tall and found the LS interior a little cramped (as most of us do)
He wasn't aware of all the design features and doesn't care - he uses the car to go from A to B. He also stated it handled better in snow then the Caddy which also surprised me. I told him about the club and will try and get him to join.
Anyway, I was driving an Escort. Its brakes held enough that I wasn't pushed into the car in front of me (cushion anyone), and the truck had more damage to its cosmetic bumper than I had on the Escort. The real damage was the truck loaded with lumber. His load slid, intruded well into the cab, and nearly took out the driver.
"Stuff" happens.
As a motorcyclist (for 52 years now), I have almost always been driving a vehicle that can stop in a shorter distance (on dry pavement) than about 95% of the automobiles out there. Does this suggest anything about defensive driving?
It is wonderful to have great brakes and a very short stopping distance, but it is a last choice method of avoiding an accident... ESPECIALLY on a motorcycle!
One of the most effective defensive driving guidelines I can give is to drive in such a manner that one almost NEVER has to brake hard. If you do this, you'll be driving in tune with the traffic flow and much more naturally aware of the traffic space around you.
To the degree feasible, I drive my automobiles according to the same defensive guidelines I use on the motorcycle. It has a lot to do with space awareness and traffic flow. The one big advantage the bike has is its small size and ability to fit into escape paths too small for a car. The main disadvantage is that it is necessary to assume I am invisible to other drivers, because LOTS of them really don't really see a motorcycle in the same way they do a car. Even when they do see it, they often misjudge its speed and distance, so it is a lot like not being seen.
If you drive with this basic assumption, you'll have very few close calls.
Anyway, I was driving an Escort. Its brakes held enough that I wasn't pushed into the car in front of me (cushion anyone), and the truck had more damage to its cosmetic bumper than I had on the Escort. The real damage was the truck loaded with lumber. His load slid, intruded well into the cab, and nearly took out the driver.
"Stuff" happens.
Makes you wonder how much LS development money got wasted on it.
The money wasted could have been aimed at a less affluent but more numerous market such as the LS enthusiast.
Gee, we could have had a V-8 (Manual that is).
It will STILL be fugly but it WILL ROCK!
LM needs to slam it into gear now.
Since no GM car is allowed to have more power than the Corvette, the CTS will get a "detuned" Vette motor. Will Caddy dealerships start selling speed equipment? Watch out for that CTS with headers and side pipes! Should look good with the Landau top. I mean, could it look any worse?
I also have baited drivers with cars they thought were better than mine. The Fraser Canyon in British Columbia is a fun place, with an s-curve into and out of a railroad overpass, among several other highlights. I've driven other curvy bits around the continent often enough to engage in this sort of thing from time to time, as appropriate.
Sucking idiots into corners is a cottage industry where I come from. Unlike Solo II stuff, if you screw up, you die. Worse yet, as has been pointed out, you kill others. People who drive over their heads certainly don't need to be encouraged by us to be unsafe, but most of my work was done between midnight and 4 a.m. Driving lights were not optional.
Reverse with luxury though
Mayo
I may have missed a few ... help me out folks.
Look at this option thing from a different perspective - if you didn't want a moonroof you would be very happy that you could get the LS without one and cursing Lexus for not offering the ES300 without one. As for the other features, the LS has features that the ES300 doesn't AFAIK (like rain sensing wipers, anti-dive anti-squat suspension, etc.). Since the LS was a brand new from the ground up vehicle in 99 there was only so much they could put in, and it won't be updated til this November when the 2003 comes out. Since I don't believe Ford had done a one-touch up window before it's not that easy. I'm sure Lexus already had this on their LS400 so that makes it a lot easier.
Bottom line - option them the way you want and price them out. If you're looking at used only then I understand the issue with optional equipment. That's part of the reason I normally buy new and order mine from the factory - so i get exactly what I want. When i was buying $16K trucks it wasn't a big deal but now that I'm into $40K territory, I may be looking at a used 2003 LS in 2004. Should save about $15K at least.