Already put about 3K miles on them. Smooth as glass. Just returned from Coastal N.C. to Atlanta, 470 miles each way. Averaged between 85-95 MPH most of the way back, with my Mother in the car. She couldn't understand why the people in front of us were going so slow....
Car/Tire combo inspires confidence all around. I've probably put 10K miles on Hertz's LS's, so I knew what I was getting myself into. All around am happy with the choice of car & tires.
But could someone please tell me where my cell phone is supposed to be? Every time I hit the brakes, it leaps from the "cupholders" and ends up under the accelerator pedal.
When you're paying over $200 for one tire, a difference of $5 or $10 probably isn't a major issue -- I guess I was only trying to point out my surprise that the dealer would attempt to be competetive on price for parts.
Historically, I've never known Dealers to be that anxious to cut into their profit margin on part$.
---------------
Add me to the list of folks chomping at the bit to test-drive an '03 model.
I got my dealer in Coral Gables to pretty much match the quote I got from Tire Rack and they balanced and aligned for an amount that I thought was fair. I don't remember the exact price, but at the time I think I was quoted $235 per tire PLUS installation and balancing and the total price including everything was $1035, which by my computation meant that I paid roughly $253 per tire or so including everything. Sure made it easier and I was worried about the alignment since the island my office was on had just installed teeth crushing speed bumps. Eased my mind for a nominal amount. I am sure I could have gotten it done for about $45 less without alignment, which would bring it down to about the same price. They definitely said they would match the price and I think they did.
It's definitely confusing. Basically any tire with a speed rating of 149 or higher is Z rated. But within the Z rated tires there are W and Y which tell you how much above 149 - 168 for W. The reason appears to be a need for compatibility with the old Z ratings system. I guess they never thought they'd need a 168 mph rated tire (or higher).
The basic problem with the Z rating is that every tire has an upper limit. The Z rating is open ended in that it is over 149. But the tires that are Z rated are not good for say 1000 MPH.
My 2 year lease on my 2001 LS(POS) is almost over, thank God, haven't been so relieved to get rid of a car in all my life, hope everyone has had better luck than I have.
From reading your previous 3 posts here I got the impression that you are a satisfied LS owner so I am confused by your current POS assessment. Please tell us what problems you have encountered that has caused you to take this position.
My issues have been minor, as have most others'. However, the dealers are perfectly capable of screwing up the simplest repair or warranty troubleshooting effort, sometimes multiple times for the same issue. It won't surprise me if that's your story as well.
I haven't posted in quite some time, but, here goes. Had the steering column replaced twice because of an intermittent internal noise, it's back again, but, why bother, I'm not keeping the car. The battery saver feature killed my battery, had to have it towed to the dealer, they kept it over a week only to find a dead cell and then had the nerve to try and pro-rate a new one, I refused. A radio connection came apart, another 2 trips to the dealer, by the way, has anyone looked at their $4.00 door speakers in their $40,000 car? The rain sensitive wiper sensor has been replaced, they still don't function properly The windshield developed about 20 small air bubbles in the shade section, was replaced. The seat memory function has been checked out at least 3 times, still doesn't function properly. The tires are just about shot with 19,000 miles, check out tires.com, they're $77.00 tires on a $40,000 sport touring car. Both seat heaters have been replaced. The interior trunk release button stopped working last week. Need I go on?? I don't think I have a Monday or Friday car, mine must have been built on a Saturday night.
By the way, I have ordered an Avalon XLS, not the sporty LS, but, the reliability will be worth it.
Not saying the LS is a bad car, but, certainly has a way to go to support its price structure, check out the trade in value after 2 years.
But the rarity of posts like kicker9's speaks volumes about the quality of this car. One word of warning: If you've shot the tires on an LS in 19k miles, especially if it's a Sport model, be very, very, careful with that Avalon.:)
Sounds like you had some legitimate problems which are unfortunate, but it also sounds like your dealer doesn't have a clue. Can't blame you for going with a different brand given your history, but I'm a little surprised you went for the Japanese buick!
As for the tires, they're really $120 tires. But because of the odd size and the Explorer fiasco - they can't give them away fast enough. They were built especially for the LS and from a performance standpoint were great.
I don't think I'll be driving the Avalon quite like I did the LS, a totally different vehicle. I never considered the Avalon until I actually test drove one, although the exterior isn't very flashy, the interior, ride and quietness are impressive, it has most of what I am now looking for. Check one out, you would be hard pressed to find a $30,000 car that can compete.
FWD and automatic. The antithesis of a real car. The true definition of an appliance. I'm not ready for sleep-driving yet. It's time Toyota came into the fold and brought out a RWD sedan without the Lexus badge and cost. I had a Cressida five-speed manual for 17 years before the LS MTX. Between 1985 and 2000, there was an absolute drought in 4 door, RWD, manual sedans until the LS debuted (unless you wanted to pay the BMW premium). So mark a place in history for the LS. And the demise of Toyota as a performance brand.
I did check on the Avalon. We had decided on the Avalon by default(trying to battle past the looks) because we didn't see anything else we liked. But it was raining during the test drive and at highway speeds I couldn't tell if I was hydroplaning or if that was the way it drove. While waiting to test drive it again we happened upon the LS. I did drive the Avalon again and you should be choosing between the Town Car and the Avalon not the LS and Avalon.
when I was shopping, I was initially looking strictly for luxury. Before I realized what kind of performance a few extra $$ would get with the LS, the Avalon had my interest. The quietest car I've ever been in. On the test drive, I almost felt compelled to whisper when speaking to the salesman who was with me. Japanese Buick? In Buick's dreams. Good luck with it.
As hard as it is for us LS fans to believe, 80% of the car, SUV & light trunk buying public gets queesy cornering at anything over .3g.
To them a car (or SUV) is simply a means to get from point A to point B. To them doing it in a quiet comfortable car that is perceived as reliable, a good value and delivers the right image comprise the decision criteria.
Fun to put in a 4 wheel drift at .8g+, doesn't even register.
I'm 54 and took my 13 and 11 year old boys to Magic Mountain for our first time last April. You are correct. I was the second oldest person I could find in the park. There were mostly 10-18 year olds and only a few parent types. G-force enjoyment seems to be inversely related to age. I must be wired wrong because I loved every minute of even the hairiest rides like Goliath and Viper (that inverts 7 times each run). The only thing that makes me queasy is the Teacup ride at Disneyland, but I wring that thing for all I can (even though the Park has increased friction in the cup bearings to slow the speed of rotation). But it's nice to know the limit on cornering forces of a particular vehicle. Those same drivers who drive at .3 tend to drive into accidents because they don't know the cornering abilities of their car. As Dirty Harry said: "A man has to know his limitations".
There is a series running on Discovery called " Ultimate Speed". It was made in England. Some of the episodes are pretty boring, but one of them was absolutely fascinating to me.
They set out to discover what makes a great race car driver. They started out explaining how some people are upset going 20 MPH. The host used his mother, who gets unnerved in a revolving door as the baseline. He took her on a roller coaster that absolutely terrorized her. The host, who loves roller coasters found his terror threshold by riding on a 4 man bob sled. Thus showing how we all have different limits of speed / terror tolerance.
Then they went through how we are biologically programmed in a risk reward method, that is take a chance, which may help the propagation of the species and we get first the adrenalin rush to help us complete that risk task and then get rewarded by endorphin release when we have succeeded. Hence the primeval drive to push the limits and explore.
At the top of the heap they went to Michael Shumacker (F1 racing ace) and Colin Macrae (Rallaye racing ace). They went through all the conventional analysis of what would make a good driver. For example reaction time. Unbelievably Michael Shumacker did not have significantly better reaction time than the host.
After going through some other tests, the traditional hand eye coordination etc., the final determination of what makes a great race car driver is one's ability to process lots of information fast and simultaneously.
They showed a computer game trainer that the British Air Force now uses to do early screening of fighter pilot trainees. The game requires lots of parallel processing by the trainee and has been very effective in predicting who can handle the huge number of tasks a fighter pilot has to do at one time.
The conclusion makes sense to me. There are people I know that have been in slow motion (as perceived by me) all their lives. There are others that seem to move and think at the same pace I do and there are others who appear to me to be in hyperspeed. It also makes sense that for many people their parallel processing capability slows down as they age.
The hyperspeed guys are the ones who can corner a F1 car at 1.3G, while figuring out how to pass the car in front at the next corner, while analyzing what needs to be done to improve their car's handling in the next pit stop and talk on their radio to the pit crew telling them what to change on the car, while they listen in the other ear to their spotter for any trouble on the track, while shifting gears, hitting the brake pedal and making instantaneous adjustment to the steering wheel so they don't spin out, all while running through their race strategy in the back of their mind (go fast now, or save fuel for later, go easy on the tires now or use them up and pit, etc.) as they get updates from the team on their radio as to where their completion is and what they are doing.
Morning guys. So my 2000 V6 Sport/Auto is 3 years old this month, 66,000 miles. No major troubles outside of PCM reflashes, rear window regulators, heated seat element...all the usual stuff that was replaced under warranty anywise. Overall, Ive been surprisingly pleased with my first American vehicle. So Im getting the buying itch now. I was all but set on a 330i Convertible (used), because I still love BMW's, the bodystyle is current (big issue with me..I have to "look" like im driving a new car..lol), and Ive always wanted a convertible. BUT, I do have 2 small daughters, and to be honest, on long trips, I have enough crap to almost fill the LS! So to be reasonable, ive ruled out the 330i. So that leaves me with few RWD, Sporty Sedan, mid 30k vehicles. Theres the 5 series, used. (But is it better than an LS? Not to me). There is the used 7 series BMW..(Id have to go back 3 years, and the body style is now "old"...scratch that option). Then there is the...Mercedes C class....naah, doesnt tickle my fancy, to be honest. And its smallish. Then there is the...the...well, thats about it, right? Oh yeah...the Caddy CTS. Nah, styling is, um, um..controversial...yeah, thats it. Anyways, you guys get the picture. So guess what I keep coming back to. Looks, performance, comfort, feel, size, looks. And oh yeah, the deals now are pretty good, with a good value. A 2002 LSEV8 Loaded. 60 month 0 percent financing, and about $35k out the door easily these days, and I predict dropping further in a month or so, when the 2003's hit the lots fully. True, the upgrades and additional power and amenities of the 2003 LS will be nice, but I would want a V8 now (time to move upwards, I guess), and I would want it fully loaded. So we are talking probably mid 40's for what I would want vs. about 9 to 10k less for a fully loaded LSE. I drove the V8 LSE, and still love the LS in its current configuration. Havent checked the insurance yet, but heard from LLSOC (or here?) to give the ins company the VIN, and not tell them its an LSE, or else the rates will be higher.
Any thoughts on my decision process, or am I wacky?
Perhaps this ground has been covered, but I recently read the C&D (Dec ?) review of the '03 LS V8. The thing that jumped out at me was the base price (~$43K)and price as tested (~$47K). What the %$#^%#! If that doesn't kill LS sales, I'll be amazed!
dbossman-don't be taken in by that C&D review. Since they couldn't find anything else to criticize, they concentrated on the price. They fail to mention that they tested a fully loaded Premium Sport, a model that didn't even exist before. Add to that the THX/Navigation system on this car for $3K.
If you want to compare apples to apples, look at the V8 Sport, a model that did exist prior to 03. If you compare the 02 & 03 Sport, the base price has gone up only a little more than $1k. For this, you get lots more: VVT, heated and cooled front seats, upgraded interior materials, ZF power steering, one of the most advanced electronic throttle systems in the world, electronic brake force distribution and a host of other improvements that I'm forgetting. When you consider what they've added, discounts from MSRP, and the incentives we know will be coming, this is a bargain in a sport sedan.
It must have really galled C&D staff that they had to begrudingly admit how good the 03 LS was, so they had to make some kind of specious argument against it.
costs about $2K more than the sport - just for the appearance package. It looks great but if you're budget conscious you could save another $2K by going with the sport as Andy suggests.
To add to what Artie said - the C&D article said they tested a Sport but it was obvious from the wood steering wheel/shifter and options that it was the much higher priced Premium Sport with EVERY option. Compare a similarly optioned 540iA at $61K or a Mercedes E500 at $58K and $47K doesn't seem that much out of line. Plus you won't pay $47K for it - more like $45K or less.
Appreciate it. BUT, and I realize many disagree, I really, REALLY like the integrated body skirts/rear valance/front bumper/different fogs quad exhaust tips (ok, body kit. :-) ) on the LSE. If I ended up getting the 2002 V8 LS Sport. I probably would end up locating the LSE kit pieces off of the net somewhere, mail order discount, then having a local body shop do the painting for me and doing the install myself. So I think I'll go for a 2002 LSE at the end of this month. Should be able to swing a decent deal...end of month combined with end of year combined with the current incentives and deals going on?? Im guessing I cant lose...
Ronniepooh, if you like the LSE get it! Don't know if you've driven any '02's but there are several improvements over the '00's, the drone has been eliminated, the cam chain whine is gone, the transmission ratios have been changed, Sport & LSE models come with nice Michelin MXM tires now and of course most important, the cup holders are better.
When I was shopping I found that you could get more off of a LSE, I think the Lincoln rebate was $500 more (at least when I looked at them) and the dealers seemed willing to discount more with no fighting so there may be extra dealer cash on the LSE's too so you'll probably find actual sale price on the LSE is more like $1K more than a LS Sport.
I like the LSE look also and would be willing to pay the extra $2k (maybe less with discounts). You can get the body kit from CDC (and if you join a certain Owner's Club you get a discount) and you can easily install it yourself - so if you can't find the LSE you want but do find a sport that could be an option.
Gee, Gary, I thought my more recent posts were more like little paragraphs than the giant run-on sentences of past. Maybe Ron does have the same defect as I had in my "old keyboard". But I really relate to the "multi-tasking" or "parallel-processing" theory. I know many people who have to do one thing at a time, go from A to B, and complete one task before another. They have jobs like mobile plumbers, water delivery drivers, and mail persons. Before I went into real estate, I was asked if I could juggle many balls at once. That's the nature of brokerage. I like to say it's like launching many torpedoes at different times and the torpedoes are all different as well. At one moment you are starting a listing, at the next closing one and then going through all the steps in escrow on another one. At one point this Summer I had 15 escrows going, many listings, and had over 50 phone calls, faxes and E-mails per day. Not to mention paperwork. California is the worst on disclosure stuff. My pace is closing over one property a week, and it's been that since 1999. And I have no assistants. I don't even use a Day-Timer or PDA. I've done 100 hour weeks of this so long I don't know how to much of anything else. My poor LS does not get the attention it deserves. I don't think my reaction time is very good, mainly because it is getting harder to relax and concentrate for very long. The ol' lady thinks I have ADD but it's really "too many things going at one time". That's why I really enjoy the Manias. I get to relax at first and then try to concentrate on the Slolom portion. I guess I crave the adrenaline rush of a Solo2, or Magic Mountain. Both involve mental and physical "multiple inputs".
gschwartz. No offense taken. Im a part time standup comic, so I gotta be able to take a shot. ;-)
But back to business. I see the current Lincoln incentives (3k cash back OR 0% for up to 60 months) expire on 01/06/03. Anyone have any thoughts on what might occur on 01/07/03? Better incentives for leftover 2002 models? The economy isnt getting any better. I cant seem to recall what occurred in previous years? Best deal Ive seen in the DC area thus far is about $35.5k for a loaded V8 LSE (without the communications package). That includes all rebates/incentives/etc. That price was via an unsolicited email from a local dealer. I didnt even get the chance to compare or pit dealer vs dealer yet. Any thoughts on how/when I may get the best deal? Oh yeah...no trade in..Ill sell my 2000 V6 Sport privately...
Just a couple quick thoughts - bought an '01 LS V8 Sport for 22k, and couldn't find anything close to it for that price...I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. All the Euros and Japanese models I compaired were 10k+ more???...I've read some grumblings about fit n' finnish, etc., but I've got free maintenance for 16k miles, and bumper to bumper for another 30k (big time piece of mind!) I mean, is a 5 series Bimmer really worth 50% more?? I hadn't even thought about an American badge (sadly) until I stumbled upon the LS...I guess my question is, what should I expect from my (almost) new car? Any thoughts??...Also, reading all the reviews out there, no one seems to mention the safety record of this vehicle (5 star, best buy, etc.), which is a shame for those looking for a fun to drive, SAFE family sedan!!
Pete, Your conclusions and decisions are right on. The LS is a great value and the auto press's bias is clearly evident.
You should expect to have a great experience with your new car. I have the same model/year with 32000 miles and have had no problems.
Now there are some known issues that have caused problems for some folks, but they are generally not common and many have existing fixes. There are also some incredible resources available on the internet for owners like us including this town hall and that "unmentionable" club.
No worries on the Firestones. They're actually good tires - made specifically for the LS. There are several good replacement tires available depending on how much you want to spend and whether you want maximum dry performance or an all season tire. If you send me an email (it's in my profile) I can tell you how to get a lot more information from that "other" place that we're not allowed to mention here.
Hey Pete: You sound a lot like me. NEVER would I have thought I would have purchased an American Car, and at the time (99), I was set on a 5 series. But kept hearing about the LS, and when I saw and drove it, I thought it was the most underpriced sports sedan on the market. 65,000 miles later, Im still convinced this is an underestimated car. Do NOT listen to most car rags. I got the V6 auto sport, and most car mags have always said its too slow. Personally, I think the power is more than enough, smooth engine, almost perfect handling, car is perfect size for me love the style...it truly is an engineered effort from the ground up. And a tremendous value. (Although, 45k for a 2003 model is pushing it..lol) Enjoy the LS..Im looking at replacing mine with a 2002 LSE at the end of this month. I never thought I would buy the same car again, ever..but nothing out there will satisfy my tastes and needs but the LS. (At least not for appr 35k loaded)
Oh yeah...Pete...The Firestone Firehawks are excellent, in my opinion. I got 51k off of my first set, and now on my second set. No problems..good ride, good traction, and corners very well.
Yep, same deal here in the DC Metro area. The 35.5k price out the door for a loaded one was inclusive of the 3k back. Im thinking by the end of the month I can try to swing a 34.5k price with the 3k back. I have to sit and calculate my finances to see how long I planned to finance, etc...but, I may end up with 2k back the 0% for 60. Expires 01/06/03 per Lincolns site..
Comments
Car/Tire combo inspires confidence all around. I've probably put 10K miles on Hertz's LS's, so I knew what I was getting myself into. All around am happy with the choice of car & tires.
But could someone please tell me where my cell phone is supposed to be? Every time I hit the brakes, it leaps from the "cupholders" and ends up under the accelerator pedal.
Historically, I've never known Dealers to be that anxious to cut into their profit margin on part$.
---------------
Add me to the list of folks chomping at the bit to test-drive an '03 model.
What, specifically, are the problems?
My issues have been minor, as have most others'. However, the dealers are perfectly capable of screwing up the simplest repair or warranty troubleshooting effort, sometimes multiple times for the same issue. It won't surprise me if that's your story as well.
Let us know.
Had the steering column replaced twice because of an intermittent internal noise, it's back again, but, why bother, I'm not keeping the car.
The battery saver feature killed my battery, had to have it towed to the dealer, they kept it over a week only to find a dead cell and then had the nerve to try and pro-rate a new one, I refused.
A radio connection came apart, another 2 trips to the dealer, by the way, has anyone looked at their $4.00 door speakers in their $40,000 car?
The rain sensitive wiper sensor has been replaced, they still don't function properly
The windshield developed about 20 small air bubbles in the shade section, was replaced.
The seat memory function has been checked out at least 3 times, still doesn't function properly.
The tires are just about shot with 19,000 miles, check out tires.com, they're $77.00 tires on a $40,000 sport touring car.
Both seat heaters have been replaced.
The interior trunk release button stopped working last week.
Need I go on??
I don't think I have a Monday or Friday car, mine must have been built on a Saturday night.
By the way, I have ordered an Avalon XLS, not the sporty LS, but, the reliability will be worth it.
Not saying the LS is a bad car, but, certainly has a way to go to support its price structure, check out the trade in value after 2 years.
As for the tires, they're really $120 tires. But because of the odd size and the Explorer fiasco - they can't give them away fast enough. They were built especially for the LS and from a performance standpoint were great.
It's time Toyota came into the fold and brought out a RWD sedan without the Lexus badge and cost.
I had a Cressida five-speed manual for 17 years before the LS MTX.
Between 1985 and 2000, there was an absolute drought in 4 door, RWD, manual sedans until the LS debuted (unless you wanted to pay the BMW premium).
So mark a place in history for the LS. And the demise of Toyota as a performance brand.
Now we're shameing someone who has done just that.
I prefer chocolate ice cream; am I branded as having poor taste?
People have vastly different preferences and requirements. If someone prefers an Avalon after driving both then who are we to argue?
Breyers, of course. (Just some ice cream debate bait)
To them a car (or SUV) is simply a means to get from point A to point B. To them doing it in a quiet comfortable car that is perceived as reliable, a good value and delivers the right image comprise the decision criteria.
Fun to put in a 4 wheel drift at .8g+, doesn't even register.
Image, absolutely. Amazing what passes for "sporty" these days. Of course, vinyl decals cost a lot less than real suspension parts.
You are correct. I was the second oldest person I could find in the park. There were mostly 10-18 year olds and only a few parent types.
G-force enjoyment seems to be inversely related to age.
I must be wired wrong because I loved every minute of even the hairiest rides like Goliath and Viper (that inverts 7 times each run).
The only thing that makes me queasy is the Teacup ride at Disneyland, but I wring that thing for all I can (even though the Park has increased friction in the cup bearings to slow the speed of rotation).
But it's nice to know the limit on cornering forces of a particular vehicle.
Those same drivers who drive at .3 tend to drive into accidents because they don't know the cornering abilities of their car.
As Dirty Harry said: "A man has to know his limitations".
They set out to discover what makes a great race car driver. They started out explaining how some people are upset going 20 MPH. The host used his mother, who gets unnerved in a revolving door as the baseline. He took her on a roller coaster that absolutely terrorized her. The host, who loves roller coasters found his terror threshold by riding on a 4 man bob sled. Thus showing how we all have different limits of speed / terror tolerance.
Then they went through how we are biologically programmed in a risk reward method, that is take a chance, which may help the propagation of the species and we get first the adrenalin rush to help us complete that risk task and then get rewarded by endorphin release when we have succeeded. Hence the primeval drive to push the limits and explore.
At the top of the heap they went to Michael Shumacker (F1 racing ace) and Colin Macrae (Rallaye racing ace). They went through all the conventional analysis of what would make a good driver. For example reaction time. Unbelievably Michael Shumacker did not have significantly better reaction time than the host.
After going through some other tests, the traditional hand eye coordination etc., the final determination of what makes a great race car driver is one's ability to process lots of information fast and simultaneously.
They showed a computer game trainer that the British Air Force now uses to do early screening of fighter pilot trainees. The game requires lots of parallel processing by the trainee and has been very effective in predicting who can handle the huge number of tasks a fighter pilot has to do at one time.
The conclusion makes sense to me. There are people I know that have been in slow motion (as perceived by me) all their lives. There are others that seem to move and think at the same pace I do and there are others who appear to me to be in hyperspeed. It also makes sense that for many people their parallel processing capability slows down as they age.
The hyperspeed guys are the ones who can corner a F1 car at 1.3G, while figuring out how to pass the car in front at the next corner, while analyzing what needs to be done to improve their car's handling in the next pit stop and talk on their radio to the pit crew telling them what to change on the car, while they listen in the other ear to their spotter for any trouble on the track, while shifting gears, hitting the brake pedal and making instantaneous adjustment to the steering wheel so they don't spin out, all while running through their race strategy in the back of their mind (go fast now, or save fuel for later, go easy on the tires now or use them up and pit, etc.) as they get updates from the team on their radio as to where their completion is and what they are doing.
Any thoughts on my decision process, or am I wacky?
Ron: Did you buy Stanny's keyboard that has the broken "Enter" key?
If you want to compare apples to apples, look at the V8 Sport, a model that did exist prior to 03. If you compare the 02 & 03 Sport, the base price has gone up only a little more than $1k. For this, you get lots more: VVT, heated and cooled front seats, upgraded interior materials, ZF power steering, one of the most advanced electronic throttle systems in the world, electronic brake force distribution and a host of other improvements that I'm forgetting. When you consider what they've added, discounts from MSRP, and the incentives we know will be coming, this is a bargain in a sport sedan.
It must have really galled C&D staff that they had to begrudingly admit how good the 03 LS was, so they had to make some kind of specious argument against it.
When I was shopping I found that you could get more off of a LSE, I think the Lincoln rebate was $500 more (at least when I looked at them) and the dealers seemed willing to discount more with no fighting so there may be extra dealer cash on the LSE's too so you'll probably find actual sale price on the LSE is more like $1K more than a LS Sport.
Maybe Ron does have the same defect as I had in my "old keyboard".
But I really relate to the "multi-tasking" or "parallel-processing" theory.
I know many people who have to do one thing at a time, go from A to B, and complete one task before another. They have jobs like mobile plumbers, water delivery drivers, and mail persons.
Before I went into real estate, I was asked if I could juggle many balls at once. That's the nature of brokerage. I like to say it's like launching many torpedoes at different times and the torpedoes are all different as well.
At one moment you are starting a listing, at the next closing one and then going through all the steps in escrow on another one.
At one point this Summer I had 15 escrows going, many listings, and had over 50 phone calls, faxes and E-mails per day. Not to mention paperwork. California is the worst on disclosure stuff.
My pace is closing over one property a week, and it's been that since 1999. And I have no assistants. I don't even use a Day-Timer or PDA.
I've done 100 hour weeks of this so long I don't know how to much of anything else. My poor LS does not get the attention it deserves.
I don't think my reaction time is very good, mainly because it is getting harder to relax and concentrate for very long. The ol' lady thinks I have ADD but it's really "too many things going at one time".
That's why I really enjoy the Manias. I get to relax at first and then try to concentrate on the Slolom portion.
I guess I crave the adrenaline rush of a Solo2, or Magic Mountain. Both involve mental and physical "multiple inputs".
But back to business. I see the current Lincoln incentives (3k cash back OR 0% for up to 60 months) expire on 01/06/03. Anyone have any thoughts on what might occur on 01/07/03? Better incentives for leftover 2002 models? The economy isnt getting any better. I cant seem to recall what occurred in previous years? Best deal Ive seen in the DC area thus far is about $35.5k for a loaded V8 LSE (without the communications package). That includes all rebates/incentives/etc. That price was via an unsolicited email from a local dealer. I didnt even get the chance to compare or pit dealer vs dealer yet. Any thoughts on how/when I may get the best deal? Oh yeah...no trade in..Ill sell my 2000 V6 Sport privately...
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000112885.cfm
more???...I've read some grumblings about fit n' finnish, etc., but I've got free maintenance for 16k miles, and bumper to bumper for another 30k (big time piece of mind!) I mean, is a 5 series Bimmer really worth 50% more?? I hadn't even thought about an American badge (sadly) until I stumbled upon the LS...I guess my question is, what should I expect from my (almost) new car? Any thoughts??...Also, reading all the reviews out there, no one seems to mention the safety record of this vehicle (5 star, best buy, etc.), which is a shame for those looking for a fun to drive, SAFE family sedan!!
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000112885.cfm
Your conclusions and decisions are right on. The LS is a great value and the auto press's bias is clearly evident.
You should expect to have a great experience with your new car. I have the same model/year with 32000 miles and have had no problems.
Now there are some known issues that have caused problems for some folks, but they are generally not common and many have existing fixes. There are also some incredible resources available on the internet for owners like us including this town hall and that "unmentionable" club.
Good luck and have fun with your new toy. :-)
Joe
You sound a lot like me. NEVER would I have thought I would have purchased an American Car, and at the time (99), I was set on a 5 series. But kept hearing about the LS, and when I saw and drove it, I thought it was the most underpriced sports sedan on the market. 65,000 miles later, Im still convinced this is an underestimated car. Do NOT listen to most car rags. I got the V6 auto sport, and most car mags have always said its too slow. Personally, I think the power is more than enough, smooth engine, almost perfect handling, car is perfect size for me love the style...it truly is an engineered effort from the ground up. And a tremendous value. (Although, 45k for a 2003 model is pushing it..lol)
Enjoy the LS..Im looking at replacing mine with a 2002 LSE at the end of this month. I never thought I would buy the same car again, ever..but nothing out there will satisfy my tastes and needs but the LS. (At least not for appr 35k loaded)
In the Ford NY area this is the current special deal on the LSE.
$2,000.00 Customer Cash Back
-AND-
0% APR for 60 months
Note that it says $2K back and 0% APR for 5 years, that is a hell of a deal!
You could take $3K back w/o the 0% APR but this is not as good a deal.
For leasing the LSE has $3,500 back + another $1K back for returning Red Carpet customers ($4,500 total).