They have no idea that the vehicle they drive is capable of competing quite well with BMW and all the other pretenders to the throne. They drive it because the salesperson was nice to them that day and there was a hell of a deal on the table.
The 50 (or 100 or 200 -- point being 0.01% +/-) people who are really, really loyal to this car aren't driving what's going to happen to it. The numb masses who end up with it are in control -- if they don't care about something (like the high-dollar suspension), then it doesn't matter.
Hide and watch. See if the present LS or anything like it exists in five years. I'm guessing not.
Anyone seen this article? (from the Car Connection)
Ford To Pay in Atlanta Verdict
Ford Motor Co. was ordered by an Atlanta jury Wednesday to pay $33.9 million to the family of Kelsey Sasser, who was left paralyzed following a 2000 crash involving the family's Lincoln LS. A potentially faulty rear fold-down seat latch was blamed for the six-year-old girl's injuries. The latch has not been the subject of any previous action taken against Ford, but the family's attorney argued that Ford knew about the problem, redesigned the latch in 2001 and failed to issue a recall. Ford attorneys argued that the girl was actually sitting in the front seat and was injured by an adult-size airbag. The National Highway Safety Administration registered no consumer complaints concerning the problem in its public files and has not said whether or not it will investigate the seat latch as a result of the trial."
No wonder our insurance rates keep climbing. I would bet Ford will appeal.
Ford attorneys argued that the girl was actually sitting in the front seat and was injured by an adult-size airbag. ... And, had the shoulder harness BEHIND her.
I'm surprised Ford didn't settle this outside of court as usual. If they went this far, they obviously see they are in the right, an appeal should be coming up soon definately.
I read the info available on this and it makes absolutely no sense to me. If the girl was in the backseat in a carseat how the heck is the seatback going to injure her? Even if the car seat is not secured to the latch on the top, the shoulder belt should keep her, the car seat and the seatback in place. If she wasn't in a car seat, then yeah, I could see her being injured. Even severely if a heavy trunk object forced the seatback down on her. But, she was 6 years old (or was she 2 or 3 in 2000? I dunno) Even if 6, unless she's a real big kid, she'd probably still belong in a car seat. Even crazier is that there seems to be a question of where in the car she was riding. How can there be a question about that? Unless she was thrown clear, someone had to have seen where she was - like emergency responders eg. Unless parents pulled her out. Finally, Ford says she was injured by the front seat airbag. Shouldn't it be medically obvious whether her injuries were caused by a seatback folding down on her, or an airbag exploding in her face? Something is VERY wrong here and methinks that, like the OJ Simpson case and countless others, the problem is the jury system. It needs reform badly.
There are just some people who don't belong in jury's. I get called every year for Federal and Civil jury duty and I have yet to be picked unfortunately. Usually the "Yes, I've dated 3 police officer's in the past and currently in a relationship with someone in politics" Kills my chance.
I've seen some of the verdicts awarded against manufacturers, and it really amazed how uneducated and down right stupid, some of these deicisions have been.
This is as bad as the one a few month's ago where a women is sueing Ford because the power pedal functions available now, COULD have been integrated MUCH SOONER into her late 90's Taurus. Being she had an accident and was too close to the steering wheel. Pretty much she's sueing because the techonology was NOT there in time. REDICULOUS!
I'll say one thing about the lawsuit then move on, TORT REFORM! We need it.
Anybody see the latest issue of MT with the CTS-V and Jag S-type R comparo? Both were impressive cars and for 12K more, the Jag had a nicer interior. Personally, if I were buying in that range, the CTS-V would be a hard car to pass up. Now, since we all know the S-type is built on the same chassis as our LSs, I think it just goes to show that a hi-po LS is certainly possible. So maybe it won't have the sexy curves of the Jag or the Connally leather inside, but me thinks a suped up LS could be sold(and Ford turn a profit) in the very low 50 range(just were the V is priced). Heck, since the Jag comes only with a slushbox(granted it is a pretty advanced 6 speed unit) why not let the SVT(or whatever they call it) LS be manual only. Anyway, that was just a thought that ran through my mind when reading the review.
Ford once mentioned of the "Emerald" series, which would be Lincoln's higher performance variants, but that has integrated with plans to allow SVT to concentrate on more premium products, than just Focus...and go up into higher vehicles within the F/L/M lines.
While lower Ford models would do with "ST" (Street Tuned) as seen with the Focus ST coming up this year, and Futura ST in another year, etc.
Sooooo don't be shocked to see a possible SVT LS since the platform can definately deal with the added aggresiveness.
It would be about time. Past time really. The LS is 5 years old. The CTS, what, 2? Cadillac went from hind teat to leading the pack in a couple of years. What has Lincoln done in that time? -Dropped the manual transmission. -Upgraded the interior -Added VVT for <10% HP increase. That's about it. Talk about blowing a lead.
You nailed it; Lincoln could have built a really hot LS years before the CTS-V came on the market. In the unlikely event that Lincoln does decide to offer an SVT LS they will still have to play catch up for years. I think the CTS is homely as well, but you can't deny the fact that the CTS is raising the bar for domestic sport sedans. I think Cadillac is very close to turning the corner; they are starting to build exciting cars aimed at the enthusiast, while Lincoln is content to merely "Travel Well". Sad.
I posted a problem I'm having with the factory Navigation System in the Aviator Problems and Solutions discussion, but haven't gotten any responses from people that may have encountered this problem also. I'm posting here because the system is pretty much identical with what's available on the LS, with the possible exception of where the onboard GPS receiver is located.
The Aviator was parked in a large, multi-story parking garage for about 12-hours this past Tuesday. When exiting the garage, the GPS system erroneously had the vehicle located about 25 miles from where it actually was and wasn't even able to correctly track the true heading the vehicle was traveling in. Consulting the Owners Manual, it says this is likely to happen after parking in a large parking structure, but should correct itself after reacquiring the satellite signal. Well, after 5 days, the Nav System has not regained its bearings.
I have tried using the recalibration menu to correctly re-locate the vehicle on the map, but as soon as the vehicle is driven, it immediately gets lost. I've got 1700 miles on the Aviator thus far, and the first 1500+ miles were fine with regard to the Nav System (not so for the AWD system, but that's another story . . .) but now, it looks like I have a problem. Is there a way to force the system to reset itself? The little satellite icon is almost always displayed on the map, which is supposed to indicate that insufficient satellite communication is available to get a correct position fix.
I live in Phoenix, and aside from some unusual heavy cloud cover earlier this week, it has been crystal clear for the past 2 days, and still no solution.
32K plus Sticker. After all discounts nets out @ $24,999. 6 cyl motor. This is in a local newpaper ad. Sounds pretty good if the Lincoln can hold up. Much more room than Accord but the reliability is worrisome. Is the LS being phased out?
As simple as that sounds, no I had not tried to eject the DVD to get a system reset. Thanks for the suggestion.
However, I did just that this morning, and then drove around a bit, but the system is hopelessly lost. Looks like yet another dealer visit for my ~1 month old Aviator. :-(
What few reliability issues the LS had were sorted out a few years ago. Why even consider a mind-numbing FWD appliance when you can drive a proper RWD sports sedan? It's a no-brainer in my opinion.
Just think, 25K for a sedan that shares it's chassis with a 63K Jaguar S-type R. I agree, no brainer. Seriously, just comparing the base LS to other cars that you can get for 25K and it makes sense. If only base LSs were going for that price back in 2001, then I might not have ended up with my lemon Oldsmobile Intrigue that I bought brand new. But then again, I probably would not be driving a V8 LS today. Hard to believe I've had the car 6 months already.
The LS is probably the highest value/price proposition on the market today, IMO. So, why don't I own one? BEATS THE HELL OUT OF ME!!!! I'm working on it!
If you think the LS case is crazy have you heard about the women suing Volvo because her husband was killed when his car hit a tree. Her husband was DRUNK! The women is not suing because she thinks the Volvo had a design flaw or defect that killed her husband only that the car should have protected him and kept him from dieing. The judge allowed the case to go forward. It made the national news a few months ago. Don't know when it will come to trial. Only in America.
If you think that the CTS is a debatable leader, then look at CTS sales and go drive the V. It ain't no pretender!
Unless Lincoln throws in a Jaguar R drivetrain, you may have to wait until the big model change in 06? Maybe a Ford 427 derivative?.... I hope they don't wait too long!
A good friend is a service mgr at a local Caddy dealer. he is NOT a big GM man, he just gets his paycheck there. In fact, he just recently started. His first weekend, owner of dealership took him and other service folks and some sales folks to a Caddy comparo drive at a local speedway. Cars were:
BMW M3 or 5 I forget which. Mercedes AMG Audi A4 Caddy CTS-V
According to my friend, the Caddy was by FAR the winner over the BMW and Mercedes. Only the Audi was a close rival. This on a closed race course. Acceleration, handling, braking all that were at the whim of the driver. He said the CTS-V is by far best/fastest car he's ever driven.
And to think Lincoln had a 320 or more hp 4.6L in the LS back in 2001 under test. Where oh where have the Lincoln performance people gone?
Very simple - they're still around dreaming like the rest of us. But the fraction of us who would ever buy a performance version of the LS is totally unjustifiable. Remember it's mainly silvered haired little old ladies who think they bought a mini town car that pays the bills. I would have driven that black bad a.. straight off the track in Dearborn and into my garage had it been for sale. It doesn't matter if you build wigets, or jelly beans or LS's - if you can't make a profit then there's no point in building it.
article in Consumer Reports appears to be a mixed bag. While Lincoln scored abysmally (as in dead last) in the "New Vehicles" category, it becomes average for three-year-olds and above average for 5-year-olds.
While none of us drives a 5 year old LS, I won't dispute the results. Most of the stuff that went wrong with my car happened in the first year or so. One rather large thing happened at the three year point. I started out very forgiving of the vehicle, but after the first few things, became less so. Partly I wrote it off to a first-model-year vehicle.
Either way, the truck and Town Car people must be having difficulty as well. Imagine spending the (moderately) big bucks to get a nice new Aviator only to find that the navigation system doesn't know where it is. I'd certainly be disappointed, since all I had to deal with was dropping windows, flawed door pulls, missing interior pieces and a trunk that needed rebuilding (among other items), and I was less than impressed with my "near-luxury" purchase. If something really big had gone wrong early on. . .
I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, since Nissan exhibits the same pattern (albiet at a higher rating), and we just bought a new one of those in December.
Just the fact that some LS customers think they bought a mini Town Car is all the more reason for Ford to build a high performance LS. It was either here or in another discussion forum that someone had a link to a picture of an LS with an aftermarket padded top. While the LS has improved Lincoln's image from the days of the Town Car and FWD Taurus based Continental, the LS is still not taken seriously by some performance enthusiasts. Similar thing was happening with the Cadillac CTS. Then they rolled out the V. While the CTS-V still may not win over alot of BMW loyalists, I think pretty much every agrees that Cadillac is serious about performance now. While I like the fact that Cadillac has product that can compete with the imports, I'd also like to see a good old Caddy v Lincoln rivalry that isn't about trucks, SUVs, or huge sedans.
I do not find silver hairs driving LSes! The V is a limited production auto. And easily Lincoln could have the same or better.
The engine technology at Ford is certainly a match for the old push rod OHV Chevy engines!
Then you really wouldn't have to compare to the Euro machines. It would be uptown road/muscle car fun for adults circa 2005! American Style.
The folks I personally witnessed exiting the Vs at the Caddie Drive Summit affair were all grins ear to ear. This was EXACTLY what many folks have wanted for a long time. And Lincoln can certainly put their spin on it. The technology from the GT, Shelby Cobra and SVT Mustangs should certainly be enough of a parts bin to get things rollin!
If you want to rag about the interior of a V, then it isn't for you anyway. Just drive it. There is nothing like it!
Caddy is advertising the living heck out of the CTS while the LS ads are MIA. Ford doesn't give a darn, and the creaking you hear, that's the coffin lid closing on our beloved LS.
History will prove the point that Ford will produce a decent vehicle, only to have it die and wither on the dealer's lot. Ford just doesn't get it!! I'll see the same Ford Truck ad (or variations) in four hours while the General has many different ones for their many different divisions. Even the re structured Chrysler ads are worth seeing! But we are stuck with "Built Ford Tough"!
-- Pat, nice to see that you're attempting to control the motley crowd. You've always done a great job, and as far as I can tell, you still have all ten digits.--
-- Chris, I'm sorry to hear about your Aviator, but it seems to run counter to everything you have said earlier. Why spend the money on a gussied up Ford Explorer, unless you had some great incentives to coax your purchase. I hope that you didn't need the NAV. system to get to the ground floor of the parking garage. ;-) --
Cdnpinhead – “While none of us drives a 5 year old LS”
Actually, now that it is March of ’04, those that bought an early Y2K in summer of ’99 (and kept them) or bought an early build as a used vehicle are rapidly approaching the “5 year old” mark. (Speaking of Mark [trans. Guru] I wonder if he still has access to the prototypes – they would be over 6 years old now . . .)
Anyway, the earliest delivery Y2K LS’s are probably only about 4 months short of being in service for 5 years. Anyone here driving an early build Y2K? Current mileage? Improving?
My impression is that the general reliability of cars (since owning and driving a great steaming pile of different makes and models over the past 40 years) is in line with JLK Davis’ statement on Autoline a couple of weeks ago. He basically said that the worst (reliability) cars built today are better than the best sold 10 years ago. Lemons are still out there, and owning one can certainly sour a person on a make. (So to speak.) But in the broad measures, reliability improvements are quite noticeable and substantial.
And I am very pleased to report that my ’03 LS Sport has had no significant problems in the first 2,500 miles. I wonder if that will improve at the 3 year mark? (I will not likely own this or any car beyond 3 years or the end of the warrantee, whichever comes first.) How does one improve from “no problems”?
Cheers, - Ray Missed driving the LS while away on business for a week+ . . .
It turns out that I had a defective gyroscope. A new one has been ordered and is expected tomorrow. Infant mortality of an electronic device. It would not be fair to blame this one on Lincoln, as it is an integral part of the Nav system made by Denso. It would be a problem just as likely to occur in a Lexus navigation system . . . lucky me. At least my dealer found the trouble right away.
The dealer provided my wife with a Sable loaner until the replacement part arrives.
Ray - good to hear from you! I got my Aviator on X-Plan thanks to Mark K. (TTG). If the Aviator is a "gussied up" Explorer, then so be it, but it's far better driver than the Explorer . . . improved suspension with the anti-lift/dive characteristics innate to the LS. The engine is smooth and powerful and the transmission is impressively smooth too. The interior is very nice and wouldn't remind you of an Explorer either.
a low mileage 1 or 2 year old LS maybe a bargain in the near future. If the LS model is going to be discontinued, the resale will go down even more than normal. If Lincoln Mercury will "certify" their used LS's it may be a smart buy. Nice looking car for a reasonable price. Do they have a certified Used program? Also is the base six peppy enough for the average person?
I don't think Lincoln is going to drop the LS in a few years. It will likely be redesigned around 2006. Some of the rumours we've heard is that Ford is not taking the next LS far enough and possibly taking a step back(i.e. strut suspensions) from the current model. If that is the case, resale of the current generation(especially 03 and newer models) may stabilize. Still, a low mileage 2-3 year old LS is one heck of a deal. I bought a 2001 LS V8 sport(with every option) that only had 26,000 miles for under 23K last summer. This car probably listed for $40K just two and a half years earlier. So for 23K I could have bought a brand new 4 cylinder Camry with mouse fur seats or a V8 Lincoln with just about every feature known to man and a good chunk of warranty still left(Lincolns have 4 year/50K warranty). No brainer for me. Mine was not a "certified" used car, but I do believe that Lincoln does offer these.
Yes they do, but they're rare, and only in certain dealers. Come to think about it, haven't seen any at my dealer for quite a while now......
I'm not sure the LS won't acquire a major cult following when the DEW98 version is dropped for the next gen. They are an incredible car for the money you pay. And yes, IMO, the 6 is peppy enough for the average person. It's faster than that coffin Cadillac calls the CTS.
i have a 03 LS and always drive with my parking/driving lights on and have noticed that during the daytime the light behind the speedometer and gas and tach arent illuminating. is this normal? i have never had a car that when you turned the lights on the dash didnt illuminate?
that the rheostat (notched wheel next to the switch) isn't turned all the way down? It's used to adjust gauge illumination at night to a level you prefer.
Do the lights only turn on when the headlights are on? You were just using the parking lamps, right? Try the parking lights only at night and see what happens. The other possibility is the dash lights are tied to the automatic light sensor and only come on at night regardless of the headlamp status. I think I've seen this in my Aviator but I'm not 100% sure. It's hard to tell since the gauge cluster is LED.
I have a similar situation in my BMW. Right next to the light switch is a small sensor that detects ambient light. If it is bright enough, the dash lights do not light up. If I have my lights on (usually use DRL's) but it is bright outside, my dash doesn't light. As it gets darker the light on the dash grows brighter, up to the point I have the dial set for dash intensity. Maybe the LS is the same?
erickpl is correct. The 03 & 04 LSs have a sensor that controls the dash lights for you. As far as I know there is no way to manually over ride the auto dash lights.
The same sensor is used to turn the auto headlamps on and off and switch the NAV system from day to nite display mode.
If you want your lights on all the time, you could cover up the sensor. It is in the middle of the dashboard at the base of the windshield.
I never used the auto-on headlight sensor on my '00. Assuming you can switch this function off in the '03-'04s as well, would this return the dash lights as well to manual mode?
thanks i thought i was going crazy. i figured that they were set up that way but i wasnt sure. i had a 00 LS and when you turned on the lights, the dash illuminated day or night.
Regarding earlier vintage Lincoln LS experience: We have 47K miles on our LS-8 Sport. We had a problem early on with a loose connector on the PATS that caused the car to not start because it didn't think our key was legitimate.
Other than that, the dealer replaced the rear licence plate trim plate because it wasn't lying completely flat against the trunk. That is the extent of our failures of this Consumer Reporrts "unacceptable reliability" automobile.
The original brakes still look good. Our LS still performs as well (or better) than new and is completely tight with no rattles, squeaks, leaks or other unnatural noises. We get 18-19 MPG in city driving and 23-26 MPG on trips.
If the rumors are true that Lincoln has been "dumbing down" later models and don't offer the rain-sensitive wipers after 2003, We'll just have to trade this one in on a 2003 model when we are ready to replace this one. I won't go without the rain-sensitive wiper feature for our major trip car. I consider it a "must have" after being spoiled by our 2000 LS.
offer extended warranties? The 5/50 is good but coverage to 100K would be nice if available at a good price. The V6 for $24,999 is very tempting. A 2 year old V8 might also be a used bargain as long as it wasn't "hotrodded" around. I would like to think that most people who buy these new are past 40 and have calmed down a little!
Comments
They have no idea that the vehicle they drive is capable of competing quite well with BMW and all the other pretenders to the throne. They drive it because the salesperson was nice to them that day and there was a hell of a deal on the table.
The 50 (or 100 or 200 -- point being 0.01% +/-) people who are really, really loyal to this car aren't driving what's going to happen to it. The numb masses who end up with it are in control -- if they don't care about something (like the high-dollar suspension), then it doesn't matter.
Hide and watch. See if the present LS or anything like it exists in five years. I'm guessing not.
Ford To Pay in Atlanta Verdict
Ford Motor Co. was ordered by an Atlanta jury Wednesday to pay $33.9 million to the family of Kelsey Sasser, who was left paralyzed following a 2000 crash involving the family's Lincoln LS. A potentially faulty rear fold-down seat latch was blamed for the six-year-old girl's injuries. The latch has not been the subject of any previous action taken against Ford, but the family's attorney argued that Ford knew about the problem, redesigned the latch in 2001 and failed to issue a recall. Ford attorneys argued that the girl was actually sitting in the front seat and was injured by an adult-size airbag. The National Highway Safety Administration registered no consumer complaints concerning the problem in its public files and has not said whether or not it will investigate the seat latch as a result of the trial."
No wonder our insurance rates keep climbing. I would bet Ford will appeal.
Even crazier is that there seems to be a question of where in the car she was riding. How can there be a question about that? Unless she was thrown clear, someone had to have seen where she was - like emergency responders eg. Unless parents pulled her out.
Finally, Ford says she was injured by the front seat airbag. Shouldn't it be medically obvious whether her injuries were caused by a seatback folding down on her, or an airbag exploding in her face?
Something is VERY wrong here and methinks that, like the OJ Simpson case and countless others, the problem is the jury system. It needs reform badly.
I've seen some of the verdicts awarded against manufacturers, and it really amazed how uneducated and down right stupid, some of these deicisions have been.
This is as bad as the one a few month's ago where a women is sueing Ford because the power pedal functions available now, COULD have been integrated MUCH SOONER into her late 90's Taurus. Being she had an accident and was too close to the steering wheel. Pretty much she's sueing because the techonology was NOT there in time. REDICULOUS!
In other news, the Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!
Anybody see the latest issue of MT with the CTS-V and Jag S-type R comparo? Both were impressive cars and for 12K more, the Jag had a nicer interior. Personally, if I were buying in that range, the CTS-V would be a hard car to pass up. Now, since we all know the S-type is built on the same chassis as our LSs, I think it just goes to show that a hi-po LS is certainly possible. So maybe it won't have the sexy curves of the Jag or the Connally leather inside, but me thinks a suped up LS could be sold(and Ford turn a profit) in the very low 50 range(just were the V is priced). Heck, since the Jag comes only with a slushbox(granted it is a pretty advanced 6 speed unit) why not let the SVT(or whatever they call it) LS be manual only. Anyway, that was just a thought that ran through my mind when reading the review.
While lower Ford models would do with "ST" (Street Tuned) as seen with the Focus ST coming up this year, and Futura ST in another year, etc.
Sooooo don't be shocked to see a possible SVT LS since the platform can definately deal with the added aggresiveness.
-Dropped the manual transmission.
-Upgraded the interior
-Added VVT for <10% HP increase.
That's about it. Talk about blowing a lead.
The Aviator was parked in a large, multi-story parking garage for about 12-hours this past Tuesday. When exiting the garage, the GPS system erroneously had the vehicle located about 25 miles from where it actually was and wasn't even able to correctly track the true heading the vehicle was traveling in. Consulting the Owners Manual, it says this is likely to happen after parking in a large parking structure, but should correct itself after reacquiring the satellite signal. Well, after 5 days, the Nav System has not regained its bearings.
I have tried using the recalibration menu to correctly re-locate the vehicle on the map, but as soon as the vehicle is driven, it immediately gets lost. I've got 1700 miles on the Aviator thus far, and the first 1500+ miles were fine with regard to the Nav System (not so for the AWD system, but that's another story . . .) but now, it looks like I have a problem. Is there a way to force the system to reset itself? The little satellite icon is almost always displayed on the map, which is supposed to indicate that insufficient satellite communication is available to get a correct position fix.
I live in Phoenix, and aside from some unusual heavy cloud cover earlier this week, it has been crystal clear for the past 2 days, and still no solution.
Suggestions?
However, I did just that this morning, and then drove around a bit, but the system is hopelessly lost. Looks like yet another dealer visit for my ~1 month old Aviator. :-(
It ain't no pretender!
Unless Lincoln throws in a Jaguar R drivetrain, you may have to wait until the big model change in 06? Maybe a Ford 427 derivative?.... I hope they don't wait too long!
A good friend is a service mgr at a local Caddy dealer. he is NOT a big GM man, he just gets his paycheck there. In fact, he just recently started. His first weekend, owner of dealership took him and other service folks and some sales folks to a Caddy comparo drive at a local speedway. Cars were:
BMW M3 or 5 I forget which.
Mercedes AMG
Audi A4
Caddy CTS-V
According to my friend, the Caddy was by FAR the winner over the BMW and Mercedes. Only the Audi was a close rival. This on a closed race course. Acceleration, handling, braking all that were at the whim of the driver. He said the CTS-V is by far best/fastest car he's ever driven.
And to think Lincoln had a 320 or more hp 4.6L in the LS back in 2001 under test. Where oh where have the Lincoln performance people gone?
I would have driven that black bad a.. straight off the track in Dearborn and into my garage had it been for sale.
It doesn't matter if you build wigets, or jelly beans or LS's - if you can't make a profit then there's no point in building it.
While none of us drives a 5 year old LS, I won't dispute the results. Most of the stuff that went wrong with my car happened in the first year or so. One rather large thing happened at the three year point. I started out very forgiving of the vehicle, but after the first few things, became less so. Partly I wrote it off to a first-model-year vehicle.
Either way, the truck and Town Car people must be having difficulty as well. Imagine spending the (moderately) big bucks to get a nice new Aviator only to find that the navigation system doesn't know where it is. I'd certainly be disappointed, since all I had to deal with was dropping windows, flawed door pulls, missing interior pieces and a trunk that needed rebuilding (among other items), and I was less than impressed with my "near-luxury" purchase. If something really big had gone wrong early on. . .
I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, since Nissan exhibits the same pattern (albiet at a higher rating), and we just bought a new one of those in December.
The V is a limited production auto.
And easily Lincoln could have the same or better.
The engine technology at Ford is certainly a match for the old push rod OHV Chevy engines!
Then you really wouldn't have to compare to the Euro machines. It would be uptown road/muscle car fun for adults circa 2005! American Style.
The folks I personally witnessed exiting the Vs at the Caddie Drive Summit affair were all grins ear to ear. This was EXACTLY what many folks have wanted for a long time. And Lincoln can certainly put their spin on it. The technology from the GT, Shelby Cobra and SVT Mustangs should certainly be enough of a parts bin to get things rollin!
If you want to rag about the interior of a V, then it isn't for you anyway. Just drive it. There is nothing like it!
History will prove the point that Ford will produce a decent vehicle, only to have it die and wither on the dealer's lot. Ford just doesn't get it!! I'll see the same Ford Truck ad (or variations) in four hours while the General has many different ones for their many different divisions. Even the re structured Chrysler ads are worth seeing! But we are stuck with "Built Ford Tough"!
-- Pat, nice to see that you're attempting to control the motley crowd. You've always done a great job, and as far as I can tell, you still have all ten digits.--
-- Chris, I'm sorry to hear about your Aviator, but it seems to run counter to everything you have said earlier. Why spend the money on a gussied up Ford Explorer, unless you had some great incentives to coax your purchase. I hope that you didn't need the NAV. system to get to the ground floor of the parking garage. ;-) --
Edited to repair sloppy spelling
Actually, now that it is March of ’04, those that bought an early Y2K in summer of ’99 (and kept them) or bought an early build as a used vehicle are rapidly approaching the “5 year old” mark. (Speaking of Mark [trans. Guru] I wonder if he still has access to the prototypes – they would be over 6 years old now . . .)
Anyway, the earliest delivery Y2K LS’s are probably only about 4 months short of being in service for 5 years. Anyone here driving an early build Y2K? Current mileage? Improving?
My impression is that the general reliability of cars (since owning and driving a great steaming pile of different makes and models over the past 40 years) is in line with JLK Davis’ statement on Autoline a couple of weeks ago. He basically said that the worst (reliability) cars built today are better than the best sold 10 years ago. Lemons are still out there, and owning one can certainly sour a person on a make. (So to speak.) But in the broad measures, reliability improvements are quite noticeable and substantial.
And I am very pleased to report that my ’03 LS Sport has had no significant problems in the first 2,500 miles. I wonder if that will improve at the 3 year mark? (I will not likely own this or any car beyond 3 years or the end of the warrantee, whichever comes first.) How does one improve from “no problems”?
Cheers,
- Ray
Missed driving the LS while away on business for a week+ . . .
The dealer provided my wife with a Sable loaner until the replacement part arrives.
Ray - good to hear from you! I got my Aviator on X-Plan thanks to Mark K. (TTG). If the Aviator is a "gussied up" Explorer, then so be it, but it's far better driver than the Explorer . . . improved suspension with the anti-lift/dive characteristics innate to the LS. The engine is smooth and powerful and the transmission is impressively smooth too. The interior is very nice and wouldn't remind you of an Explorer either.
I'm not sure the LS won't acquire a major cult following when the DEW98 version is dropped for the next gen. They are an incredible car for the money you pay. And yes, IMO, the 6 is peppy enough for the average person. It's faster than that coffin Cadillac calls the CTS.
Undocumented features?
-Paul
The same sensor is used to turn the auto headlamps on and off and switch the NAV system from day to nite display mode.
If you want your lights on all the time, you could cover up the sensor. It is in the middle of the dashboard at the base of the windshield.
circlea
We have 47K miles on our LS-8 Sport. We had a problem early on with a loose connector on the PATS that caused the car to not start because it didn't think our key was legitimate.
Other than that, the dealer replaced the rear licence plate trim plate because it wasn't lying completely flat against the trunk. That is the extent of our failures of this Consumer Reporrts "unacceptable reliability" automobile.
The original brakes still look good. Our LS still performs as well (or better) than new and is completely tight with no rattles, squeaks, leaks or other unnatural noises. We get 18-19 MPG in city driving and 23-26 MPG on trips.
If the rumors are true that Lincoln has been "dumbing down" later models and don't offer the rain-sensitive wipers after 2003, We'll just have to trade this one in on a 2003 model when we are ready to replace this one. I won't go without the rain-sensitive wiper feature for our major trip car. I consider it a "must have" after being spoiled by our 2000 LS.
Your odds of getting an LS that was "abused" by being driven as it was intended by the team that designed and developed it are sadly very, very slim.
Even if the V8 was "hot rodded" that doesn't mean it's a problem. These cars hold up very well.