So i had the pleasure (it was fun) of participating in an opinion survey deal locally. Big survey firm had 8 cars for participants to evaluate as to basically looks. It was all indoors under the lights, though some folks did get to ride in 3 different vehicles, I found out later to evaluate different seats.
How do I know it was Lincoln putting on the show? Well, I hardly 'KNOW' anything - but the clues were easy to read. Of the 8 vehicles to evaluate, 6 were recognizeable even thru the masking on the nameplates etc. There was a Lexus GS430, an Infiniti M3or4(5), a Caddy STS, Caddy Deville, 2 other Japanese cars that I can't recall now. Then there were 2 vehicles I'd never seen before. These were without a doubt the cars in question for the survey. They were also unmistakeably, to me, Lincolns because of the waterfall grilles and the (covered over) letterring on the back which consisted of 7 seven evenly spaced letters across the trunk. Could be Mercury I guess, but Merc don't compete against Lexus, eh? In fact, according to ANT14
-- calling ANT14 here --
neither does Lincoln. Ant says Lincoln competes against Buick. But there were no Buicks here. (Well, I guess one of the 2 I've forgotten could have been a Buick but I don't think so.)
We participants were given 12 pound (seemed like) computers to carry around and answer questions like - does this car look too big, too small or just right? Rate the tailights of this car from 1 to 10, etc right down to the door handles. Long story short, the exteriors of these 2 new Lincolns (and I suppose it's really only one new Lincoln and they're trying to decide which one) were simply beautiful. Both of them. Better looking designs than we've seen from Lincoln in quite some time. And better design 'statements' than any of the other 6 cars on the floor, some of which, especially the Lexus, just look disjointed to my eye - and those HUGE tailights on the Infiniti M - geez. Now I know I'm walking a bit of a thin line here cause I don't wanna divulge too much. But these were fine looking sedans, both most probably based on the same underpinnings and having similar size and shape, but really 2 distinctive looks. One was more sedate and town car-like, but much better looking (not that I dislike the current town car) -better lines, better 'flow' of the design, really outstanding front end and super-modernistic headlights. The other was quite similar in the front, but racier from there back. Really dramatic tail treatment. I liked this one a lot. I'll bet the other one will show up on dealer lots though. This one might be TOOO much for Lincoln to handle. Both of these vehicles I'm quite sure are based on the AWD platforms we've been hearing so much about. In a further clue as to who was sponsoring, 2 of the 3 cars that were actually driven were Mercury Montegos, outfitted with different seats. The other was the Lexus. Standards are being set high for sure.
There were also 7 interiors to examine and comment on. 6 real ones and a mockup. The mockup looked a lot like some Lincoln concept photos I've seen. And it was beautiful. Symmetrical, light and airy feeling in the manner of the Navigator interior but different. There were some things I'd change, but it definitely was equal to the classiest of the rest of the interiors, namely the Infiniti M-series and the Lexus, though the Lincoln was less 'sporty-looking' than those 2. One comment here is that as I looked carefully at one interior in particular I began to realize how poorly it stood up to the rest of those on display. I wasn't quite sure which car it was in so, after I finished rating it, I peeked behind the curtain - it was the Caddy STS. What a shame. I guess GM will never learn. (We were asked to evaluate only 4 of the 7 interriors so I didn't get to eval the Caddy Deville inside, but I took a uick look and - well, u know the rest). The center stack of the STS was black plastic surrounded by a too-huge rectangular expanse of fake-looking wood (though I've since read that it's real) I read that on the review on this site, in which they also praised the interior. I guess if u just got out of a Kia, maybe.
Anyway, I don't think I've really given anything away here. I came away quite impressed with these 2 possible new Lincolns. And they could indeed both be built IF the panther TC is dropped cause the sedate one would make a great TC and the other could easily be the new COntinental, they are different enough (except in the front). We'll see. I just hope they have some actual real Lincoln-worthy ENGINEs in em.
I'm sure these were not future LSes. They were too big for that, I would think. I might even have considered one of them had Ford not stuck me with this auto-temp control system from h*ll in my LS and then said it's supposed to work like that. OTOH, the one in my Navigator works fine. But the way they've treated a $100,000 customer leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention a frozen left side and burning right side of that same mouth when driving with temp in auto.
Sometimes you try and use other examples from higher placed brands, to gauge response over it. That's like placing a GM interior next to a Jaguar interior, just to point out the dramatic difference.
How did you like the trunks? Did they show you those ?
Well, gas prices are dropping, but not fast enough for me. $3.03 last week, $2.95 this week for premium (91 octane) here in California Bay Area. (Intersting that ALL the gas companies are posting RECORD profits though, huh?)
So I've become interested in getting better mileage out of my vehicles. I ran a short test on my Nav last weekend with pretty good results and now am reporting what I did with the LS.
I filled it up and topped it off Monday morn before work. Did 4 commutes (appx 70 miles round trip each). Total miles 279.2 Works out to probably 85% highway miles and each trip includes going up and over an 1800 foot Mt pass. My driving style has been to enjoy the heck out of my 5 speed LS, lots of winding it out, not really concerned about mileage. Driving this way gets me about 22mpg consistently.
This week I didn't drive like that. Raather I 'wussy-footed' it. No quick takeoffs, shift much earlier than usual, very light foot on the gas, kept speed under 65 rather than usual 80 -85 (to keep up with traffic - at 60 mph on Tues, the only vehicle I passed on one 10 mile stretch was a garbage truck), coasted when possible, even shifted into neutral when safe.
Results: 28.3 mpg I filled and topped off at same pump. I was real pleased - that's like a 25-30% increase in mileage. Course the LS grin really doesn't develop driving this way. Can't have everything. Oh and, YMMV.
"I might even have considered one of them But the way they've treated a $100,000 customer leaves a real bad taste in my mouth."
Oh, get over it, George - one little mistake!!! I've had a couple "not so stellar" cars in my lifetime. I don't write off the company over it. I'm not in love with Bill Ford's politics at the moment either, but if he's got some incredible product coming, I'm going to give it a look.... Your review is very very interesting, and I appreciate your taking the time to inform us. In fact, I'm darn jealous of your experience! Great write up, BTW.
"Oh, get over it, George - one little mistake!!! I've had a couple "not so stellar" cars in my lifetime. I don't write off the company over it."
I'm in a good mood this AM, having spent the day yesterday tooling around in my Navigator visiting and photographing a couple of California Missions, so my response will not be my typical knee-jerk. In fact, not going to get into it at all. But I do have a right to react the way I do to the treatment received from Ford over this issue. I see on the Aviator board that Aviators are being bought back because of the HVAC problem that I have. There's much to like about my LS, but the auto-HVAC is NOT one of those.
As for other questions - No, they didn't show us any trunks. They were interested in how we reacted to the looks of the vehicles ONLY, both ionside and out. But they kept us about 10 feet away from the exteriors at all times and tho we could get up close and personal with the interiors, instructions wee not to get in and not even to touch anything. Just appearance was the issue.
These 2 (or 1) new cars I'm almost positive are the Lincoln version(s) of the Montego. As such, I doubt they will interest most of us LS enthusiasts, these being bigger, FWD-biased with $2000 AWD option and who-knows-what under the hood. In fact, except for the deville and sts, it seems to me the competition we were comparing against was in a different league - I mean the GS430 and Infiniti M-series MIGHT be in the class of a new Hi-Po Continental type vehicle, but certainly not a Town-car type.
Your correct. The book says 91. Everyone at my dealer says the use of reg. gas will do no harm to the engine. I live in Fl and the six works great. No hills or snow or ice. Most roads are so straight you aim. The car also worked great on a road trip to New england in the summer. On the road its a dream. Love this car.
So you like paying more for gas and getting less performance? The difference between regular and premium is less than 10% these days, so if your mileage drops 10% because of the retarded timing then you're actually paying more for gas than if you just used premium like the owner's manual recommends.
" But I do have a right to react the way I do to the treatment received from Ford over this issue."
Of course you do!! I'm just suggesting, that you maybe not deny yourself a shot at a great new product. Look, I had some horrible Cadillacs in the 80's - we're talking engines that lasted 20,000 miles apiece - GM's response was, "we've got plenty of those on the shelf in the back". I've not owned another one since I started buying Lincolns in the 90's but I still look them over. So far, I've yet to be overly impressed with Cadillac, or GM, but if they brought out something that dazzled me, I'd give them another shot someday. They're all machines - it's a miracle they even work at all. YMMV.
Still jealous.....
Took my Navigator over Easter weekend to Death Valley and shot the whole park. It was an awesome trip, and a great truck to do it in...
I love reading about the dealers recommending the regular fuel. Otherwise, they're going to turn customers away and it is obvious that the higher octane does turn customers away.
Its a win-win for the dealership. They will have to resell them a car a lot sooner when the engine blows...
They told my sister the same thing with her 04 Aviator. I believe that I was able to convince her otherwise.
The timing gets retarded only if the knock sensor senses detonation. This is very unlikely to occur at 60-80 MPH road-load with 89 octane. Hence, no loss in fuel economy.
The owners' manual states thet performance MAY be reduced with lower than recommended octane. And, it makes no reference to engine damage, or effect on warranty. Two folks on another LS forum are reporting no loss in fuel economy when using 89 (or less) octane, and one is supporting it with data.
"Would that be a reduction in torque or horsepower?"
1) the operative word is "MAY" 2) Yep ... at wide open throttle, not at 60-80 MPH road load. If you're gonna race, tow, or climb mountains, use 91 octane. Otherwise, 89 octane MAY be your best bet.
I have always wanted to see, if not own, a convertible LS. I have heard people in the past say "There is a convertible LS..its called The Ford Thunderbird". No I mean a 4- door sedan. Kinda like the convertible Chrysler 300C I saw in Motor Trend today. I read where ACS(i believe was the groups name) had first offered this design to Lincoln but Lincoln turned them down. :confuse: I don't know alot about convertibles or what kind of problems(if any) come with a 4-door convertible. Is there just not a market for 4-D converts or maybe Lincoln has there own design in store for the next generation of vehicles? I had to agree that the 300C was pretty sharp with the top down. Didn't agree with article when it said something to the effect "Lincoln turned down ACS(?) and it is just as well since Chrysler is redefining the American Sedan market it should redefine the convertible market". Please excuse my bad quoting as I am trying to draw from memory here. Maybe someone who has the article could fill in the exact quotes from the car rag. Maybe ANT could drop us a hint on any future Lincoln convertibles Till then I guess I will just wait and see.
"...what kind of problems(if any) come with a 4-door convertible..."
Structural problems > shake & NVH.
Imagine a side view of the LS. Now remove the doors, B-pillar, seats, and roof. Notice what little is left that connects the front with the back. The roof structure is gone, and its contribution to body stiffness must be made up elsewhere. Huge $$ and weight penalty to get that stiffness back solely in the lower part. Not likely it could be done at any cost and still satisfy the NVH requirements of the LS buyer.
Well, ya know, using the fuel computer, which "seems to" be fairly accurate, because I'm not going to measure each gallon put into the tank with an SAE container, it seems to drop to about 12.5 mpg when I don't use 91, but gets me about 13 when I do. Of course, temperature, the load of A/C, cooling fan drag, etc., all play their part on this truck...... Hard to be sure. "seems to" is about as empirical as I get.
The Tbird has a lot of cowl shake, and that's after they added bracing behind the seats. That's also the reason they didn't use the dew98 platform for the new mustang - the convertible had to have a back seat.
There may be a 2 door lincoln convertible (or at least a Mercury) built off the stang platform but as for a 4 door convertible - there just isn't a big enough market to justify the R&D. Plus most 4 door platforms aren't designed to be convertibles.
Does anyone know when the Lincoln LS is being discontinued or replaced? I know it's a matter of time now because the LS is now 5 years old and is outdated compared to the competition.
I hope Lincoln gets the replacement/redesign right. They need a solid entry into the Luxury Performance Sedan segment, a solid competitor the Cadillac STS and Chrysler 300C. Maybe they could design it on the Five Hundred platform, but they need to inject some muscle into whatever engine they use.
For 2006 the V6 has been dropped and the LSE body parts are now standard. So you can have a V8 LSE in any color with a few interior options. It may stay for 2007 but will not see much (if any) change. 2008 is highly unlikely. The new volvo based platform should be out by then.
I just invested in a 2004 LS V8 w/about 14,000 miles.
Naturally, some of the info I got on the car from the sales help appeared to be inaccurate. They were calling it an Ultimate, but from what I could see from the brochure it appeared to be a V8 Sport w/some options like power moonroof, heated & cooled front seats, premium 6-CD player, leather wheel & shifter (no wood in the interior). Verbally said it had rear park, but I didn't see any of the round thingies on the rear bumper so I assumed it didn't have it either (also not noted on the paperwork).
What I'd really like to know is that the car's paperwork mentioned it had the optional Advance Trac; how do I find out for sure if I have it or not and/or what kind of suspension I really have?
The car used to be a rental in southern California. I used to rent Hertz all the time (which is why I broke down & bought the LS finally) but I wasn't aware anyone rented Ultimates, another reason I'm assuming this is a Sport.
I'm happy w/the LS, but I just wanted some input from you seasoned owners about the Advance Trac, Sport or Ultimate, or whatever you want to tell me about.
Also, w/14,000 miles am I about due for some required maintenance? Thanks for any info you all provide.
I don't remember the differences between the sport and ultimate, but if you have a V8 then you have the sport suspension. The V6 has the base suspension. See above for info on identifying Advance Trac vs. Traction Control.
You're not due for anything other than oil and filters until 30K.
That was true for the early models but they changed that in 2003 or 2004 and started offering the wood as an option, but again I don't remember all the details.
Only the '03 Premium Sport and the renamed for '04+ Ultimate have adjustable rear seat head restraints. You won't find them on any '03+ Sport. Hope that helps answer the original question.
Thanks for the helpful info. When I got back to the car after work I found on the console (instead of words) a silhouette of a car w/squiggly tire tracks (like on a slippery road hazard sign) and the only word "off". The manual told me the car symbol meant Advance Trac. Thanks for steering me in the right direction.
Already I have my first problem the first day I have the car. After I made it home from work (round trip over 70 miles) I put the car in reverse while parking and it shifted w/a violent lurch. I called the dealership & they suggested it might be a pint low on tranny fluid, bring it in to service bright and early tomorrow as it's under warranty. I hope it's something minor like that and I'm back on the road quick; I want to stay in an LS. Does that problem and solution seem likely?
Sorry to seem such a worry wart... I've waited so long to get my hands on my own LS and I anticipate a lot of pleasurable cruising if my individual car holds up.
I went to the dealership before I checked for your messages; all is alright with the world now as they fixed the problem.
The hired help told me that I had to come back Monday as the transmission guy wasn't in... the service manager in the background told him to write it up & have the car checked now.
After a couple of hours I was informed they replaced a solenoid, I believe they reset a computer (thinking I heard the word "reflash" somewhere), and I was advised to drive it the way I normally would for a week so the car can get used to me. No problems since, and I seem to find the most frivolous excuses to take a drive anywhere. Pretty happy w/the car at this point.
The service manager also told me he would be mailing the (service) paperwork to me as it wasn't ready when I picked up the car on Saturday.
The transmission does not "adapt" or "learn" your driving style or habits (contrary to popular belief). What it does is measure the time it takes to make each shift compared to the factory spec and it adjusts the shift pressures if necessary to keep them within spec. This is to compensate for manufacturing variations and wear over time. How you drive has no effect other than allowing this 'training' to occur more quickly.
That's the kind of Lincoln service I'm used to, and glad to hear you received. Sadly, it doesn't always happen. The LS is an awesome machine, it's been undermarketed by Ford, and underrated by the public, but those who own one, usually understand what they have. Hope you enjoy now, and glad they got the solenoid fixed. You should be fine now, that's a good tranny. The incorrect fluid filled at the factory caused that solenoid pack to fail, there's a recall out for your car to fix it, and the prior owner should have had it done. But you're good to go now.
For those who aren't aware (I'm guessing that's everyone), there's a Lincoln LS involved in what Car & Driver calls the "One Lap of America," even though it appears to be a couple of ovals in the East. But (as usual), I digress. There was a time when this was called the Cannonball Run & actually involved long-distance touring, but that was then and this. . .
A few days of this are done now, and the (wet) skidpad results are at least moderately interesting. The LS came in 17th out of 91, with a 0.829g, which sounds pretty decent. It's better than lots of BMW's, a Viper & much else. More interesting is that the #2 finisher is a Chrysler 300C, with 0.887g. Tires are a big factor here, of course, but there you are. There's a Chevy Cavalier & a beetle ahead of the LS also.
I wonder if that 300C is an SRT; the June C/D has a road test of one. It's a monster: 0-60 in 4.7seconds, coupled with Brembo brakes and a significantly stiffer suspension. Not bad for a big 4200 lb. sled.
That 300C is a SRT-8 and it's a factory tweak job. The LS guys figure it's pushing 400-450 hp - at the REAR WHEELS. It also has modified traction control. I guess you'd need it with that much power.
The LS is holding up great this year. They're running a Rousch SC 4.6L engine and they've fixed the engine/tranny/cooling problems from last year. They're having a fuel starvation problem on corners so they're not getting everything they could but there's no way they'd catch that 300C anyway. That thing is wicked fast.
The most interesting vehicle is the Dodge Ram. It's really a tube frame race car with a factory body. Basically a Craftsmen Truck Series ringer. It's in 4th place overall behind the Porsche Twin Turbo 996, Viper and Corvette. Pretty impressive.
Sadly, it appears the LS is being replaced by the Zephyr, to be introduced in late 2005. Whiile I've always thought LS was a weak name, changing it now certainly makes my car a dead end item. The Zephyr looks LSish and appears to be about the same size, so it seems like curtains for this line. Seems like they could have evolved it, calling it the Zephyr LS or some such. Whatever happens, I still love my LS. Pix of the Z are apvailable here. http://www.lincoln.com/vehicles/newvehiclepreview/zephyr/default.asp
The Zephyr is not replacing the LS. The LS will continue to be sold until 2007 or so and will eventually be replaced by a new vehicle built off the Volvo platform, most likely with available V8 power and AWD.
Lincoln did drop the V6 option on the LS for 2006 to avoid competing with the Zephyr.
I also have a 2004 LS. It is the Ultimate Version with Sport Suspension. You may have already had the following done. My vehicle was also hard shifting into reverse and it was somewhat erratic from 2nd to 3rd.
There were a number of TSB program upgrades for my car and the result was that all the above went away.
By the way the Ultimate has a unique feature that makes it easy to identify and that is the 7 spoke chrome wheel.
I'm thoroughly enjoying my LS. In the past 3 weeks I've put on about 2,000 miles.
The transmission lurch was resolved. Cricketts mentioned the car being erratic from 2nd to 3rd. My LS seems to hesitate around the 35-45 mph range, does this sound like a TSB issue (especially when I'm going up a steep hill)?
My AC filter needed to be replaced, which I did last weekend at the service department. On the invoice they also noted rec 15,000 mile service. The car has about 15,400 miles now (I bought the car w/about 13,500 on it). When scheduling for the 15,000 mile service this coming weekend the service rep told me I could save $ by getting the 6,000 mile service instead, and it would also take care of my slight vibration problem that happens at about 50 mph (I am hoping it's a balance/rotation/alignment issue since it only happens around that speed but not my normal highway cruising speeds).
Does getting that 6,000 rec service the service department suggested affect my warranty instead of me getting the 15,000 mile rec service? I'm not worried about the $100 difference, I want to keep the car maintained but don't want to get work done that isn't necessary. Anyway I want the car perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend. Thanks for any words of wisdom anyone can provide. Otherwise, still lovin' it.
I have placed a deposit down on a 04 LS Premium. I have looked & test drove the Volvo S80 and BMW 5 series. For the price and ride; I think I have finally found the 'right' car for me! :shades: I have been looking at all the TSB's for the 04 LS. I have a question... do I have the car serviced/checked for these TSB's before I take delivery or very soon after? Or do I just drive it a while to see if I even need to have any of the TSB's addressed on the car? Also I have the option to purchase an extended warranty that will bump the warranty up to 7yr/75,000 miles. Is it worth the extra $1700? Or a waste of money for 25,000 extra miles? The LS seems pretty reliable?? Any thoughts?
My hubby was of no help to answer this question... he is just relived that I have finally placed a deposit on a car and his weekends will now be free of test drives! So thanks in advance for the help~
I do hope they drop the LS name. It's way too generic......too much like the Lexus, and the Sable, and the Grand Marquis de Sade, and every other car that uses that designation for their Luxury Sedan.....and I don't like it. But it won't stop me from buying the car, if I really like the car.
Comments
So i had the pleasure (it was fun) of participating in an opinion survey deal locally. Big survey firm had 8 cars for participants to evaluate as to basically looks. It was all indoors under the lights, though some folks did get to ride in 3 different vehicles, I found out later to evaluate different seats.
How do I know it was Lincoln putting on the show? Well, I hardly 'KNOW' anything - but the clues were easy to read. Of the 8 vehicles to evaluate, 6 were recognizeable even thru the masking on the nameplates etc. There was a Lexus GS430, an Infiniti M3or4(5), a Caddy STS, Caddy Deville, 2 other Japanese cars that I can't recall now. Then there were 2 vehicles I'd never seen before. These were without a doubt the cars in question for the survey. They were also unmistakeably, to me, Lincolns because of the waterfall grilles and the (covered over) letterring on the back which consisted of 7 seven evenly spaced letters across the trunk. Could be Mercury I guess, but Merc don't compete against Lexus, eh? In fact, according to ANT14
-- calling ANT14 here --
neither does Lincoln. Ant says Lincoln competes against Buick. But there were no Buicks here. (Well, I guess one of the 2 I've forgotten could have been a Buick but I don't think so.)
We participants were given 12 pound (seemed like) computers to carry around and answer questions like - does this car look too big, too small or just right? Rate the tailights of this car from 1 to 10, etc right down to the door handles. Long story short, the exteriors of these 2 new Lincolns (and I suppose it's really only one new Lincoln and they're trying to decide which one) were simply beautiful. Both of them. Better looking designs than we've seen from Lincoln in quite some time. And better design 'statements' than any of the other 6 cars on the floor, some of which, especially the Lexus, just look disjointed to my eye - and those HUGE tailights on the Infiniti M - geez. Now I know I'm walking a bit of a thin line here cause I don't wanna divulge too much. But these were fine looking sedans, both most probably based on the same underpinnings and having similar size and shape, but really 2 distinctive looks. One was more sedate and town car-like, but much better looking (not that I dislike the current town car) -better lines, better 'flow' of the design, really outstanding front end and super-modernistic headlights. The other was quite similar in the front, but racier from there back. Really dramatic tail treatment. I liked this one a lot. I'll bet the other one will show up on dealer lots though. This one might be TOOO much for Lincoln to handle. Both of these vehicles I'm quite sure are based on the AWD platforms we've been hearing so much about. In a further clue as to who was sponsoring, 2 of the 3 cars that were actually driven were Mercury Montegos, outfitted with different seats. The other was the Lexus. Standards are being set high for sure.
There were also 7 interiors to examine and comment on. 6 real ones and a mockup. The mockup looked a lot like some Lincoln concept photos I've seen. And it was beautiful. Symmetrical, light and airy feeling in the manner of the Navigator interior but different. There were some things I'd change, but it definitely was equal to the classiest of the rest of the interiors, namely the Infiniti M-series and the Lexus, though the Lincoln was less 'sporty-looking' than those 2. One comment here is that as I looked carefully at one interior in particular I began to realize how poorly it stood up to the rest of those on display. I wasn't quite sure which car it was in so, after I finished rating it, I peeked behind the curtain - it was the Caddy STS. What a shame. I guess GM will never learn. (We were asked to evaluate only 4 of the 7 interriors so I didn't get to eval the Caddy Deville inside, but I took a uick look and - well, u know the rest). The center stack of the STS was black plastic surrounded by a too-huge rectangular expanse of fake-looking wood (though I've since read that it's real) I read that on the review on this site, in which they also praised the interior. I guess if u just got out of a Kia, maybe.
Anyway, I don't think I've really given anything away here. I came away quite impressed with these 2 possible new Lincolns. And they could indeed both be built IF the panther TC is dropped cause the sedate one would make a great TC and the other could easily be the new COntinental, they are different enough (except in the front). We'll see. I just hope they have some actual real Lincoln-worthy ENGINEs in em.
I'm sure these were not future LSes. They were too big for that, I would think. I might even have considered one of them had Ford not stuck me with this auto-temp control system from h*ll in my LS and then said it's supposed to work like that. OTOH, the one in my Navigator works fine. But the way they've treated a $100,000 customer leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention a frozen left side and burning right side of that same mouth when driving with temp in auto.
YMMV.
How did you like the trunks?
So I've become interested in getting better mileage out of my vehicles. I ran a short test on my Nav last weekend with pretty good results and now am reporting what I did with the LS.
I filled it up and topped it off Monday morn before work. Did 4 commutes (appx 70 miles round trip each). Total miles 279.2 Works out to probably 85% highway miles and each trip includes going up and over an 1800 foot Mt pass. My driving style has been to enjoy the heck out of my 5 speed LS, lots of winding it out, not really concerned about mileage. Driving this way gets me about 22mpg consistently.
This week I didn't drive like that. Raather I 'wussy-footed' it. No quick takeoffs, shift much earlier than usual, very light foot on the gas, kept speed under 65 rather than usual 80 -85 (to keep up with traffic - at 60 mph on Tues, the only vehicle I passed on one 10 mile stretch was a garbage truck), coasted when possible, even shifted into neutral when safe.
Results: 28.3 mpg I filled and topped off at same pump. I was real pleased - that's like a 25-30% increase in mileage. Course the LS grin really doesn't develop driving this way. Can't have everything. Oh and, YMMV.
Oh, get over it, George - one little mistake!!! I've had a couple "not so stellar" cars in my lifetime. I don't write off the company over it. I'm not in love with Bill Ford's politics at the moment either, but if he's got some incredible product coming, I'm going to give it a look.... Your review is very very interesting, and I appreciate your taking the time to inform us. In fact, I'm darn jealous of your experience!
Hope springs eternal, I guess.
Let's wait to see what actually happens. . .or more important, what happens three years after that.
I'm in a good mood this AM, having spent the day yesterday tooling around in my Navigator visiting and photographing a couple of California Missions, so my response will not be my typical knee-jerk. In fact, not going to get into it at all. But I do have a right to react the way I do to the treatment received from Ford over this issue. I see on the Aviator board that Aviators are being bought back because of the HVAC problem that I have. There's much to like about my LS, but the auto-HVAC is NOT one of those.
As for other questions - No, they didn't show us any trunks. They were interested in how we reacted to the looks of the vehicles ONLY, both ionside and out. But they kept us about 10 feet away from the exteriors at all times and tho we could get up close and personal with the interiors, instructions wee not to get in and not even to touch anything. Just appearance was the issue.
These 2 (or 1) new cars I'm almost positive are the Lincoln version(s) of the Montego. As such, I doubt they will interest most of us LS enthusiasts, these being bigger, FWD-biased with $2000 AWD option and who-knows-what under the hood. In fact, except for the deville and sts, it seems to me the competition we were comparing against was in a different league - I mean the GS430 and Infiniti M-series MIGHT be in the class of a new Hi-Po Continental type vehicle, but certainly not a Town-car type.
Out.
Penny wise, pound foolish.
Of course you do!! I'm just suggesting, that you maybe not deny yourself a shot at a great new product. Look, I had some horrible Cadillacs in the 80's - we're talking engines that lasted 20,000 miles apiece - GM's response was, "we've got plenty of those on the shelf in the back". I've not owned another one since I started buying Lincolns in the 90's but I still look them over. So far, I've yet to be overly impressed with Cadillac, or GM, but if they brought out something that dazzled me, I'd give them another shot someday. They're all machines - it's a miracle they even work at all. YMMV.
Still jealous.....
Took my Navigator over Easter weekend to Death Valley and shot the whole park. It was an awesome trip, and a great truck to do it in...
Its a win-win for the dealership. They will have to resell them a car a lot sooner when the engine blows...
They told my sister the same thing with her 04 Aviator. I believe that I was able to convince her otherwise.
The owners' manual states thet performance MAY be reduced with lower than recommended octane. And, it makes no reference to engine damage, or effect on warranty. Two folks on another LS forum are reporting no loss in fuel economy when using 89 (or less) octane, and one is supporting it with data.
In God we trust; all others bring data.
Would that be a reduction in torque or horsepower?
1) the operative word is "MAY"
2) Yep ... at wide open throttle, not at 60-80 MPH road load. If you're gonna race, tow, or climb mountains, use 91 octane. Otherwise, 89 octane MAY be your best bet.
Seem to ?
In God we trust; all others bring data.
Structural problems > shake & NVH.
Imagine a side view of the LS. Now remove the doors, B-pillar, seats, and roof. Notice what little is left that connects the front with the back. The roof structure is gone, and its contribution to body stiffness must be made up elsewhere. Huge $$ and weight penalty to get that stiffness back solely in the lower part. Not likely it could be done at any cost and still satisfy the NVH requirements of the LS buyer.
At least there's some interest in the LS being shown.
Progress, of a sort.
There may be a 2 door lincoln convertible (or at least a Mercury) built off the stang platform but as for a 4 door convertible - there just isn't a big enough market to justify the R&D. Plus most 4 door platforms aren't designed to be convertibles.
I hope Lincoln gets the replacement/redesign right. They need a solid entry into the Luxury Performance Sedan segment, a solid competitor the Cadillac STS and Chrysler 300C. Maybe they could design it on the Five Hundred platform, but they need to inject some muscle into whatever engine they use.
Naturally, some of the info I got on the car from the sales help appeared to be inaccurate. They were calling it an Ultimate, but from what I could see from the brochure it appeared to be a V8 Sport w/some options like power moonroof, heated & cooled front seats, premium 6-CD player, leather wheel & shifter (no wood in the interior). Verbally said it had rear park, but I didn't see any of the round thingies on the rear bumper so I assumed it didn't have it either (also not noted on the paperwork).
What I'd really like to know is that the car's paperwork mentioned it had the optional Advance Trac; how do I find out for sure if I have it or not and/or what kind of suspension I really have?
The car used to be a rental in southern California. I used to rent Hertz all the time (which is why I broke down & bought the LS finally) but I wasn't aware anyone rented Ultimates, another reason I'm assuming this is a Sport.
I'm happy w/the LS, but I just wanted some input from you seasoned owners about the Advance Trac, Sport or Ultimate, or whatever you want to tell me about.
Also, w/14,000 miles am I about due for some required maintenance? Thanks for any info you all provide.
You're not due for anything other than oil and filters until 30K.
Already I have my first problem the first day I have the car. After I made it home from work (round trip over 70 miles) I put the car in reverse while parking and it shifted w/a violent lurch. I called the dealership & they suggested it might be a pint low on tranny fluid, bring it in to service bright and early tomorrow as it's under warranty. I hope it's something minor like that and I'm back on the road quick; I want to stay in an LS. Does that problem and solution seem likely?
Sorry to seem such a worry wart... I've waited so long to get my hands on my own LS and I anticipate a lot of pleasurable cruising if my individual car holds up.
And when you bring it in, be certain that all current, applicable TSBs have been applied.
- Ray
Thinking 1 or more TSBs address this lurch . . .
The hired help told me that I had to come back Monday as the transmission guy wasn't in... the service manager in the background told him to write it up & have the car checked now.
After a couple of hours I was informed they replaced a solenoid, I believe they reset a computer (thinking I heard the word "reflash" somewhere), and I was advised to drive it the way I normally would for a week so the car can get used to me. No problems since, and I seem to find the most frivolous excuses to take a drive anywhere. Pretty happy w/the car at this point.
The service manager also told me he would be mailing the (service) paperwork to me as it wasn't ready when I picked up the car on Saturday.
Again, thanks for the help.
One point of clarification:
The transmission does not "adapt" or "learn" your driving style or habits (contrary to popular belief). What it does is measure the time it takes to make each shift compared to the factory spec and it adjusts the shift pressures if necessary to keep them within spec. This is to compensate for manufacturing variations and wear over time. How you drive has no effect other than allowing this 'training' to occur more quickly.
A few days of this are done now, and the (wet) skidpad results are at least moderately interesting. The LS came in 17th out of 91, with a 0.829g, which sounds pretty decent. It's better than lots of BMW's, a Viper & much else. More interesting is that the #2 finisher is a Chrysler 300C, with 0.887g. Tires are a big factor here, of course, but there you are. There's a Chevy Cavalier & a beetle ahead of the LS also.
Stay tuned.
The LS is holding up great this year. They're running a Rousch SC 4.6L engine and they've fixed the engine/tranny/cooling problems from last year. They're having a fuel starvation problem on corners so they're not getting everything they could but there's no way they'd catch that 300C anyway. That thing is wicked fast.
The most interesting vehicle is the Dodge Ram. It's really a tube frame race car with a factory body. Basically a Craftsmen Truck Series ringer. It's in 4th place overall behind the Porsche Twin Turbo 996, Viper and Corvette. Pretty impressive.
The whine of the supercharger is sweet......
Pix of the Z are apvailable here.
http://www.lincoln.com/vehicles/newvehiclepreview/zephyr/default.asp
Lincoln did drop the V6 option on the LS for 2006 to avoid competing with the Zephyr.
There were a number of TSB program upgrades for my car and the result was that all the above went away.
By the way the Ultimate has a unique feature that makes it easy to identify and that is the 7 spoke chrome wheel.
GOOD LUCK
I'm thoroughly enjoying my LS. In the past 3 weeks I've put on about 2,000 miles.
The transmission lurch was resolved. Cricketts mentioned the car being erratic from 2nd to 3rd. My LS seems to hesitate around the 35-45 mph range, does this sound like a TSB issue (especially when I'm going up a steep hill)?
My AC filter needed to be replaced, which I did last weekend at the service department. On the invoice they also noted rec 15,000 mile service. The car has about 15,400 miles now (I bought the car w/about 13,500 on it). When scheduling for the 15,000 mile service this coming weekend the service rep told me I could save $ by getting the 6,000 mile service instead, and it would also take care of my slight vibration problem that happens at about 50 mph (I am hoping it's a balance/rotation/alignment issue since it only happens around that speed but not my normal highway cruising speeds).
Does getting that 6,000 rec service the service department suggested affect my warranty instead of me getting the 15,000 mile rec service? I'm not worried about the $100 difference, I want to keep the car maintained but don't want to get work done that isn't necessary. Anyway I want the car perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend. Thanks for any words of wisdom anyone can provide. Otherwise, still lovin' it.
My hubby was of no help to answer this question... he is just relived that I have finally placed a deposit on a car and his weekends will now be free of test drives! So thanks in advance for the help~