Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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I can generally get the discoloration out every spring when I hand wash and wax the car. I use Meguiar's, but I don't believe the brand of wax or polish are important, I'm just cheap! What ever is on sale and is safe for the finish usually works for me.
BTW, ScottC, has Omar the tent maker shipped my "secret" sack cloth robe size to you yet? I figure it'll take two years of canvas production, but I can then join the cult. ;-)
Seemed most Japanese car owners were very positive towards the Audi. LS got a couple comments of "plain" interior which is no surprise to early posters on this board.
No complaints of size of interior for either the LS or Audi but the CTS was considered small and thus the car was considered cheaper.
Brian (who is not taking himself very seriously at the moment!)
Geez, maybe you're contagious.
Before I give in and buy the car, I just had a few questions for those of you who already have the car.
First, I see that the car requires premium unleaded gas. My question is, what is the minimum octane rating that Lincoln recommnds to use, and what minimum octane gas do you owners actually use in the car?
The second question is what kind of real world gas mileage do you get on 8 cylinder LS's? I seldom drive over 75 mph so I'd like to know what I can expect on the highway at 75 and not interested in mileage at 120. :-) Also, curious what you're getting in strictly city driving.
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
The minimum recommended octane is 91. I get all my gas at the same Phillips 66 station; I always use their premium grade which is listed at 93 on the pump. My in-town mileage seems to have slipped a bit recently; my last tank, which was virtually all local driving, was 16.48, and I'm not sure why. It's possible that the local gas formula (I'm in Central Texas) has changed, but I don't know that for sure. I was expecting to get slightly better mileage than I'm getting, especially on the highway, but it's not that much of a bother for me.
Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the car. I have had ZERO problems thus far; the only trips to the dealer have been for routine maintenance.
The zero-percent financing was set to expire on Oct. 31, and I'm not sure if they've extended it; you should check with the dealer. Also, you might want to see what sort of discount you can get on an identically-equipped '02 if your dealer can find one. Unless there's a huge difference in drive-out price, you might be better off with the new model. MSRP didn't change for '02, and the zero financing also applies. Furthermore, you get the Audiophile stereo with the '02 Sport.
If you decide to join the LS family, I predict you'll be very happy with the car--I like mine a LOT!
Highway gives me a consistent 24.5mpg with cruising in the 70-80 range.
Not bad considering my E36 BMW maxed out at 29mpg on the highway with fewer cylinders, fewer horses, less torque, and a much smaller displacement.
I live in West Texas, and 90 octane is the highest anybody around here seems to carry. I guess that's what everyone driving LS's around town are using.
Also, the gas mileage you are all getting is better than what I'm currently getting on my 97 Grand Marquis....only 13 - 14 in town, and 22 on highway.... So the LS would be an improvement for me..although the higher gas cost might make my overal fuel cost about the same as I'm spending now.
Also, thanks to rgnmstr and johnnylinc for the comments about a 2002 vs 2001. The 2001 models I'm looking at have only 180 miles or so on them...so they would be new, but you made me realize that the 2001 is a 1 year old car, especially in terms of future resale value. I just figured they would cut me a better deal on the 01 to move it off their lot, but we haven't gotten to the point of negotiating yet, so no telling. Still, I do like the idea of the Audiophile stereo system on the 02 that was mentioned. Perhaps I will look at what I can do on an '02.
Thanks for the input. I've learned a lot about the LS from reading this board for the last 9 months......When I took a test drive yesterday, I knew more about the car than the sales guy who was trying to sell me the car. The best he could do in his sales pitch was tell me that the radio had buttons that you could adjust the bass and treble on the stereo, that there was a little storage compartment under the middle arm rest, and the visors had mirrors on the back of them.
Anyway, thanks again for the input.
As far as the audiophile stereo goes that feature was included as part of the sport package in 2001 also.
Oh and another gripe. The extra cost appearance package that will be available in late 2002 should be a part of the sport package.
My guess is that young people (under 30) who grew up with their parent's BMW's and Mercedes might just like the CTS since it stands out. Ok, I think it's ugly, but if someone wanted to be noticed, it sure doesn't look like the LS, BMW etc.
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 29, 2001 - Ford has extended its Ford Drives America program through Tuesday, Nov. 20. The program offers consumers 36-month, zero percent financing on most 2001 and 2002 Ford brand cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans.
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10073
if I am stuck, is there any add on noise suppression kit available that will reduce engine compartment noise???
I have 9100 miles on my car and the replace filter message comes on all of the time. Isn't it a bit early? I dont drive in conditions that would warrant it yet i thought. Thanks
The replacement filter message is for the filter at the air inlet to air-conditioning. that filter should be replaced every 15K miles. The replacement is very simple, there are instructions in the car's manual. You can order the filter from the ford parts network (cabin filter FP-25). The replacement only takes 15 minutes. My dealer wanted $100 to replace it.
www.fordpartsnetwork.com
You may want to try using synthetic oil such as Mobil 1. Some people have had a noticeable reduction in the whine by using it.
The drone which is a beating of close resonances in drive line components only happens when the torque converter is locked and is most common at a constant speed (42 MPH 4th gear, 51 MPH 5th gear with 3.31 axle) but can also be heard under light acceleration, that is light enough so the torque converter does not unlock.
I'm glad to hear that the cam chain whine is gone in 2002 models, but what about the drone? The new halfshafts reduce but do not eliminate the drone. I heard somewhere that to completely eliminate the drone that changes to the unibody or subframe would have to be made if not some more of the driveline components. Have any of these changes been made in the 2002?
My experience with switching to synthetic oil is that it greatly reduced the mechanical noise when starting up on very cold mornings (due to nearly instantaneous oil flow), but has not made any difference in the noise once the engine is warmed up.
Terminator mustang was also mentioned for 2003 (last year of production for current platform). Supercharged 4.6L putting out 400 hp.
Nick Scheele will be the new COO; other executive changes will also take place. The official announcement will be made on Tuesday, according to the article.
Here's a link:
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=828
If the link doesn't work, just go to the main page at www.autonews.com and you'll see the article.
Here's the link: http://www.llsoc.com/Mania/LS%20Mania%202.htm
Brian
Their warranty provides up to $2000.00 for repairs to your vehicle for 4 years if their film fails to provide protection. I didn't see any for Clearmask.
"For the first time in the U.S., Toyota [Motor Corp.] has a double-digit lead" in quality, Mr. Scheele said. "Ford is, for the first time, significantly worse than GM or Chrysler," referring to Detroit rivals General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group....
..."Some of the actions that we've taken in the past few years maybe distracted us and contributed to a deterioration in quality," he said, without elaborating....
...Still, while Ford has succeeded in cost-cutting for years, Mr. Scheele said, "our costs are [now] going up and going up dramatically," attributable in part to growing expenses for sales incentives and other marketing initiatives. The $1,000 per vehicle added on average over the past five years came at a time when new-vehicle prices were falling in the face of intense competition from import rivals. The squeeze has hurt Ford's profit margins and contributed to a deep slide in market share, which Mr. Scheele called "severe damage."
- Nick Scheele, who will be named to the new position of chief operating officer and president of Ford Automotive Operations, quoted in the WSJ, October 4, 2001
http://interactive.wsj.com/
It is only on lower gears, 1, 2, and 3, and can be repaired by replacing one of the gears in the tranny, but I do not remember which one.
There is a TSB on it, but the tranny gear change is the last thing on the list of what the dealership is supposed to do. I think there are about 5 other steps prior to that, so it will take some committment and patience to get it resolved completely.
Bruno
The issue was that the LS does not have any slip in the converter so the resonance gets passed from cam chain to the body -- whereas a slight slippage like other cars have (had?) would have masked this issue.
XKR-R Performance Prototype – Perhaps the ultimate expression of Jaguar's top-of-the-line sports coupe, the XKR-R is motivated by a supercharged V-8 engine boosted to over 400 horsepower. Acceleration is staggering, with a 0 – 60 mph times recorded at 4.6 seconds. Not a single component escaped Jaguar's Special Vehicle Operations team's attention in the metamorphosis from stock XKR to the unique XKR-R, from the shape of the front bumper to the quad-outlet exhaust.
Lincoln
LS "Sport Edition" – Performance modifications to this luxury sport sedan include an intercooler supercharger system, electronic upgrades and a performance air intake system that helps the 3.9-liter V-8 engine generate 350 horsepower and 350 lbs.-ft. of torque. Other performance modifications consist of a lower ride height, Bilstein shocks, upgraded anti-roll bars, 19-inch diameter 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheels and Z-rated high performance radial tires. The brake rotors have been cross-drilled and grooved. Extensive exterior and interior enhancements match the vehicles overall performance.
I like the Lincoln LS but have also considered the import competition (Acura TL, Infinity I 30 etc.)
I've done some research and have read some of this town hall, can somebody give me compelling reasons
to buy the Lincoln LS.?
I've read edmunds comparison on entry level luxury cars and the LS was rated lower than much of it's competition. Also, are their concerns for the auto trans. on this vehicle?
And , last question, V-8 or V-6. I'm a previous owner of a '91 Taurus SHO w/5-speed and Yamaha V-6.
Any LS owners with V-6 manual that can give me some feedback?
Thanks for your help!