Road Tests: Long-Term Test

While our road test editor, Dan Gardner, was swapping cars in Phoenix and taking a much needed vacation, our LS was cared for by our technical editor, who, upon hearing he would be driving a Lincoln, grimaced. Visions of an unresponsive behemoth of a cruiser danced in his head. Danced that is until he actually drove the darn thing. Said our tech guy, Scott Memmer: "After a few days I was surprised to find myself looking forward to driving this car. A Lincoln?! You gotta be kidding me." Love flows now as Memmer strokes the fenders affectionately.

After getting over the fact that the car he was piloting was a Lincoln, Memmer gushed about the quiet ride and responsive steering, although he did find the feel to be a bit vague. He criticizes, "Steering feedback harkens back to its forebears, such as the Town Car, and not forward to a future that might find a true performance car in the Lincoln lineup." Yeah, it doesn't feel like a BMW, but it IS an improvement over anything Lincoln's ever offered before. And that great sport suspension package we ordered on our car has sure come in handy during jaunts through the canyons. In fact, Memmer found that his nerve could not match the Lincoln's verve in the twist and turn department. He found himself backing off, but noted that the Lincoln really wanted more.

Memmer, like others before him, praised the smooth, powerful, responsive V8. He was quick to point out that it's too bad Ford couldn't have mated it to a decent transmission, a complaint made by all of the editors who have driven this newest of Lincolns have mentioned before. He noted that it hunts for gears, and upon selecting the appropriate one, engages in a jerky fashion. Like other editors, Memmer finds this to be the vehicle's major flaw, something that just can't be overlooked, especially when one considers the powertrains of the competitors in this class.

Inside we had some minor gripes. First, the cupholder in the center console is quite narrow and is non-intuitive in the deployment/return department. Memmer had trouble familiarizing himself with the cruise control, and was irked that the sunroof, when open, ruffled his perfect 'do a bit too much. Minor gripes aside, Memmer could not shake the feeling that he actually liked this Lincoln. "I have to search to find things wrong with this car. I almost feel guilty saying that about a Lincoln, but it's really that good."

This month, we also had the chance to drive the Lincoln back to back with the V8-powered Jaguar S-Type, which shares the same basic engine as well as many other components. Immediately, several things became clear. First, our Lincoln equipped with the sport package was by far the better-handling vehicle, especially when the roads got slick, as we found out one rainy afternoon in the canyons. Funny, because the Lincoln feels like the boxier, larger car, but it's just so much more responsive when you turn the wheel. The view out over the hood is a bit different as well. The Jag's got a steeper rake and gives a gunslinger's view out, while the Lincoln is more a traditional, and sedan-like in its upright stance.

Inside, the Jag is definitely more plush, but we were surprised by the amount of interior components that both cars share. Everything -- from the gauges, to the vents, to the stereo controls --is from the same parts bin. We also found that the wood trim in the Lincoln, which we had criticized before, was better in color and texture when compared directly to the Jaguar. The Jaguar is definitely an intriguing car; we're just not sure it commands the additional dollars over the Lincoln.

Total Odometer Reading: 3,868
Best Fuel Economy: 20.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.5 mpg
Running Average Over Life of Vehicle: 15.8 mpg
Body Damage Repair: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None