Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Due to a heavy schedule of road tests and comparison tests, our Lincoln LS received little use in the month of May. Senior Features Editor Brent Romans, our designated Lincoln driver for that month, vocally complained that he was being gypped out of seat time in one of his more favorite cars.

You might not expect someone born in 1972 to express a fondness for Lincoln, a brand of car most often associated with owners twice his age. Brent doesn't even play golf. But the LS is a different story, and its European-influenced design seems to be attracting a younger audience.

The LS is even good enough to attract people under legal driving age. Two of Brent's middle-school-age neighbors thought the LS was quite cool (or "dope," in correct youngster lingo). After learning that it was equipped with a V8 and rear-wheel drive, they begged to see the Lincoln do a burnout in front of their house. Brent had to remind them that the LS is a luxury sedan, not a 5.0 Mustang.

Brent says the Lincoln's best traits are its taut suspension, quick steering, and smooth power delivery. He's also fond of the convenient audio controls mounted on the steering wheel and the exterior styling. The transmission computer upgrade from April seemed to improve the shift patterns since the last time Brent drove the LS. But he's still disappointed with the Sportshift mode, saying it is slow to respond and often executes jerky downshifts.

Generally, our LS was confined to urban driving in May. The engine's occasional hard starting continued to be the major gripe. It usually seemed to be when the engine was cold. We plan to have the dealership examine the problem during our next service interval.

Total Odometer Reading: 6,957 miles
Best Fuel Economy: 17.3 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.9 mpg
Running Average Over Life of Vehicle: 16.0 mpg
Body Damage Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Engine occasionally hard to start.