Features editor Miles Cook, the staff Ford fan, was thrilled to find out he'd be piloting our long-term Lincoln LS this month. After toiling away in the mammoth GMC Sierra and not finding any real joy in such other cars as the pokey Miata, the buzzy Celica and the lackluster Xterra, he was diggin' the fact that he'd be just like ZZ Top and be "bad and nationwide" in a "V8 Ford."

After unpleasant failures of the stability control system and automatic transmission, the LS has settled down into being a reliable performer and a natural favorite among the machines in our long-term fleet. In fact, Cook would say that the BMW 328i and the LS are clearly the darlings of the group as staffers are always scheming a way to get into either one of these cars every weekend.

After a number of 200 to 300-mile weekend jaunts, the strong points of the Lincoln are quite apparent. It's simply a fine road car and the Swiss watch-like operation of the 3.9-liter V8 makes the driver seek the open road like an insect does bright light. The new transmission is working well, if not perfectly like most GM automatics, and the sport package with its 17-inch wheels and 235/50ZR17 tires make the LS handle nicely on various rural roads around So Cal.

Cook made numerous observations during his month in the LS. He noted the steering wheel controls are fairly intuitive, though not quite as user-friendly as those in our long-term Jeep Grand Cherokee. In the LS, cruise control is on one side of the wheel and the radio controls are on the other. The Jeep has all its radio controls on the backside of the steering wheel spokes and they're a cinch to use. Pundits may ask, "What's easy about using controls you cannot see?"

Also noted during normal driving is a whistling sound that emanates from under the hood. While it seems to be part of the customary sound of the engine, it's loud enough to be notable. While not likely a problem, it takes a little getting used to as part of the normal soundtrack for this car.

Also noticed during high-speed freeway driving was the cruise control. It works flawlessly in the LS and the best feature about it is this: When cruising at a preset speed (say 65 mph) and you want to accelerate using the "accel" button and not the accelerator pedal, you can do so without having the transmission downshift. It's much more pleasant to have the car just accelerate smoothly in fifth gear and not downshift in an attempt to get you up to speed more quickly. Some automatic transmission-equipped cars that have cruise control downshift when you don't want them to and this can be quite irritating. If the driver wants a downshift, it's better to just step on the gas instead. Think of it as having cruise control in a car with a manual transmission and you know just what we're talking about. On one or two occasions, the transmission went back to fourth, but only if you keep your finger on the "accel" button for a long period of time. All automakers need to calibrate cruise control this way so that it functions as if the car had a manual transmission. Good job on this one, Lincoln.

The electric tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel was another nice feature noted on the LS. However, Cook wished it tilted up a little higher to serve the wacky school bus steering-wheel position that he prefers and has been chastised for by colleagues over the years. It's been noted several times in previous updates but storage space in the center console and in the glovebox is nonexistent. Designers could've done a better job on this one and done something else with the CD player and cell phone. And why have the ashtray standard in front of the shifter? There should be a smoker's package such as those offered on other cars.

Downshifting with our new transmission is still not perfect. For example, if you give it some gas and have the trans shift from third to second, there is a notable hesitation and lag before the shift actually happens. It doesn't quash the driving experience entirely, but it does have a tendency to put a damper on it. With mileage tracking critical in our long-term cars, it's nice to have two trip meters — an "A" and a "B." One of them is always on display in the LS, which we like. We also noted the "average miles per gallon" function in the trip computer to be nicely sensitive. In other words, the average actually moves up or down based on the city/highway driving you do. In some cars, this feature isn't very helpful because it just stays at one number and doesn't seem to give you more of a real-time average. With the LS, it goes down and up quicker than in other cars, allowing you to discern mileage more closely with a given tank of gas.

Having a separate detent in the shifter for fourth gear is also quite nice. If you want, you can hold the transmission in fourth for around-town driving and then move to fifth for the highway without having to go over to the SelectShift mode. This is better than having a button on the shifter to lockout overdrive, which is common on other Ford cars and trucks.

There are two other things about our LS that cause curiosity. First, throttle tip-in is very sensitive. It takes a conscious effort to be easy with the gas pedal so as not to jerk your head back and/or those of your passengers. It's nice once in a while to get the instant throttle response that this provides, but overall it's too sensitive. We wonder if all LS' are like this.

Cook's final note this month concerns the headrests; likely an important thing given the extra touchy nature of the accelerator pedal. For 40 large, they should articulate back and forth to reach out to your head (as well as travel up and down) as do the front headrests on our long-term 328i.

Managing editor Deborah Gordon also spent a couple days in the LS, taking a break from the burly GMC Sierra. She really liked the comfy and swift LS and provided the following comments.

"I loved the seating position and general seat comfort in this car. There are many adjustments to make you comfy and I felt coddled in the seat. Definitely a big plus for a long trip. The phone is also a cool feature, though I accidentally pressed the SOS button and put a call into the Lincoln Call Center. Oops. When I told the lady it was a mistake she was very nice about it. It's nice how the radio shuts off when you dial the phone, and then comes back on automatically when you hang up. This car has lots of power and it's great for someone with a heavy foot. I loved being able to shoot past other cars in morning traffic. The LS is nice and smooth over bumps and dips in the road. Much more comfortable than the Sierra I'd been driving over those same dips. The cupholder is pretty useless for big drinks, and also I found the flip-up design kind of plasticky and hard to maneuver. It doesn't seem fitting for this car. The wonderful tilt and telescope wheel is great for someone that's small and needs all the adjustments. Also, I liked the feel of the steering wheel in my hand, the size is just right and I liked the leather. The shift knob with its baseball stitching feels good in the hand. The nighttime dash illumination is real spiffy and it looks appealing with its pleasant glow. I drove the Lincoln on the freeway for a 25-mile trip. It's great on the highway, with its powerful V8 and comfy seats."

Besides editors Gordon and Cook, associate editor Liz Kim had a few words to say after an evening or two in the LS. She notes: "Jumping from the BMW to the Lincoln highlighted the disparity in interior materials. Whereas the BMW bespeaks quality and class, the Lincoln is cheap and shoddy in comparison. The wood trim is obviously fake and cheap, and the dash is functional but unappealing. The Bimmer, even with its lack of any semblance of wood, is luminous and expensive looking. I still love the rush of the LS' V8. The transmission shifts crisply, and helps me anticipate passing slower cars. Many people seem to mistake the exterior for a Bimmer, not totally unintentional on the part of Ford, of course. It's more intuitive to have the SelectShift gate on the left, rather than the right like the Lincoln. I'm not real nuts about the insubstantial, flimsy thunk of the door, because I've gotten used to the heavy door of the Bimmer. I also noticed that the traction control seems too sensitive. It comes on when I go over speed bumps in the parking lot, and when I traverse small trickles of water in the road. I really like the steering wheel-mounted stereo controls. Now if only I can find a station that doesn't make me use them every two minutes. The B-pillar is too thick and intrusive. You have to shift your head when you turn around to make sure that you have a hole in traffic for lane changes."

It's clear that despite nits to pick here and there, the LS is definitely a front-runner as one of our favorites to drive, possibly supplanted only by our 328i Sedan. Next month, the LS' 15,000-mile service is due. We hope to have more pleasant Lincoln-Mercury dealership experiences to comment on than we've had in the past.

Total Odometer Reading: 14,900
Best Fuel Economy: 19.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.3 mpg
Running Average Over Life of Vehicle: 16.9 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Transmission sometimes still lags on downshifts.