Road Tests: Long-Term Test

When Detroit Editor John Clor had to turn over the keys to our long-term Lincoln LS after its three-month stint in Michigan was up, a melancholy mood came over him. A real enthusiast, you see, never likes to surrender seat time in a car that is as rewarding to drive as the LS V8. The Lincoln's well-planted handling, crisp steering and brisk acceleration make getting behind the wheel invigorating for the soul. Clor knew he would miss the Lincoln's playful personality and driver's-car demeanor.

When an owner develops this kind of emotional attachment to a car, it often helps them overlook some of the shortcomings inherent to that particular vehicle. Marketers and researchers will tell you that when a person is well-satisfied with a car's driving experience, things like quality, reliability and service history become less important to them -- which is likely the explanation for the love of old British sports cars. It is also the likely explanation for Clor's overall impression of lasting fondness for the Lincoln LS.

A review of our long-term reports on the LS reveals an array of ownership concerns, ranging from the continual shift-quality problems with the Lincoln's five-speed automatic transmission, to less-worrisome things like less-than-functional cupholders, or the fact that the CD changer makes the glove box unusable. While both of the latter items have been addressed with design changes to the 2001 LS, other small things have cropped up this past month that fall into the "wish they'd rethink this" category.

For one, the rubber door seal running along the top edge of the rocker panel has come loose under the driver's door, a victim of normal ingress/egress wear along the door sill. While unsightly, our main issue with it is that replacing the seal won't alleviate the chance of the problem happening again. And two, Clor has inadvertently activated the Lincoln's RESCU system service because of the placement of the "SOS" button, mounted closer to the sunroof opening than the roof's own power switch (located in between the map-light switches just aft of the rearview mirror). Embarrassingly, Clor has twice initiated a call to the RESCU operator, both by fumbling overhead for the map lights in the dark, and again by reaching up in the daytime to open the sunroof. We wonder just how many "false" calls the operators are getting because of this less-than-optimal switch placement.

Oh, sure, there are other little things, too. The CD changer, for instance, has developed a rattle that can only be subdued by strategically placing a few McDonald's napkins on the opened glove box door and then closing it slowly so that they'll press up against the changer enough to quiet it. And lately Clor's been hearing a high-pitched whistle upon hard acceleration that sounds almost like the whine from a small turbocharger -- which would be fine if only the Lincoln had a turbocharger. Though both could be classified as minor NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) issues, neither is acceptable for a $40,000 performance sedan built to rival BMW.

What does rival BMW is the Lincoln's serious delivery of quick-revving power and its downright satisfying handling -- its less-than-optimal-shifting automatic transmission notwithstanding. And while our LS doesn't turn as many heads in Detroit as a BMW 5 Series would, that's mainly because we see far more of these Lincolns driving around the Motor City than 5 Series Bimmers -- something that can't be said in import-laden Los Angeles. If the real yardstick of a great car is truly in the driving, then the Lincoln must rank high up on our list, even if it is less than perfect.

Some might say that the burden of niggling design imperfections and a few extra trips to the dealership service department is a small price to pay for a highly rewarding driving experience. A larger price to pay is the use of premium fuel -- especially during the latest round of oil-company price-gouging that has sent the top grades of gas to the $2 to $3 per gallon range. So Clor had experimented by alternating between using "plus" and "premium" grade fuel in the LS to determine if there is noticeable performance or mileage degradation between the 87 and 89 octane gas. He found that while there was no discernable loss of power or performance using midgrade fuel every other tankful, there was often a mileage penalty of up to 1 mpg per tank or more on the cheaper gas. But putting in 91-octane premium proved no better than the 89 hi-test.

What affected Clor's mileage most was his right foot. Spirited, point-and-shoot throttling around town can result in SUV-like 12 to 13 mpg numbers, while a steady highway cruise can easily net 23 to 24 mpg. Our overall average since taking delivery of the Lincoln is slightly above 17 mpg. We realize that owners shopping for hot sedans in the $40K range don't usually worry much about gas mileage. They're likely more keyed on the fun-to-drive factor, with a little bit of status and image added in for good measure. For Clor, driving the Lincoln LS rarely failed to bring a smile, and driving it hard could even be gleeful. And despite its inherent shortfalls, the fact that it's not a BMW made it all the more satisfying.

Current Odometer: 28,330
Best Fuel Economy: 23.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.4 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.1 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: Driver-side rubber door seal on rocker panel separated from clips; driveline whistle during hard acceleration; rattle from glove box-mounted CD changer.