Road Tests: Long-Term Test

"If you're a car, what's wrong with not being German?" asked our senior road test editor, Neil Dunlop.

It seems he's heard enough Lincoln LS put-downs because it's not Teutonic. This is a bit of a reversal for Dunlop, who in last month's update asked how Lincoln expected to compete with BMW and the like if it couldn't fix a rattle in the glovebox.

After several weeks in the Lincoln, Dunlop has had a change of heart. His epiphany came when he was cruising through the rolling hills of Grey County north of his Toronto home. The windows were open to the gorgeous sunny day, and he listened to the throaty roar of the V8 as he pressed the throttle to overtake a tractor.

"I do like this car," Dunlop wrote in the Lincoln's logbook. "No, it doesn't have the exemplary build quality of a BMW 3 Series or a Lexus IS 300, but those cars don't take off when you stomp on the gas. The Lincoln's 252-horsepower 3.9-liter V8 fairly rips in true American style."

Perhaps so, but allow us to point out our recently conducted Entry-Level Luxury Sport Sedan comparison test. We included a Lincoln LS V8. In that test, the Lincoln's acceleration times were mid-pack.

When we bought our long-term Lincoln LS test car, it was being touted as a BMW-beater. At about $40,000, it was in the same ballpark as a 3 Series, but in terms of performance and size, it competed with a 5 Series. To make it more interesting, we decided to order our Lincoln with the Sport package, which includes European-tuned suspension, 17-inch wheels and tires, and the Sportshift automanual transmission.

Neil says the suspension is definitely the real deal: The LS not only moves on the road like a snake on sandpaper, it transmits road feel directly to the driver through the wheel and the comfortable leather chair. "This makes it a driver's car, just like a BMW," says Neil. "The 17-inch wheels add welcome grip, and they look good filling up the wheelwells. I'm not fussy about the Sportshift automanual tranny, either."

For Neil, the main fault of the car is its poor interior build quality. "There's nothing wrong with the cabin's design. In fact, I applaud Lincoln's decision not to imitate the Europeans. The large and well-labeled switchgear and gauges continue the legacy of American sedans and seem tailor-made for ham-fisted Midwesterners returning from the country club. After all, life would be pretty boring if there were no variety. Do we want road houses to look like German brew halls just because their beer may be better?"

Neil says to give Lincoln a few years. The automaker addressed some of the knocks against the 2000 LS so that the 2001 LS is much improved. "A BMW-beater? Who cares? It's a good American car," said Neil.

Current Odometer: 32,157
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: Persistent rattle from glovebox-mounted CD changer.