Pics of the LS

[MinisterofDOOM]

That upper radiator cover is plastic. It doesn't really cover anything, so I think it's there for airflow purposes (it looks like it directs more air into the radiator from the grille). If you remove it, all that's under there is the white rad support.

There actually isn't that much plastic. It's just a lot of BLACK. The engine cover's the only cosmetic piece and ignoring it there's no more plastic in that enginebay than the Q's, for instance. And the engine cover doesn't really cover anything other than the manifold.

I'm not sure what the big box between the engine cover and the rad support cover is. Looks like some kind of expansion chamber for the intake tract. It doubles as a fan shroud (though I doubt it is really needed; the car has electric fans only).

Changing the plugs on this thing actually looks like it'd be easier than on the Q.

Compare it to, say, the LS460 and it looks pretty lacking in the plastic department.



THAT is a lot of plastic.

P.S. looks like you need some new tires.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

THAT is a lot of plastic.

Agreed. Why even have a hood at that point?

P.S. looks like you need some new tires.

Pshh... those things were practically brand new compared to the tires that Torry and I drove cross country on. I currently have new Toyo rubber on there though.

[MellowZ32]

that tittle is really misleading I thought you had come to the dark side.but no nice LS though!

[MinisterofDOOM]

To be the Dark Side, Lexus would have to offer something tempting. Lexus is just the Boring Side.

[hannibal]

I like the Guigiaro styled 1st gen GS300. No manual transmission option though...

[bobotech]

Very nice car but remember, only geezers ride in Lincolns.

[Mr1der]

nah...well, Towncars...otherwise it's the Grand Marquis

I love the look of the LS. Always have. It's just a classy looking car.

I'll take mine in black however.

to me, it's a car that Ford could've made a great Super Sedan out of....borrow an S-Type's supercharged powerplant maybe?

[Rex]

Take the LS's mid-size body and add the Mercury Marauder's power plant ... or a Mustang GT V8 + 6 spd.

I'm prefer mine in Silver with black leather

[MinisterofDOOM]

Normally I prefer black cars. However, the pearl white that Lincoln and Caddy have been offering the last few years is the one exception. The LS is definitely sexy in black, though, especially with the LSE package which trades all chrome for body color paint.

I'd LOVE to have a 4.6 mod motor under the hood. One of my favorite exhaust notes ever and cheap as hell to make power with.

I like the Guigiaro styled 1st gen GS300. No manual transmission option though...

I have always hated that car, looks-wise. I especially hate the rear. But what I hate most about it is that it looks EXACTLY like the smegging Corolla. It is an inflated Corolla. The same styling but stretched to fit a bigger car. So it's ugly AND misshapen. Same with the 2nd gen. Giant corolla in proportion and detail with a couple extra lights glued on both ends to make sure people know it's a Lexus. I've been through the long-low-wide thing before. The GS is none of the above. It is a compact car increased in size 50%. Tall and stubby. Not attractive. It looks bloated and overweight, particularly the 2nd gen. Compact car proportions come from NECESSITY of their size. They are a tradeoff. Carrying them over to cars with room to build REAL proportions on is moronic. Look at an E38 or A8 or G50 or E39 next to any Lexus GS and the GS looks amazingly pedestrian. It lacks any real styling at all. It's just a blob of force-fitted features.

The third gen GS I actually kind of like as far as looks. But I'd still never own one as the rest of the car is not my type.

[Mr1der]

I think Ford needs to use the new 5.0 Mustang powerplant in a new sedan.

bring back the Continental! enough of this MK bulls***.

[MinisterofDOOM]

YES. No freaking Taurus platform for the Conti. Big IRS rear-driver with the new 5.0 (maybe in 5.5?) and a couple of solid transmission options (5at, 6mt, no 6 or 7 or 8 speed autos for me, thanks. I like to spend SOME of the drive not shifting.).

[Mr1der]

eh...a nice 6AT with a good manushift like the CTS has wouldn't be bad....but a real gear mixer is a must.

but seriously...Ford needs to make it happen...it may not sell like hotcakes, but these cars just don't do it...they promote brand allegiance and bring attention to the product. they could even do it right and make a drop top coupe and a convertible 4 door off the platform....

[LEMHEAD16]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...watch^is what you are missing

[Mr1der]

god it sounds awful though...

crap exhaust.

as for Flowmasters...I wish they'd go out of business :

magnaflow is way better for bang for the buck.

[Rex]

Not exactly the same "demo's, but the Magna's sounds better, IMHO.

Mangaflow ExhaustFlow Master Exhaust

[Mr1der]

Magnaflow has always had a deeper, more even sound.

flowmasters sound hollow and raspy...doesn't matter what they're on.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

What's the reliability on these things? After all, they are a Ford. Can one expect anything near 175k or so?

And how's the cost of parts/maintenance? Seems like a fairly complicated car.

[AZhitman]

Magnaflow has always had a deeper, more even sound.

flowmasters sound hollow and raspy...doesn't matter what they're on.

Magnaflow > Flowmaster ALL DAY LONG.

The reason they sound hollow and raspy is because the interior construction is shoddy. I can't tell you how many I've seen cut open that are corroded, and all the baffling is wadded up in one place, blocking flow.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Magnaflow > Flowmaster ALL DAY LONG.

Absolutely. I have yet to be disappointed with a Magnaflow setup. I put a Magnaflow exhaust on the Max and it sounds great--not the slightest hint of flatulence. My dad has a magnaflow on his Ram 5.9 and it sounds GODLY. And of course the Q has magnaflow mufflers and sounds incredible.

What's the reliability on these things? After all, they are a Ford. Can one expect anything near 175k or so?

And how's the cost of parts/maintenance? Seems like a fairly complicated car.

Reliability is actually quite good, especially on the '03+ models which saw a lot of revisions and corrections. Earlier models had a smattering of stupid problems (like valvecover issues that cause coils to fail and bad ignition locks) but those were all fixed by '05. Parts aren't too bad. Lincoln might be a luxury brand but Ford doesn't separate its brands out to the extent most other manufacturers do when it comes to parts and service. Everything's "FLM" (ford-lincoln-mercury), so there's not as much of a gap as between, say, Nissan and Infiniti from a service perspective.The LS is also very closely related to the late-model T-bird mechanically.

[Mr1der]

eh...people bag on Ford too much.

I'd rather drive a Ford than ANY GM 3.8.

the turbo B bodies get a pass though...because those things are funnny.

[93coupe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv9jMhCEIH4&NR=1

[bobotech]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv9jMhCEIH4&NR=1

WTF? that is udder crap.

[Razi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv9jMhCEIH4&NR=1

[flohtingPoint]

I think Ford needs to use the new 5.0 Mustang powerplant in a new sedan.

bring back the Continental! enough of this MK bulls***.

I dunno man, I'm renting a new MKZ and I'm fully enjoying it. At first I thought it would be bulky, lumbering and stupid like the Buick LaCross I rented a couple months back, but it's nothing like that. The handling is quite solid for such a big car, it has decent power (263hp), pretty nice gas mileage for it's size (half a tank from Washington Dulles Airport to VA Beach) and one of the nicest interiors I've sat in for a domestic vehicle.

Now, would I buy one? No... But that's only because I have no need for a vehicle like that.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Not that I think the MKZ is a BAD car, but:

A) Ford STILL needs a couple rear-drivers, and they need something bigger than the MKSB) 263hp is NOT a lot of hp for a "big" car. Or even a midsize car. It's below average these days. Even Camrys make that much power.C) Lincoln really should be focusing on selling their OWN cars, not rebadged Fords. Fine, have a couple rebadges at the bottom, but they need "real" Lincolns at the top. Cadillac doesn't sell rebadged jack. The Sigma platform is a Cadillac exclusive. The CTS is not a Chevy with different bodywork. It is a Cadillac. Yet the MKS MSRP is actually $5k HIGHER than the CTS. That doesn't compute.

Lincoln can sell the MK whatever all they want. But they still NEED a CTS-fighter and a rear-drive Continental with a V8. You cannot be a luxury/premium brand with a bunch of chromed-up V6 front-drivers. I make the same criticism of Acura. Either make bigger, rear-drive cars or stop pretending you're playing with the big dogs, because Tauruses don't compete with 5-series.

[flohtingPoint]

Not that I think the MKZ is a BAD car, but:

A) Ford STILL needs a couple rear-drivers, and they need something bigger than the MKSB) 263hp is NOT a lot of hp for a "big" car. Or even a midsize car. It's below average these days. Even Camrys make that much power.C) Lincoln really should be focusing on selling their OWN cars, not rebadged Fords. Fine, have a couple rebadges at the bottom, but they need "real" Lincolns at the top. Cadillac doesn't sell rebadged jack. The Sigma platform is a Cadillac exclusive. The CTS is not a Chevy with different bodywork. It is a Cadillac. Yet the MKS MSRP is actually $5k HIGHER than the CTS. That doesn't compute.

Lincoln can sell the MK whatever all they want. But they still NEED a CTS-fighter and a rear-drive Continental with a V8. You cannot be a luxury/premium brand with a bunch of chromed-up V6 front-drivers. I make the same criticism of Acura. Either make bigger, rear-drive cars or stop pretending you're playing with the big dogs, because Tauruses don't compete with 5-series.

I fully agree with you on the selling of rebadging, but the rest doesn't make sense. What does an upscale family car need RWD and more than 260hp for? Hell, if I had kids and my GF was driving, I'd want her to NOT have too much horsepower and I'd be thankful she'd be driving a FWD car, especially in the elements. With FWD, you also can have a more spacious floorboard because you don't need to route a transmission to the back, giving tall folks like myself plenty of leg room to stretch out on long business trips.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I would argue that rear-drive platforms give more people what they want compared to front-drive. With FWD you can offer FWD and AWD. Leaves the RWD shoppers out. People looking for rear-drive cars (people like me who want a big sporty sedan) don't even look at Acura or Lincoln, because they make nothing with rear-wheel power. BUT the CTS, G, and 3 all come with AWD. Which means the guys like you who want something "safe" for their wives to drive get the AWD model and the rest of us still get RWD. So you're giving more people what they want. No one is left out.

My issue, again, is not with FWD. It's with market positioning. Lincoln can go right on selling the MKS. But they ALSO need equals to the 3 and 5 series. It's simple automotive marketing. Look at what the G and CTS did for Infiniti and Cadillac! They SAVED the brands. Completely revolutionized them, put them back on the map. I'm not just making crap up here based on personal taste in cars. The fact of the matter is a rear-drive 3 series competitor is a CRITICAL, NECESSARY component for any luxury brand. It's how things work. Look at luxury brand sales. That 3/G segment is the biggest seller by far. CRITICAL to brand profit and also critical to building brand identity to the public. Lincoln is missing out on that. THAT's the mistake. Not selling FWD, but NOT selling something to cache on on the MASSIVE 3 series market segment.And, likewise, having a super-top tier big beastie is important for image even if it doesn't sell well. Some brands, like VW, understand that that car may not sell well, but it does things for the brand that are necessary. Cars like the 7, Q, A8, Phaeton don't exist to rake in the dollars from their own sales. They exist to reinforce the rest of the lineup and draw more buyers in to those entry level cars where the REAL money is made.

Lincoln is missing out, that's all I'm saying. The MKS and MKZ are not bad cars. They just aren't enough.

[Mr1der]

CTS and the G did save them.

look at the CTS, the rest of the Caddy line up looks like it now...which kinda sucks...but regardless, it's what kept them from becoming Buick.

brought the soul back to the brand.

I will NEVER dream of owning an MKZ

I daydream about taking a roadtrip across the US in a CTS-V nearly every day.

[Jesda]

The MKS has a rear end as tall as Kobe Bryant. Its not very sleek.

[flohtingPoint]

I will NEVER dream of owning an MKZ

That'd be ridiculous, the MKZ is quite affordable. The only cars I dream about owning come from Europe and have 6-7 figure price tags on them.