Used 2004 Lincoln LS

"Lincolns best run at a BMW"

"The LS represented the best engineering of Ford-Mercury-Lincoln--all the power of the biggest Continental or Town Car (or Grand Marquis) in a classy, crisply conservative design that can never ever look dated--no whale back but a primarily vertical rear window leading down to an authentic rear deck. In 18 years of outdoor driving in Wisconsin, summer and winter, the car has never exhibited a hint of corrosion (needless to say, improvement over Fords 1970s products (i.e. my Mercury Montego with big V8 in a 2-door hard-top with vinyl roof) is incredible (the Mercury had rusted beyond recognition by the 10th year. I saved a thousand by passing up black in favor of Lincoln grey--which is not the silver-ish tone of other greys but a deep, complex, dark gray with hints of brown and green. My only excuse for trading (i.e. giving away) this 18-year-old, like-new vehicle is a leak in the air conditioning system (up to 2K to repair). My wife loves her new 2018 Legacy, which she wound up paying 35K for. I prefer my 02 LS--its inspiring power, with no extraneous electronics (lane-changing warnings, keyless operation, On-Star, etc.etc.). The only convenience Id love to have is a USB or stereo connection for playing my iPods and iPhones. And maybe an onboard GPS. But the Legacy 2018 CD player accepts only a single disc whereas the Alpine system in my LS accepts 6 discs at a time!! CDs are the only way to go for a musician and collector like me. Admittedly, the LS is not a soft ride and you have to stoop low to enter (my wife hates both of these sporty qualities, but its firm and has lumbar support (and a compass!). I can carry two pianos (electric keyboards) by laying the back seat flat. The cars a bit too large and heavy to pass as an American BMW, but, hey, its a Lincoln--in the American tradition but with German durability. Driving locally mileage is 10-15mpg (on required Premium fuel), but I get 20-22mpg on the highway. Its not cheap to drive but I think Ive just talked myself into fixing the freon leak. Its cheaper to keep her! If every car were built like a Lincoln 2002 LS, the car business would go broke. This LS is capable of another 10 years (after which I may have to keep it in a garage)."

"Nice car when it works!"

"I have owned this car for almost two years. While I haven't experienced any of the major problems others have had, the ignition coils go bad pretty frequently (at about $200 each for the shop to repair). We had to have the valve cover gaskets replaced due to some water that had mysteriously gotten down into where the spark plugs are. Since we had these replaced, though, we have had no other problems. Basically, when it works right, this car is an absolute joy to drive. While it isn't the quickest car out there, it is very fast, plenty fast enough for me, with the 3.9L V-8. What's more, it handles like a dream. Its responsiveness is superb, the big brakes do a great job stopping it very quickly, although it is a pretty heavy vehicle. When you turn the wheel, no matter how fast you're going, it does exactly what you want it to do. The transmission shifts nicely, and the sport stick (auto stick, clutchless manual, whatever you want to call it) is great. The interior is nice, but it is also somewhat cheap. The vent covers just sort of blow off and won't stay attached. The front seats are very comfortable for sporty bucket seats. This thing is much more like a European sports car than a Lincoln. Besides the semi-regular ignition coil problem, it also seems to go through tires pretty quickly. It is an absolute must that you rotate tires on a regular basis, or you will wear out the front tires in no time. Otherwise, we haven't had any major problems with the vehicle at all. That being said, I think you would be much better off buying a BMW. WHile I feel like this car was designed to compete with European cars, it doesn't hold up. Besides the vent covers, some of the other plastic parts inside routinely come loose and must be reattached periodically. The finish isn't great, and in a car that cost this much new it should have had real wood, or at least something other than the cheap-looking fake stuff they put in there. Also, for a car as big as it is, there is no space inside, especially in the back.Getting an infant's car seat in and out of the rear doors is a real pain. The rear seats are definitely not made for adults to ride in."

"Fast"

"This is a fast car with a great ride and control. When you want to pass someone it has no problem. I would consider buying another one with lower miles just because I like mine so much."