Considering a used LS as my next ride...

shomann said:
Do the '02s have 48/50k as well as the '03+?

How much is the extended warrenty and is it bumper to bumper?
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Er, I thought all Lincolns are 48/50K, but just the complimentary maintenance is only 12/12K for Lincolns after 1/1/05?
 
lincolnlsownerxxx said:
Hey bro, What happened with your Mustang Cobra?
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It had been in an accident prior to me purchasing it. That, and the rear end was suffering from damage I can only assume were from abusively hard launchs.

IMHO, a Mustang really shouldn't be a daily driver. There is so much that car was capable of, and capable of becoming, but it wasn't the right time for me. That said, it was easily the most fun car I have ever had.
 
I have had my 2000 LS V8 for about 2 years. Currently have 95,000 miles on it.

Problems were:
1. Replace all coil packs.
2. Lots of people don't like bosch plugs, but I'm using bosch platinum 2(works like a charm)
3. Replace valve cove gaskets and plug gaskets.
4. Replace 2 front roters.

No other problems. Great car to have and trying to keep it for another 95,000 miles.
 
Got to test drive a 2002...

... and there is both good and bad.

The Good (IMHO):

  • Road handling. The LS handles the road nicely. You can tell its there, meaning that you can feel the input, but it absorbs everything from large bumps to expansion cracks like they aren't there. Wind noise? What's that?
  • Amenities. I knew they would be good, but I still found myself geeked that I could adjust the steering wheel like a mirror (i.e. with that nifty thumb stick), and had plenty of gadgetry to play with.
  • Power. It had enough, but I know now that I would have to get an '03+ to be happy.

The Bad (IMHO):

  • Size. This is kinda F'd up that a car bigger than my Maxima has a much smaller feeling interior, much less foot room in the backseat, and wimpy trunk. WTF is that long-ass over-hang in the back for anyways? I was very surprised about the interior-size vs dimensions.
  • Reliability. The sales guy actually said that I wouldn't get the reliability of a Nissan. I appreciated the candor, but it put the question of reliability back to the fore front of my mind. Its not that I expect the car to last 200k, its just that I don't want it to be a POS at 90k.

This was about 4 hours ago. The lack of space inside is really making me rethink the LS as a viable vehicle for me. It isn't out of the running yet and I want to get behind the wheel of a '03+ before I bail completely. I really find myself wanting to like this car.
 
shomann said:
Its not that I expect the car to last 200k, its just that I don't want it to be a POS at 90k.
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It won't be a POS at 90k. It might be a POS on and off through it's life, but once you get it fixed, it is still a nice car. Mine is getting close to 90k now and the center console arm rest is the only thing that looks like a POS in the car from wear (and the center console is the cheapest feeling part in the 2000). These cars hold up pretty well (I think). It is just some over-designing issues that plague the car from the get-go. Things that really seem stupid are power window issues, ignition issues and cooling fans... things they have been doing successfully for decades! Transmissions have continued to trouble Ford and other companies for years, so I won't even include that one. :)

I am not trying to talk you into anything... Honest...
 
shomann said:
How do all the 6ft plus guys feel about the interior space?
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I'm 6'4" and about 270#s. I fit OK in the LS. Head room is a bit low so I tilt the seat back to where my head is even with the side pillar. The seat is all the way back and down. Interestingly I needed to pull the steering wheel out a bit since my arms didn't feel comfortable stretched out all the way. The right leg rubs against the side of the console but not a big problem. For some reason, the 2002 and older models hurt that leg.

The window is a bit short if you like to put your elbow on the door sil and hold up the roof with your hand.

The LS is a bit smaller inside than I had imagined, a bit like a large Honda Accord. The trunk is smaller than my old 96 Impala SS, even though the SS had a big spare taking up room. The SS was a much wider car and had better room for a big guy, imho. Not as much head room as the LS tho.

Coincidentally I had a rental Volvo S60 this week and it has much more head and leg room than the LS but a bit tight side to side for the legs. Also the Volvo floor had strange bumps that forced your feet into fixed positions so not comfortable for a long drive. No support for the sides of your back, maybe a striped Volvo.

The forward view is a bit limited since the roofline cuts down enough that at many stop lights I have to tilt my head a bit to see the lights. On the Chrysler 300C I did not even leave the parking lot due to restricted vision, as a comparison. The 300C had head room but the roof dipped down at the windshield.

I like the LS and it is comfortable for me, not as good as some other cars I have owned but better than most.

My opinion FWIW,

Jim Henderson
 
Interestingly enough I glanced at the specs for a 2005 Maxima (for a comparison I am more or less used to) and the Lincoln meets or beats all the measurments (leg/hip/shoulder).

Again, thanks for the input guys. The Lincoln is NOT dead on my list...more to follow.
 
When will it stop? When I'm broke and looking for change under my couch

Hi guys,

I'm sorta new to this forum, although I do frequent the boards often. I just wanted to chime in with my opinion about my LS experience(especially after this morning).
First thing, I bought my 00 LS8 with 69k over a year ago from Olympic Lincoln/Mercury in Seattle, and I must say during this time period over a year, the LS has given me the most pleasure/pain I have been through with a car. Most of the pain though is from that crappy dealership and the un-refined build quality of the LS.
Over one year, I have fixed so many small things, from a sagging headliner, to replacing ball joints, to replacing valve cover gaskets, and not to mention all the mysterious creaks and squeaks coming from the cabin. I can't remember anything else that was fixed for now and I'm sure other members have gone through much worse. All this and the LS has left my wallet thinner than a Steven Segal movie plot. My previous car(94 corolla with 187k) never gave me problems like the LS. On top of it all, I have an $2495 ext warranty that covers nothing. I wish I was more car literate so I can save $$ like many members on here that DIY, but I'm not.
I guess it's normal to expect problems from almost a 6 year old car with 80k+, but if you add the problems with a snotty dealership, your head starts to hurt a bit.....and this is where the post goes to another direction.
That said, in my opinion Olympic Lincoln/Mercury should be run over with a steamroller. The sales staff should be hanged, shot, and hanged again. Anyone who dealt with them should know what I'm talking about. Of course some are friendly, but ALL are cocky with an attitude ready to send you running to the door. Guess I was the dumb one and stayed...
The service dept isn't half bad, and there's one particular tech(Leigh B.) that knows about customer service(or at least, doesn't talk to me like an idiot and shows respect). This morning I took my car in, of course for more problems. The car rattles and clunks in the back end when going thru bumps, throttle response is sluggish, and the car idles a lil rough. The place opens at 7:30AM and since I work at 8am, I got there a bit early at 7:20am. The doors are still locked but people are inside. That's cool, so I wait and when it's 7:33, doors are still locked and so I knock, the guys look at me and go back doing their stuff. Few minutes later, door unlocks and I walk in, but I don't see Leigh. I said good morning to the other techs and they don't even react or acknowledge me. I start to talk to one of the techs, and I can already tell he's sizing me up. I try to explain to him my problems, but he just says he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I get agitated and he gets agitated and this conversation gets nowhere. Next I bring up my warranty and he says it only covers major stuff....I mean come on, everytime I take this car to get repaired, the bill comes to $400-$600 EVERYTIME without question, I would consider this major. I know it could get MUCH more expensive, and if that happens, sadly I'm going to give up on my LS. What's the point of buying a warranty that covers nothing? I guess when the engine or tranny goes, I'll be glad I got the warranty, but by the time that happens, I'm sure I won't have the car anymore.
The tech this morning talked to me with such an attitude, but I guess that's expected from Olympic. I'm 24, but I don't care if your 16, or 61, good customer service NEVER discriminates. When I took my corolla to toyota to get it fixed, I NEVER felt like I was being talked down to or not shown respect. I am a paying customer and would like to be treated like one. Don't they know younger people are their potential future market? Obviously not...

Well, everything said, I still love my LS. It has given me much joy even with all this happening. I just hope my wallet will still be intact.
I apologize for this long post and rant, but I needed to get this off my chest. I remember someone posting another similar rant, but I did a search and coundn't find it so I decided to post it here. Thank you all for listening.

Jeff
 
nice story ls addict. sorry to hear of your dealership sorrows. if ya lived in indiana. i woulda hooked ya up.. i always stick my head out for a fellow LS owner
 
LSAddict said:
Hi guys,

I'm sorta new to this forum, although I do frequent the boards often. I just wanted to chime in with my opinion about my LS experience(especially after this morning).
First thing, I bought my 00 LS8 with 69k over a year ago from Olympic Lincoln/Mercury in Seattle, and I must say during this time period over a year, the LS has given me the most pleasure/pain I have been through with a car. Most of the pain though is from that crappy dealership and the un-refined build quality of the LS.
Over one year, I have fixed so many small things, from a sagging headliner, to replacing ball joints, to replacing valve cover gaskets, and not to mention all the mysterious creaks and squeaks coming from the cabin. I can't remember anything else that was fixed for now and I'm sure other members have gone through much worse. All this and the LS has left my wallet thinner than a Steven Segal movie plot. My previous car(94 corolla with 187k) never gave me problems like the LS. On top of it all, I have an $2495 ext warranty that covers nothing. I wish I was more car literate so I can save $$ like many members on here that DIY, but I'm not.
I guess it's normal to expect problems from almost a 6 year old car with 80k+, but if you add the problems with a snotty dealership, your head starts to hurt a bit.....and this is where the post goes to another direction.
That said, in my opinion Olympic Lincoln/Mercury should be run over with a steamroller. The sales staff should be hanged, shot, and hanged again. Anyone who dealt with them should know what I'm talking about. Of course some are friendly, but ALL are cocky with an attitude ready to send you running to the door. Guess I was the dumb one and stayed...
The service dept isn't half bad, and there's one particular tech(Leigh B.) that knows about customer service(or at least, doesn't talk to me like an idiot and shows respect). This morning I took my car in, of course for more problems. The car rattles and clunks in the back end when going thru bumps, throttle response is sluggish, and the car idles a lil rough. The place opens at 7:30AM and since I work at 8am, I got there a bit early at 7:20am. The doors are still locked but people are inside. That's cool, so I wait and when it's 7:33, doors are still locked and so I knock, the guys look at me and go back doing their stuff. Few minutes later, door unlocks and I walk in, but I don't see Leigh. I said good morning to the other techs and they don't even react or acknowledge me. I start to talk to one of the techs, and I can already tell he's sizing me up. I try to explain to him my problems, but he just says he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I get agitated and he gets agitated and this conversation gets nowhere. Next I bring up my warranty and he says it only covers major stuff....I mean come on, everytime I take this car to get repaired, the bill comes to $400-$600 EVERYTIME without question, I would consider this major. I know it could get MUCH more expensive, and if that happens, sadly I'm going to give up on my LS. What's the point of buying a warranty that covers nothing? I guess when the engine or tranny goes, I'll be glad I got the warranty, but by the time that happens, I'm sure I won't have the car anymore.
The tech this morning talked to me with such an attitude, but I guess that's expected from Olympic. I'm 24, but I don't care if your 16, or 61, good customer service NEVER discriminates. When I took my corolla to toyota to get it fixed, I NEVER felt like I was being talked down to or not shown respect. I am a paying customer and would like to be treated like one. Don't they know younger people are their potential future market? Obviously not...

Well, everything said, I still love my LS. It has given me much joy even with all this happening. I just hope my wallet will still be intact.
I apologize for this long post and rant, but I needed to get this off my chest. I remember someone posting another similar rant, but I did a search and coundn't find it so I decided to post it here. Thank you all for listening.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Dude I can't believe you didn't go postal on them by now!! Have you tried to take it to another dealership and see what they say. You have alot of patients to cont. to deal with them I would have called Ford and reported them some how some way!!
 
Thanks joedirt. I been trying to find some fellow LS owners here in Seattle, and I know they're out there, but no one seems to want to get together. Must be a Seattle thing :rolleyes: The weather is ACTUALLY nice! Perfect for get-togethers and BBQ!

BIG CELO: Yeah, I'm close to the edge already. I can't say tho, because partly I haven't really tried another dealership around here. I know for a fact that Olympic is the only still left in Seattle. Others closed down. There's a ford dealership near me, I been telling myself to go numerous times. It just pisses me off that the very reason why I went to Olympic is that it's close to where I live. I decided if I actually buy a car from a dealership, and not some small streetside dealership, they would take care of me. Nope. I bought the car from them, bought the warranty from them, have service history there, and now I have to find another place. I posted about Olympic on LLSOC a while back, so if anyone's from there, you might be seeing double. I know, it should be clear to me that I need to goto another dealership, and after today I will for sure.
I'm still waiting on a reply from Olympic. I took the car in at 7:30AM and its 2:30PM and still no response. At $89/hour, I better call right after I post this :Bang
 
LSAddict said:
Thanks joedirt. I been trying to find some fellow LS owners here in Seattle, and I know they're out there, but no one seems to want to get together. Must be a Seattle thing :rolleyes: The weather is ACTUALLY nice! Perfect for get-togethers and BBQ!

BIG CELO: Yeah, I'm close to the edge already. I can't say tho, because partly I haven't really tried another dealership around here. I know for a fact that Olympic is the only still left in Seattle. Others closed down. There's a ford dealership near me, I been telling myself to go numerous times. It just pisses me off that the very reason why I went to Olympic is that it's close to where I live. I decided if I actually buy a car from a dealership, and not some small streetside dealership, they would take care of me. Nope. I bought the car from them, bought the warranty from them, have service history there, and now I have to find another place. I posted about Olympic on LLSOC a while back, so if anyone's from there, you might be seeing double. I know, it should be clear to me that I need to goto another dealership, and after today I will for sure.
I'm still waiting on a reply from Olympic. I took the car in at 7:30AM and its 2:30PM and still no response. At $89/hour, I better call right after I post this :Bang
Click to expand...


CALL NOW CALL NOW!!! $89. An hour They would've heard from me since 8:30a.m. Damn I hope it all works out for you!! This is just a thought but if your still not happy with the service and your paying sooo much, I don't know if you have the time but take them to small claims court. It's not right they treat you the way they do and when you take the car for service it's never fixed correctly when you take the LS to them!
 
I took a trip to Seattle a couple of years ago and ran across some crazy mean people there. Maybe those people work at the dealership you speak of. :) The weather was nice when I was there too. It was nice to get away from all the rain we get in Knoxville, TN. :)

Good luck and I hope the venting helped.
 
Reliability

Consumer Reports which surveys its subscribers, reports that the 02 is more reliable than the 03. You can check out their specific areas in their book but I tend to appreciate that the published results are as reported by readers who own LS's.
 
:I I have a 2002 LS Premium with close to 52K on it and have not had any issues whatsoever. It still rides smooth, very comfortable, and is quick and responsive. No rattles going over bumps or decent railroad tracks. I just replaced the tires with a set of Falken 255/45/17s, but other than routine maintenance, a rear brake light and an air conditioner filter, there have not been any problems. Of course, the wife insisted that I pray over the car and anoint it with prayer oil when I purchased it so I know the Lord is watching over it. That, and extending the warranty to 100K gives me great peace of mind. :L
 
I kinda feel bad about reporting this because this group has been so honest and helpful about the LS but I ended up gettting a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon. I really couldn't be happier with my decision either. The LS hung in there until the very end and if I was not able to find the exact optioned Legacy I would likely be an LS owner right now.

The 3 things that swayed my decision were the manual transmission, AWD, and the extreme ease of modding the car. Reliability also came to my mind, but thanks to this group that was not a key deciding factor.

Thank you all. The LS will continue to stay on my "list" possibley as my next vehicle. Stay safe and enjoy driving!
 
shomann said:
I kinda feel bad about reporting this because this group has been so honest and helpful about the LS but I ended up gettting a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon. I really couldn't be happier with my decision either.
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A friend of mine bought one for his wife and they both love it. I am not sure it is a GT. Is that a turbo version, by any chance? I don't know a lot about Subarus other than the fact that I don't know anyone who doesn't like them once they own them.
 
lsbit said:
A friend of mine bought one for his wife and they both love it. I am not sure it is a GT. Is that a turbo version, by any chance? I don't know a lot about Subarus other than the fact that I don't know anyone who doesn't like them once they own them.
Click to expand...

For 2005, Subaru changed over the Legacy lineup (including the Outback). The interiors are far better than before, and the choices are basically a 2.5i (Boxer 4-cyl) at 168hp or the same engine, turbo-charged, putting out 250hp/250tq. On top of that, a simple ECU reflash can yield another 20-30hp and if replace some of the restrictive piping you can get the cars well past 300hp. I bought the wagon version over the sedan mainly for looks, but the utility is extremely nice.
 
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