CarcollectorLS
New LVC Member
I've been looking at the LS for several years as I admired the way they handled, the comfort, luxury, combined with power and the smooth ride quality. I had test driven several the past 3 years but never found one with really low mileage and in immaculate condition and at a price I could afford, so I moved on to other vehicles... until lately.
Last March (2011) I found a one owner Lincoln LS 2000 Sport with under 30K in mileage, and it was in virtually show-room condition.
It was traded in by a retired couple from S California (no rust) and I was told it was always garaged and the original owners kept it up with superb maintenance. (I know because I have their maint. receipts) From their receipts I learned theyu also filled it with synthetic oil and a top grade oil filter. The retired couple also owned a Lincoln Town Car and had traded both vehicles in toward a smaller and newer car when they moved to Washington.
Like I mentioned I had been looking for a low mileage LS for some time and when I first spotted the ad for this LS I thought it was a misprint because of the mileage, but I emailed the car dealer and it was no misprint. The car came with a written inspection report from a local car repair shop and it was perfect. But I wished for more verification that nothing was in need of repair.
The used car dealer gave me time to have my mechanic inspect the LS, which also came back perfect then I took it to a local Ford-Lincoln dealer for an inspection (this dealer knew me because I had taken my 95 Thunderbird there for service a few times) It passed that inspection with flying colors and they mentioned they had not seen such a nice LS in many years. THey also remarked that according to the build date (6-2000) if it had been built a week or so later it would have been a 2001 model.
They told me at the dealer that I should not worry too much that its a Gen One version, because they confirmed that they have worked on just as many Gen Two vehicles over the years. The dealer pointed out that the vast majority of the LS vehicles that had come it for repair have over 100k mileage and many were fine until around 150K or so. They also said that the COP's, valve cover gaskets, and some of the cooling system parts were the most common things that can go wrong on The LS. This confirmed what my mechanic told me about the maintenance of the LS, that I needn't worry much until 100k to 130K and that his shop had repaired many more expensive European cars over the LS.
The LS I bought came with a 9 month- 9,000 mile power-train warranty courtesy of the used car dealer. The Lincoln also had a battery replacement within 6 months, and had new brake pads and turned rotors with fresh brake fluid. THe coolant system had also recently been serviced with fresh antifreeze and new hoses. The LS also came equipped with almost new Michelin Pilot Sport tires that had only been rolling for about 3000 miles or so. It certainly seemed like the original owners were planning on keeping the LS for some time.
I first became acquainted with the LS when I noticed some neighbors a few blocks down owned two (among other cars) My youngest son was pals with these neighbor kids so I asked the dad about his two Lincolns. The dad gave me a history lesson, as I learned he owned a 2001 and a 2004 both V8's and after they bought the 01 and liked it so much, his wife wanted another to drive herself.
My neighbor went on to say that he and his mechanic friend replaced his COPS around 90K on his 01 and has been great so far (he now has 120K) He installed a CAI system and had some exhaust upgrades using Magnaflows and then had it Dyno tuned. Now he claims it's as fast as his 04 version but handles and corners better due to changes with a softer suspension in the Gen Twos. I asked how he knew it really handled better and he claimed he timed them on a track. Then I mentioned maybe it was the tires that made the difference... he said no because they both had the same Michelins on at the time.
Before I bought my 2000 LS I had previously checked with another 3 owners that I knew. (they all worked or work with the same company as me) One had retired and said he bought his 2000 LS new and it presently had over 240K on it with minimal repair work.. and yes he said the COPS were replaced along with some suspension parts, a water pump, a fuel pump, some cooling system part, and an engine sensor, and of course he had all the normal maint done to it when needed. oil changes and filters and such. and he thought that it was good in that regard. Between the other two LS owners... they had a 02 model and a 05 model with both around 130K and reported no major repairs had been done, just routine maint.
Of course I checked the Internet for results about the LS (did not see this forum at first) and some had reported that it was the best vehicle and other reported that it was the worst... with most somewhere in the middle just as I had thought and just about the same with every other car that I had checked into on the Internet. It seems rare to get a consensus from the internet on most anything.
MY 5,000 MILE ROAD TEST
It was summer of 2011 and my oldest son (20) and a friend embarked on a road trip to visit relatives and sight-see. We packed the car to the gills with luggage and camera gear. We ended up driving the LS over 5,000 miles during the outing and I am happy to report no problems. The LS was great, everything worked on the car (well the rain-sensing wipers were not great) and it gave us great cornerning abilities, was comfortable (except the console cubby box is too small) no rattles, squeaks, or noises. It shifts quick and fast, and we always had great passing power. It also gave us an average 26.6 mpg (figured on paper) During the trip I generally filled the tank with premium fuel and most of it was over 91 octane, but a few times I had filled it with some mid-grade fuel (89 to 91 octane) and it seemed to run fine.
During the trip the AC was running most of the time and we were cruising at around 75 to 82 mph. We drove over many mountain passes and went thru several urban traffic jams. One afternoon while napping I awoke and my son was cruising at 88 mph and I told him to slow down fast. I am sure my MPGs would have been improved if I had not made so many passing attempts. And I know that my mpgs would have been improved but not for one afternoon when I punched the gas pedal to the floor and left it there for a bit while trying to avoid a tornado in Iowa! During that bit of excitement I had my speedometer over 3 digits for some time (there was nobody else on the highway) and the LS handled great at that speed. Oh, and during the road trip the engine temp gauge never reached over the midway point.
So far the LS had been a joy to drive, seems to be a great combination of comfort, power, handling, size, and eye appeal. So far I have not found a flaw, chip, or mark in the paint except for some swirls in the clear-coat and the same goes for the interior, the leather is like new and the only flaw I noticed is some of the paint or plastic is rubbed off of the cruise control button on the steering wheel. And there are a few marks inside the driver door jam, where it looks like the seat belt connector was shut against the door jam and it left a few marks in the paint.
The Bad part of buying my LS was the price... and the lowest I could negotiate was $230 over the KBB retail price at the time.
However, the good part about my purchase was the cash used for purchase was totally acquired from selling unused items from my hobby room and garage. For about six months prior I sold items such as, old stereo equipment, old camera equipment, sporting goods, old tools, books, and one unused gas generator and I ended up with about $200 left over.
So far the LS has been one of our extra vehicles and it has come it handy. It is not a daily driver and the mileage should remain low unless we sell a couple of other vehicles. I have had two recent offers for my LS, one for $500 over what I paid for it and the other for $600 over, but it might be too late to flip this car now because we all like it too much.
If I do keep the car for years to come, I was considering buying an extended warranty for it if I can find one that covers ignition parts. Does anyone that that would be wise?
Last March (2011) I found a one owner Lincoln LS 2000 Sport with under 30K in mileage, and it was in virtually show-room condition.
It was traded in by a retired couple from S California (no rust) and I was told it was always garaged and the original owners kept it up with superb maintenance. (I know because I have their maint. receipts) From their receipts I learned theyu also filled it with synthetic oil and a top grade oil filter. The retired couple also owned a Lincoln Town Car and had traded both vehicles in toward a smaller and newer car when they moved to Washington.
Like I mentioned I had been looking for a low mileage LS for some time and when I first spotted the ad for this LS I thought it was a misprint because of the mileage, but I emailed the car dealer and it was no misprint. The car came with a written inspection report from a local car repair shop and it was perfect. But I wished for more verification that nothing was in need of repair.
The used car dealer gave me time to have my mechanic inspect the LS, which also came back perfect then I took it to a local Ford-Lincoln dealer for an inspection (this dealer knew me because I had taken my 95 Thunderbird there for service a few times) It passed that inspection with flying colors and they mentioned they had not seen such a nice LS in many years. THey also remarked that according to the build date (6-2000) if it had been built a week or so later it would have been a 2001 model.
They told me at the dealer that I should not worry too much that its a Gen One version, because they confirmed that they have worked on just as many Gen Two vehicles over the years. The dealer pointed out that the vast majority of the LS vehicles that had come it for repair have over 100k mileage and many were fine until around 150K or so. They also said that the COP's, valve cover gaskets, and some of the cooling system parts were the most common things that can go wrong on The LS. This confirmed what my mechanic told me about the maintenance of the LS, that I needn't worry much until 100k to 130K and that his shop had repaired many more expensive European cars over the LS.
The LS I bought came with a 9 month- 9,000 mile power-train warranty courtesy of the used car dealer. The Lincoln also had a battery replacement within 6 months, and had new brake pads and turned rotors with fresh brake fluid. THe coolant system had also recently been serviced with fresh antifreeze and new hoses. The LS also came equipped with almost new Michelin Pilot Sport tires that had only been rolling for about 3000 miles or so. It certainly seemed like the original owners were planning on keeping the LS for some time.
I first became acquainted with the LS when I noticed some neighbors a few blocks down owned two (among other cars) My youngest son was pals with these neighbor kids so I asked the dad about his two Lincolns. The dad gave me a history lesson, as I learned he owned a 2001 and a 2004 both V8's and after they bought the 01 and liked it so much, his wife wanted another to drive herself.
My neighbor went on to say that he and his mechanic friend replaced his COPS around 90K on his 01 and has been great so far (he now has 120K) He installed a CAI system and had some exhaust upgrades using Magnaflows and then had it Dyno tuned. Now he claims it's as fast as his 04 version but handles and corners better due to changes with a softer suspension in the Gen Twos. I asked how he knew it really handled better and he claimed he timed them on a track. Then I mentioned maybe it was the tires that made the difference... he said no because they both had the same Michelins on at the time.
Before I bought my 2000 LS I had previously checked with another 3 owners that I knew. (they all worked or work with the same company as me) One had retired and said he bought his 2000 LS new and it presently had over 240K on it with minimal repair work.. and yes he said the COPS were replaced along with some suspension parts, a water pump, a fuel pump, some cooling system part, and an engine sensor, and of course he had all the normal maint done to it when needed. oil changes and filters and such. and he thought that it was good in that regard. Between the other two LS owners... they had a 02 model and a 05 model with both around 130K and reported no major repairs had been done, just routine maint.
Of course I checked the Internet for results about the LS (did not see this forum at first) and some had reported that it was the best vehicle and other reported that it was the worst... with most somewhere in the middle just as I had thought and just about the same with every other car that I had checked into on the Internet. It seems rare to get a consensus from the internet on most anything.
MY 5,000 MILE ROAD TEST
It was summer of 2011 and my oldest son (20) and a friend embarked on a road trip to visit relatives and sight-see. We packed the car to the gills with luggage and camera gear. We ended up driving the LS over 5,000 miles during the outing and I am happy to report no problems. The LS was great, everything worked on the car (well the rain-sensing wipers were not great) and it gave us great cornerning abilities, was comfortable (except the console cubby box is too small) no rattles, squeaks, or noises. It shifts quick and fast, and we always had great passing power. It also gave us an average 26.6 mpg (figured on paper) During the trip I generally filled the tank with premium fuel and most of it was over 91 octane, but a few times I had filled it with some mid-grade fuel (89 to 91 octane) and it seemed to run fine.
During the trip the AC was running most of the time and we were cruising at around 75 to 82 mph. We drove over many mountain passes and went thru several urban traffic jams. One afternoon while napping I awoke and my son was cruising at 88 mph and I told him to slow down fast. I am sure my MPGs would have been improved if I had not made so many passing attempts. And I know that my mpgs would have been improved but not for one afternoon when I punched the gas pedal to the floor and left it there for a bit while trying to avoid a tornado in Iowa! During that bit of excitement I had my speedometer over 3 digits for some time (there was nobody else on the highway) and the LS handled great at that speed. Oh, and during the road trip the engine temp gauge never reached over the midway point.
So far the LS had been a joy to drive, seems to be a great combination of comfort, power, handling, size, and eye appeal. So far I have not found a flaw, chip, or mark in the paint except for some swirls in the clear-coat and the same goes for the interior, the leather is like new and the only flaw I noticed is some of the paint or plastic is rubbed off of the cruise control button on the steering wheel. And there are a few marks inside the driver door jam, where it looks like the seat belt connector was shut against the door jam and it left a few marks in the paint.
The Bad part of buying my LS was the price... and the lowest I could negotiate was $230 over the KBB retail price at the time.
However, the good part about my purchase was the cash used for purchase was totally acquired from selling unused items from my hobby room and garage. For about six months prior I sold items such as, old stereo equipment, old camera equipment, sporting goods, old tools, books, and one unused gas generator and I ended up with about $200 left over.
So far the LS has been one of our extra vehicles and it has come it handy. It is not a daily driver and the mileage should remain low unless we sell a couple of other vehicles. I have had two recent offers for my LS, one for $500 over what I paid for it and the other for $600 over, but it might be too late to flip this car now because we all like it too much.
If I do keep the car for years to come, I was considering buying an extended warranty for it if I can find one that covers ignition parts. Does anyone that that would be wise?
.
