New here...05 LS V8 Ultimate

[EL8ED]

Hi everybody,

I just picked up a brand new 05 LS Ultimate V8 silver with all the fixins (incl. Navi). I liked the deal better than the car at first, because I didn't know much about the car. Only options missing are adjustable pedals and rear seat heater.

Went to the dealer to look at the Zephir when my wife turns around and says: "How 'bout that one (pointing at the LS) I like that one better." Me says: "Yeah, buy they are 45 grand - too much" She looks at the sticker and it turns out they are selling off left-over 05s - 18,000.- off sticker price... hard to beat that...

Did some research on the car the next day (mostly on this forum - thank you very much) and bought it next day.

3 things I noticed so far that I dislike:
- lots of tire noise
- quite a bit of body roll
- slugish pick-up for a 280hp car
both compared to the Acure TL Type-S that I am still driving until the lease is up in July.

Overall the LS seems like a very solid car. I sure hope it holds up better over time than the Acura which is starting to fall apart after only 3 years, including some severe paint peeling. I am planning on keeping this one for awhile.

Hope I grow to love the LS as much as I loved the deal.

Thanks for all the valuable info on this site.

Cheers,
Oliver

 

[GrayGhost1]

Oliver,

Congrats on the new LS. As for your dislikes those can be fixed by doing a few things:

- lots of tire noise Could be the type of tires on the car. If they are the Continentals then you'll more than likely have to deal with it until you switch the tires)
- quite a bit of body roll There were two different suspension options. One was the sport and the other was the base. If you have the base model then you'll notice a little softer ride. Switch to the sport version shocks when it is time to replace them. Also, it is possible to add some lowering springs to stiffen the ride as well.
- slugish pick-up for a 280hp car The issue you're experiencing is probably the "drive by wire" technology. The 03 and up LS's do not have a direct throttle cable to the throttle body. It's all electronic and there is a little delay. If you drove a 00-02 LS you'd notice a difference. However, most get use to it on the later model LS's. Also, adding an intake onto the LS will help too.

 

[Smokey]

Welcome to the LVC! You will love the LS. I actually wish mine had a softer feel to the ride, but that's part of the Sport package.

"3 things I noticed so far that I dislike:"

- lots of tire noise

Not much you can do about this except trying different tires.


- quite a bit of body roll

Get Sport shocks and sway bars?


- slugish pick-up for a 280hp car

Get an Xcal2 from Torrie at http://www.fastpartsnetwork.com

 

[ToddG]

Oliver,

Congrats on the new LS. As for your dislikes those can be fixed by doing a few things:

- lots of tire noise Could be the type of tires on the car. If they are the Continentals then you'll more than likely have to deal with it until you switch the tires)
- quite a bit of body roll There were two different suspension options. One was the sport and the other was the base. If you have the base model then you'll notice a little softer ride. Switch to the sport version shocks when it is time to replace them. Also, it is possible to add some lowering springs to stiffen the ride as well.
- slugish pick-up for a 280hp car The issue you're experiencing is probably the "drive by wire" technology. The 03 and up LS's do not have a direct throttle cable to the throttle body. It's all electronic and there is a little delay. If you drove a 00-02 LS you'd notice a difference. However, most get use to it on the later model LS's. Also, adding an intake onto the LS will help too.

Ken, its an 05 V8 Ultimate. It will have Michelin tires and the sport suspension.

On the tire noise, I agree, there is not much you can do about it besides changing the tires. FYI, I had good luck with Bridgestone Turanza LS tires -- very quiet on the LS.

Not sure why you have body roll. My 06 LS with the same susp as yours corners flat as a pancake. Perhaps there was an issue with the shocks while the car was sitting on the lot so long. You may want to take the Service Advisor at your dealership for a ride and have the techs check it out.

The sluggish throttle response is from the drive by wire system, as Ken indicated. It was sluggish on my 2006 car too, but give it some time and it will learn the idle trim and your driving pattern. In a few days it should be very responsive.

 

[Wishmissle]

an intake change will help the off idle response a ton!

that was the first thing i changed on mine.

 

[sloban]

Welcome aboard! A heck of a good deal! Congrats!

 

[EL8ED]

Ken, its an 05 V8 Ultimate. It will have Michelin tires and the sport suspension.

On the tire noise, I agree, there is not much you can do about it besides changing the tires. FYI, I had good luck with Bridgestone Turanza LS tires -- very quiet on the LS.

Not sure why you have body roll. My 06 LS with the same susp as yours corners flat as a pancake. Perhaps there was an issue with the shocks while the car was sitting on the lot so long. You may want to take the Service Advisor at your dealership for a ride and have the techs check it out.

The sluggish throttle response is from the drive by wire system, as Ken indicated. It was sluggish on my 2006 car too, but give it some time and it will learn the idle trim and your driving pattern. In a few days it should be very responsive.

Thanks for all the replys and your thoughts/suggestions.

Todd, you are right, it has the Michelin tires. I was really surprized that they are so loud because the Acura TL runs the same tires very quietly.

I will ask the service advisor to check if there is any damage to the suspension or tires from sitting on the lot for so long.

I only noticed the body roll when slamming the car into a very tight corner with about 45mph. Maybe I just need some time to get a feel for the handling. The LS is a bit heavier than the TL, so it will feel differently no matter how good the suspenson is. And there is the issue of re-learning to drive a RWD...

I will look into intake and flash upgrades when the cashflow shock over the purchase subsides...

Thanks for all your help.
Best,
Oliver

 

[mint05LS]

Good Luck with your new Lincoln;I bought one new last summer and I LOVE it! Drive-by-wire takes a little getting used to,so give it a little time.

Believe me when I say this car will grow on you.Like ToddG said about the suspension,it does corner extemely well. I really don't notice too much tire noise from the Michelins which your car has also.

In any event you WILL enjoy your LS and LVC. There's a good group here that can answer your questions and you'll probably wind up answering some of theirs. Grayghost1 (Ken) has his own online store-(LS Koncepts) which has a number of accessories and upgrades for the LS.

Take care, Jim.............

 

[jgfish97]

The LS is a great car. In fact, I'm thinking of getting another one. Giving my wife the '02 and buying an '05-'06. Lucky for me, she likes the '02 more than the newer models.

Great car. Enjoy!