Relativism. It means that nothing exists solely within itself; rather, one can derive meaning only by comparing against the context of others.
The Lincoln LS V6 is one of those vehicles that set itself up, from its very inception, to compete in a very crowded field, with some formidable opposition. It was touted as the ultimate import fighter, the vanguard of American ingenuity finally catching up to "them foreign cars."
We, too, got swept up in the hype, and acquired an LS V8 for our own long-term fleet. And we must say, we've been pleased overall with its performance, despite the fact that it's been back to the dealer so often to correct deviant transmissions and AdvancTrac woes that Kenny, the service advisor, is now on our permanent Christmas card list.
So we jumped at the chance to test-drive the V6 manual version of the toothsome LS. After all, it's the only American sport sedan available with a tranny that you can manipulate yourself, appealing to the driving enthusiast who prefers to choose her own gears rather than trust a sludgy automatic system to do it for her.
It's a pricey privilege, too. You actually have to pay about $800 (MSRP) more for the stick shift than the auto. On the other hand, the 17-inch wheels and the tightly tuned four-wheel short-long arm (SLA) independent suspension system of the Euro Sport Suspension package, which would cost $1010 on an auto, comes standard on the manual.
So how does the V6 compare to the V8? And is it really a participant in the hotly contested near-luxury sedan market?
Unfortunately, we were disappointed in Lincoln's bid to restore nationalistic pride. Our Dark Green Satin Metallic version came equipped with the power moonroof, an upgraded stereo system worth 1160 smackeroos, and a convenience package that included a garage door opener, mist-sensing wipers, seat memory and electrochromic mirrors.
Thus outfitted, the price turned out to be $35,255, on par with a certain Teutonic belle that always gets our pulses racing. Interior materials were substandard, however, when viewed against the sumptuous quality of a Bimmer or smart sophistication of an Audi A4. Furthermore, the interior quality of our test model somehow seemed worse than on our long-termer (which isn't that great to begin with), even though the LS doesn't offer interior upgrades. We guessed that it's partly the dull gray color scheme, or a psychosomatic manifestation - if it's cheaper, it must look cheaper.
The engine makes perfectly adequate power, with the 3.0-liter whipping up 210 peak horsepower and 205 foot-pounds of twist at 4750 rpm. However, acceleration is undistinguished, with our road test editor eking out a rather sluggish 7.8 seconds in the zero-to-60 mph acceleration run. The V8, with the automatic, was able to best that time with 7.6 seconds, while the 323i, with 40 less horsepower, gets 7.1 seconds. In terms of performance numbers, there wasn't much of a disparity between the V6 and the V8 versions of the LS.
Yet, in real-life conditions, in which drivers are discouraged from making high-rev launches, takeoffs from a standstill lacked thrill. Although published numbers state that 90 percent of torque is delivered between a wide 2300 and 5700 rpm, we noted a deficit in muscle, especially in the low- to mid-range areas.
The LS is approximately 400 pounds heavier than the 323i, and several drivers noted it lumbers along heavily, especially compared to the nimbleness of the V8 (plus, it lacks that pleasing resonance of the V8's exhaust note). The trade-off, of course, is that you get the trunk space and rear-seat accommodations of a 5 Series for a 3 Series price.
Road test guru Gardner put it aptly: "The 323i and the LS are both sport sedans. However, the BMW is more sport than sedan, whereas the LS is more sedan than sport." Still, the suspension lives up to its "Euro" designation, with impressive control of body roll and nearly nonexistent squat or dive. Brake feel is progressive and confidence-inspiring, the Firestone all-season rubber sticky, steering razor-sharp. Very little fault is found with the drivetrain, and from an enthusiast's standpoint, the ride quality of the LS is far superior to the floatiness one usually associates with Lincolns.
The Getrag five-speed gearbox was described as having a fairly positive action and medium-length throws. "It shifts fine," wrote one logbook entrant. However, he added: "It offers no real tactile sensations when going between gears. Bimmers don't shift fine, they shift precisely, positively, confidently, etc." Again, what exists as perfectly adequate in its own right gets denigrated when compared to others.
Having attended the vaunted EdmundsLIVE event, where consumers could test-drive popular models, it was interesting to see which cars drew the most crowds. The Lexus IS 300 garnered the longest lines and lascivious glances, followed by the BMW 323i, with the Audi A4 a close third and the Acura TL and Infiniti I30 getting more cursory glances than real consideration. The LS garnered the least amount of attention. We're convinced that had this event been held last year, looky-loos would've been drooling all over the still-handsome machine. As things stood, however, it was apparent that Lincoln still has a ways to go if it is to become firmly entrenched amongst that illustrious crowd.
On the other hand, we must still dole out commendations to Lincoln for trying to compete with some of the best cars in the market, for thinking outside the box and daring to attempt something different. When asked if Oldsmobile would ever install a manual on the Aurora, another contender in the sport sedan category, a high-ranking executive brushed off the suggestion; they feel that a manual was a misstep on the part of Lincoln, saying that most drivers have one hand on the wheel and the other on the cell phone. Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Most of Edmunds.com staffers concur that this could possibly be the best American sedan on the market. If Lincoln continually makes improvements to this already respectable car, such as putting a manual on a V8 and enhancing the interior, it could very well be a worthy opponent, even on a worldwide scale.
The Lincoln LS V6 is one of those vehicles that set itself up, from its very inception, to compete in a very crowded field, with some formidable opposition. It was touted as the ultimate import fighter, the vanguard of American ingenuity finally catching up to "them foreign cars."
We, too, got swept up in the hype, and acquired an LS V8 for our own long-term fleet. And we must say, we've been pleased overall with its performance, despite the fact that it's been back to the dealer so often to correct deviant transmissions and AdvancTrac woes that Kenny, the service advisor, is now on our permanent Christmas card list.
So we jumped at the chance to test-drive the V6 manual version of the toothsome LS. After all, it's the only American sport sedan available with a tranny that you can manipulate yourself, appealing to the driving enthusiast who prefers to choose her own gears rather than trust a sludgy automatic system to do it for her.
It's a pricey privilege, too. You actually have to pay about $800 (MSRP) more for the stick shift than the auto. On the other hand, the 17-inch wheels and the tightly tuned four-wheel short-long arm (SLA) independent suspension system of the Euro Sport Suspension package, which would cost $1010 on an auto, comes standard on the manual.
So how does the V6 compare to the V8? And is it really a participant in the hotly contested near-luxury sedan market?
Unfortunately, we were disappointed in Lincoln's bid to restore nationalistic pride. Our Dark Green Satin Metallic version came equipped with the power moonroof, an upgraded stereo system worth 1160 smackeroos, and a convenience package that included a garage door opener, mist-sensing wipers, seat memory and electrochromic mirrors.
Thus outfitted, the price turned out to be $35,255, on par with a certain Teutonic belle that always gets our pulses racing. Interior materials were substandard, however, when viewed against the sumptuous quality of a Bimmer or smart sophistication of an Audi A4. Furthermore, the interior quality of our test model somehow seemed worse than on our long-termer (which isn't that great to begin with), even though the LS doesn't offer interior upgrades. We guessed that it's partly the dull gray color scheme, or a psychosomatic manifestation - if it's cheaper, it must look cheaper.
The engine makes perfectly adequate power, with the 3.0-liter whipping up 210 peak horsepower and 205 foot-pounds of twist at 4750 rpm. However, acceleration is undistinguished, with our road test editor eking out a rather sluggish 7.8 seconds in the zero-to-60 mph acceleration run. The V8, with the automatic, was able to best that time with 7.6 seconds, while the 323i, with 40 less horsepower, gets 7.1 seconds. In terms of performance numbers, there wasn't much of a disparity between the V6 and the V8 versions of the LS.
Yet, in real-life conditions, in which drivers are discouraged from making high-rev launches, takeoffs from a standstill lacked thrill. Although published numbers state that 90 percent of torque is delivered between a wide 2300 and 5700 rpm, we noted a deficit in muscle, especially in the low- to mid-range areas.
The LS is approximately 400 pounds heavier than the 323i, and several drivers noted it lumbers along heavily, especially compared to the nimbleness of the V8 (plus, it lacks that pleasing resonance of the V8's exhaust note). The trade-off, of course, is that you get the trunk space and rear-seat accommodations of a 5 Series for a 3 Series price.
Road test guru Gardner put it aptly: "The 323i and the LS are both sport sedans. However, the BMW is more sport than sedan, whereas the LS is more sedan than sport." Still, the suspension lives up to its "Euro" designation, with impressive control of body roll and nearly nonexistent squat or dive. Brake feel is progressive and confidence-inspiring, the Firestone all-season rubber sticky, steering razor-sharp. Very little fault is found with the drivetrain, and from an enthusiast's standpoint, the ride quality of the LS is far superior to the floatiness one usually associates with Lincolns.
The Getrag five-speed gearbox was described as having a fairly positive action and medium-length throws. "It shifts fine," wrote one logbook entrant. However, he added: "It offers no real tactile sensations when going between gears. Bimmers don't shift fine, they shift precisely, positively, confidently, etc." Again, what exists as perfectly adequate in its own right gets denigrated when compared to others.
Having attended the vaunted EdmundsLIVE event, where consumers could test-drive popular models, it was interesting to see which cars drew the most crowds. The Lexus IS 300 garnered the longest lines and lascivious glances, followed by the BMW 323i, with the Audi A4 a close third and the Acura TL and Infiniti I30 getting more cursory glances than real consideration. The LS garnered the least amount of attention. We're convinced that had this event been held last year, looky-loos would've been drooling all over the still-handsome machine. As things stood, however, it was apparent that Lincoln still has a ways to go if it is to become firmly entrenched amongst that illustrious crowd.
On the other hand, we must still dole out commendations to Lincoln for trying to compete with some of the best cars in the market, for thinking outside the box and daring to attempt something different. When asked if Oldsmobile would ever install a manual on the Aurora, another contender in the sport sedan category, a high-ranking executive brushed off the suggestion; they feel that a manual was a misstep on the part of Lincoln, saying that most drivers have one hand on the wheel and the other on the cell phone. Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Most of Edmunds.com staffers concur that this could possibly be the best American sedan on the market. If Lincoln continually makes improvements to this already respectable car, such as putting a manual on a V8 and enhancing the interior, it could very well be a worthy opponent, even on a worldwide scale.
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