Staying in a Lincoln

[Warden]

I've had a Lincoln MarkVIII since 2000. Had a White/black 95, then a black/black 98LSC and finally a black/lt graphite 96LSC which I just unloaded real cheap. I now have a 2008 MKZ lease (company) and am upgrading next week. If it weren't for the fact that this is a company car I wouldn't be able to get one.

On Tuesday i'm picking up a 2011 MKS 3.5 Ecoboost, Bordeau Reserve Red Metalic over Camel Ultimate Leather. 20" polished aluminum wheels. :shifty:


For the lease, with rebates and such, it is only $15 more per month than the SHO I was about to get, and I haggled that sales man way down for that SHO and he wasn't happy. I didn't fall in love with the SHO. My main issue was the driver/passenger window size. I could not rest my elbow on the window sill and raise my arm vertically to hold onto the upper door frame. I also had trouble with my arm resting flat on the window sill (both while window is open - I like to drive that way). And although the Taurus and the MKS are basically the same car I am amazed that I do not have these issues in the MKS (my arm is snug but fits). I am 6'5" tall and although I had leg room and head room in the SHO I had more in the MKS for my arms (no bull:q:q:q:q, can't figure out why; gonna have to get a tape measeure out). FWIW my head always hit the ceiling in all my markviii's and the MKZ, not in my 88 tbird tho, probably because it was the only one not to have a sunroof. The MKS had just as much power as the SHO (twin turbo and all) and every freakin option available minus the Park Assist and Appearence package.
Car drove like a dream (do wish it was RWD) and the AWD system will work wonders for the 5 months of potential snow we get here in New England ( got 5-6 major 12" plus snow storms last season).
I can't wait. I have not been so excited to get a car since I got the 98LSC. The 95 VIII is still my all time favorite minus the headlights; MKS has adaptive HID(will have to read up, I understand the concept), has adaptive cruise control which will be awesome for my 40mile each way commute on the Mass Pike and interstate 495. Auto wipers on/off and intermitent; Auto High Beams (my 88tbird 5.0 sport had that option - freakin awesome). THX II Certified 12 Speaker DVD, 10gb hard drive, SYNC, Navigation, Rear view camera - gonna tint the back windows dark now:gr_devil:. Still leave the fronts legal for the police not to bother me; I can't afford any more tix, tough around here and I am kinda close, but not too close, to losing license).Heated Cooled front seats, 12 way power, heated rear seats, Interior wood package, dual panel moon roof, Fog lamps, color changing interior ambient lighting,Intelligent start system, can't remember what else but no heated steering wheel (wtf Ford?!?!!).
Love the fact that this car is smooth, fast, luxurious, I fit so comfortable in the front, I fit soooo comfortable in the back again, i'm 6'5". Seats are soft and supple with some cushion; the MKZ has no give. Car is high enough that I can get in comfortably - the 6'5 thing with 250lb of mass. I do wish the car had an Air ride system so I could lower the car once inside and when parked as it does look a little dorky from some angles but downright beautiful from others, nasty looking even. All views are classy (all this of course my subjective opinion) and with the 20's and metalic dark dark red (basically burgandy/maroon etc... Bordeaux Reserve Red... or rather just plain maroon)!
I will do my best to post photos as soon as I get the car (5 days and counting)

 

[Lincoln Luebbe]

Congratulations, post pics when you get it.

A lot of people don't like them because they are AWD and FWD based but I really like the SHO/MKS, granted I would prefer RWD based. I believe it shares the Haldex AWD system in the MKX which I can say from experience is excellent in the snow.

 

[BlackLS06]

Ill stick with my LS.

I dont like that its a V6, has a huge grille in front and a high rear end. Then add the fact that its a rebadged taurus and fwd and that really kills it for me.

Im also a big guy at 6'1" 270 lbs and i fit like a glove in my ls.

 

[thaywood]

I'll stick with my RWD V-8 powered '97 Mark VIII LSC, thanks. No wrong-wheel-drive for me. I don't mind so much that the MKS has a V-6. What I mind is that there is no V-8 offered. And of course, it's FWD with a sideways engine. And for me, that's a big, fat no-no. And I've actually sat in an MKS and to me it feels awfully cramped for such a big car. I'm 6'2" 210lbs and my Mark VIII fits me perfectly.

 

[ford nut]

350 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm.
AWD for the winter.
steering wheel paddles

Sounds like fun to me, enjoy it.

 

[thaywood]

Massive torque steer due to 55% of 350 ft-lbs of torque going to the front wheels.

Understeer due to 55% of torque going to front wheels and almost 60% of the car's weight over the front wheels.

The disappointment of opening the hood and seeing the engine mounted sideways.

I'll keep my RWD Lincoln, thanks.

 

[chris2523]

Massive torque steer due to 55% of 350 ft-lbs of torque going to the front wheels.

Understeer due to 55% of torque going to front wheels and almost 60% of the car's weight over the front wheels.

The disappointment of opening the hood and seeing the engine mounted sideways.

I'll keep my RWD Lincoln, thanks.

how is the torque split controlled? electronically probably? i wonder if a chip or tune of some kind could adjust the front rear torque bias.

 

[thaywood]

how is the torque split controlled? electronically probably? i wonder if a chip or tune of some kind could adjust the front rear torque bias.

I wonder about that too. If it's computer controlled, there should be some way to "adjust" the split more to the rear wheels. Kind of like Jaguar did with the AWD system on the Mondeo platform when they adapted it for the X-Type. Jag made sure the majority of the torque was going to the rear wheels because they knew their customers would not buy a Jag that they knew was FWD. So they adjusted it to give it a RWD feel. Ford could easily do that with the SHO and MKS. They just won't.

 

[Lincoln Luebbe]

Thaywood-

What FWD vehicle mistreated you as a child for you to hate them so much?
I'm not a fan of FWD either, but you certainly seem to have more than an average level of dislike for FWD given the many quotes in your signatures and things...

There is a market for them apparently, look at Acura and some of Lexus. Is there a story why you are so against them other than simple preference?

 

[thaywood]

Thaywood what FWD mistreated you as a child for you to hate them so much? I am not a fan of FWD either, but you certainly make your point with your signatures and things...
There is a market for them apparently, look at Acura and some of Lexus. Is there a story why you are so against them other than simple preference?

Honestly, it was a 1984 Ford Escort station wagon That was the only FWD car anyone in my immediate family has ever owned. My dad traded an AMC Hornet for that car and he hated it. That was the first time I had ever heard of a FWD car. When I looked under the hood and saw the engine mounted sideways, it totally boggled my mind why anyone would do something so stupid. Twenty-five years later and I still don't understand the appeal of it and I still think FWD is the stupidest invention in the history of humanity. I've had over 30 cars in my life and not a single one of them has been FWD. I will never own a FWD car. I would not own a FWD car if you gave me one. There are only a few things that I am passionate about. And my hatred of all things FWD (with the possible exception of the 1966 Olds Toronado - just because it's such a beatutiful car) is one of them. Irrational, maybe. But I just can't help it.

 

[Lincoln Luebbe]

I understand, I pretty much hate GM (although there are a couple of models I would consider) and I wouldnt' own one if someone gave it to me either. I was raised a Ford man in the Ford vs Chevy war.

 

[ford nut]

how is the torque split controlled? electronically probably? i wonder if a chip or tune of some kind could adjust the front rear torque bias.

http://www.awdreport.com/Content/Lincoln.htm

The AWD unit uses a sophisticated system of clutches to quickly distribute torque between front and rear wheels – up to 100 percent in either direction – as needed, to avoid wheel slip. The AWD system works in conjunction with the standard AdvanceTrac® stability control system to provide additional stability by transferring torque from side-to-side

Its cool no doubt.

I'll keep my RWD Lincoln, thanks.

I bet you will, them new cars is expensive aint they?

 

[thaywood]

I understand, I pretty much hate GM (although there are a couple of models I would consider) and I wouldnt' own one if someone gave it to me either. I was raised a Ford man in the Ford vs Chevy war.

I pretty much feel the same way about GM. I've always been a Ford man. And always will be. Even though I'm not particularly happy with Ford right now.

http://www.awdreport.com/Content/Lincoln.htm

Its cool no doubt.

Yep. If it were rear-biased. Unfortunately, under 99% of driving conditions, a minimum of 55% of the engine's torque is sent to the front wheels in the SHO and MKS's HALDEX system.

I bet you will, them new cars is expensive aint they?

Ayup. They shore iz And if you want a real car with RWD, you'll pay even more

 

[chris2523]

http://www.awdreport.com/Content/Lincoln.htm



Its cool no doubt.

ah. excellent info. thanks.

 

[Warden]

I can't wait to get the car. Can't think I can state that enough!

3 days and counting. Any RWD markviii's want to race or compare 'Premium Luxury'?

BTW, final selling price less than 46k. With every freakin option minus the park assist and appearence package.

 

[thaywood]

I can't wait to get the car. Can't think I can state that enough!

3 days and counting. Any RWD markviii's want to race or compare 'Premium Luxury'?

The Mark VIII was a premium luxury car in its day. Times have moved on. Yet RWD and a V-8 is still a prerequisite to play with the big boys. I'm not going to even entertain the notion that a Mark VIII could keep up with an EcoBoost MKS. That's stupid. However, compare the MKS to its upper crust RWD competition and you can easily see why Lincoln isn't in the same league as Caddy, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar and the rest.

But if you like it and can afford it, more power to ya!

 

[Warden]

Lincoln couldn't honor their deal. I am now driving a SHO

 

[chris2523]

Lincoln couldn't honor their deal. I am now driving a SHO

i hear the SHO is better anyway.
one example, the lincoln had paper cones in the upgraded sound system. the ford had poly cones.

 

[thaywood]

i hear the SHO is better anyway.
one example, the lincoln had paper cones in the upgraded sound system. the ford had poly cones.

Seriously???

 

[chris2523]

Seriously???

i read it on shoforum. i will attempt to find it back. if i do, i'll post it. if i don't, i'll make my brother find it. he has a 92 mtx sho and is on there a lot.

 

[chris2523]

yep. a guy recently ordered an SHO. some of the later discussion.
http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=117536

I'll be present during your build. Unfortunately the guy who could tell me where your car would be and when has been transferred to nightshift. Just an update, the speakers have changed for 2012. No instead of having 1 connection per speaker, there's 2. My guess is the tweeters are now controlled individually. Yours should sound better than every1s. The Lincoln has a similar setup, but it's speakers are paper. Yours are Sony. Congrats.

Lincolns speakers are paper and Fords are Sony...seems yet again the Lincoln guys are getting short changed....and the execs don't understand why the MKS isn't selling as well.

Just asking. Does it automatically mean our speakers are not paper because they are Sony? Or to put it another way, are the Lincoln ones worse if they are paper? The Lincoln system is a THX system. When I test drove the Lincoln I was very impressed with the THX system. The Sony I have is good but I think the THX one is better. I got the SHO because I did not see the $15K difference between the two vehicles.

You would probably never notice the sound difference between a new paper cone speaker and a new polypropylene cone speaker. I suspect the THX system has upgraded speakers that are not paper cone. The paper cone speakers will not be quite a rigid as a poly cone, nor will they survive heat and UV as well as the poly cones will, so they will deteriorate more quickly. If I remember correctly, our speakers even have rubber surrounds versus foam which will further improve their long term survival.

-Rod

The Lincoln speakers are definitely paper! I've dropped enough(lol) , and held enough to know. The SHO speakers weigh twice as much. And apparently cost twice as much. I had a bad batch 1 day, the had to write them off, it like 200 apiece.


@markathome, we don't make many lincolns, 1 or 2 an hour.

geez ford is freaking stupid.

 

[Lincoln Luebbe]

Well, I can speak for the THX system in the MKZ, LS, and MKX. The LS and MKZ were good but the system in the MKX is ridiculous even at 3/4 volume. The speakers are heavy in all three cars. Paper or not (which I doubt based upon the fact that the speakers in the MKZ, LS and MKX are not paper) I would be willing to bet the 10 inch sub in the MKS puts the two 6x8 "woofers" to shame in the SHO. Maybe they are just meaning the slot tweeters are a paper speaker?

The MKS has the same speakers the MKX has with exception of a 10" sub vs 8" sub in the MKX and the MKS has two additional speakers somehwere. The MKX has 14 the MKS has 16 IIRC.