Test drive Lincoln LS 2000 - 2006 sedan

Lincoln LS - Jaguar with American citizenship

The name of Abraham Lincoln is associated with the war of the north and south or with a 5-dollar bill. And for Americans, also with their favorite brand of cars of the vast majority of post -war presidents and white collar do not first youth. The wealthy audience did not complain to the brand, the success of the Navigator SUV is relative. Lincoln LS, which appeared on sale in the spring of 1999, seemed to break the established stereotypes in the first two months dealers took orders for a year ahead.
As we have already mentioned, the authoritative Motor Trend magazine called Lincoln LS a car of the year, recognizing it the best among 29 applicants. To some extent, the conjuncture from 1994 to 1998 worked for the victory of the applicant. Sales of sports sedans grew from 262,000 to 438,000. And this is no less than 40% of the total market segment, which includes high -class cars. Well, with the upper class it is clear, the brand for it belongs by definition, sports lincoln it sounds like a freight Ferrari! However, the Vice President of Lincoln Mercury Division for Marketing Jim Rogers is a special opinion: we know how they relate to cars combining dynamics, American comfort and an acceptable price. But LS is really sports, an extremely balanced sedan at a sensational price. The President of the Department, Mark Khatchins, added: we believe that our work will have a resonance not only in Boston or Dallas, but also in Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Helsinki. In my opinion, Mr. Khatchins did not mention Moscow completely in vain.
Let's start from the end, that is, with a price that is in the limit version (with a 3.9-liter V8 and an automatic machine with manual switching) less than $ 35,000. The main competitors, and the manufacturer calls the BMW 5, Mercedes-Benz E, Audi A6, Lexus GS300 and others like them, more expensive, and we also have a clean customs clearance. So about the attractive price of Yanka do not lie, but what about everything else, the rivals are somewhat! And Lincoln Town Car (see cars b 5/99), almost the LS peer, a sports spirit, I remember, did not differ. And in general, at least kill, well, I didn’t have a look of a promise Lincoln in any way. On the fact of birth, so to speak, did not work out. And in vain!
The fact is that you need to compare the novelty with a completely different car with Jaguar S-Type. Although in appearance you can’t say this. The British unequivocally hint at the ideological kinship of the model of the end of the century with their famous family of the XK 60s. For Americans, such reincarnation was impossible due to the elementary absence of a suitable prototype. Do not replicate, in fact, outlined the idea of \u200b\u200broad dreadnoughts. True, with a certain share of imagination in the angular contours of LS, you can see the features of the Mustang, but it was a bird of a completely different flight. At the same time, the designers had the mind not to throw out the shape of the radiator grille with the child’s water unequivocally indicates the brand. Lincoln should be identified instantly, because he in any hypostasis is a symbol of the well -being of his owner.
But if on the outside LS looks quite American, then you can’t say this about the salon. The panel of devices with round dials, a developed C, O Miracle, Ash and Coorizer, a gearbox lever on the floor, and not on a steering column, a large screen of the navigation system for the production of a large three set of non -typical. At the same time, leather seats with modest lateral support and the rear sofa with clearly marked places for two give overseas origin with the head. The standard equipment includes a complete set of servo drives (including front seats), two airbags (side pillows for the United States are still rare), air conditioning, an excellent radio in general, an almost complete gentleman's set. By and large, you only need to reservation to install a CD player and phone. And only pseudo -driven inserts, from which, unlike other finishing materials, are spoiled by a mile away, he carries a very pleasant impression.
I catch myself thinking that the British would never have pierced it like that. But what LS exceeds S-Type is in the volume of the base of both sedans, but Lincoln is wider, and this is noticeable. True, to reach the handbrake even further, he remained from the passenger, but this minus is easy to survive. As for only the designated lateral support, it is to complain about it, as well as the so -called theatrical seats from behind, which do not allow the third passenger to stand normally with a sufficient length of the sofa, the case is meaningless. The Americans would rather call Castro a democrat than to refuse a imposing landing, not so uncomfortable. The matter of habits, that's all, and the range of 4 adjustments of the seat and 2 steers is quite sufficient for a driver of any height.
But all this is the lyrics the most remarkable detail in the salon is the gearbox lever. For the first time since 1951, Lincoln is offered with a mechanical box (only paired with a V-shaped six), and such a complete set is 800 dollars more than with a machine gun. The power unit is practically Yaguarovsky, like all disc brakes with ABS, and independent suspensions on double transverse levers of unequal length, and a rack steering mechanism with a variable reinforcement factor. But this is a real attempt on the foundations, and, by the standards of the traditional client of the brand, heresy. I must admit, and we could not believe that Lincoln really acted as principles, until the first sharp press on the gas pedal. Without slowing down any initiative in the germ of the machine, the car really behaves in European. Overalls from a stretching, as a wet summer, the procedure turns into genuine pleasure, and the reactive force on the steering wheel, which is proportional to the speed increase, ensures the speed and accuracy of the maneuver. Moreover, the suspensions behave accordingly, in the modes of movement in which the Town Car would begin to swing, like a plane -bottom on a swell, LS is only hardly cutting. Turning 90 by 60 km/h to the descendant of dreadnoughts is almost the same as kissing the lioness, there is a lot of fear, but no joy. LS he writes the trajectory perfectly, for the rear -wheel drive, of course. The dynamics fee and controllability in the form of shaking on minor irregularities, which are no less acceptable in Detroit than in Moscow. And organisms, hardened in domestic Kostotryas, groaning, like a funeral bell, they will not notice it with shock absorbers at all.
Will Lincoln be supplanted in Europe Jaguar? This is unlikely, despite all the advantages, it is still inferior in the breed of cars from Coventry. But the rest of the cars are close, and the price speaks for itself. So it is necessary not to worry to the British, but to the Germans and Japanese, who for once received a really serious American competitor.
 
Vladimir Matveychuk
Photo by Alexander Kobenko
   
 
This car seems to be refuted by a motto drawn next to the Lincoln brand on company avenues: American Luxery. Actually, there are no doubts about Luxry. But about American ...
The philosophy, on which the modern model ranks of the largest automobile companies are built, is by no means Mr. Ferdinand Pikha. It’s just that the record achievements of Volkswagen Golf IV and his relatives regarding the unification of platforms are too blatant. In fact, in the American automotive industry, such an experience is much richer: the vast majority of the American market models since the 50s have been made on unified platforms and units, which, moreover, often existed for decades, almost without changing. So in fact, some luxurious Lincoln Town Car and such beloved American police Ford Crown Victoria are much more common than you might think.
Nowadays, acquisitions and mergers can be seen not such a tradition, but effectiveness above all things. Fans can inconsolably grieve that their exclusive Aston Martin DB7 is made on the platform of some serial Jaguar XJ/XK, but it so happened that with all its traditions both Jaguar and Aston Martin were owned by the effective Ford Motor Company, and not vice versa. And this is logical.
Unification has acquired a global character. It seems that soon we will cease to talk about brands and models, and we will talk about platforms and models, or only about platforms, regardless of markets and continents. Here is a characteristic example: Ford Dew-98. We would previously say that this is a typical European platform, which Ford is developing for models of the European large class E, implying the replacement of the Scorpio veteran removed, and even the new Jaguar S-Type. But the replacement of Scorpio did not appear, and it seems that the main reason for this acquisition of Volvo Cars. But the new Lincoln appeared! In America! On the same platform! Miracles? For some, it is possible, at least in the USA, there is still no talk that in this LS is much larger from a European car than from Lincoln.
In general, the way it is. And it’s not even difficult to call this European Jaguar S-Type car, especially when we are talking about units. Just a twin brother, only grown up in another country, and therefore educated and dressed a little differently ... It is difficult to clearly talk about the origin of these brothers.
Of course, these two -leaf pendants (cars, No. 10/99) cannot even be called in American sports American cars did not dream of this refined kinematics.
A mechanical five -speed gearbox (for Lincoln LS option with the V6 engine, for Jaguar standard) in the USA a rare phenomenon. It is produced by the German Getrag, supplying transmissions for both European and American manufacturers. And an automatic transmission for both Fordovskaya 5R55N.
Engines are a separate story. It is not difficult to guess that the V-shaped six, which is called AJ-V6 on the Jaguar S-Type, is directly related to the Ford Taurus Ford Taurus. And about the eight could be said that Jaguar shared her with Lincoln (this V8 is installed on the XJ and XK coupe), but we should not forget that there were no V8 engines on the Jaguar models before entering Ford at all.
Of course, we can talk about differences. Both jaguar engines are represented in a more forced form than on Lincoln, nevertheless on the avenue under the emblem, the Art of Performance is drawn. For Lincoln in the sports package of options, Selectshift Transmission System is provided for sequential control of an automatic box (Jaguar’s list of options is not listed).
It can be assumed that suspension settings differ, although Lincoln has a suspension in the sports package with the name European Sport Tuning (is it not the same that Jaguar has in the standard?). True, the electronic control control (Computer Active Technology) is not provided for Lincoln.
But the most interesting thing is in another. The fact is that the Ford Motor Company is going to sell Lincoln LS in Europe. Everything is clear with America: there are less prestigious stamps, there are more prestigious ones, but there are European cars that are even cooler. Therefore, the image of Jaguar and the England record in the Final Assembly Location column (final assembly) by the American S-type buyer in 42 and 48 thousand dollars (basic prices for V6 and V8 engines). And the image of Lincoln and the Wixom, Mi, USA (for buying LS) in 31 and 35 thousand, respectively. This is despite the fact that the list of standard Lincoln LS equipment is one and a half longer. So to find out what the price ratio will be in Europe? But in Russia?
D. Filonov
 

Source: Cars