2003 LS

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/02/2003 (8507 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — It was a gutsy move, putting the 2003 Lincoln LS up against the BMW 530i in a handling test, especially since the Lincoln lost, in my view.

The 5-series, after all, is the benchmark in mid-size sport-sedan handling. Has been for years. Probably will be for a few more at least.

But even though the LS didn’t win, it didn’t lose by much and certainly didn’t lose in any respects that would be noticeable to most LS buyers.

Body roll in the LS was at least as well controlled as the 5-series. Its predictability was also on par. Where the LS lost was its tendency to push through corners when pressed, a slightly less precise turn-in and, in V6 form, not quite as urgent acceleration.

It should be noted, however, that the 2003 V8-equipped model, did better than the six, probably due to the added weight of the engine and resulting improvement in front-wheel grip.

Changes to the LS for 2003 do not constitute a complete redesign. There’s more power from both the V6 and V8 engines, smoother-riding suspensions that also provide better handling and a refined interior design that uses the same basic substructures as previous LS models but with upgraded trim, controls and materials. Head and tail lamps get slightly revised designs, as do the trunk lid, fascias, mouldings and exterior trim.

There’s added trunk space, improved interior stowage for small items like maps, coins, sunglasses and the like, and an optional THX-certified sound system that does, in my view, set a new standard for manufacturer-supplied audio gear.

Missing from the LS is the delightful five-speed manual gearbox supplied on 2002 and earlier V6 LS models. Rick Gemin, Lincoln brand manager, said when the first LS was conceived, Lincoln believed 10 to 15 per cent of buyers would opt for the stick.

“Last year, we had a take rate of two per cent,” he said. “You can make a case for something at 10 or 15 per cent, but when you get down to two per cent, dealers don’t stock them and it just doesn’t become viable any more.”

So, alas, the stick is gone, replaced with a manual-shifting automatic available on V8 Sport and V8 Sport Premium models. It doesn’t do too badly, if you like that sort of thing. The transmission in manual mode will not upshift until told. It will hold the car at the rev limiter for as long as the driver wants without wimping out and shifting. Downshifts, however, are wisely locked out if the resulting engine speed would exceed redline.

The cars we drove were pre-production prototypes. In these, the delay between driver input and a shift was better than many such transmissions but enough that if you didn’t anticipate redline by about 1,000 rpm before shifting, you’d bounce off the rev limiter while waiting for the transmission to respond. Engineer Tom Barnes said that for production, that delay was reduced significantly.

Inside, the dash has the same basic outline, but the black control panels have been replaced with what Lincoln says will be its signature interior design: brushed satin nickel trim and controls against dark soft-touch plastic.

The nickel isn’t really nickel, or at least isn’t solid nickel if it is. It’s a finish applied to cream-coloured plastic. How do I know? Because on one of the Aviator door handles (we drove the LS and the Aviator) the nickel had started to rub off. It raises questions about how long the nickel trim will stay looking like nickel.

Still, it’s a vast improvement over previous Lincoln interiors that often looked like thinly veiled Ford interiors dipped in woodgrain or leather. From a marketing perspective, it’s important to differentiate the interiors of luxury-market fare from its mid-market cousins.

Other changes from 2002 include:

* V6 engine rises to 232 horsepower while V8 rises to 280 hp.

* New variable-ratio ZF Servotronic II power steering system.

* Electronic parking brake (as on the Jaguar S-Type).

* One-touch up and down for driver and passenger windows.

* Dual power heated mirrors with underside lamps to illuminate front doors when unlocked with key fob.

* Heated and cooled driver and passenger seats.

* Re-tuned suspensions with larger tires, springs, stabilizer bars and larger shock absorbers.

* Mechanical hand brake is gone, replaced with electric parking brake system first introduced on Jaguar’s S-Type.

* Sport suspension standard on V8 models.

The exterior was modified slightly, with a slightly different grille. At the rear, the trim around the licence plate was flipped top for bottom while the tail lights lose the distinctive horizontal ridges as were on the ’02 and earlier models and become smaller. While the new lights fit in with the rest of the Lincoln brand, I like the old ones better.

Of nine different trim levels, V6 LS models begin at $42,500 while V8 models start at $47,645.

The 2003 Lincoln LS may not best the best in its class, but it does take its place among the world’s top luxury sports sedans nicely.