Semi-annual drive events are a good opportunity for auto writers to drive a number of new cars back to back.  They’re also not unlike high school dances, as everyone scrambles for a chance at the latest Mercedes, Maserati, or Jaguar.  At a recent such event, I decided to take a break from elbowing my way into the line for the debutantes, and found a 2004 Lincoln LS siting practically forgotten at the back of the lot.  No one had driven it all day.
What a shame.  Lincoln’s fun-to-drive, well-mannered LS sedan has unfortunately been something of a wallflower since its introduction in 1999–in spite of capturing top honors as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year that year.  That’s partly because it’s a very good car in a segment that consists of nothing but very good cars.  The buyers of upscale sports sedans have been among the most discerning and, well, downright picky consumers since BMW and Mercedes came over in the early 1980s and hooked a generation of Yuppies on the joys of sports-car performance in a leather-wrapped four-door.  A smoother transmission and quieter suspension are welcome improvements for 2004.  Unfortunately the LS as a whole hasn’t changed much since its introduction five years ago, and the package getting a bit long in the tooth.

At least they’re handsome teeth.  The LS has been blessed (some might say cursed) with the same handsome, conservative lines since its introduction.  A black trapezoidal grille with a bold chrome surround puts the family heritage right up front, and quad round headlamps under glass are framed in black and also aggressively sporty.  We noticed a lot of drivers politely merging to the right when the LS came up behind them in the fast lane.  The LS is long and low, with big wheels and strong fender flares.  The styling has a hint of the Sixties Lincolns designed by Virgil Exner (Lincoln purists, put those torches away, I said it was a hint).  An LS sportwagon would be a handsome vehicle (and compete nicely with similar cars from Mercedes and Volvo, not to mention the attention-getting Dodge Magnum), but it’s unlikely that Lincoln will ever build one.

Great evolutionary strides have been made with the interior, whose clean design still lags behind the competition in usefulness.  The tall center console is three times bigger than it used to be, and splits the front compartment into driver and passenger cockpits.  Like the rest of the Lincoln lineup, the LS’ interior is accented with satiny nickel trim.  Wood, aluminum or lacquered trim is used depending on the model.  The seats are nicely bolstered but I found it hard to adjust to a comfortable position, and there was no setting that prevented the steering wheel from chopping off my view of the top of the speedometer.  On the other hand, the available THX sound system makes up for a lot of ergonomic evils.  The controls were somewhat annoying, but with the super-stereo, the LS turns into a rolling concert hall.  Lincoln hasn’t forgotten how to do gadgets, either; adjustable pedals, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, a rear parking assist, and Sirius satellite radio are all on the list.  My test car also had the available navigation system, which was easy to use but placed very far down on the console, forcing the driver to look away from the road to check the map.

A front-engine, rear-drive layout is the basic ingredient of the LS’ sporting nature.  The 3.9 liter V8 puts out 280 horses and offers the ability to dance with sedans like Mercedes’ E-Class and Audi’s A6.  The all-aluminum engine uses dual overhead cams and electronic throttle control (ETC).  The ETC is calibrated more for smoothness than immediacy, resulting in a lag between pedal and power that takes some getting used to.  When the power comes on, it does so with a giddy rush, and merging into freeway traffic is a heck of a lot of fun.  There’s only one sour spot; a five-speed automatic is the only transmission offered.  It’s a selectable “manumatic” tranny, but there’s no clutch pedal option.

The lack of a manual is likely to drop the LS off of many enthusiasts’ lists, and that’s too bad because it really is fun to drive, even with the slushbox.  For 2004 suspension tweaks have tightened the front end just a little, but the fully independent setup still puts unequal-length control arms at all four corners (instead of the less racy MacPherson struts found on more pedestrian cars).  It’s not quite a BMW 5-series killer, but the LS will happily run with any Acura or Infiniti you care to name in spite of a rather portly 3800-lb curb weight.  Over our handling loop we even enjoyed the LS more than we did the Jaguar X-type.  AdvanceTrac stability control is also available.  In our wet-pavement driving, we found AdvanceTrac to be smart enough to keep the LS pointed straight even during intentionally stupid maneuvers.  Four-wheel disc brakes and ABS are standard.

Pricing for the V8-powered LS starts at $39,460.  On our test car, the addition of options like AdvanceTrac, the THX sound system high-intensity discharge headlamps and heated and cooled front seats drove the bottom line up to $47,670.  At that price level, the fact that the LS is such a good car is both a good thing and a bad thing.  Taken by itself, it’s a wonderful piece, but the fact that it’s somewhat overdue for an update or a freshening keeps it solidly in the “good” category and out of “awesome.”  When compared to newer offerings from Mercedes, Audi and Infiniti, “good” doesn’t quite justify the bucks.  Still, for luxury sport sedan intenders who don’t need all of the gadgets, Lincoln’s forgotten four-door deserves a look.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Lincoln LS V8, which we tested.
Length:     193.9 in.
Width:        73.2 in.
Height:        56.1 in.
Wheelbase:    114.5 in.
Curb weight:    3768 lb.
Cargo space:    13.5 cu.ft.
Base price:    $39,460
Price as tested:    $47,670
Engine:     3.9 liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Drivetrain:     five-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:     280 @ 4000
Torque:     286 @ 4000
Fuel capacity:    18.0 gal
Est. mileage:    17/24

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