Why did the Lincoln LS fail? And what Ford SHOULD have done...

[sportyaccordy]

The Lincoln LS had all the right ingredients for success: high tech motors, nice body and cabin, RWD, and from what I know a price advantage over it's competitors. So why did it fail? Was it the lack of updates? The motors that became too small to compete overnnight? What was it????

If Ford had any brains, they would have did a complete exterior overhaul, as well as upgrade to the 3.5 Duratec for the base motor, and an upgraded 4.6L V8 for the top-shelf motor. Or maybe even the 5.4L N/A version of the Ford GT motor. From there they could have made an offshoot 3-series competitor as well as a legitimate Jag X-type. They could have had an Infiniti type revival! Now they just have a bunch of warmed over Mazda6's.

[sandertheshark]

I agree.  In 2000 Popular Mechanics called it the best American sedan ever, and compared it favorably to a BMW 5-series.  And four years later it disappears without a trace.  A waste of a fine car.  I think part of the problem was that Lincoln never tried to push it as the legitimate sports sedan it was.  I think marketting failed the LS more than anything else.

[MX793]

Ford doesn't seem to know where they want to position Lincoln.  I think the LS was an attempt to target the Europeans and try to draw some younger buyers who preferred cars like the 3 and 5 series to the Lincoln brand.  The car did bring in younger buyers.  Unfortunately, there was no follow-through with the Euro-flavor thing.  No new European-style flagship sedan and not even a true second generation of the LS.  Now it seems Ford wants to position Lincoln against Acura and they are now moving FWD based vehicles.  At least this time they are making more of a commitment to a direction, but I question whether it's the right direction.

Failure to follow-through or follow-up seems to be a reoccuring theme at Ford.  Look at the Taurus.  Fantastic car through the first 2 generations.  3rd generation had some funky styling that pushed customers away and Ford apparently gave up on the car after that.  They gave it a facelift a few years later but did little with the car otherwise.  I fear they're doing the same with the Focus too.  Great car that sold well for an American branded compact.  Now into its 8th season and all it's gotten was a facelift and there are plans for a second facelift next year rather than a full redesign.  Its life span thus far has overlapped multiple generations of every other company's compact.

[Vinsanity]

the LS should've gotten a redesign shortly after the CTS came out. Think Zephyr/MKZ styling riding on updated LS architecture with Duratec 35 / 6-speed auto drivetrain.

[the Teuton]

Some companies can get away with mild redesigns and facelifts because they have a proven product or something that's hot on the market, like the MINI or the very-much-the-same-as-in-2002 WRX.  But when you're trying to break through to new customers and get a new image, you have to keep pumping money into the product until it sticks.  That's why Caddy has been able to turn itself around from a company peddling Eldorados and DeVilles into a sporty, fresh car company that people actually respect.

LS was a great idea with no support behind it.  While I still contend that its back seat sucks miserably, it still won lots of praise and really was a fantastic idea.  None of the PAG or former PAG companies at Ford have been managed all that well, though, except for Volvo and Land Rover.

[nickdrinkwater]

They were actually planning to bring it to Europe at one point.

[ifcar]

The LSs problems were the styling, the initial weak powertrains, and the lack of significant visible change between 2000 and 2006. (Just a mild restyle for 2003.)

The underpinnings were excellent and the engines were acceptable starting in 2003, so with a new body and interior and the 3.5-liter V6, this would have been a terrific contender. Instead, they introduced a car with neither sport nor luxury nor uniqueness, and killed off the good one.

[heelntoe]

i actually think it looks good, with smoked headlights and taillights et al.

[TurboDan]

People who would be shopping for that kind of a car wouldn't be visiting Lincoln dealerships.  They're known as a company that sells land yachts for 80 years olds and livery cab drivers. 

Great car, sold by a company that doesn't sell those kinds of cars.

[ifcar]

Style it and advertise it right, and they could conquer that market with that car.

Look at the Cadillac CTS.

[r0tor]

It was a good car that fit the business plan when it came out of making Lincoln a sporty lux brand like BMW... the plan then got lost and they were left with a misfit

or so it seems looking back on things when Cadillac was a complete failure and Lincoln looked promising 5 years ago

[sportyaccordy]

People who would be shopping for that kind of a car wouldn't be visiting Lincoln dealerships.  They're known as a company that sells land yachts for 80 years olds and livery cab drivers. 

Great car, sold by a company that doesn't sell those kinds of cars.

Think about the kind of cars Infiniti was selling in 2001. The lame duck I30, the warmed over G20 taxicab, the Pathfinder with an aftermarket grille kit QX4 and the frighteningly boring Q41. With just two models they had the automotive world busting a collective nut and BMW shaking in their boots, despite the fact that the sedan didn't come with an MT, the engine was coarse as sandpaper, and the interior was cheap as shit.

Infiniti played it smart and started from the bottom. Nobody cared about the half-assed M45 and Q45...it was all about the G. Now the LS might have been a great car, but who would buy it? It wasn't good or powerful enough to capture the journalists, and it was too big and expensive for a yuppie to consider. Had they created a 3-series sized spinoff, the whole brand could have been revitalized and they'd be back on their way to success.

There is no reason for them to have kept the same car out for 7 years. IMO that's just lazy. And by the time it was all over all its competitors had a good 40-50HP lead on both motors. Even if they had kept the same underpinnings, the least they could do was do an intensive visual makeover and provide new motors. Oh well. Now you can get a 2001 LS V6 for about 7K. I guess in the end someone's winning.

[ifcar]

The G35 was hardly 3-Series sized.

[SaltyDog]

I agree.  In 2000 Popular Mechanics called it the best American sedan ever, and compared it favorably to a BMW 5-series.  And four years later it disappears without a trace.  A waste of a fine car.  I think part of the problem was that Lincoln never tried to push it as the legitimate sports sedan it was.  I think marketting failed the LS more than anything else.

Quoted for truth.

[Champ]

My dad had one for 5 years, wonderful car.  Yes he had the 5 speed manual and not the auto.

[so cal cookie]

I don't know about initially, but in the later years I remember the LS being quite expensive when you starting hitting the options.

[Raza]

My dad had one for 5 years, wonderful car.  Yes he had the 5 speed manual and not the auto.

How was the 5 speed/V6 combo?

[red_shift]

I absolutely loved the styling (inside and out), and from many reports, it was a true contender against the 540i. *sigh*
Shame it's gone.

[Champ]

How was the 5 speed/V6 combo?

I really liked it, it felt a little short on power on the highway but I had no problem merging or anything.  For city driving it was great, gearing worked really well and it revved nicely.

We put snows on it in the winter time, and it handled MN winters just fine, and was good for a fresh snow parking lot flog.

The car handled amazing by the way.

[omicron]

It would make one hell of a used purchase, I'd say.

[nickdrinkwater]

Just buy an S-Type.  Similar car, but nicer 

[Car Zeus]

The reason why the LS failed is because it was dated.

The resale value on it also sucked.

[ifcar]

Just buy an S-Type.  Similar car, but nicer 

But softer-handling and more expensive.

[nickdrinkwater]

But softer-handling and more expensive.

True, but still a good deal used, and a nicer interior by the looks of things.  Plus, it's a Jag! 

[TheIntrepid]

But softer-handling and more expensive.

Jags are horribly overpriced... except for the XJ and XK. My friend paid $49,000 CAD ($40k US) for a black/black leather X-Type 2.5i ....

[Raza]

True, but still a good deal used, and a nicer interior by the looks of things.  Plus, it's a Jag! 

Other than the badge, there is just about no reason to buy an S Type over the Lincoln LS.

[sportyaccordy]

True, but still a good deal used, and a nicer interior by the looks of things.? Plus, it's a Jag!?

Dude, you can get a 2002 LS V8 for less than $10K. Plus the Jag is kinda cramped with its funky roof and all that.

[TurboDan]

Best used deals on Jags are on the older XK8s, from like '99 or so.  I think Submariner posted one on here a few weeks ago.  The more I looked, the more great deals I found.  Maintenance costs scared me away from being more serious about buying one, though.

[ifcar]

Jags are horribly overpriced... except for the XJ and XK. My friend paid $49,000 CAD ($40k US) for a black/black leather X-Type 2.5i ....

Used, they're cheap.

[SJ_GTI]

I don't think Jag resale is much better than a Lincoln. If I wanted an automatic I'd go for the S-Type for sure.