When selecting a Lincoln LS, the big choice to make is between the two engines: a 210-horsepower V6 and a 252-horsepower V8.
The luxurious V8 sedan includes seats with power lumbar support and memory, an electronic message center, automatic dimming inside mirror with compass, moisture-sensitive wipers, a garage-door opener and its own wheel-and-tire combination.
The V6 model comes with a choice of manual or automatic transmission. Lincoln treats the manual and automatic V6s as two separate models; the one with the manual transmission is tuned more as a sports sedan, with different suspension tuning, tires, road wheels, steering wheels, sound systems, and even bumpers (body-color for manual, chrome-accented for automatic).
For 2001, a Sport Package ($1,990) is available for models with automatics that includes the manual-shift car's more aggressive suspension, tires, and 17-inch wheels. The Sport Package also includes SelectShift, a manual-override system similar to Porsche's Tiptronic.
There are not a lot of other options. A $960 convenience package for the V6 adds a memory driver's seat, a universal garage door opener, and other luxury items found on the V8 model. AdvanceTrac anti-slip traction control system adds $735 to an automatic model (it's now standard on the manual V6), while a power moonroof costs $1,005.
Best of all, Lincoln has priced the LS as its entry-level series, which pegs it about $10,000 less than a Jaguar S-Type, and about $5,000 less than a BMW 530i.