“A Ford product? What is Andy thinking?”
Yes, it’s true. I’ve finally crossed the line of automotive decency and am writing about a Ford product. But stick with me for a few moments because this is one of the better vehicles produced in Detroit.
When things get frustrating at the dealership, I tend to take a walk which eventually leads me to the back of the lot to look at recent trade-ins. This one caught my eye. With absolutely no rust and a clean interior, I wondered why it wasn’t already on the lot for sale. And I later found out that it has only 70k miles. That sounded like a car that I should consider for myself! So, Saturday, I hand washed the car and vacuumed it out to see if it was as good as it looked. It was.
The Lincoln Mark VIII was usually mated to a 280 hp 4.6L V8 (think Mustang). But this one is an LSC model which bumped overall horsepower to 290. With rear wheel drive, this one ought to be a fun car to drive in the winter. Can you say donuts? The other interesting thing about the Mark VIII is that the suspension automatically lowers the cars ride height at highway speed. Watch the embedded video for a commercial touting this attribute.
Would such a car be fun to drive?
Definitely.
Would such a car be economical?
That depends on what you are used to driving. For me, it would be similar to driving another XJ-S. On the highway, it’s supposed to get 23 mpg. But you won’t be quite so happy in town as it gets about 16 mpg (fueleconomy.gov).
Would such a car be a good deal?
At $3,990 it’s an atractive car for the right person.
What about repairs?
According to consumerguideauto.com, most of the repairs seem fairly reasonable. The biggest expense would result from suspension related repairs. Do a quick search for repairs on this car and you’ll find articles about converting it to normal springs and shocks. That says something.
All in all, the Mark VIII is an intriguing car. It looks good, performs well, and this one could be a winner for someone looking for a low-mileage car in good condition.