For the most part, the 214-horsepower, 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 providesgood performance for the LHS. It tends to be a little noisy under hard
starts and aggressive passes and it doesn't have the off-the-line torque
of a big V8. The LHS, however, weighs considerably less than the Lincoln
Continental and Cadillac Seville and about the same as the Infiniti J30
and Mercedes E-class, which helps make the most of the available power.
The four-speed automatic transmission is smooth and seamless most of
the time. But stand on the gas pedal and shifts tend to get rough and abrupt--or
more positive, depending on your perspective.
The traction control system that comes as standard equipment reduces
wheelspin, particularly when accelerating from a standstill on slippery
surfaces. If the system senses that the front wheels are spinning it will
automatically apply the brakes, pulsing them rapidly until the offending