My new DD/baby hauler

[black92]

After almost 10 years of driving my 2002 Ford Explorer Limited 4x4 V8, it was time for a change. The Explorer I did cat-back exhaust, CAI, tune, slightly lowered on 20's with 20% tint, removed the roof rack and it ran a best of 15.1 in the 1/4 mile. It was a great DD for me and did everything I asked of it. I put 145,000 miles on it and enjoyed every moment of it. With a daily commute of 50 miles, I was averaging 17.4 mpg (kept record on fuelly.com).

I really wanted a 2013+ Explorer Sport, but they just weren't in the budget, so I started looking for '13+ Taurus SHO's. When I was ready to make a move, I couldn't find any with the options I wanted or they were 250+ miles away. Then I started looking at Lincolns and about 35 miles away was a 2012 Lincoln MKS Ecoboost. I've always like the styling over the Taurus and I was able to get IMO a lot more car for my money. This has the EcoBoost appearance package and the dual panel moon roof as well as front/rear parking sensors, navigation, THX II sound system, etc. I've only had it for a week and I LOVE the instant torque the 3.5TT provides. This thing really gets out of it's way without trying.

My goal is to drive it for a few months in stock form to get an avg mpg record and then I will be doing the LMS 91 tune/3-bar/plugs and drop-in filter. Visually I'll probably remove the side badges and tint the windows. Weather has been terrible and Spring cannot come soon enough so I can detail it and get better pictures because the potato I used sucked...

Sold on 12/31/2015 and will be missed :cryying:

Picked up on 1/4/2016:

Update - 4/26

 

[JetmechF16]

Man that MKS looks pretty slick, liked the Explorer too!

 

[DaBigBone]

Gorgeous cars! Always been a fan of the styling on those. Congrats!

 

[black92]

Man that MKS looks pretty slick, liked the Explorer too!

Thank you! The Explorer was a great ride and for the mileage, the interior was in very good shape. New owner drove 3.5hrs to buy it after it was posted online for 2 days and I got close to my asking price, so I was happy.

Gorgeous cars! Always been a fan of the styling on those. Congrats!

Thank you very much! Cannot wait to get it all detailed because the paint has seen better days...

 

[CobraBob]

Very nice looking Lincoln. Love the black paint. A good detailing will make it pop! Your old black Explorer was really nice, too.

 

[Sn95Snake]

That was a very clean Explorer. Nice upgrade, I am sure it is a totally different world then the explorer.

 

[black92]

Very nice looking Lincoln. Love the black paint. A good detailing will make it pop! Your old black Explorer was really nice, too.

Thanks Bob! As much as black is a PITA to keep clean, I keep gravitating towards it because it looks perfect once cleaned up. One thing I find interesting is the rear spoiler is tuxedo black and yet the main panels are straight black? Need to research if that's normal...

That was a very clean Explorer. Nice upgrade, I am sure it is a totally different world then the explorer.

Thanks! I will definitely miss the utility and sound of the Explorer. If it didn't sell, it was going to get an overhaul because I really liked it that much (odd, I know). I was actually looking at a loaded 2011 MKX and as nice as it was, it was missing the power that I've been wanting ever since I sold my '89 LX 5.0 after I purchased the Explorer. MKS fixed that :coolman:

 

[HEMI LOL]

congrats man, we've got a 11 SHO and love it to death. been a fantastic car.

 

[BlksvtCobra01]

Congrats looks clean and kind of a sleeper because people think of the SHO Taurus and not this.

 

[R.D.P.]

Surprised you sold that Explorer considering how much care you gave it. Looked really good for a 14yrs old Explorer. You couldn't have got much for it? I bet 6 months from now you'll be wishing you would have just hung on to it to have as a second car when needed.

 

[black92]

Congrats looks clean and kind of a sleeper because people think of the SHO Taurus and not this.

Thanks and I agree that it's more of a sleeper since no one expects a Lincoln to move out. Another thing is there are far less MKS's around here compared to Taurus's, to that's kind of nice too.

congrats man, we've got a 11 SHO and love it to death. been a fantastic car.

That's what I want to hear! Everything I've read about the Taurus/MKS is that they are pretty solid rides with no real issues. Main thing seems to be changing the PTU fluid and being consistent on changing the other fluids as well. Wife is afraid to drive it because she has a heavy foot and might get a speeding ticket...

Surprised you sold that Explorer considering how much care you gave it. Looked really good for a 14yrs old Explorer. You couldn't have got much for it? I bet 6 months from now you'll be wishing you would have just hung on to it to have as a second car when needed.

Believe me when I say I really didn't want to sell it. When you drive the same thing everyday for 10 years it's hard to imagine going to something else, but the MKS puts a smile on my face each time I drive it. For the Explorer, the ONLY thing I had to change on the motor was the COP's and everything else was stock. However, all good things must come to an end and I was able to get $4100 out of it (asked $4500). Pictures make the seats look worse/shinier than they really are.

 

[aoc racer]

One of the best looking explorers i've seen. Although the Lincoln is a very nice replacement.

 

[R.D.P.]

Wish I would have had a shot at it - would have loved to give you $4100 for it.

 

[black92]

One of the best looking explorers i've seen. Although the Lincoln is a very nice replacement.

Much appreciated! The wheels were one of the hardest things for me to decide on because too many styles are flashy/ugly. These actually resembled the factory look, just 20's instead of 16's. I happened to stumble upon them from a guy in Georgia and had them shipped to me in KS for $650. They stopped making them back in 2001 I believe. I had them powder-coated in the winter of 2014 and to give them the polished look I was going for (super chrome is the powder). MKS is fun to drive and almost every night since I bought it I've been reading up on people tuning them..... It's not helping me any! LOL

Wish I would have had a shot at it - would have loved to give you $4100 for it.

I honestly didn't think it'd sell that fast! Guy was ready to come to my house within 24hrs after listing it. I did not need the money, I just didn't see the need for having multiple vehicles. I actually have a '97 Civic EX sitting in the driveway that I tuned up/new brakes/hood and it's just sitting there. Plan to sell it to a neighbor to help someone out. Wife's Milan just hit 90K miles and after I pay the MKS off by the end of the year, we'll grab an SUV for her. In-laws live 15 min away and have both an SUV (CX-9) and truck (F150) should I need to haul something.

 

[black92]

Updated the first post with some pictures after a quick detail. I've also been tracking my fuel economy: http://www.fuelly.com/car/lincoln/mks/2012/limited02/408343 and with the construction that's going on, I'm not able to drive as consistent as I did in my Explorer but I am happy with what I'm averaging. Without question it will do 25+mpg once I take it on a long road trip because at 85mph, it's turning 2000rpm... Tint will be put on in the next few weeks (20%).

 

[SID297]

Nice new DD, but I know what you mean about giving up the Explorer. I'm getting ready to sell mine. Have the ad written up already, just need to take some pics.

 

[black92]

Nice new DD, but I know what you mean about giving up the Explorer. I'm getting ready to sell mine. Have the ad written up already, just need to take some pics.

Thanks Sid! I've only been bugging you for what, two years or so to post up the supercharger install writeup? LOL! Before I bought my MKS, it crossed my mind to buy your Explorer and I would have if it was black. Best of luck selling it!

 

[SID297]

Hey, it's partially black.