1995 Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6 DOHC V8

Summary:

Highway star

Faults:

Tree fell on it; had to replace the hood, roof, dash, and trunk lid, and glass. Luckily I had a parts car.

It made a little noise when fired up cold that went away within a few seconds... did this the whole time I owned it, but the engine was still healthy after I sold it.

The biggest problem was the air suspension system. First of all, it's not all cushy like you'd imagine an air suspended Lincoln to be. It's more sporty and felt great in most situations, but would crash and bang on larger bumps. The leveler failed around 100k and 3 different garages couldn't find the problem. I took it to my local Lincoln dealership and they fixed it in a few hours and even washed it for me. I give them a 10 out of 10, and usually I'm very skeptical about dealerships.

Eventually the transmission began to slip after years of hard HARD use.

General Comments:

This was the best car I've ever owned. As a guy in my early twenties, I beat on this car without mercy the whole time I owned it (seriously, it saw the redline almost every day for three years). I drove it from Maine to Utah, and then back again with a UHaul trailer behind it in 100 degree weather and it never let me down. The durability doesn't stop at the drivetrain though. A guy in an Audi backed into me once at a gas station and he shattered his bumper, and the Lincoln's bumper was only scratched.

It looks and drives like a way more expensive car. I'd get comments on it all the time from people who didn't even know what it was.

Performance wise, the 290 horsepower V8 didn't disappoint. It wasn't as high strung as the Northstar Caddy I owned before it, but felt like it pulled harder, even though the Caddy had 10 more horsepower. I surprised a lot of "sporty" cars with it.

Handling felt a little heavy but in a good way (a lot of big American cars steer too light). The rear wheel drive is awesome if you're into that kind kind of thing. It did make it pretty much useless in the snow though.

It is one of the best cars I can think of for a road trip. The seats are the most comfortable I've ever sat in, including the ones in furniture stores. The interior is really cool, how everything wraps around the driver. It's silent as a tomb inside, and easy to handle even when you've hit the 120 mph speed limiter.

To anyone who thinks America doesn't make any good cars, I'd say try one of these. It's fast and reliable, plus you get the manly V8 sound and low slung American looks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th January, 2009

1995 Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6L 32v DOHC

Summary:

It eats up interstate roads like you wouldn't believe

Faults:

Air suspension leveling went crazy (the back of the car almost dragged on the road while the front pointed to the sky). That was a cheap and easy fix once I finally found out what was wrong.

Also the "Door Ajar" message comes up sometimes when the door is definitely shut.

Other than that just the usual maintainance- brakes, tires, etc/

General Comments:

I can't think of any bad things to say about the car except the headlights are practically useless. I would almost be better off to use a flashlight. I've used some special polish on the lenses, but it didn't really help. I had to add on some aftermarket driving lights.

Good things about the car... I could go on all day. I drove mine from Maine to Salt Lake City, Utah and found it to be the best long trip car I could ask for. Then I drove it back again during a 110 degree heatwave, this time with a trailer on behind, the whole time passing dozens of other cars that had overheated on the side of the road. This car is a real workhorse.

The seats are the most comfortable ever and the interior looks really cool. The wraparound dash and drivers' computer makes it feel like a fighter jet. It feels even more like a jet when you get it out on the highway. The car is extremely comfortable at high speeds thanks to the 290 h.p. alloy 32v DOHC V8, and 65 mph feels like a crawl. If you jump on the gas from a cruising speed the car will accelerate like a rocket. Rear wheel drive makes it a more steady high speed cruiser and is awesome if you are into using a car to get yourself in trouble. My only performance complaint is although it is still fast (0-60 in about 7 sec) it feels a little slower off the line than it could be, just because it's a heavy car with tall gears. Open roads are where the car really comes into it's own.

Handling is real good for a bigger car, and the while the ride isn't sports car firm it definitely isn't luxury car floaty, either. Braking is extremely good.

Styling is awesome in my opinion, I love the long, low, sleek, aggressive look.

I wouldn't think twice about buying another one. It's the best car I've ever owned.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd January, 2006

9th Apr 2006, 22:35

I have a 95 Mark VIII that almost always gave the Door Ajar message. I tried a tip that cleared it up. Spray the latch with WD 40 where it connects to the door. Mine didn't go away instantly, but after a few hours it never came back on. I read that it has to do with the door being grounded. My mechanic disagreed, but I'm not arguing about having it work properly.

17th May 2006, 22:10

I agree with you on that. Our Lincoln Mark 8 is so cool when momma (My wife) and I want to take a long smooth ride out of town. The ride is awesome and the look is certainly a headturner. Yes the shocks can be a pain, but I haven't had that problem yet. Great car.

8th Mar 2007, 16:22

Just a bit of unasked for advice for Mark VIII owners.

1, Re frozen locks. If you have to chip ice off the lock to get the key in, it is probably frozen. Don't force it. Let the hot water tap run in the house till hot, but not scalding and pour some on the lock till the ice melts. Try the key again if it doesn't turn repeat hot water till the lock thaws. It's cheaper than replacing the lock. If you are forwarned, put some tape over the lock in advance of the freeze.

2, The air ride in the Marks is really a treat, but spending $2k to repair or replace on a car that may only be worth $3k is a questionable value. There are spring conversion kits available for the Mark for about $500. That might be a solution to tight budgets that love this car.

3, The door ajar issue can be fixed by squirting the WD40 into the door lock (carefully) It is usually due to a stuck sensor in the door.

The only thing bad about the Mark VIII's is they don't make them anymore. The good thing is they will probably last 250,000 miles if maintained.