1997 Lincoln Mark VIII Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
This is the 5th 1998 MK VIII LSC I have owned, and I consider these cars the best ever from Lincoln. Of the 5, I have never experienced any significant problems or downtime for service/repairs, and I have put 125,000 + miles on all of them except this nice 76,000 mile car.
VS
Critical Review
The engine is good. The transmission was overhauled once - torque converter has been replaced three times. The front air suspension was replaced once. Later, both front and rear were converted to springs at a cost of about $1500 for all. Both head lamps were replaced at a cost of around $600 after becomming opaque. The dashboard computer was replaced under warranty. Lumbar support quit about 100K ago. Seats have untimely wear. Alternator was replaced several times. The left window quit working and the door handle broke off. The windshield wipers stand straight up when turned off, but they work. Another $300 would buy the wiper motor with integral switch. Add another $200 to get installed. By replacing the wiper motor and adding a tank of gas, this car would probably be worth the used car listed value of around $900. Most of these problems occured before 100K and some have occured repeatedly. NONE of these problems should have ever occured. The car drives like a sports car, however, it is light on the rear end. It has spun around with my wife once in a gradual curve during a moderate rain event. It has also spun around with my daughter on an interstate highway during a sudden rain storm. It turned around and slid into the grassed area between the lanes and hit the guard cables. Being attentive is not enough. We have added weight in the trunk since then. I like to drive this car, but it just hasn't measured up to what it should have. I can see why they are not being made anymore.
1997 Mark VIII Reviews
Showing 8 of 156 reviews.
Would like to know used car value of this 1 owner 2door coupe 130,000 same owner no rust car V8 Automatic
Last production year of a great sporty Lincoln
No running lights
Bought a LCS / Black metallic 1998 new traded for an Eddie bower 4x 2002. Loved the Mark and really enjoyed the Bronco as well. Recently purchaed a 1998 Berry Red LSC Collectors Edition with 67k miles and have updated original suspension, Tires, rotors and Discs. Drained the Trans/Torgue Conv. as preventive maintenance and added some quality fluids per mechanics suggestion. He said inexpensive way for the drivetrain to stay healthy for another 60k. Love the style, love the condition, love the handling, and still enjoy the get up a go- go and quiet smooth ride! Many of the young mechanics in the shop say Wow!
Luxurious, high-performance, drop-dead gorgeous!
Lincoln doesn't make them anymore!
I cannot say enough regarding the Lincoln MARK VIII! These are timeless classics that don't look dated out on the road AND they can keep up with the Mustang Cobra, in fact, the MARK VIII is considered a PRE-Cobra! It's the Ford modular 4.6 litre 32-valve V8 engine that's the selling point. The car is far ahead of its time coordinating all of the luxury a Lincoln offers with extreme sporting appeal. They were built from 1993-1998 and are the finale to the distinctive Lincoln MARK Series. The MARK VIII is the last 2-door Lincoln and one of the last true luxury performance cars of the 20th Century. I've owned mine for 2-years and I LOVE it! "Zori" is a 1993 MARK VIII and was purchased in Portland, Oregon. It has never been driven in salt. The amazing part of Zori's history is the fact she was owned the entire time before me by one extremely particular female owner. She kept the car serviced by Lincoln dealers only. The lady was extremely careful with the car, there are no dings nor corrosion. She had the car impeccably refinished by the dealer many years ago. I performed a complete detailing using Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish with Chemical Guys Jet Seal and topped off by Chemical Guys Extreme Top Coat - finishing the job with Turtle Wax Ceramic Black polish. Zori has a finish that looks like a jet-black chrome mirror. Zori still has her functioning air suspension which actually lowers itself at highway speeds to aid its aerodynamic efficiency. Don't ever swap the air-ride for the air-to-spring conversion, because you will regret it! You can run over a dime and feel it! I put a set of Pirelli performance tires on it which makes her 'float' like a cloud with a sure-footed grip on the road. The exterior is what excites me most! From the keen-slope of her nose clip all the way back to the discrete ersatz spare tire design of the deck lid - Zori makes an aggressive styling statement that always catches the eyes of her many beholders! Each time I take her out, there's always someone asking if it's for sale! The Lincoln dealer told me to name my price, he wanted it for his own collection! I'll never forget the day I took it for an oil change, the tech parked it in front of the showroom and it was immediately surrounded by onlookers. Many had never see a MARK VIII, they thought it was a '2000-something'; they were astonished when I told them the car will be 30-years old in 3-months. Inside, the extremely picky owner kept it absolutely immaculate. The leather has an excellent patina with NO cracks nor tears. The vinyl is perfect - even the carpet. The rear compartment was never used. ALL accessories - including the ice-cold A/C - are in working condition...the computer message center that's fully operational, informs the driver of the car's logistics at a glance. Zori even tells me when it's time for an oil change and that all systems are good-2-go. The cabin sweeps all the way around the driver enveloping them within a personal luxury approach. Everything is tastefully placed within reach, all pertinent vehicle info is available at a glance. The glove-soft leather seats are ergonomically designed making it a driver's car complete with memory-controls and power lumbar support for the front seats. The front seats still move forward when the seat back is moved making entering/egress to the rear compartment easier. The 'space-age' look of Zori's wrap-around cockpit design, integrates the driver with the car. The power assisted rack and pinion steering yields a luxurious touch that still gives the driver the 'feel' of the road. The traction assist can be turned off...when I want to 'burn-rubber' for an aggressive sportscar attitude! No, I don't dog it, I use it within the realm it is intended. She's vicious 100% with a thirst for performance!! The Lincoln MARK VIII was the hottest car to exit the assembly hall at Wixom, Michigan back in the day!! The most satisfying aspect of all occurs when a sportscar pulls up beside me at a traffic light with the driver popping the clutch racing their engine - the light turns green and the little sportscar is now a tiny spec in my rear view mirror...that driver now realizes this is not a stodgy example of yesterday...it's an elegantly-opulent sportscar's unexpected nemesis -
Expensive too replace with a like type vehicle
Not that good on gas
I would like too know why KBB keeps underestimating the actual market pricing of these Mark VIII`s - If you take care of these vehicles they are great - I have had mine for 20 plus years with normal preventive Maint.
Get many compliments on Vehicle styling and looks
Not a living room sofa ride - Hard to get parts
Looks good - One re-paint (Black/Black) - Adult owned 21 plus years - Second owner - Completely new Front End including Rack and Pinion unit, all ball joints and NOS original front struts (2019) - New Re-Manufactured Transmission (2022), New A/C system (2022) - Power windows and Seats - Memory seats and windows - In storage 12 - 14 Years - Pleasure driver now (Weekends) - Many other new items to mention - Driver's seat need reupholstery or seat covers
Enjoyable to drive - Luxury was ahead of its time
Parts hard to find - you need to keep looking
Had in storage for about 14-16 years - Drive every other weekend amd PM as required - Looks good (1 Re-Paint) and runs as new. Not mechanical issues - Complete suspension replaced or upgraded (Stll an Air Ride Car) - Second owner, never raced or dogged out (Driver seat needs re-upholstered (Black/Black)
Fun car, rides great, performs better
All I can think is cupholders & power outlets
I cant say enough about the way this vehicle drives & rides. The response is akin to a Mustang & its as smooth as you would imagine a Lincoln should be. This is one of the last true Detroit Muscle cars, built to compete with BMW & Mercedes sport models by American workers in Michigan. American steel & horses under the hood. It was a 40k car in 93 & I picked it up for 3k with just about 90k on it. It was one of the most advanced cars of its day, & one of the first to be computer controlled. The only thing I would change on it is the cup holder. The leather (blue in mine!) looks nicer than most newer cars Ive seen with just a few thousand on the clock (sturdy). The seats are the most comfortable Ive ever sat in. I am a Realtor so I drive all over all the time, averaging about 35k miles a year, so comfort for my back & hips is important. The trunk can fit a little league baseball team, the front seats automatically slide forward to allow entry to the back seat when you flip the seat back forward & slide back into place when you drop it back. Mine has had a few old car issues that Ive been working on correcting, but my mechanics cant believe how nice it is for such an old model. Neo-Classic I call it. I love this car, can you tell? If you find one in good shape buy it. It really shines on Interstate traffic. It moves when you need it to move brilliantly, & is comfortable when you are sitting in a traffic jam. The air suspension on mine has been replaced with an aftermarket kit from a Super Coupe Performance site & takes the pounding of our roads & driveways while giving a smooth ride. Some purist say to keep the air ride, but too many problems, IMO unless you want it to be a show car. Struts work great for daily driving. Somebody backed into my fender in the parking lot when it was in the shop for service & since its not really worth a lot wholesale, the insurance totaled it (a softball sized dent). I am looking for a green one now to replace it. Buy it! Drive it! Take care of it & it will take care of you!
A reliable great looking ride with speed to match
Some parts poor design pros far outweigh the cons
The 1997 Mark 8 has it all, timeless stylish beauty, good gas mileage and a Beast of a motor. Some parts are unusually designed poorly for a vehicle of this quality. The Blend door unit that is poorly made could have been moved six inches so it could be changed without removing the entire dash and of course the driver door seat trim which fails quickly because of its poor design. That being said ,this is a car which many have already pointed out is aesthetically beautiful and looks likes it cost enormously more than it does. It handles like a sports car and is as quick as lightning !
