Lincoln's sporty luxury sedan pares down its trim lineup this year to, well, a Sport V8. Built on a Jaguar platform, the rear-wheel drive 2006 Lincoln LS adopts exterior styling from last year's LSE, including a chrome grille, body-colored moldings, and round foglights. It also gets larger 17-inch wheels. The powertrain remains the same -- a 3.9-liter, 280-hp V8 that delivers 286 lb-ft of torque with a 5-speed shiftable automatic.

Though rear legroom can be cramped, the sport sedan seats four, with split-folding rear seats. The interior is plush, with standard leather seats, power front seats with memory, dual-zone climate control, a CD player, and heated mirrors and wipers. There are a variety of nice options, like a sunroof, navigation system, parking assist, power adjustable pedals, and heated seats, available in either the Elite or Premium bundles. Another nice touch is a THX option for the sound system.

The 2006 LS is equipped with a sport suspension, ABS brakes, traction control, brake assist, and dual front airbags. Side curtain bags are optional, along with AdvanceTrac stability control. Sport seats are not offered, however, so though the interior is comfortable, the driver may get knocked around a bit if taking it out for a true sporty ride. Owners seem to like the upscale comfort, the V8 power, and the smooth handling, but complain about the low fuel economy and lack of manual transmission in a sports sedan. The 2006 LS is Lincoln's most affordable car.