Considering SHO - questions

[bezpon]

Hi guys,
First post but please bear with me.
I started looking at used SHO's but I have a couple of questions and would really appreciate some help.

1. Packages are very confusing. Basically I'd like to find a 14' - 15' model FULLY loaded with Performance Package and definitely massaging seats. Most ads don't give me enough info about specific packages that the cars have. Almost none of them list PP specifically.
What options can I look up, that would tell me that car has all the optional stuff? Also I can see 2 wheel designs - are they also part of some package or there's no meaning to them?

2. The plan is to use it for the daily commute. Most of my driving is on the highway, around 100 miles/day. Sometimes 1000-2000 miles trips. I drive fast and take fast turns, brake hard, travel in any sort of weather including snow. So I'm looking for 300+HP, strong brakes, AWD, but at the same time I'd like to get a comfy and quiet ride on the highways and all the modern toys to make travel nicer. And reliability is a must. I'm not planning to mod it at all.
How would you rate the car for my needs?

I drove most other luxury cars except germans (reliability is important) , and the only other car that was close was M37. But SHO looks better in every comparison.

 

[Majestic]

Not sure why you'd want the PP if you are just going to use it like a regular car?

 

[Sholab1]

Pp has no spare comes with air pump with sealant.
Good give away is Traction control button where you plug in radar detector, when you turn it off it stays off not like others where you turn it off and it comes back on at approximately 30mph. Don't think non-pp comes with it.
My 2015 PP came standard with summer tires, hate them in the rain. Tempted to put my snows on

It's my daily driver 2.5k per month. If you don't want to tune, do it and get stock 91 octane tune from unleashed. It will wake it really up with no mods.
I originally said just stock myself, now I have the 93 octane performance tune it really moves on highway no more stuck in traffic.

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[SilverSH0]

IMO, you cannot get a PP SHO and be fully loaded. To me fully loaded means all the luxury options available on the car. Unfortunately for the SHO, getting the PP means it does not support all the luxury options like adaptive cruise control.

 

[bezpon]

Not sure why you'd want the PP if you are just going to use it like a regular car?

Main reason is brakes steering and suspension. As far as I understand it's firmer, has a sharper steering and better brakes.

My 2015 PP came standard with summer tires

What about wheels? Are flower shaped wheels standard on PP? Or they can randomly appear on any car?

If you don't want to tune, do it and get stock 91 octane tune from unleashed. It will wake it really up with no mods.

That I can probably do. I just don't want to start swapping parts and make this into a hobby. I've done this before and it's just too painful on a daily driver.

Is there an easy way to know if it has massaging seats?

And what about Navigation? Is it the same stereo with or without navi?

 

[bezpon]

IMO, you cannot get a PP SHO and be fully loaded. To me fully loaded means all the luxury options available on the car. Unfortunately for the SHO, getting the PP means it does not support all the luxury options like adaptive cruise control.

Yep.. I just realized that. but I'd probably prefer PP over cruise control. And I have 0 interest in the rest of nanny tech.

 

[Sholab1]

Steering and brakes I liked in mountain side roads of WV. Held the road in the turns at 20+ over posted speed.
Austin Power Flower rims are standard but enough people sell them so they can appear anywhere..

Why have adaptive cruise its a SHO meant to pass people, lol

Massage is nice but not enough. Would like back higher than mid lumbar. Maybe too many back surgery's to really feel it much.

Nav is nice buy think it does not understand English sometimes.
Have the Sony 320 watt not sure what other is like.


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[cnatra]

You sounds like you may be in a similar situation I was in last spring. After driving my friends non-PP 2013 SHO my mind was made up to buy one.

Initially I was shopping new ones for the 0% financing but was having trouble finding a PP package car. I also wanted the multi-contour as well but those seemed extra scarce in the PP cars. I finally gave up on a new one and focused on a clean used SHO.

I spent most of the summer scouring dealer lots for a 2015 PP SHO.
90% of them have the 401A package & Moonroof as well as NAV.

The 401A Equipment Group includes these features, plus standard features.

• HD Radio™
• Audio System from Sony®
• Auto high beams with rain-sensing wipers
• BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert
• Heated steering wheel
• Second-row heated seats
• Rear power sunshade

Drivers assist is not found on the PP cars because how the adaptive cruise control mounts in the front valance where the trans cooler is mounted.
Apparently it can be modified to allow a retrofit of the trans cooler though.

Driver Assist Package Includes:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Collision Warning with Brake Support
• Lane Keep Assist / Lane Departure Warning
• Active Park Assist

That leaves the multi contour seats , power moonroof and NAV system as options .

Oh and the (better looking IMHO) 10 spoke polished/black wheels are a no cost option too but I think PP cars only get the " flower " wheels.

The Alcantara steering wheel is usually the easiest visual clue for the PP cars

SHO Performance Package. It features:

• Upgraded performance brake pads
• Sport-calibrated electric power-assisted steering (EPAS)
• Higher-rated springs, tuned shocks, stiffer stabilizer bars and rear suspension to provide a more connected feel between the driver and the road
• Standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control (ESC) features a “Track Mode/True Off” setting that delivers a more spirited driving experience
• 3.16 final drive ratio for off-the-line acceleration
• 20” machined and painted wheels with performance summer tires*
• New larger front and rear brake rotors
• Upgraded cooling pack
• Tire mobility kit (in lieu of spare tire)
• Alcantara® suede-wrapped steering wheel


I'm a new owner and after my approx. 6 weeks with the car I love it overall. A blast to drive !! Almost all the modern high tech features & creature comforts and plenty of room for people and stuff in cabin or trunk. The car feels solid too.

Having said that the 18.5 mpg I'm averaging vs. my friends 2013 non PP SHO with 21+mpg is a little disappointing. The firmer springs and shocks really are noticeable for a daily driver on many city streets and even on less than stellar freeways , highways , tollroads etc.

BUT the better brakes , oil cooler & trans cooler give some extra piece of mind and hopefully the liquid cooled PTU as well but the jury may still be out on that.

You could buy a standard SHO and easily add the oil cooler, trans cooler, and improved brakes yet keep the more compliant ride and better MPG of the standard car.

But if you don't mind the extra firmness of the sport suspension and don't want to tune the car the 3.16 PP final drive might be worth it for a little quicker OEM acceleration everyday.


my .02$

edited to add I was leery of all the negative things I'd read about MyFordTouch especially vs. the 2016 SYNC3 cars. Well I've been pleasantly surprised . I like it . I think the NAV and voice recognition is better than my wifes 2013 Lexus.

 

[Sholab1]

Don't forget the cooled seats, Love them in the hot summer

20.1 MPG yesterday. Some stop and Go and could not keep my foot out of it for some reason, Normal is 23.1
running 93 octane tune from unleashed.
Active park Assist. don't have it don't want it, old enough to know how to parallel park

i still find myself rubbing my head on the moon roof **** inside. hav to lean seat back a little more to avoid it.

Dont hesitate buy one, you wont be sorry

View media item 75

 

[moonie]

I had a 2011 base model SHO, only option on the car were 20" tires. The ride was great but I thought about the stiffer ride of the PP and with the roads I drive to work decided I didn't want anything stiffer than the non PP I already had so I opted for the driver assist package. Glad I did, I really enjoy the adaptive cruise control for the highway portion of my commute.

MPG really is based more on how you drive, for the 4 years I owned my 2011 I averaged between 19 and 19.8mpg. But then I do like to drive fast.

 

[bezpon]

Thanks guys .. that makes it clearer.
One more question - I know I said 14-15 but they are hard to find. How about 13? Is PP available for 13? Is this a good year or should stick with 14 and up?

 

[cnatra]

Yes the heated and cooled seats are fantastic !!! Again better than my wife's RX350.

I know my MPG is suffering from my lead foot as well I haven't had a Fun car to drive in over a decade !

My friend has 2013 non PP that seems identical to my 2015. He has the driver assist package though.

He was anxious to compare his car to mine and likes the stiffer suspsension of the PP car. He had a series of mustangs (BOSS 302!) and misses the firmer handling of those cars but knows his wife and kids won't like the ride. He plans on swapping out the shocks/struts from PP package but not the springs.
Also he hasn't tuned his car and said he could definitely feel the quicker acceleration with the 3.17 diff.

If it's going to be mostly just you commuting on hwys then the less compliant ride might not be an issue.

Maybe look for a pre-owned Lincoln MKS if you decide to forgo the PP package. Ecoboost engines are generally scarce in those cars though.

 

[sholxgt]

I was searching for a PP equipped SHO and ended up with a '13 MKS EB. To me the MKS is the luxury version of the SHO. Nicer interior and a little more upscale look. No downside to an MKS vs a non-PP SHO in my mind.

Some things to consider if you go the MKS route...
1. The standard SHO brakes are fine, but I changed my calipers and pads over to the PP parts. Was cheap and easy.
2. The MKS does not have the PP springs/struts, but does have adjustable firmness struts. Set on sport, they are firm enough for my use and I live in the mountains.
3. Lincolns come with a better factory warranty and are easier to find CPO. At least it was in my case.

Overall, the main things that I feel I am lacking from a PP SHO is the traction control off button and the PTU cooling.

On the bright side, my mechanic said that changing the PTU fluid on the non-PP cars is MUCH easier.

 

[cnatra]

a CPO MKS would be worth considering
Good warranty !!

 

[SilverSH0]

1. The standard SHO brakes are fine, but I changed my calipers and pads over to the PP parts. Was cheap and easy.

I would disagree with this. I had the standard SHO brakes on my non-PP model. I took one semi-spirited drive down a back road and the brakes warped BAD after about 5-10 turns. So I bought new brakes and they warped again that summer from standard driving. Then I swapped them over to PP brakes and they have been great. Done AutoX and spirited driving without any issues. IMO, the brakes are the major downside of the non-PP model. If the OP plans on braking hard, he's going to want to have the PP brakes (either from buying the PP model or upgrading).

 

[bpd1151]

Agreed..... Non-PP brakes suck major @SS.

Particularly on the '10-'12 model years.

Plenty of threads, posts, comments, etc. across the board, not only here, but elsewhere, that document this fact.

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[Gbczyk84]

On the '13 SHO, is there a difference in rotors between PP and non- PP cars? Thought it was only the pads, semi-metalic vs ceramic.

 

[sholxgt]

I would disagree with this. I had the standard SHO brakes on my non-PP model. I took one semi-spirited drive down a back road and the brakes warped BAD after about 5-10 turns. So I bought new brakes and they warped again that summer from standard driving. Then I swapped them over to PP brakes and they have been great. Done AutoX and spirited driving without any issues. IMO, the brakes are the major downside of the non-PP model. If the OP plans on braking hard, he's going to want to have the PP brakes (either from buying the PP model or upgrading).

If I'm not mistaken, you have a '10-12 model. Those brakes just plain suck regardless of PP or not. Reports from '13+ owners is that either brakes are fine.

Upgrading from '12 to '13 brakes is substantial. Upgrading from '13 non PP to '13 PP brakes is very minor. Same rotors either way and the exact same size calipers. Only difference is vented pistons and slightly more contact patch in on the pads. I went from one to the other and saw the difference first hand. It's very minor.

 

[sholxgt]

On the '13 SHO, is there a difference in rotors between PP and non- PP cars? Thought it was only the pads, semi-metalic vs ceramic.

No, same rotors. The body of the calipers and the backplate on the pads are even identical. If you need to buy calipers or pads, no reason to not upgrade. Otherwise, there's very little difference.

 

[sholxgt]

Agreed..... Non-PP brakes suck major @SS.

Particularly on the '10-'12 model years.

Plenty of threads, posts, comments, etc. across the board, not only here, but elsewhere, that document this fact.

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That's true for '12 and under brakes in general. '13 plus brakes are very similar regardless of PP or not. I seriously doubt that the few holes drilled in the caliper pistons or slightly more contact patch on the pads make much difference. Going from ceramic to semi-metallic pads probably account for most of the difference.

I went from non PP parts to PP parts because the previous owner had glazed the factory pads and the rotors were turned 3 times in the cars history to try to correct the issue. Overall braking ability difference between PP and non PP on a '13 plus car will probably only be seen on a track or SERIOUS mountain drive.