One great thing about the MKZ however is that you can get one in great shape used for a great price. Someone looking at 4-5 year old car around the $10k mark can spend another three thousand and be driving a MKZ. You can’t go wrong with a MKZ from $13-16k.

The cashmere interior looks like the Maxima interior, but the black interior, or even black and tan looks much nicer. The silver panel in the all-cashmere interiors is kind of ugly looking.

Myself, I’m not a FWD fan, but there are definitely people out there who prefer fwd or awd over rwd (people with children, older people) and in which case, the MKZ is a good choice.

The thing I agree with, is the idea about taking the Continental Concept with only a couple of small modifications to the car, putting in some sweet suspension, making RWD and AWD options and a v6 that produces around 250hp or a v8 option that produces around 300hp, and Ford would have themselves a gold mine. It’s very American, and very classy looking.

Total MP3 player integration across dozens of manufacturers? Nothing for the Japanese comes close. The onboard computer is a HUGE reason to consier Ford. It’s upgradable and cheap.

The optional AWD system works fine when you demand full throttle in straight lines or in curves, and the 3.5L motor is a great improvement. The suspension is not tuned for enthusiasm and its still a nose heavy front wheel drive (biased) car…and you feel it in quick maneuvers. Understeer is too strong, and active handling doesn’t mean a thing here.

The MKZ tries hard to be more than a Ford Fusion. Provided you stay inside and check out the interior, its a hard sell. Luckily its cheaper to buy fully loaded than its competition, but I’d be in an Infiniti G or BMW 3 before this ride.

Did that help?

I’m seriously considering an MKZ from a long list of initial candidates. Not living in a city of a million people, many car brands are off the table because there is no dealership within 100 miles, and makers like Toyota won’t allow Lexus warranty work at Toyota dealerships. Other options price themselves out of consideration once comparable options are added. The BMW 328xi was a possibility, but not priced above $40K.

Unfortunately, most MKZ reviews either obsess about the name change, or go on about the hideousness of the tan option interior and other trivia. Since I’ll never get to have days to test drive one like many reviewers do, it would be great to read something in-depth about how the AWD system works. Is the lack of stability control a problem? How was the mileage? How’s the control layout?

The review left me with a more negative slant on the MKZ than I had before, although it told me nothing I didn’t already know.

Lincoln can’t touch the uniqueness factor of a Lexus ES vs. its Camry counterpart…and that’s a sheetmetal shame.

I’d hardly qualify it as a rental special, nor a glorified Fusion.

I couldn’t agree more. Of course that would be a Bold Move, and Ford only likes talking about Bold Moves and doesn’t really make them. Can anyone point to any current Ford product which embodies Bold Moves and American Innovation??????

John

Cadillac was on a role with new car introductions for a time, but now seems to have lost the attention of corporate as GM tries to shower money on Saturn. As has been said zillions of times, GM doesn’t have the resources to do a proper job with it’s many brands, and neither does Ford.

John

All they need to do is make the Continental Concept on the Town Car chassis, add the Police Interceptor suspension and Ford Explorer running gear (300hp V8, 6-speed automatic) and they’d have a hit for 40,000-ish dollars.

That Continental concept is true to the brand in that anyone would know it’s a lincoln instantly by looking at it.

And as far as the 100k argument… do you mean to tell me that there would be people lined up aroudn the block to pay over 100k for the Cadillac Sixteen? Because people were practically mailing GM blank checks to build the car….

If you ask me (and most people have the good sense not to), that is, absolutely, Retro Done Right. I look at the car and think, simultaneously, “1965″ and “2015.”

I don’t know about selling them for $100K, though. I find it hard to believe that Ford could offer a car that, no matter how luxurious, would be able to collect $100K per copy. VW couldn’t sell the Phaeton at over $50K, the brand wouldn’t support it. Ford is burdened by years of rental history and has inadequate snob appeal. They might do better executing a similar idea under the Jaguar marque and reaching for $120K.

In fact, the very word, “marque” illustrates why I don’t believe Ford could sell the Lincoln for $100K. “Lincoln” is a “brand.” “Jaguar” is still a “marque.” You can’t use “Lincoln” and “marque” in the same sentence without sounding over-the-top, but you can say “Jaguar” and “marque” together without people sniggering.

I hope somebody at GM has the good sense to look at this Continental Concept and float a similar idea based on, say, a mid-to-late ’60’s Cadillac limo. Discreet tailfins… discreet shoulder pads on the front fenders, reminiscent grillework, four headlights, real limo doors, real limo interior (facing seats), lotsa leather… Only available in black so shiny you can’t tell what color it is, extremely dark gray and navy blue so dark you think it’s black.

While I could do without the “I shot Buzz Aldrin and made him into a matching luggage set,” in the trunk, THAT is the kind of imperialistic wafting machine Lincoln should be building. Too bad it almost too closely resembles a 300C.

Now if only they could come up with a name for something that big….

Maybe they could call it the Lincoln Continental Drift.

K.

http://archive.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2002/losangeles/highlights/h1-lincoln-conti.html

The MKZ and MKX are poor badge engineering job. The Town Car is a dinosaur. The new MKS lacks the V-8 available in the Volvo S80 and XC90, effectively positioning the brand BELOW its sweedish brother.

Ford would honestly be better off shuttering Mercury and Lincoln, selling Aston Martin and considering spinning out Mazda.

Ford would be left as the catch all brand, Volvo as a legitimte move up (something Mercury isn’t) and Jaguar would top the range with freedom to go even higher without Aston Martin positioned above.

Of course, it would take bankrupcy to accomplish all of this.

The Contiental concept was stunning. I would have revived Lincoln’s image, but not necessarily made it profitable.

well really what the hell do they have to loose. Money? they are already loosin lots of that already.

i love the sleek t-birds, continentals. i cannot beleive that there is no market for them.

Really? I drove a Zephyr and Fusion months apart (unfortunately) and found them to be similar. The Zephyr was noisy, banging on pavement joints all the way. It doesn’t elevate the Lincoln brand like the LS or Town Car does, but the MKZ is a moderate step up.

Interestingly, no one here is accusing the Mk VII of being a badge-engineered T-Bird.

Or the Mark VIII for that matter. And for good reason. They had very unique bodies, interiors, sound insulation, lighting, creature comforts, electronic gizmos, air suspension, bigger brakes w/ABS, and engines. I should know, I spent years infusing Mark VII engine parts, gadgets and brakes in my 1988 Cougar. :-)

Its when you start putting cars into their brand’s historical perspective that things really make sense. LSC versus MKZ? No competition.