Lincoln Review from Local Unveiling Event for the MKT

[Nick]

My parents were invited to the unveiling of the MKT at Sarat Ford in Agawam, MA. They could not attend, but I was sent as a delegate.

The event was catered by Latitude and had a live jazz band. Paul Kozub, the creator of V-One vodka was also on hand offering drinks and a little insight to his story. There was also a second bar for other drinks. It was very well done. The food (hors d' oeuvres and a raw bar) was excellent, the sales staff were helpful and courteous, and vehicles were on display as well as available for test drives without sales staff. Representatives from FoMoCo were present as well. Jack Sarat personally greeted everyone I believe at some point during the night. The event also provided a good view of the average Lincoln buyer. Average age of the attendees was probably late 50s to mid 60s. More than a few were older and nearing their 80s. The vast majority were Ford loyalists and I think I provided the diversity in age, ethnicity, and political views (liberal). Crack your jokes now as I have and will continue to do so.

An MKS and an MKT were in the showroom. Both looked very good upon close inspection. They are certainly better in person than in photos. The MKS is the best interpretation of the current Lincoln design language. The MKZ needs a revised tail with new tail lamps. The interiors looked much better than my parents' Continentals and without the frightening gaps between trim pieces. Material choice was good, though there could have been more attention to detail in a few places. (I would have added some sort of soft hand hold in the tailgate of the MKT and I would have covered the plastic felt by your finger tips at the 9 and 3 O'Clock positions on the steering wheel. The smooth leatherette is a little too bland on the MKT doors. A stitching detail or a gathered effect would have been better.) The Bridge of Weir leather is very nice and definitely feels up to class. Hard surfaces have been kept to a minimum though there are a few more in the MKZ. I am personally not a big fan of the big glass roof trend both for weight and function. I'm much happier with a standard moonroof. Speaking of features, Lincoln has finally bridged the technology and feature gap to some extent. The THX sound systems are great, the new navigation interface is good with a great, clear screen. The MKS even has a power rear window sunshade. I saw side window shades on the MKT. HID lights are finally widely available on Lincolns. Blind spot warning systems, adaptive cruise control, and rear view cameras are even available now. It's quite the jump from a decade ago when Lincoln was trying to unload an analog car phone for a grand, a six disc CD changer for $600, and the optional sound system still sounded like it was made by someone wearing Miracle Ears. Change is good! Truly amazingly, Lincoln actually offers a decent wheel size: 18x8 with a 20x8 optional on the MKS/T. The MKZ gets 17s and 18s though it makes do with only 7" widths. There is even a center armrest pass through in the MKS. Though the trunk is deep and large, the small opening on the MKS will make loading large objects troublesome. it can easily handle large suitcases, but a big square box won't ever fit.

From a maintenance perspective, there isn't enough room under the MKS or MKT hood with the engine turned sideways to do a lot of heavy maintenance work, but it's again better than the space issues created by shoving a 4.6L V8 into a stretched Taurus. Oil and filter changes will be easy, but accessing the serpentine belt will be tight with a gap of < 2". Underneath, the cars look fairly orthodox though I wonder if SHO parts will transfer to the MKS easily. Sadly, the exhaust is not a true dual and only splits at the rear.

I seized the opportunity to drive the MKZ, MKS, and new SHO. Out of the three, I'd pick the MKZ. It's the most lively from a driver's standpoint as the MKS and SHO are too big to really feel right. The driving position is also more car like versus cross-over. With the 3.5L, the car feels lively, made more so by the Select Shift tranny, which holds gears to redline, but downshifts if you forget when coming to a stop. The interior is nice, but you can tell its a little cheaper than the bigger Lincolns. You won't be too cramped, but there is more leg room in the rear in the larger cars.

The driving position in the MKS and SHO are too high, an inheritance from the 500. It feels like I'm sitting on a dining room chair with a steering wheel in front of me. I think the high seating may be liked by the older crowd the cars target for ease of ingress and egress. Like most new large cars with a high seating position, I cannot get really comfortable as I prefer my legs stretched out and doing so renders the door armrest useless. Having driven our Sable more extensively, my knees cramp because of the awkward position. From the rear seat, any of the cars are comfortable. The MKS is very nice, but the glass roof and rolling screen make for some packaging oddities in the headliner. With the wide C pillars, the rear feels closed off when looking through the rear view mirror. Good thing that back up camera with distance estimation and blind spot warning system are available! Between the MKS and SHO, the MKS actually has the better seats. Disregarding the leather surfaces, the seats are actually better contoured to holding you. The SHO suffers from church pew syndrome though those wide of girth may find them fine. Those looking for a worthy successor to the original SHO will be disappointed though the car certainly looks and zooms well. I didn't check to see if the SHO had the performance package, but the MKS and SHO drove similarly with the MKS exhibiting slightly more polish. Both were well damped and far better than Lincolns of yore. I took the MKS on the highway and it felt stable and quiet up to 90. Taking a dip at 80, the car maintained composure and floated only a bit. It's not a BMW, but its very well controlled. Ride quality was very good overall. Initial turn in was quick and body roll was fairly well controlled as well on all models. Though the steering is better weighted with some heft versus older Lincolns, it still lacks feel. The MKS and SHO are wonderfully quicker with the EcoBoost engine. Exhibiting almost no lag, it really throws the cars down the road. I did experience some annoying torque steer before the AWD kicked in and helped out. The system is biased to the front and all the cars understeer. Rounding a tight cul-de-sac in the SHO, I got the front to slide but it felt far better than an InTech Continental and plebian Sable (which has lilliputian 215mm tires). I rounded a large rotary in the MKS at 40 in the wet confidently and without much body roll. I'd be in the weeds in the Continental. I have more faith in the Town Car, but I haven't driven one lately. I'd be much more interested in seeing the EcoBoost in the MKZ with a 40/60 rear biased AWD system. Still, the new Lincolns are a revelation to most Lincoln buyers and will probably surprise more than a few cross shoppers. Even as a die hard gear head and lead foot, the new Lincolns make a good case for a comfortable daily driver. If the reliability record of our last Lincolns are anything to go by, they should be trustworthy steeds for most buyers over a decade. Still not drivers' cars, they may find a niche between Buick and Cadillac.

I'm still holding out for an LS replacement, which I expressed to the Ford reps, but my parents who fit the average Lincoln buyer profile much better may be swayed. Still, one wonders what a real driver's car would do for Lincoln with a modified SHO engine or the 5.0L cammer due to make its appearance in the next Mustang. Cadillac certainly remade itself well. What's Ford have in the Australian arsenal with RWD?

My sincere thanks to Ford and Jack Sarat for the lovely evening. I only wish that my parents could have attended. I will be sending my parents their way and pitching the new lineup to anyone who might a good fit for the cars.

[MM90]

The Aussie Ford Falcon is sweet. We need that along with the Euro Focus Turbo.

[pro-five-oh]

Originally Posted by Nick

Still not drivers' cars, they may find a niche between Buick and Cadillac.

With the XLR, STS and DTS being canned...Lincoln is actually poised to run with Caddy or maybe even surpass them.

Nice review, dude. Thanks for sharing.

[Nick]

That leaves a lot of open space for the Wreath and Crest to really expand. Perhaps they may take up the flag flown by the CTS, which has rightfully garnered the most attention, praise, and perhaps sales. I certainly salute Cadillac for offering a CTS coupe and wagon. You can't lean on your core customers forever and expect to survive. Perhaps these new Lincolns will get enough new business to encourage Ford to "Reach Higher".

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by Nick

That leaves a lot of open space for the Wreath and Crest to really expand. Perhaps they may take up the flag flown by the CTS, which has rightfully garnered the most attention, praise, and perhaps sales. I certainly salute Cadillac for offering a CTS coupe and wagon. You can't lean on your core customers forever and expect to survive. Perhaps these new Lincolns will get enough new business to encourage Ford to "Reach Higher".

You bet. The new CTS-V is quite a competitor though and I think we need to see more than just the Ecoboost engine in order to compete with the CTS. But I guess what can you expect with over 500 hp. With that said, it's not always about how fast the car is but how attractive they are in the selling market. Look at Cadillac a few years back. The Northstar engines were powerful but yet terribly unreliable after 70K miles.

A guy ran into me in a parking lot that had about a 2000 STS and he complimented my 98 LSC but then he went on to say that he owned a Mark VIII but after buying the STS he likes it more and kept emphasizing the "more power" it had. Like I said, even if it was faster, would I be in my right mind to buy a car that leaks oil like a sieve and blows headgaskets after 100K miles? Hopefully Cadillac has addressed this issue with the new engine design, but at this point I am just patiently waiting on Ford.

[pro-five-oh]

Originally Posted by KStromberg

You bet. The new CTS-V is quite a competitor though and I think we need to see more than just the Ecoboost engine in order to compete with the CTS.

Yeah, we'd need a real chassis that weighs about 800lbs less that doesn't use a nose heavy FWD power train. Then again, that's the only really cool Caddy...

[Nick]

I agree a good engine cannot sell a car and a car really is only as good as the components that go into it. The last Continental looked great and had a great engine, but the chassis was sloppy, the finish horrible, and it lacked comparable features or refinement. Conversely, the LS was better on content and finish, but it lacked the speed to really break into the segment and overcome its shortfalls, even with a lower price tag.

Again, I'm still really impressed with Cadillac's effort with the CTS, even if I still think it's Art & Science design loses to compound curves every time.

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by pro-five-oh

Yeah, we'd need a real chassis that weighs about 800lbs less that doesn't use a nose heavy FWD power train. Then again, that's the only really cool Caddy...

I agree. CTS-V otherwise mehhh

[Jon90LSC]

Originally Posted by KStromberg

I agree. CTS-V otherwise mehhh

I agree as well. I really like mine.

Armond (and some of the other local LCOC members) were at the local preview here. I met him up there after work, and checked out the new cars. I really liked the MKS after test driving one. It had the base engine, but really drove out well. Fuel mileage wise, it doesn't really look like it would beat my CTS-V, but the car was nice enough. It might be a contender for me in a couple of years.

[KStromberg]

I saw an MKS on the road today. That enormous Lincoln emblem on the fender sorta makes a statement.

[LincolnCruiser95]

Originally Posted by KStromberg

I saw an MKS on the road today. That enormous Lincoln emblem on the fender sorta makes a statement.

IMO Lincoln is known for its understated grace and class, where Cadillac has always been the gaudy red headed stepchild of GM... compare a 59 Cadillac to a 59 Lincoln..need I say more.

I can say that I am not a fan of the direction Lincoln is moving... Giant emblems and the split waterfall grille the size of a window blind...just pure show.

After all do Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar paste plasti-chrome emblems all over their cars so you can make sure to scream LOOK AT ME I HAVE MONEY AND THEReFORE CLASS CAUSE I DRIVE THIS...no

Lincoln, stop trying to appeal to the 20 something party store dynasty members through overstated styling, come up with an original platform, such as an RWD/AWD front engine, independent suspension, use quality materials in the inside, and craftsmanship on the outside.

If they were to do this, they would not have to paste gigantic emblems on every corner of the car. People would know it is a lincoln by reputation rather than the label!

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by LincolnCruiser95

IMO Lincoln is known for its understated grace and class, where Cadillac has always been the gaudy red headed stepchild of GM... compare a 59 Cadillac to a 59 Lincoln..need I say more.

I can say that I am not a fan of the direction Lincoln is moving... Giant emblems and the split waterfall grille the size of a window blind...just pure show.

After all do Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar paste plasti-chrome emblems all over their cars so you can make sure to scream LOOK AT ME I HAVE MONEY AND THEReFORE CLASS CAUSE I DRIVE THIS...no

Lincoln, stop trying to appeal to the 20 something party store dynasty members through overstated styling, come up with an original platform, such as an RWD/AWD front engine, independent suspension, use quality materials in the inside, and craftsmanship on the outside.

If they were to do this, they would not have to paste gigantic emblems on every corner of the car. People would know it is a lincoln by reputation rather than the label!

I dunno, I thought that it was pretty snappy for a 4300 lb. car that can get to 60 in 6 seconds. It's not going to give you that "hard-on" you may be looking for necessarily because it is quite refined. Like another guy said, the Intechs will more easily crack a smile on your face when you drive them because they are more torquey. I personally like the way they look. Would I drive one? YES Would I take one over my Mark VIII. NO

As far as the Cadillacs go, I understand you completely. Cadillac now has only one car that I would drive and that would be the CTS-V. Otherwise, everything else they have to offer is blah.

[Ford Builder]

Originally Posted by pro-five-oh

With the XLR, STS and DTS being canned...Lincoln is actually poised to run with Caddy or maybe even surpass them.

Nice review, dude. Thanks for sharing.

As far as im concernd they have surpassed them years ago.Caddy suck the big one there enginers need to take some stying cues from the Lincoln.___ Lincolns ROCK always have in my books.

[pro-five-oh]

Originally Posted by KStromberg

I dunno, I thought that it was pretty snappy for a 4300 lb. car that can get to 60 in 6 seconds.

Which is true, but I'm still not finding it exciting relative to its peers. Its funny how the LSC versions of the Mark Series was exciting compared to the imports but still 100% Lincoln.

What I wouldn't give for a Lincoln version of today's Infiniti G37. And the MKS simply won't cut it.

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by pro-five-oh

Which is true, but I'm still not finding it exciting relative to its peers. Its funny how the LSC versions of the Mark Series was exciting compared to the imports but still 100% Lincoln.

What I wouldn't give for a Lincoln version of today's Infiniti G37. And the MKS simply won't cut it.

I agree. Like I said, I like the way they look, but I guess my biggest turn-off is the capability of the drivetrain which makes me sorta skeptical when it comes to adding more power. The Mark VIII drivetrain is much more versatile and mod-friendly especially with the cobra block, but an MKS you sorta just have to drive it and that's it. I have a 91 Town Car for "just driving".

I'd definitely take one if it was given to me, but I am economical so you won't catch me buyin' one.

[Jon90LSC]

Aside from a lot of us here, I would bet the sum and substance of Lincoln customers are "just driving" type folk. I am not so sure being mod friendly rates with too many manufacturers anymore, especially purveyors of luxury cars. When there are mods, they are pretty pricy (check out a good catback and headers for a CTS-V. Cadillac parts, Cadillac prices).

I also agree with the Cadillac vs. Lincoln styling. I am not so sure about the gaudy red headed stepchild part, but there is a vast difference. That being said, which one brings more money now, a '59 Lincoln or a '59 Cadillac. I also know which one I prefer. Different strokes for different folks.

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by Jon90LSC

Aside from a lot of us here, I would bet the sum and substance of Lincoln customers are "just driving" type folk. I am not so sure being mod friendly rates with too many manufacturers anymore, especially purveyors of luxury cars. When there are mods, they are pretty pricy (check out a good catback and headers for a CTS-V. Cadillac parts, Cadillac prices).

I also agree with the Cadillac vs. Lincoln styling. I am not so sure about the gaudy red headed stepchild part, but there is a vast difference. That being said, which one brings more money now, a '59 Lincoln or a '59 Cadillac. I also know which one I prefer. Different strokes for different folks.

Yup, the guy driving the MKS that I saw had to be in his 60s if not already retired. I think his days of hitting the track are over. That's why he bought a nice, refined, luxury sedan with a snappy V6 and called it a day. At that age, he has the money and then some to buy one too because his days of being economical when it comes to buying a car are over also because he is an empty-nester. Some of us may have the money already, but I am a 27 year old blue-collar worker.

I can also tell you that my friend has an older Cadillac from that era and it is gorgeous. This is all before my time though. My 91 Townie won't be around when I retire to offer me that "just driving" experience. Heck, by the time the year 2049 hits, I may be wanting to get out of the spacemobile to be able to drive my classic Mark VIII every now and then. I'm sure that by then, when cars almost instantly accelerate to 60 mph, like an electric hybrid that I saw on the tube, the Mark VIII will be considered "refined".

[KStromberg]

......except for the fact that it will be belching out exhaust still.

[pro-five-oh]

Originally Posted by KStromberg

Heck, by the time the year 2049 hits, I may be wanting to get out of the spacemobile to be able to drive my classic Mark VIII every now and then. I'm sure that by then, when cars almost instantly accelerate to 60 mph, like an electric hybrid that I saw on the tube, the Mark VIII will be considered "refined".

And people in the 1950s thought we'd be driving on computer guided roads where the car will drive itself by now. And we'd all live like the Jetsons.

[KStromberg]

Originally Posted by pro-five-oh

And people in the 1950s thought we'd be driving on computer guided roads where the car will drive itself by now. And we'd all live like the Jetsons.

Yeah, we have come a long way since 1950, but I really cant fathom what will be in another 50 years. It's kinda of a stumper that gets one thinking.