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Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ

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Comments

  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    I'd like to make it clear that I'm not knocking the Lincoln. I only brought up the European brands to make a point: one never sees the owners of these cars attaching pieces of shiny metal to them. For reasons that I don't pretend to understand, this practice is confined to the owners of American brands. (I have seen Lexus owners do something that's equally tasteless: apply after-market gold plating to the factory-installed chrome trim.)

    Anyone who's thinking of doing this should keep in mind that this stuff will probably reduce the car's resale value. As a rule, used car buyers will pay the most money for vehicles that are factory stock. (If you add chrome trim to your car & try to sell it to me 4 or 5 years from now, I'll estimate what a body shop will charge to remove it & then subtract that number from my offer.) And some of these trim pieces look as if they'll trap moisture & breed rust. They can't be any good for the car's finish.
  • 06zephyr06zephyr Member Posts: 32
    as i stated....go to http://bimmerfest.com/ or http://e90fanatics.com/ and see what is done to the BMW. They are modded just as much if not more than American cars.

    Everyone has their own taste and what is another man's garbage is another man's fortune. As is said on the Corvette forum///"Let the modding begin"
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I was at a graduation party yesterday and several of the Bimmer owners loved the look of the MKZ and especially made a statement about how sharp the chrome was against the bright red. When we compared price/room/options they dropped to their knees. We were in a remote location and so all of them followed me out back to the interstate because I was the only one who had a navigation system. The rest of them said they had spent enough and did not want to put in the extra in order to get that feature. I told them to just follow me but give me a second to turn on my cooling seats!
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    BMW bling-bling:

    image

    Check this BMW stock grill and chrome grill added on. There is nothing wrong with adding stuff to your car. To say one must purchase imports and not mod them because they thought of everything is nuts. I still think 1/2 of the folks on these forums are on foreign payrolls!

    http://www.globalautoshop.com/accessories/bmw_chrome_grill.htm

    Ok, I admit, you can go over the top and here it is:

    image
  • 06zephyr06zephyr Member Posts: 32
    I agree. It is your car and you can do whatever you want to it. As with everything there are those who go to excess in the eyes of others. But as stated 'stock" cars do get better trade ins and better sales. So just be aware and be informed. And yes BMW is way over priced by at least 10K.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I was driving yesterday and remembered reading about finding the flashers. Ugh, well I found it extremely easy to press the red triangle button! It is right there, not sure how one could miss it!
  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    Well, I live in an area (a NYC suburb) where German cars are thicker than fleas on a dog, & I almost never see a modded BMW or Mercedes. (I did see a 5-series a year or so ago with a rear spoiler. It was a struggle to hold down my lunch.) Given that most of these cars are leased, it's not surprising that their drivers leave them alone.

    What sets the American brands apart, by contrast, is that the dealers are often the guilty parties. I visited a Lincoln-Mercury dealer a few years ago to look at the Lincoln LS, & I noticed that every Mercury Sable on the premises had a "coach" top, a spoiler & whitewall tires -- all installed by the dealer. There was even a Lincoln LS -- a car that I've always liked -- on the showroom floor that had been similarly tarted up. It was sad -- like seeing a good dog dressed in a clown's suit.

    Although I drive a BMW, I'm not an import fanatic. I like much of what Lincoln is doing & I'm particularly excited about the upcoming 2008 Cadillac CTS, which should give the imports something to worry about. (I'm also a Ford shareholder, which is 1 more reason for wanting to see the home team succeed.) But in my eyes most of the aftermarket stuff is downright tacky, whether it's attached to an import or to a domestic. And if Lincoln & Cadillac want to draw import buyers into their showrooms, they should keep their dealers on a short leash when it comes to putting this stuff on cars. It devalues the brand.

    Look at it this way. If you wanted to sell your house quickly & for a good price, wouldn't you hide your collection of lawn gnomes & repaint your bright orange family room?
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    I had the same thought, to me, the big red triangle is very obvious. Figuring out my wife's MKZ was a piece of cake compared to what I went through last year when I got my new C6 Corvette. I kept the owner's manual next to me on the passenger seat ready for quick reference for months.

    Got my new Consumer Reports today, with the MKZ test in it. They downgraded it badly because of lack of stability control, but still, to me, it seemed they were somewhat biased in favor of the foreign manufacturers. They talked quite a bit about all-wheel drive being available on their Infinity tester, giving separate stats on rear and AWD models. But with the MKZ, they never mentioned once in the article that AWD is available or gave any of the different stats for that model. As a long-time subscriber to CR, I was very disappointed in that slight.

    Only Lexus and MKZ got much better than average reliability ratings, and ALL the foreign cars required premium fuel.
  • tango_28tango_28 Member Posts: 35
    What sets the American brands apart, by contrast, is that the dealers are often the guilty parties. I visited a Lincoln-Mercury dealer a few years ago to look at the Lincoln LS, & I noticed that every Mercury Sable on the premises had a "coach" top, a spoiler & whitewall tires -- all installed by the dealer. There was even a Lincoln LS -- a car that I've always liked -- on the showroom floor that had been similarly tarted up. It was sad -- like seeing a good dog dressed in a clown's suit.


    That Lincoln Mercury dealer must have lot of old stock, since they stop making the Sable in 05 and going bring back
    this fall
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    I had a 2003 Honda Pilot which was an excellent suv however I didn't need a large SUV any longer. I had limitd funds so I decided on a used 2006 Toyota Avalon XLS for $28,200. Dealer didn't budge so I looked around and found a 2006 Zephyr which I felt had a great look, NAV and THX system and yes an after market crome package which looked great with the Silver Frost Paint. I took it for a drive and was impressed with the smooth drive and very quiet interior. Purchased for $26,800. The deciding factors were Nav and THX systems which are both great and the larger trunk. Yes Toyota has a better engine, gas milage and larger interior and maybe a mistake not to purchase but I am very happy with the Zepher. The potential buyer remorse went away the first time I put on the interior lights and got the Christmas tree effect. Beautiful cockpit lighting. 3.0 engine has more then enough power and I would rather have the extra 2 miles per gallon with gas at $3.12. I looked at the 2006 Infinity G35. Didn't like the look or the snug interior and lack of trunk. The Lexus 350 is a better car but has some issues and a lot more money. This is a lot of car for the money.
  • displacedtexandisplacedtexan Member Posts: 364
    I wish CR would just stick to facts and ignore issues such as styling. Let the buyer decide - buyers don't need some pencil-head at CR to bias them with their opinion on the styling of the dash. Point out possible ergonomic flaws, fine, but leave out such statements that they think the dash looks more dated than retro.
  • displacedtexandisplacedtexan Member Posts: 364
    Yes Toyota has a better engine, gas milage and larger interior and maybe a mistake not to purchase but I am very happy with the Zepher.

    Thanks for sharing your experience!

    Remember, Toyotas have had their problems with engine sludge and has had to issue recalls, and that better mileage is on premium fuel, not regular. If you're very happy with the Zephyr, then I'd say you made a good purchase!
  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    You'll note that I said "a few years ago" in my post. As I recall, this was in 2004.
  • I think most buyers will see the dash for themselves and decide...after all it is hard to miss. To some, it will be just the thing, and to others a big, blocky thing. At least it gets noticed, unlike the exterior (decent styling but only a few will walk across the street to look at it).
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    You bring up a point about the lighting. A buddy of mind has a Camry hybrid and he keeps on talking about how he likes how the car lights up. He especially takes notes of the lights below the mirrors that provide a nice accent. When I go downtown around twilight and open the car it looks simply beautiful. I had 4 large folks in the car this weekend and we had a great time on the town and all of them liked the smooth quiet ride and the space they had in the car.

    Interesting note about the THX is that I received several comments about noticing additional instruments or words in some of the songs we were listening to that in their systems were not noticeable. The downside to THX is that now I find myself upgrading stereo options in my home on my receivers and TV's as I am now spoiled with having this of quality sound at my fingertips.
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    I always felt the CR always reported how it is no matter who the Car Mfg is. When I opened the issue and saw that the Nissan Maxima was rated Above the MKZ I was disapointed. This issue was odd on the vehicles selected. Some sport and some Luxury. We should be in the same class as the Lexus LS350, Acura TL Chrysler 300 and the Saab. I feel we were downgraded due to lack of stability control. They also should have mentioned that the MKZ does have AWD as an option. I would take the MKZ over the maxima anyday. A comment on the interior cockpit. The square box isn't that attractive However when lite the goal of Ford was achieved. The dials do look like a fine watch face. and bring out the Luxury look envisioned by Ford.
  • The Maxima has both sport and luxury versions. If you compare the SL, the MSRP with typical options is around $35,000. They are comparable in interior and trunk room. The Maxima has a few less hp, but hustles to 60 as fast and gets a better mileage rating. It doesn't have the MKZ's cooled seats, but as pointed out, does have stability control (which this class of car should have, regardless of whether or not you would order it if given the choice). The Maxima also offers other things that are niceties, such as outside mirrors that self-dim, power fold, adn reverse tilt. It also offers a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and powere sunshade. I sum, I think a case can ber made that these cars will be cross-shopped. The MKZ and Maxima certainly offer very different styling from one another. The Maxima has always been Nissan's sport luxury sedan...a little less roomy and less old person Buick-y than the Toyota Avalon, but always a near luxury ride.
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    One big factor in my selection of MKZ over Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota, or Lexux was the proximity of dealerships authorized to service the car or make warranty repairs (or any repairs if out of warranty). Whether near my home or traveling, I can go to any Ford dealer, as well as any Lincoln/Mercury dealer for service and repairs. The nearest authorized dealer for any of the above mentioned makes is almost 100 miles. I had the experience of owning a Toyota which had to be flat bedded over 100 miles for a warranty repair...never again! I think many people in rural areas might be influenced in their buying decision as I was.
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    When I spent 4 hours on the internet researching the Zephyr reading ALL Reviews. I found the best to be the Consumer Reviews which are the people that purchase the vehicles. When you read our consumer reviews on the MXK you find Mostly all were very favorable. I want you all to read the 7 pages of reviews on edmunds.com on the Maxima and compare their complaints to our complaints. We win.
  • prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    Your post has a decidedly juvenile bent to it and is full of distortions that simply beg rebuttal.

    How exactly does your "bimmer" have "a ton more speed and reliability?" And the current BMW's "design both inside and out" includes such useless baubles as i-Drive and "active" steering. How exactly are these so grossly superior that they make your car a "much nicer ride?" I would say, on the contrary, that they are BMW's version of "shiny objects" and utilizing the magic of Madison Avenue hype are obviously successful in beguiling buyers into a sense of false superiority. And on the subject of interior design, how about those cupholders which intrude into the knee space of the front seat passenger? Definitely an advanced design feature, no doubt about it. And as far as "wasting money on an American car," that money contributes to the U.S. economy far more than the funds directed overseas to Teutonic coffers but perhaps this is of no concern to you. As regards service, owners of Fords and Chevies have no need of having their rides flatbed trucked 100 miles to a dealer as there are dealerships on virtually every corner, a decided advantage if you experience mechanical trouble when travelling.

    It is simply amazing the extent to which car buyers have been hoodwinked into believing that foreign cars are the be all and end all of automotive bliss as typified by your post. Not any more. The day was not so many years ago when there was a palpable difference in overall quality between the foreign and domestic offerings but that day is over. It's time to call a spade a spade and give credit where credit is due.
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    Sorry I called the mkz a mxk. (see, they should have kept the Zephyr name}
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    I went on to the CarSpace Forum on the Lexus 330. Seems that the vehicle has more problems then the MXK. Tranmission issues, rattles and high wind noise entering the cabin. Didn't expect that. I guess that Lexus/Toyota quality has slipped. Check it out.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Has anyone heard anything about this? Any changes?
  • 06zephyr06zephyr Member Posts: 32
    VERY WELL SAID and SO TRUE
  • caliddcalidd Member Posts: 60
    Has anyone seen on the web any of the new colors for 2008 on the MKZ?
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    A couple of guys doing my carpet today went nuts over my Vivid Red MKZ. They loved the styling and even took pictures of it. They said, maybe one day I will be able to afford one of these. It looks really expensive.
  • mark130mark130 Member Posts: 6
    Nice Post. I hope that happens to me. I would even buy them a camera to do it.
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    Just bought a vivid red MKZ and agree that it looks really good. Although it shares the platform with the Fusion and Milan, it looks a lot more elegant in my opinion. I think Lincoln did a good job.
  • neverbuyalinconeverbuyalinco Member Posts: 1
    I would seriously check out this website before making any major purchase.

    www.neverbuyalincoln.com
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Why didn't you take it to another dealer?

    I bought a LS in 99, kept it for 6 years and never spent a single dime on repairs.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Well looks like you had a bad experience. Everyone has had one. Noticed on your website that all of the other horror stories were from other cars. Not sure why you would not be covered under a warranty. Your story is incomplete and lacks info about the situation.

    I love my MKZ! Yesterday a new Navigator and I had the heads turning as we cruised together down a major road here in the DC area.

    I actually look forward to there Lincoln goes during the next 2-3 years. If they do something nice I will be there making the purchase. Gas mileage is the key battle ground area at this point.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Humid almost 85 here in DC. Nothing like crusing around with the windows down, sunroof open and my MKZ cool seats turned on. Very comfortable with the cool back!
  • billsbuddiebillsbuddie Member Posts: 41
    Hi people. I have just negotiated a purchase of an MKZ, will finalize the transaction on Tuesday. These forums seem to be somewhat quite, are there places where MKZ owners actually converse? Or are the owners all so old that they don't use the Internet? I say that with "tongue in cheek" being of Medicare age myself.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    What is Medicare?
  • billsbuddiebillsbuddie Member Posts: 41
    I am going to assume that you are not just "busting my b****" with that question. Medicare is the health insurance program for people over 65 in the US.
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    There is a Zypher/MKZ forum on Yahoo. Like this one, it is often quiet, but goes in spurts occasionally. I do believe, however, that most of the people in the Yahoo group actually own the cars, and exchange information about them.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Hi, do you have the address for the yahoo forum. I love to talk about the MKZ. Most of the folks here are Lincoln bashers from what I see on the payroll of the imports!
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lincoln_Zephyr/

    You will need to create a Yahoo identity if you don't already have one in order to participate. It is very easy to do.

    You can post photos of your car on the site, and from what I read, it seems the people all own the car.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    I wish I was on the payroll of Toyota or someone making money.

    I'm an owner of 2 Lincolns who doesn't at ALL like what he sees with the current crop of vehicles, and is also a little or a lot put off by the treatment over the years by the Ford Motor Company.

    This is not to say I would not give Ford anothe chance if they had a vehicle I desired. Right now, they have NONE.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    Just to add an additional thought - back in 2000 or so, this board was teeming with enthusiasts for the LS. "The best American sedan" Consumer Reports had ever driven. Motor Trend COY. A car to put up against the best of Germany and Japan. There were as many posts in a day as there are now in a month.

    This just goes to show if Ford/Lincoln would design and build a worthy vehicle, they will come. But not for a gussied-up Mexican Mazda or a cheapened Volvo.

    Speaking of which, I've read that Ford has a buyer interested in Volvo. One Bavarian Motor Works or something. So if they sell Volvo, who the heck is going to design new Lincoln chassis? Maybe Australians?
  • displacedtexandisplacedtexan Member Posts: 364
    So if they sell Volvo, who the heck is going to design new Lincoln chassis? Maybe Australians?

    I wondered the same thing when I saw that. The last-gen Volvo S80 underpins the Ford Taurus and sibling, and I thought FoMoCo relies on other Volvo platforms for various Ford models.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    May be for the change Ford NA engineers start designing cars? But anyway, there are still Mazda and German Ford. And even Jaguar!
  • billsbuddiebillsbuddie Member Posts: 41
    Hi all. I picked up my new "Mexican Mazda" today, its not bad. I traded in my "German" VW Golf, made in Brazil, engine made in Poland, tranny made in Argentina. I also have a Japanese Mazda Tribute in the garage, made in Kansas City. The auto industry is truly international.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I just put 16.45 gallons in it. For some reason I thought it was a 15 gal tank. Is there a reserve tank on it?

    Ops, just found it. It has a 17.5 gallon tank. I guess the 50 buck fill-up got my attention!
  • billsbuddiebillsbuddie Member Posts: 41
    Yep, the book says 17.5. I have 200 miles on mine now and I have yet to hit the gas pump. My computer says that I have averaged 21.0 MPG, the computers are usually optomistic. How is your mileage so far?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Ford's MPG computer calculations are usually very accurate - within 0.5 mpg or so. Be sure to reset it often as your mileage will increase as the engine loosens up. Usually takes 3k-5k to reach max fuel economy.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I am getting around 17-18 combo of mainly city and stop and go freeway around Northern VA. Traffic is a nightmare any day or time of the week. At least I am comfortable with the quiet ride, sounds, and cool seats!
  • caliddcalidd Member Posts: 60
    I've heard that the 2008 MKZ will have some new colors: Moss Green, White Suede, Vapor Silver, and Dark Blue Ink Metallic. Has anyone seen any pictures of these new colors?

    I also heard that 008s get a standard reverse sensing system, standard tire pressure monitoring system, and an optional voice-activated navigation system.

    Has anyone heard of any other changes to the 008 MKZ? Know of any sneek peeks on the web of the 008? Any idea of how the 008s will be priced?

    Lastly, does anyone know what incentives Lincoln will offer on the 2007 MKZ and when?

    Thanks.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Those are the only changes except for Sync which will be late availability. No idea on price or incentives yet. Don't look for any huge incentives on the 07s - supply is relatively low compared to demand so there won't be a lot of leftover models sitting on dealer lots.
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    My son's F-150 mpg computer is very accurate, but both his wife's MKZ and my MKZ have very innaccurate mpg computers, usually optimistic by 1 to 1 1/2 mpg. I have 11,000 miles on my C6 Corvette, and the computer has never been off more than one tenth mpg in that time. If mine and my son's MKZs are typical, many owners are being lulled into a sense of false economy.
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