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Comments
I prefer a tighter driving car, so perhaps the Milan is better. I have not driven either one yet. I am also looking at Acura TL and BMW 325 but would like somewhat more room in tradeoff for some sportiness. Also, I have a Ford supplier discount, so the price difference gets magnified.
The Milan interior impresses me with the multiple shade/color upholstery. Most other luxury cars are so monochromatic. The two things missing from this whole lineup are shiftable automatic transmission and dynamic stability control.
Do I personally think it's worth $4K more than a Milan? Not until they get the 3.5L and add a few more bells and whistles.
I went from a Lincoln LS to a Fusion instead of the Zephyr because I thought it was a better bargain and I actually liked the Fusion styling better (inside and out). It's a little noisier and I miss the homelink and a few other things but I'm happy.
I've also heard the Zephyrs are in shorter supply vs. demand than the Milans so keep that in mind. However, that doesn't mean he was wrong about the Milan.
I originally was considering the Fusion, as it was the only Ford that I liked regarding style and sportiness. But no way could I get the MSRP up to the MSRP of my truck...so I would have been losing money essentialy. I was stuck - I didn't want another truck, SUV, or RWD car. I thought about the other cars based on it's platform, though, and checked out the Milan/Zephyr at the local L/M dealer. (Ford agreed to let me exchange on another FoMoCo product, not just Ford brand).
I liked the Zeph from what I saw in photos, but really liked it when I saw it in person... even when compared to the Milan side by side. On the outside, what really caught my eye with its moderne-meets-art-deco styling. Tasteful bits of chrome, pretty taillights, sharp headlights and body curves which give it a somewhat sporty luxury look (to me, anyways). Of course, like most cars, certain colors look best - Black, Silver, Tungsten. It also stands out of the crowd, somewhat individual, people tend to notice around here (as I have yet to see another one on the road) which I like rather than blending in with every other BMW and Honda out there. :shades:
Driving it was great, too. It was very relaxing and smooth, QUIET, slick gauges, nice sounding 6, and does have some decent getup and go. Sure, it may not be a rocket, but how many people really use all 2XX horses under the hood driving around town or to work? I don't think many folks will be out street racing their Zephyrs, and I wonder how many of those 30 extra horses someone is using under the hood of their Lexus compared to a Zephyr
And 'little' things that impressed me you may not see listed in the literature - autodimming mirror, with autodimming EXTERNAL mirrors. Projector HID headlamps with projector foglights give nice crisp light (Infiniti G35 and Lexus IS300 didn't have projector HID's, just regular reflective HID bulbs and don't light up so well). Run on 87 octane gas! You can hold the unlock button on the keyfob to lower all the windows and vent the sunroof. Very nice riding and quiet Michelin tires from the factory. A year longer warranty than the Ford and Mercury, too.
So I placed my order today for a black Zephyr with Dark Charcoal interior, fully loaded minus the navigation system. I'm getting the new satin finish brushed aluminum trim package, too, to replace the wood trim. Has anyone seen that first hand? I only got to see some small pictures and not sure how they will look in person, but given that the car will be black/black, brushed aluminum accents should look really nice. It should arrive in the next two weeks
I saw today my first ever Zephyr that wasn't on the dealer's lot. It was arctic white and went slowly past in the left lane and I gotta admit, that's a nice, classy looking vehicle. I do think it's better looking than the LS.
The Mark LT is allegedly doing well too, but you can get $4,000 in rebates already. Strange marketing that will likely negatively affect residuals.
Is it generally as good? Better?
Thanks.
Can anyone point me to a website that shows actual photos--not the color imaging on the Lincoln.com website--of the Zephyr in pearl blue, white, silver, etc? Thanks!
Thanks.
http://tinyurl.com/am96o
Oh gawd. Straight from the mouth of a Ford PR rep too. Yep. the "way forward" apparently defines a sportier vehicle as the one with less horsepower and only 2 choices of forward gears, D and L. Who needs a spirited V8 and select shift? Oh, or a Formula-1 inspired chassis and suspension? THIS PROVES THAT FORD ALL ALONG REALLY HAD NO CLUE OF WHAT THE LS WAS.
Also, the rep says that the $30K Zephyr REPLACES the $40K LS in Lincolns' "lineup".
I think they should put that "lineup" against a wall and 'ready, aim, .... Oh, they already did Fire. Pretty much everybody.
PS - don't shed a tear over the demise of the GT. The Fusion is a sportier car.
Oh gawd. Straight from the mouth of a Ford PR rep too."
In the interest of truth, I need to apologize as it's been pointed out elsewhere that the 'sportier' comment was not attributed to a Ford rep and so could have been the opinion of the reporter.
We're here to talk about the cars, not to have a spelling class.
Dealers are spread far apart around here, so it's difficult to see the Zephyr in more than one or two colors.
Photos, please! Thanks!
Also, I wondered whether there is something you can treat your seats with to avoid dirt pile-up on them? I am a bit of a clean freak myself, but I don't know how it would be to NEED to clean them every month because dirt was so visible.
I haven't made my final decision but maybe someone here can help me. I was just vaguely considering the Zephyr for a new car purchase until I took one for a test drive this past weekend. It's a great car, and to echo what everyone else has said: the photos don't do it justice. It's a sharp looking car, both interior- and exterior-wise.
In any case, I noticed in this thread that getting Sirius added to the NAV system was an option -- has anyone here actually had it done? How integrated is it with the touchscreen? There's no seperate console for the radio controls, right? I've just prefer to hear from someone else first on how well it's worked out.
Second, does anyone know a rough estimate for factory ordering a Zephyr? The dealerships in the area don't have any Zephyrs with the exact combination of options and interior/exterior color scheme that I'd be looking for. I can definitely deal with a different color scheme, but if factory ordering one to be exactly what I'd want is an option that wouldn't take months and months, I might just do that.
Your dealer can also take your requirements for colors and options and do an online search of the entire area (including surrounding states) and if they find a match they can usually trade for it. Or you can go to lincolnvehicles.com and there's an option to let them find a vehicle for you.
Can't help with the satellite interface, but I think it will be available as a factory option on the 07 models.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060207/AUTO01/602070403/1148-
The car's badge will say MKZ but Lincoln wants it called "Mark Z."......"It's an absurd waste of money" to change the car's name and appearance so quickly after launching it, said Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends Consulting, Short Hills, N.J. "These things take a long time planning. They could have done it when they introduced the car.",
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060207/BUSINESS01/602070414/10- - 14
A lot of people didn't like the Zephyr name, either. I guess you're darned if you do, darned if you don't.
At least they're trying to be consistent.
Interior: The cabin is fantastic and commutes are a pleasure with the THX II sound system (the best, out there).The seats are very comfortable the heating/cooling is far superior to the Acura. The Navigation system is top notch, as well.
Ride: very smooth and quiet, power is lacking in comparison to the TL - I will summarize with very competent if not exciting. However, the lack of torque steer when hitting the hammer down is a blessing!
Style: I think very nice in appearance (better than the pics, many agree)and everybody and their brother isn't driving one.
Overall, I believe that the Zephyr is a good choice and you will save some serious money in choosing this car over some of the other Sedans loaded up with options. What you lack in horsepower will affect about 1% of the time if driving conditions and speed limits are like they are in Southern ontario!
The 3.5 will come to Fusion and Milan eventually (they will have to in order to compete as hp keeps rising), but by then (hopefully) the MKZ will have an even higher output version.
Overall, it may translate into a good move for Lincoln. They can tout MKZ as a new model again in the fall, while putting a more contemporary Lincoln face on it.
BTW, it will be interesting to see how the MK nomenclature goes down. Rather than emphasizing the Lincoln name, people may start referring to their vehicle as a "Mark,"--in which case the Lincoln name is still de-emphasized.
Seriously though, what will this do to sales of the Zephyr the rest of this year? Who's going to buy one now, except people who have no clue about the MKZ? Then when the new model appears, how peeved will they be that they bought the ugly, underpowered step-sister?
At least some effort is being made to distinguish the Z from the Milan besides charging $400 more for the same hole in the roof. But as one analyst said it's a move in the right direction but still the Z will not be competitive with other cars in the segment.
Sad. All the cachet from the LS is just about gone. I'm getting a bit embarassed to be seen in mine. Perhaps it's time for a Honda.
Fortunately for Lincoln the percentage of prospective Zephyr buyers who have even heard about the MKZ will be very, very small. Outside of people in the industry, reporters and a small group of car enthusiasts like us nobody will even know it exists until it shows up on the highway. You'd be amazed how many people have never heard of the Fusion to this day and it's been out for over a year and on sale for 4 months.
And some of the ones who do know won't wait, especially if they perceive a price increase for the new model. So I don't think it will hurt at all.
As to what this move might do to Zephyr resale is another question, but it can't be any worse than the already bad residuals of Town Car and LS. And some people will even prefer the understated Lincoln grill on the Zephyr to the MKZ's new face.
Hear hear! I was all set to go in this weekend and make an offer on a Zephyr, even with reservations in the back of my mind that this car may have been just an interim model... but now there's no way I'm going to purchase one. Thank you to johnclineii for posting the article -- otherwise I probably would have been blissfully unaware of the change.
I understand that there are going to be some changes from year to year, but they're going so far as to rename the frickin' thing! Besides being an extra hit on the resale value, it doesn't inspire any confidence in this year's model.
I wish I could wait until late this year to purchae a new car so that maybe the MKZ could be on my shopping list, but who knows, maybe it'll get renamed too. This just makes Lincoln look silly -- they should know better.
The Lincoln Zephyr sedan hasn't been out four months yet and Ford Motor Co. is already planning a makeover that will include a more powerful engine, a flashier front end and a new name -- the MK Z.
The MK Z is more reflective of the new Lincoln design theme, a look exemplified by the new Lincoln MK S flagship sedan that was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month
So, might this mean the new MkZ will get a nose close to the MkS that was showed in Detroit? If so, then indeed I think this is good news!!
I'm trying to plan a visit to the Chicago auto show, and this will give me more incentive, as an AWD 3.5l Zephyr (umm, MkZ) is definately on my shopping list.
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=22595&make_id=trust
I really do not see much difference in the front end. Okays its got bright chrome around the fogs and a horizonal bar across the grill. Big deal! Not really the big deal made in the press release.
Am I missing something here?
MKZ
Zephyr