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Comments
The guy who is in charge of the paint department came to me after viewing the defects and said he would hate to “break the paint”. I guess he thought I was an idiot. He claimed that he could fix the problem, but the color may be off. I then took him to my 2004 Taurus and showed him the inside of the doors with over 60,000 miles (which I assure you looked a whole lot better).
I told him as a customer the paint is already broke and if that is going to be an issue, then you should consider stripping the paint and repainting the whole vehicle or provide me another new car where the paint is a non-issue. I am sure with that statement and current code painting technology, he will do just fine or else.
Yes they do have some software issues. It took them over two hours to perform and upgrade on mine. Since the upgrade, it seems to be working much better.
I ordered my LS prior to the car's introduction and got one of the first ones available. There were several TSBs issued and they even had me bring it back to have the wood trimmed steering wheel and shift knob installed because they were not available at launch. While none of this bothered me much, I am sure that some buyers were turned off by having to take their cars in for adjustments. Ford doesn't want that again.
No one will tell me exactly what the quality issue is with the early 2010 MKSs but I have the impression that it was related to the ecoboost engine management system. First I was told it was an easy reflash and now they say it requires an updated part. They are really vague about it - I am sure they do not want a headline such as "Ecoboost engines have quality problems!" As much testing that has been done on this engine, I am confident that the issue is relatively minor.
I thought the MKS and Taurus were built in the same plant. Our 2008 Taurus has a great paint job but it is oxford white and they have had that color almost since the model T went out of production so they should know how to apply that. I know I will go over my MKS with a fine tooth comb when it finally arrives.
MKS
This morning we found a couple of cars in the Detroit area that would work nicely for me - right colors and equipment. Detroit is less than 600 miles from Minneapolis so my dealer is in the process of pursuing one of them now. Hopefully, one of the dealers out there will work with my dealer and we can make some progress.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=8255
My dealer tried to obtain a couple of cars for me out of Detroit but both were already sold. The better news is that they just emailed me a tracking sheet. The car I ordered left Chicago yesterday and is on a railcar somewhere between there and Minneapolis. It might even be here by now - I don't know if the train makes many stops along the way or not. Anyway, things are looking up - unless it falls off the railcar somewhere in transit.
I have never had sync or nav and the manual was a bit daunting but I have found the systems to be very user friendly. The sales manager at my dealership spent about an hour with me going over everything including pairing my cell phone and walking me through the capabilities. Kudos to North Country Ford in [non-permissible content removed] Rapids, MN. After playing around with these systems this weekend, I am now completely comfortable with the technology, although there are capabilities that I will likely not use much.
The ecoboost engine is a jewel. The power is strong and deceptive. The engine is very smooth and quiet - when driven normally, you hardly know it is running. When pressed, the speedometer needle shoots up the dial and there is a growl but still much quieter than my wife's Taurus with the 3.5. Another thing that I like is the extremely quiet cabin. Wind noise is non-existent and you do not hear other traffic. They have done a good job with sound deadening. Did I mention that the power was strong? Oh, yeah!
I think the MKS is a bit under-rated by some of the press and by many buyers who haven't driven one. The Lincoln name has no prestige at this point. The MKS will not handle like a BMW. It is not as whipped cream soft as a Lexus LS. The looks are not for everyone. Some will say the price is too high considering it shares a platform with the Taurus. While all that may be true, this car is a pretty striking combination of luxury, comfort, performance and technology.
Some cars do a few things extremely well and sacrifice other things. The MKS does a lot of things pretty dam* well.
I do not know if they told you this, but another slick feature is the trunk unlock button. If you have the key fob on you there is a hidden button right up under the lip near the rear camera. Just press it and the trunk pops open. From what I understand the dealers were trained on service and support for the new Lincolns. It shows as my paint situation has been taken care of to my satisfaction greatly.
Do you plan on using 87 octane or premium in yours since you have the ecoboost? You seem to be the kind of person who likes to really move. I was wondering if you could give a report from time to time of the octane difference you experience if you switch around.
Again congrats and be careful out there. With that red, the PoPo will be looking for ya. Don't worry I won't tell. :shades:
http://www.edmunds.com/dealerships/drr/jump.html
I am accustomed to using premium or at least mid-grade in my LS so I will probably continue that. It was full when I picked it up and I don't know what they put in it. I will try both 87 and 91 and see if I can tell the difference.
Cops shouldn't pay attention to a balding guy in a Lincoln, should they?
I knew they were there but didn't give them much thought until early this morning when I drove the car in the dark for the first time. Starting up in the garage, they came on and scanned left to right against the garage wall to show me that they were working. Driving on a winding 2-lane to work (where deer are plentiful) I really enjoyed the way they swivel with the turns. The auto high beams came on where there was no traffic and instantly dimmed when approaching other cars headlights or taillights. Pretty cool. I know these are not new features but they are new to me and the technology has improved since they were first introduced.
I probably sound like a kid in a candy store but everytime I drive this crazy thing, I find some little feature that makes me say, "Wow!" I am not sure if the 2009s had ambient lighting and lighted door sills or not but that is pretty nice too.
Have I mentioned lately that the twin-turbo engine has plenty of power?
You are right the 2009 do not have the ambient lighting. You can get a kit through the dealership but it is not the same. It is in my 2010 MKZ and it is sweet. That MKZ can fly and I see a ticket in the future, so I better start squirreling away now. It will be less of impact when it happens.
I am glad to hear your enjoyment and discoveries. I believe many whom went another way missed out on a quality vehicle. What size wheels do you have? Have you notice the attention people have toward the car? The styling and red color commands attention. The braking system is awesome as well. Keep those ecoboost comments up and you are going to make me go out and get a fully loaded Taurus. :shades:
Only a speed-freak or a power hungry hooligan would ever need to use wide open throttle with the ecoboost engine. If he/she does use WOT, it probably would not be for more than a very few seconds. The thing that appeals to me is the ease and lack of drama in which it accelerates quickly at part throttle. It pulls way more strongly at 1500 RPM than my LS did at 4000. The result is quick acceleration at part throttle with limited downshifts and hardly any noise.
It is too soon to tell about gas mileage but on my regular commute for just the past 3 days, my computer is showing 21.3. Under similar conditions, my LS was usually around 20 - 20.5. My wife's Taurus does about 22.8 when I commute with it. My round-trip commute is about 36 miles - part 2 lane county road, part busy freeway, and some downtown stop & go. I hope to take road trip soon so I can see what it does under ideal conditions.
My commute is 13-15 miles one way and my driving habits needs work. I have passed my boss up so fast once that when he got to see me at work, he told me that he was impress and did not think a Taurus could even do those speeds. Due to some road conditions, I choose my routes base upon what I am driving. I have the 20” and at first the ride was rough, but they seemed to have adapted and have really smooth out much to my surprise.
I have notice better results when I travel down to Ohio (way better roads) and a few other areas. Here we drive like our [non-permissible content removed] is on fire. You have to or your [non-permissible content removed] will get run over. That is interesting the amount of power you get at 1500 RPM’s. A friend of mine told me the other day that he saw a sad sight of a new SHO Taurus in the right lane doing 55mph. Now I guess that tells you the mentality here.
When you start your car, does it greet you with a verbal "good morning" or "good afternoon?" I would swear that I drove an MKS a few months ago that did that. Mine does not and it is not a big deal but I am curious if there is a setting for that. I have read all the manuals from stem to stern and can't find anything about it!
Second question: When I change the media to jukebox, it begins playing the last song that I was listening to prior to switching to another form of media. Is that normal? I thought that if I left the jukebox and listened to FM or Sirius for awhile (or turned the audio off) and then returned to the jukebox later, it would not play anything at all unless I pressed the song title or gave it a verbal command. Again, this is not a big deal but I was wondering if yours works the same way.
Thanks in advance for clearing up these little mysteries for me.
My jukebox has always picked up where it was when I switch to another mode or turn the vehicle off. This is voice greeting is interesting. I know a person who has a brand new Taurus, let me check with them on that voice greeting.
As for the audible greeting, I think it might have been a pre-production MKS that I played around with at a launch event over a year ago. There was some discussion about it on Blue Oval News and someone thought that theirs stopped greeting them after they paired their phone. Not sure what that would have to do with it.
You are right about the red color attracting attention. This morning at a SuperAmerica station, a total stranger remarked that it was a beautiful car. Oh, by the way, not sure if I mentioned it or not but the Ecoboost engine makes the MKS a rocket.
I drove up Loveland pass about 15 years ago. It was snowing and next to Hwy 30, the road on the north end of Maui, one of the scariest drives I've done. (But Hwy 30 only has about 3/4 lane in some spots going around blind curves. The rental car agreement prohibits driving that road--wink, wink.)
The highway that made me the most nervous was not a high altitude highway at all. The Ortega highway in Southern California is a fun drive but something about it made me wary when I drove it. Lots of crazy drivers on that one - even crazier than me.
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Chintan
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The question is: are the 2010 models significantly different than the 2009? I've seen mention of additional sound insulation but I can't find any verification of that. I know there is an automatic parallel park feature, but that seems a bit gimmicky to me and I honestly can't remember the last time I had to parallel park down here in the wide-open flatlands of Florida. I don't have a need/interest in EcoBoost.....the base engine model (loaded) is what I am interested in.
Thanks everyone.
With this combination you get approx 72 more horses and 1-2 mpg better than the current MKS for 5-7 thousand dollars more (cause of the suspension and AWD thrown in with it), This may mark the end of the gasoline combustible engine as we have known it. The drive to make it more efficient may has reached its climax and this was only an attempt to try and capture those whom had nothing but more power on their minds to blow pass regular traffic drivers who would have in their minds for a second of “look at that thing go!” then back to the news or music on the radio.
What I liked about the MKS is that it showed a balance, a balance of elegance, technology, power, and price that few could match. The price portion may have gone out the window some but that’s another story. Even though I do not have the Ecoboost engine, that 3.7 is no slouch either and I am hitting an average of 19-20mpg , which is not bad for an AWD. I am sure the Ecoboost will get better than what is on the sticker though, most do. I am sure Ford would not sell many vehicles if the mileage was less. So if they purposely put the numbers lower, great strategy. I am afraid as we move forward the MKS days may be numbered as the struggle continues to try and get more with less. They could just push the technology though for future models. I have heard many question the improvements.
Some say, "Why do I need an indicator on my mirror of traffic? I turns my head quickly and look." Good for them, but for those who are on the phone, listening to the radio and doing their nails all at the same time, it might be a matter of life and death. It is a constant balance of features vs price. Could I really use this feature and handle the price or do I just start turning my head like they been telling me to do in driver safety films for years? Back to the engine department, I guess the question is, are they really have a struggle with the technology or are they just marketing in steps for in truth they can do a whole lot better :confuse:
The link I have attached should take you to a Ford site where you can see the differences between the 2009 and 2010. Click on the product overview and there is also a PDF that outlines the differences.
I have driven several 2009s and bought a 2010 mainly because I wanted the ecoboost. Yes, there is a very slight difference in noise levels - but that may be more because the ecoboost package is geared to run at much lower RPM. I have not driven a '10 with the 3.7 engine. As for road noise and wind noise, both are very good. Ford's site mentions additional sound deadening and structural enhancements in the '10 but you would probably need to drive an '09 and a '10 back to back to notice. I didn't get the park assist for the same reasons you have no interest in it. The little window in the mirror of the '10 is useless. If you adjust the mirrors properly, there is no blind spot, anyway.
If you have no interest in the ecoboost package, you will probably love an '09 and the money you will save. Having said that, you might want to get the dealer's best price on a '10. There may not be as much difference as you think to have a year newer vehicle.
Times and priorities change. Will the MKS in its current form be around 5 years from now? I doubt it. The same could be said for most of today's cars regardless of brand. Actually, the downward economy and resulting lower car sales has helped make the MKS viable for a longer period of time, IMO. If Ford had been flush with cash and sales were booming, they would have moved forward with a RWD platform that may have made today's MKS obsolete. That has been delayed (some say canceled) and the MKS is the best they have - and it is pretty darn good.
If the Lincoln brand is to survive, they need a viable entry in the low 40 to low 50 thousand dollar price range. The MKS is there and it is competitive. It is the best Lincoln ever built and with ecoboost, I would argue that it is more competitive in its market than any Lincoln in the past 20 years or so. It trounces the STS, RL, M45, etc. not only in features but also in sales. If the Lincoln brand were not so tarnished, it would do even better in sales. I look for some of that tarnish to be wiped away over time.
I would not be so quick to dismiss ecoboost as being just for the people after high performance. Word is that the demand has been much higher than anticipated. In addition to blazing acceleration when you want it, the ecoboost package does deliver excellent cruising fuel economy, smooth idle quality and stellar drivability even when not extracting maximum performance.
Spoken like a true Ford Employee... :P
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2008-07-10-lincoln-mks_N.htm
How 'bout them Lions, eh???
(Just joking...don't respond...I hate sports, esp football...it is just hard to live in Detroit for 10 years and NOT know what a Ford family member is doing...as tho we care...
When I say "the best Lincoln in the past 20 years or so," the bar really isn't set very high, unfortunately. I think they have some pretty good stuff now and am really pulling for them. While I am not a Ford employee, my parents always had Fords and Mercurys and eventually a Town Car. I worked in the service department at a Ford dealership for about 6 years before my career took a different direction. I am pretty hard-headed blue oval loyal. Thankfully, that is much easier now than it was just a few years ago.
http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/13/review-2010-lincoln-mks-with-ecoboost-who-needs- -a-v8/
What I am trying to say is, it may be the end of the line for combustibles. I am hearing some exciting things on the electric magnet side of the house that are so fast on acceleration, they can hardly measure it right. Yes I know gasoline engines won't go away overnight, but I think we are witnessing the beginning of the end for them in time. One thing you mentioned that I had not though of is the cruising part. That is something to consider.
When I picked up my new car a couple of weeks ago, they had a red candy SHO on the showroom floor. I would have driven it but it was already sold. It is a very impressive looking vehicle. The flowing center stack and console are pretty dramatic. I am not a big fan of metallic trim or coal black interiors but it looked appropriate in this application.
My dealer has only had two SHOs and sold them both within a day. They have moved a few ecoboost MKSs, too.
I hope you get it this week but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Once mine was loaded on a railcar in Chicago, it was about 9 days until it arrived at the dealership. The train made stops all over the Midwest on it's way to Minneapolis. Then it sat in a rail yard for a couple of days before it was trucked to my dealer. Hopefully, shipping to your location will be quicker. In any case, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
Anyone on here having problems with their MKS AWD? I'm particularly interested as the new Taurus SHO will have a similar powertrain/driveline.
Thanks!
I do suspect the size of the vehicle may be its achilles-heel and there may be a price for the nice space and additional weight it provides. If you will note, the Jaguar XF, BMW535i Cadillac STS (V6), Cadillac (V6 RWD) and the Lexus GS(AWD) were in the lease reliable category as well.
That is the problem with numbers, it all how you look at it. If the Phillies won the final game in the World Series by a score of 6-5, would that mean that the Yankees were not a good team? Many of these vehicles are great cars. They have many things that most people want and the improvements just over the last 10 years is phenomenal. Only with the advancements of computers and robotics can a carmaker dare to design a new vehicle, put it in production with last minute changes and still produce quality that the consumers will buy in 3 years or less.
Now on the other side of the coin, I was surprise again of the test results of the MKZ. Many other car critics dogged the MKZ. I could not understand why cause I have been very impressed with it (especially when I get a ticket). I guess I feel vindicated with the report that the Lincoln MkZ, a luxury version of the Ford Fusion, ranked second in dependability in this category, just outranking the Acura TL and Lexus LS. So again it may have beat the TL and the Lexus by one digit, but does that mean they are not good cars? I guess when you look at it, it is just a snapshot of performed reliability test. I am sure if they did it again, they would get different results. Would that stop me from buying the vehicle? No, because I look at them as all reliable, just some more reliable than others just like some are more powerful, luxurious, and spacious. Oh, and don’t forget the most important result, your own tastes. :shades:
As for other reliability issues with the MKS, some early builds had an issue with rear door locks. The fix involved a different length cable. Also, there were reports of rattles in the rear shelf area that are fixed with better fasteners for the subwoofer and additional felt around the shelf area. There have also been brake noise issues reported on some 2009 models.
I believe all of these things have been addressed in the 2010 models. You can be confident in the driveline of your SHO.
Are they like the BLIS on the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO?
This is part of the description on the 2010 Lincoln MKS.
Do you own one?