Stories from the Sales Frontlines

nyccarguy

GMC is another offender - their cars are badge engineered;)

roadburner

I agree- I can't understand why GM killed Pontiac yet kept GMC- of course the story is that the US govt. made them do it, but still...

stickguy

now if there was ever someone(s) that should be leasing, this is them. Could probably drive the Lincoln on a lease cheaper than the Lexus on a buy.

nyccarguy

My uncle doesn't believe in leasing, but yes, you are correct

driver100

r someone(s) that should be leasing, this is them. Could probably drive the Lincoln on a lease cheaper than the Lexus on a buy.

That sounds like a good idea but then I started wondering...maybe leasing an MKZ could cost more.........I think!

Leasing is really based on the difference between the selling price and the value at the end of the lease. Well, the MKZ could depreciate a lot faster than an ES so wouldn't that make leasing more expensive? And then say you didn't want another one when the lease is up. Then you have to start all over and buy a new ES from scratch.

I guess, that could change if Ford was making the lease rates unusually low to get people into a Lincoln.

sb55

Does anyone else think that the Lincoln names may be hurting the brand? Let's see, we have MKZ, MKX, MKS, MKT. Isn't that kind of confusing? Oh yeah, thrown in Navigator just to mix things up. Why not call navigator MKHUGE?

explorerx4

That generation of Focus was only sold here as a basis for the Mazda3 and Volvo S40.

bwia

You are so right. These alpha numeric names are forgettable and have no soul.

The Americans and the Japanese wanted to differentiate their "luxury" from their pedestrian brands by adopting the European nomenclature for naming their models.

This switch has been a disaster, to wit:

Cadillac XTS, ATS, etc. compared to classic names like Eldorado, Deville, etc.
Lincoln MKS, MKT, etc. compared to Lincoln Continental,

Acura RL, RLX, TL, RSX compared to Acura Legend

Lexus is perhaps the only non-European brand that has been successful with the alpha numeric branding.

nyccarguy

I agree - I like alpha numerical on the euro cars, names on the Japanese cars (regular brand & their luxury counterparts) & names for domestics.

Lexus should stick with alpha numerical like you said.

"What kind of car do you have?"
"This is a 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD." Just doesn't roll off the tongue like: "This is a 2013 Acura Legend."

roadburner

Exactly; and the US Focus built on the older platform was well past it's sell-by date...

isellhondas

I think when Acura changed to letters it did hurt them.

What is an RL? A "Renamed Legend?"

oldfarmer50

"...Lincoln name may be hurting the brand..."

Absolutely. A friend bought the Lincoln version of the Ford Flex and I had no idea what he was talking about. I liked it better when they had names like Town Car or Mark VIII.

tjc78

As much as I hate to admit it there will never be another Lincoln named "Town Car". Too much stigma attached to that nameplate at this point.

Lincoln needs something like the LS it had in the late 90s early 2000s. Nice size RWD, sports sedan. I can't see why they couldn't develop something off the Mustang platform.

oldfarmer50

"...Lincoln needs something like the LS..."

I'd like to see a revived Mark ??? Like you say based off the Mustang.

My Mark VIII is based off the same platform as the T-bird and Cougar but added it's own unique features like air-ride and the more powerful 32 valve 4.6L. That made it a very different car than it's corporate twins.

I'd like to see Lincoln do a Caddy ATS rival on the Mustang platform.

driver100

Acura RL, RLX, TL, RSX compared to Acura Legend

How about the Lincoln CC for copy cat?

I guess the companies ran out of real names. There aren't any animal names left - that you would want associated with your car, and all the best place names have been taken, from Catalina to Malibu to Monte Carlo. Of the planets only Saturn works and that was taken. Just rockets, space and new age computer names left - I guess it is easier to mix up some letters, but, I like real names more. Lincoln uses those M letters and Jaguars start with X's, Accuras end with an X on the more expensive model....all very confusing.

Just give me a good old fashioned name any time.

sterlingdog

Sorry to hear about your flu bug, and about your car being stolen. Hope you're feeling better by now. What will you do about getting some new wheels?

Richard

sterlingdog

Forget the Hummer. If I was going that big, I would just go ahead with the F150.

Richard

sterlingdog

"They find people who have a flu shot..."

We might also want to remember the pneumonia shot----especially at the ages of many of our posters. I had one last year and it's good for five years. The elderly often enter the hospital with another ailment only to contract pneumonia while they are there. This shot might be an important one to consider.

Richard

sterlingdog

"One theory is that a few bouts of the FLEW is just hard on the heart."

Yes, especially if they FLEW a lot of miles. (Grin)

Seriously, let's not discount the pneumonia shot---especially at the ages of many of our posters. I got one last year and it's good for five years. Many elderly people enter the hospital for an ailment, only to contract pneumonia and die while they are there. I do think that the shot is something to consider.

Richard

sterlingdog

"Had a flu shot 20 years ago..."

Did you ever have that prostate test that I was on you about several years ago? You promised that you would look into it (no pun intended).

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks for the congratulatory remarks regarding the Red Sox. My wife and I were thrilled. We've been to Fenway; it was so exciting. My wife wore her "real" hat and sweats during the series. The day after the series ended, she wore her outfit to a club meeting just to show off and brag. She is such a fan. It was also a nice win for the city of Boston. They certainly deserved it.

Richard

driver100

"One theory is that a few bouts of the FLEW is just hard on the heart."

See what happens when you are not around enough....our spelling and grammar fall apart - there's no one else to catch it.

Pneumonia shot does sound like a good idea...never heard of it. Thanks for the tip!

sterlingdog

My nephew who went to Dubai to work for Trump just purchased a new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, white over tan. He mentioned that it actually had gear slots for sand and rocks---perfect for his new driving terrain. I wondered if Jeep just added those two options for people living in that type of country. Surely that isn't standard. He said that it drives really well and that he likes the interior appointments. It also beats the hell out of the $1,200 per month car rental fee.

Richard

isellhondas

" Did you ever have that prostate test"

Maybe I've never shared my little "ordeal" from February 2011 with anyone here.

Since I'm such a "tough guy" who has never missed a days work since I got the Chicken Pox when I was 22 and has nevr even had the flu, I thought I was invincible.

Until late 2011, early 2012 when I ignored some VERY serious symptoms that all was not well with me. I also noticed that I didn't have my normal stamina and the "warning signs" only worsened.

One day in February I was working at the Food Bank when I got very dizzy. My co-workers urged me to go the ER but I was having none of that!

But, knowing something was wrong I did check in at my local clinic the next day. The looked me over and said everything looked fine. They took blood for testing and I went home.

Later, that day, my MIL called and asked if I would meet her at the cell phone store downtown to help her pick out another cell phone. (Another long story).

While I was standing at the counter, I hit the ground and took my MIL down with me. Luckilly she didn't get hurt. Before I could get back on my feet, an off duty Paramedic that was there ORDERED me to stay on the ground and yelled for someone to call 911 despite my loud protests.

Two AID cars arrived, sirens blaring. I let them know I was NOT going to get into either one. How wrong I was!

Long short made short...

I had bleeding from the rear of my throat caused by acid reflex I never knew I had. I had to spend the night. I took THREE units of blood.

They did those "tests" at that time. I drank the Kool Aid and did my thing.

I slept through the testing and felt nothing. And, other than the bleeding which I take pills for nothing was wrong. No polups or anything else and no, Jimmy Hoffa wasn't found nor was my head.

The doctor, a witty guy from India told me.." Well tough guy, had you attempted to drive home, you probably would have passed out, lost some more blood and gone into cardiac arrest. That low on blood, we couldn't have saved you".

I've been just fine ever since. Thanks for asking.

robr2

He mentioned that it actually had gear slots for sand and rocks

It's in every JGC. There is a terrain dial that sets the transmission and throttle up properly for the setting. Most SUV's have something like that today. My Explorer has it along with hill descent control.

http://www.jeep.com/shared/2013/grand_cherokee/capability/undercarriage/secondar- y/11_j_gch_cap_offr_selec-terrain_sec.png

bwia

Hope you're feeling better by now. What will you do about getting some new wheels?

I was feeling real good until the flu came full circle back to me. I had passed it on to wife and she re-gifted it to me. But this time it appears to much milder.

As to new wheels, we don't really need a new vehicle at this time as we have several cars in the family. The 2000 Altima was a good car for my son to practice his auto mechanic skills. He is a student at UTI and did his first brake job a few weeks ago and was looking forward to trying his new tool kit on other major components.

sterlingdog

"Any suggestions what to put on?"

I'm a little late to the table but here's what I did last week. The Sebring convertible needed new tires at 40K. I talked with my tire guy who has sold me tires for 35 years. He said not to replace the original Bridgestones because they were guaranteed for 60K and I only got 40K out of them. He felt that the Michelins were overrated compared to their performance in recent years. He suggested that I try BF Goodrich this time. The new set with balance and mounting came to $546. As I was preparing to leave the tire place, a customer noticed my new tires. He walked over and said that he had the same tires, and that they lasted for 65K. If that's true, I'll be more than pleased. It's suggested to rotate the tires every 5K. Does that sound correct or is it just another way to make a buck? Opinions please.

Richard

explorerx4

I don't think Michelin's are overrated for performance, but they are overpriced.
In a sense, you could interpret that as overrated for performance.
My policy is to rotate tires every 5k. I've always gotten the rated treadwear doing that, sometimes much better.
Last time I replaced the tires on the Explorer, I spent $500 on a set of Generals against what would have been $850 for Michelin.
The tires on my Fusion are really expensive, so I started my tire replacement fund soon after I got the car.

sterlingdog

As a former model, I detest a Brooks Brothers suit. It lacks comfort, drape, and formulation (formed fit to the body). The fabrics are nice but their tailoring department lacks the true vision. If you insist on having one, at least don't buy it from the rack. Have a really good salesman (with years of experience) to carefully take your measurements. Select your fabric and have it made. Be careful with the fabric samples as theirs tend to be on the heavy side. Here's a good rule of thumb: Stay light on the fabric and dark on the color.

IMHO, the best suit in the world is Hickey Freeman. They'll run you about $1,500 depending on fabric. They have been making them for 100 years in their New York factory. This company absolutely will not compromise on quality and fit. The suit is so comfortable that you could wear it to bed and it would feel like PJ's. I wore a chocolate brown one in a show once. One of the buyers said that it looked like flowing liquid as I moved around. That's what you want people to think. I rarely bought clothes that I modeled because they were usually too expensive. I was absolutely desperate to have that brown suit. The store owner gave me a 40% discount and I made payments to him for a good while. I wore the suit for many years and always felt so good in it.

As for President Obama, he could really wear some nice Italian suits that cost around $500. Why? He's tall and thin with good muscle tone. That kind of person does well buying off the rack. I'm not a snob about JC Penney. Still, I had rather see the president in something a little nicer. He represents our country as he travels and there are times when images and perspectives mean something in negotiation circles.

Just an opinion: Worst dressed president--- Jimmy Carter; best dressed president---Ronald Reagan

Richard

sterlingdog

"They should use that info in their ads...what a great testimonial!"

LMAO! I can see the ads now: "Wear a Brooks Brothers suit and you, too, can get shot." Perhaps this: "Like Lincoln, spend an eternity in your Brooks Brothers suit."

Richard

sterlingdog

I totally agree.

Richard

sterlingdog

"A nip and tuck here and there by a quality tailor can make an average suit look like an expensive one."

You hit the nail right on the money. That's exactly right. When I first began modeling 100 years ago, I would say that I couldn't wear something because it didn't look right. I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut because the tailor could pin me up in five minutes and the clothes looked great.

Richard

snakeweasel

Does anyone else think that the Lincoln names may be hurting the brand?

Oh I don't know, Lincoln had the Model L, The Model K, KA and KB, the Model H and the Model EL. All prewar with the exception of the EL.

cdnpinhead

"The pres doesn't need to spend $1500 on a suit to look professional."

That's a low hanging situation.

Professionals are people who know how to do something, do it, then get paid.

Not people who were only "present" or didn't know anything about the situation at hand (plausible deniability), but get paid anyway.

nyccarguy

I never knew you & your wife were Red Sox fans.

houdini1

Ditto, LOL !

snakeweasel

As much as I hate to admit it there will never be another Lincoln named "Town Car"

I think Lincoln should bring back the Town Car and named as such. I don't think that the name has a "stigma" as much as it is recognized more as a limo than a drivers car. Because of that it should be the large limo that it was in the past.

But Lincoln needs to bring some exciting performance vehicles into their lineup.

snakeweasel

Of the planets only Saturn works and that was taken.

What about Mercury?

Reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon when they were looking for a new high tech name for their company. They decided to combine a randomly picked astronomical name with a randomly picked electronics term and came up with "Uranus Hertz".

snakeweasel

One day in February I was working at the Food Bank when I got very dizzy. My co-workers urged me to go the ER but I was having none of that!

A few years ago while at work I went from perfectly normal (normal for me) to not being able to take a step without meeting Mr. Floor in about 15 minutes. The called the paramedics and was rushed to the ER. After a battery of tests including a cat scan they found nothing wrong and just said it was acute vertigo. It took three days for it to clear up.

jayrider

Going to all the numbers and letters seems to be Euro and appealing to younger buyers. Lincoln is trying to distance itself a bit from seniors like me -- their past buyers. Doesn't seem to be working.

snakeweasel

Going to all the numbers and letters seems to be Euro and appealing to younger buyers.

Let's see, appealing to younger buyers. Maybe Ford should rename the Mustang and call it the P-51.

verdugo

robr2 is completly correct. It's supposed to work really well.

sterlingdog

When I purchased my new 1989 Lincoln, no other Ford car came even close to its design. The same was true of the Cadillac when I purchased it in 2000. The Lincoln today is so similar in design to many other cars. Perhaps that is the real problem. The Cadillac is still pretty distinctive in design and probably sells better. Ford would do well to go back to the drawing board and come out with a dramatic change. Many people who spend upwards of $50K on a car don't want it confused with a cheaper model vehicle.

Richard

roadburner

My dad had a 1986 Mark VII LSC- one of the last non-Wrangler US cars I seriously considered owning. It was handsome, distinctive, and it had performance numbers close enough to the Mercedes SL and BMW 635i that it wasn't an embarrassing comparison- especially if price was figured in. Current Lincolns are nondescript, underperforming, and overpriced.

Cadillac re-invented itself and is now being considered as a serious competitor to the Germans. Lincoln might as well shutter the store and go home...

driver100

Well tough guy, had you attempted to drive home, you probably would have passed out,

Wow! That was scarry. Glad you are ok. That passing out seems to happen fairly often these days.

Last year a friend passed out like that on the golf course. Ambulance took him to the hospital, he had a battery of tests done, they said they couldn't find anything wrong. He was sent home, fortunately he had travel insurance - hospital bill for a one night stay - $12,000!

driver100

"Like Lincoln, spend an eternity in your Brooks Brothers suit."

lol...."Brooks Brothers suits - Good for Every Occassion, and I do mean every occassion".

robr2

What about Mercury?

I believe that Mercury brand name was taken from the Roman god Mercury who possessed tremendous speed.

Here is Mercury's first logo:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBucXPadIhE/TZGSS8SNudI/AAAAAAAACDM/qVIBjCOp4tM/s1600/- logo-mercury.jpg

graphicguy

snake....I've seen some more recent town cars....based on their smaller SUV. There was even a "Town Car" moniker on the flanks. I'll assume it was built with that name by Lincoln.

That said, it was also a Ford rebadge from the looks of it...based on I'll assume the EDGE platform?

OF course, I saw it while waiting for my rental bus outside the airport. It was a limo. So, at least Lincoln still has that market covered.

RB....not sure what happened with Lincoln as they were really moving into luxury sports territory with the likes of the LSC, and even the Continental. All of a sudden, they abandoned that market...making half hearted stabs at it over the years, and clearly not being very successful at it.

Revamp the entire line up from the tires on up or just shutter the doors and call it a day.

Or, while really expensive, shut down Lincoln and start a whole new luxury brand (let's call it the "RoadBurner" brand). Actually, I like that name.

robr2

snake....I've seen some more recent town cars....based on their smaller SUV. There was even a "Town Car" moniker on the flanks. I'll assume it was built with that name by Lincoln.

Lincoln is branding the MKT livery edition as "MKT Town Car". It has a number of features geared toward the 2nd row (charging ports, 110V power outlet, wi-fi hotspot capability. The smaller MKX isn't shown on Ford's livery/fleet program.

sterlingdog

I just can't keep up with all of the letters and numbers. If a poster here doesn't mention the actual name of the car, I'm stuck wondering what they are driving. The F150, the MK series, and the ATS are about the only ones that I know.

Richard