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Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ

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Comments

  • HID replacement is very expensive. The $60/pair bulbs on the internet are likely not what the MKZ has, and may not even be true HIDs (there are a lot of lookalikes out there...bright bulbs with blue tints). It is usually not do it yourself and can run hundreds of dollars. Fortunately, HID bulbs last way longer than other types. You may never have to replace one.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    You should see how people drive here in Atlanta when we get 2 inches of snow.
  • cowbellcowbell Member Posts: 125
    Half an hour turned into over two for me this morning. I was on 495 for at least an 1:20, and I even got off at an earlier exit. I will say, I enjoyed being in the MKZ though. I had my seat heater on and was listening to my satellite radio. I wouldn't mind it at all if I didn't have to make up the time I missed.

    I swear, there's probably three salt trucks in all of metro Washington.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I agree, not a salt truck to be found. The weatherman blew this again, it started way earlier than predicted and I bet it is going to be more than they predicted. Right now it is coming down in Fairfax. Unbelievable how this town gets shut down. It is like Alkida has come to town or something! However it could be worst. Just talked to my buddy in Minnesota and they got 12 inches Saturday, 6 yesterday, and scheduled to get 4 today! No problem, I told them to hang on as I am bringing a 4.5 Liter bottle of Johnny Walker Black! Lets see football Thursday, Sunday and Monday night! I love the fall!

    Anyway, the ride in the MKZ is so smooth, put on the heat seats, and my favorite CD with the THX sound system and life is good. My friend has the Zephyr and she also was stuck on 495 but said it could be worst. She use to have the Infinity and said how hard the seats would get after a long commute.
  • steprov1steprov1 Member Posts: 8
  • steprov1steprov1 Member Posts: 8
    Recently, I brought my '06 Zephyr to the dealer for its scheduled 30k service. I mentioned that I thought the idle speed was a bit too high - about 1600 rpm. I was told that the engine would have "reprogramed" by the sister dealership about 15 miles away. I scheduled an appointment later that week for a loaner vehicle and left my Lincoln there. When I picked it up the next day I noticed the idle speed was still the same. It was late and the work was covered under warranty, so I didn't go back. At what speed do your engines idle? Is 1600 rpm too high?
  • Well of course it is too high! With newer transmission setups,you can see 1600 revs at lower highway speeds. Idle for most vehicles should be somewhere around 550 to 750. When warming up in very cold temps, idle might exceed 1,000 rpms. It should never idle at 1600. You probably got a "wall job."
  • caliddcalidd Member Posts: 60
    I'm loving my 2007 MKZ. With 4000 miles on it, I still get ooh's and ahhs. I have one little problem, though. On the Navigation system, the voice commands are clear on major highways and inter-states but on the commands for secondary roads, the commands are very garbled, as if the speaker is speaking underwater. Anyone know what kind of problem that might be and how I might fix it? thanks.
  • cg205cg205 Member Posts: 34
    The first thing I would do is try to get the dealer to let you try a different DVD disc. I had a problem with my navigation system (not the same problem as you, though) and a new disc cured it. My salesperson simply went to a new car in stock, got me the disc, and took mine to send back in as defective. This would be a very easy first step for you to try.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I have 16k on my 07 MKZ and never had an issue with the Nav on either the old DVD or the new one I recently upgraded to.

    Starting to see MKZ's all over the place here in DC and Northern VA. Also starting to see lots of Edge and MKX's also.
  • femanfeman Member Posts: 2
    We have loved the car, ride and the experience. This is a second car and does not see the high mileage as a work car. However, on recent lengthy trip during the holidays someone passed us on the right and pointed at our front passenger tire. I pulled over and the tire was fine, I pulled on the tire to make sure it was not loose. My wife reported a week later a noise from the front and when I drove it again the following week, it felt like the car was pulling to the right and the noise was loud enough the drone of it resonated into the passenger compartment. I took it to the closest Ford dealer and they reported the wheel bearing was completely destroyed and the car was unsafe to drive. I am being told the parts will not arrive until 2/14/08. I purchased my vehicle in Nov. 2006 and it has approximately 12K mileage. The dealer has been great, but Ford Customer Service agent I spoke to became very defensive about the situation. I would think the Lincoln Commitment would provide for a comparable replacement vehicle while I wait for the warranty work to be completed. I do not find a Ford Focus to be satisfactory. I would suggest if you hear any hum or noise in the wheel area to make arrangements to have it checked out immediately for the safety and well being of the driver and/or passengers.
  • Sounds like you had fair warning something was wrong. Noise from any part of a late model car should be checked out, because strange noise is not normal, and could indicate the failure, or imminent failure, of a critical component--like a tire. Noise you hear in a very sound damped car like the Lincoln, should be even more of an indication that there is a problem.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    FYI - the loaner car is totally up to the dealer. Lincoln provides a reimbursement to the dealer. Other Lincoln dealers provide Lincoln loaners - maybe you need a better dealer.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    The mileage that I am getting with my 2007 MKZ has suddenly falling to around 14-16 mpg. I am about to get my 2nd and last free service. I read something about a computer 'reflash'? Is this something they will do for free and what exactly does it do? Does anyone know why I would experience the sudden drop in mileage?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Your sudden drop in mileage is most likely the cold weather and reformulated gasoline. Have them check the air filter just to be safe.

    A reflash is simply a new computer program. It's used to solve specific problems and you won't get it unless you're experiencing one of those problems, usually referenced in a TSB. They're free during the warranty period so you've got plenty of time.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    There are no Lincoln dealers anymore AFAIK. All I knew about merged into Ford dealerships. So I do not see the point of buying Lincoln if you can buy very similar Mercury of Ford for much less and still get same level of service and stay in same lines. Before at least you could hope to get premium service from Lincoln dealership (and Mercury was kind of baby Lincoln even though service level was different).
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I get great service from my Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer, plus you get a longer warranty. And you've obviously never compared a MKZ with a Milan - there are major differences.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    I actually like Milan more.
  • Yes, I do too. I think it is overall a more attractive and balanced design, though the MKZ has more sound deadening and (temporarily) a better engine. If the Fusion design wasn't so close to the Milan design (different front clip and tail lights), the Milan might get more respect. As it is, all three triplets remain too much alike, though the MKZ (dumb name) has the most differentiation of the three.

    GM can for example differentiate the Impala and the Grand Prix and the LaCrosse without sharing doors, or profiles or exact proportions. The G6, Aura and Malibu are other such examples. Or Chrysler (and inexpensive models at that) with the Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Calibur. It's not like Chrysler and GM were in so much better financial shape than Ford when these things were designed. It is just that Ford had a mindset that sort of ran "who notices the doors and greenhouse anyway, so why bother?" This from a company that used to differentiate many of the Ford and Mercury models by using Mercury exclusive rooflines.

    Yes, yes, old story. Goofballs got in control, lost their way, tried to justify their gaffs (like the now old saw that the 500 styling would stand the test of time better than the competition...snork, good one), but now they are trying their best to right things with limited resources, yada, yada, you know the current story. We'll see how long the MKZ restyle takes...or if the MKT will really be out next summer, or a year from next summer.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Rumor has it the 2010 Taurus will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show next month. This is the one that Mulally said "made his eyes water" it was so good. It will be based on the MKS platform (D3-2) and we already know it will have the 3.5L EcoBoost engine at some point. Should be exciting.
  • Hope so! We could all use some.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Hi, does anyone know how much data the current Nav system can store? I have less than 50 entries in the address book and that is all it can hold. Does not seem much to me. My ole Atari 800 could save more on a 48k floppy 20 years ago! :)
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    "Rumor has it the 2010 Taurus will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show next month. "

    Then what was the point to put new grill on 500 and call Taurus, just to make one year model? It is kind of waste of money.
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    "GM can for example differentiate the Impala and the Grand Prix and the LaCrosse without sharing doors, or profiles or exact proportions. The G6, Aura and Malibu are other such examples. Or Chrysler (and inexpensive models at that) with the Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Calibur. "

    It is interesting how Ford culture did not change during last 100 years. Ford was one who said "You Can Choose Any Color You Want, as Long as It’s Black".

    Or Ford model T. It almost killed Ford and make it #2 forever (well until this year) just because Ford did not want to redesign car during 20 years (how it reminds me original Taurus, Focus, Ranger, Ford Minivans, Crown Vic and so on).
  • It is not just one year. The 2008 Taurus was introduced early, so it sold for six months of 2007. It will be available for the 2008 and 2009 model years as well. The 500 had the same run: 2005, 2006 and half of 2007. Trying to tie the 500/Taurus a bit more to the current Ford look made sense, even if it didn't goose sales (and who knows if it didn't?...without the changes, the 500 2008 sales could easily have been even worse than Taurus sales are).

    Ford is moving more toward three year styling cycles, a good move as things get stale in the marketplace all that much quicker now, with the increased competition. There just wasn't much to be done to make the 500 pig look more palatable, without a total redesign, and that is taking until 2010 apparently.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    "Then what was the point to put new grill on 500 and call Taurus, just to make one year model? It is kind of waste of money"

    Why, so they could call it the "All-New Taurus" and reap the benefits of hugely increased sales because of the wonderful feelings former owners have about their Taurus'. Errr - at lest that WAS the idea. I guess they'll be trying it again in 2010.

    Taurus - my local paper has ads from Hertz, selling 2007 rentals. YOu can get a Taurus (the old style) 2007 model year for $9,995. A Mazda 3 is $12,995 A Camry $16,995

    I maintain my position that Ford should have left the Taurus name on the rental car and kept the 500 name on the big one. But I'm not the genius AM, what do I know? Yet buyers just might get confused, ya think?
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    "Or Chrysler (and inexpensive models at that) with the Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Calibur"

    These 3 a least are a p*ss-poor example. Though the exteriors are a bit different, the interiors are exactly the same. Even the brain-trust at Chrysler has realized how stupid that is and will be doing new interiors next year for these triplets.

    And speaking of Chrysler interiors - they are without a doubt the crappiest of anyone.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    Couldn't DO much worse in sales than the 2007 "New" Taurus.

    The 500 looked as good if not better than the Gillette-fronted Taurus. It is a good car relatively speaking. Ford marketing however as usual just SUCKED EGG on the 500. No one except for the 8 of us on this board has ever heard of the thing.

    500/Montego out for FIVE years before a Lincoln version hits the street. Somebody at Ford needs to be goosed for sure.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I maintain my position that Ford should have left the Taurus name on the rental car and kept the 500 name on the big one.

    Yeah, because it worked so well for the 2007 500. Nobody knew what a Ford Five Hundred was, even with advertising. All the Taurus needs right now is more advertising.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    Don wanna argue, but -

    THere WAS no advertising for the 500 ever. At least I didnt see any. No one knew what it was.

    You may be right that all the Taurus needs is ad'ing, but there's been more for the T than the 500 and sales are worse.

    And I still say it's a probable problem when people see they can get a 2007 Taurus for $9995 and a 2008 Taurus is like $25,000.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I agree about the advertising, but I don't think anyone that looks at a used old Taurus and a new one would have a problem with the pricing.

    Mulally has already said the 2010 Taurus is the one they should have built years ago. But that's water under the bridge now.
  • Though the exteriors are "a bit different"?? The Patriot looks like a Jeep and looks like a worthy update of the old boxy Cherokee. The Compass styling on the other hand veered so far off the road it almost made it to Aztec-land. Anyway, my point was even Chrysler, with its big losses, could differentiate two (three) cheap vehicles to the point where they don't even share a windshield or anything else on the outside. No question, the interiors are abysmal.
  • brucelincbrucelinc Member Posts: 815
    I don't specifically remember much advertising for the 500, but I do recall that shortly after the 500/Montego was introduced Ford sent me an offer to test drive a Montego and receive a $75 gift certificate. I assumed that many Ford owners received the same offer.

    We drove my wife's 2001 Duratec Taurus to the dealer and drove 2 Montegos - one FWD 6 speed and one AWD CVT. Both were dogs. Neither were strikingly improved over our old Taurus in ride or NVH, either. We did appreciate the $75, though.

    The 2008 Taurus corrected the 500/Montego's problems (except the bland looks) while retaining the benefits of room, great visability, and friendly ergonomics. Instead of throwing huge rebates and dealer cash at the 2008 Taurus, they should have had a marketing/advertising campaign.

    I still maintain that there are thousands of owners of 2000-2005 Taurus's who would trade for a new Taurus if given a bit of incentive to do so. Unfortunately, few know that it exists. They are sure hearing plenty about the new Malibu, though.
  • femanfeman Member Posts: 2
    You are right that is why I took it to the closest dealership and not to the dealership we purchased the vehicle from. The dealership service manager had never seen wheel bearings so prematurely worn to point that the damage compromised the spindle and the rotor hub on such a low mileage car. I asked if the lubrication was the right kind and sufficient and he affirmed it was. Hopefully this is an anomaly.
  • jeyhoejeyhoe Member Posts: 490
    bruce - Have you read what Ford executives are saying now about the 500/taurus/montego/sable whatever cars? Geez, they've got more bad things to say about them than their worst critics. Unbelieveable. They're like "Well, yeah, we agree this Taurus really sucks. But the next one, man it's gonna be just great." What a way to run a business.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    They're trying to build trust with the public by being honest. They aren't saying anything the media hasn't been saying for the last 3 years. With Farley on board you can bet this is a calculated move. When Ford debuts the 2010 Taurus in Chicago it will give people the confidence that Ford has realized it's mistakes of the past and are capable of correcting them. Same reason they showed the Flex last year. OTOH they are keeping some things under tight wraps like the 09 Fusion. Don't underestimate the marketing savvy - Farley is one smart guy.
  • tiger16tiger16 Member Posts: 54
    I know the intro for the 09 is about 8 months away, however, about now is when auto manufacturers begin to finalize the next year's product. Any news on the new MKZ? I had some time on Saturday and visited the local Cadillac dealership and I must admit, they really nailed it with the CTS. It's not perfect but, the fit, finish, materials, luxurious interior, sleek exterior and multitude of options made my Zephyr look and feel somewhat tired. I like my Zeph but, I've always said that the best thing it has going for it is bang for the buck. You get a lot for decent price. My gut feeling is that if this same car were priced $3K higher, it would die a quick death so, Ford can't let it sit while others pull away. A minor tweak here and a minor tweak there won't cut it. I've seen various renderings of the 09 and am disappointed. The front end looks nice but the side and rear look identical to the 06. I've not seen the interior but, it has to be a little more upscale and rounded. The boxiness turns off too many buyers. And please, will Ford depart from this one suspension fits all mentality! Cadillac did it right - 3 suspensions are offered on the CTS (supple ride, handling priority and a stiff sport). The std suspension gets the taller more comfortable tires and the sport gets the lower more aggressive tires. This way everyone can get what they want. I looked into getting an 07 MKZ to take advantage of the new engine, however, I did not like the stiffer ride. My Zeph has a more comfortable and pleasing ride. Also, bigger gas tank please!! Since like so many people today, I put a lot of miles on the car for my daily work commute and that small tank is a pain in the butt! The big trunk and keeping the moonroof optional (us people 6'1" and above don't like them) are plusses. Anyway, some news would be appreciated as I will probably buy an 09 something or other.
  • brucelincbrucelinc Member Posts: 815
    They have acknowledged the bland styling and I applaud them for that. It's about time they take responsibility for it. That is different than saying the car sucks, though. The Taurus is the most competitive Ford product available if you can get past its blatently bland bulbous looks. Drive one back to back with a Chrysler 300 V6 or an Impala and then tell me which is the more refined and impressive family sedan. Or drive one back to back with a similarly priced Camry 4 cyl and tell me which one is more car per dollar.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    Here is a possible rendering:

    image
  • dds010dds010 Member Posts: 33
    Does anyone know if lincoln will offer any new suspensions or options with 09 refresh and it will feature the 3.7. And coiuld anyone answer why the 3.7 only has 7 horsepower increase over the 3.5 i mean damn ford that rediculous you have more than 270 to be more competitive
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Ford has been tight-lipped about the 09 models other than we should see them before the end of the year. The engineers did not have time to get direct injection on the 3.7L for the MKS - not sure if the extra time will make a difference for the MKZ (and no confirmation that the MKZ gets the 3.7L but that's a good guess).

    And it should be pointed out that while it makes 30 less hp than some of the competition it's only 8-9 lb/ft shy on torque so the actual performance in a vehicle should be almost identical.
  • I hope those photos are not the real deal. All they show is the original Zephyr with a split grill and slightly modified tail lights. I hope that they can at least do enough mods, like they (badly) did to the 08 Focus. In that case, the part most people see the most of (the long side view of any car) could get a bit of the champhered look that is going to be the new Lincoln look. Unless of course some sane person attains some power in all this and takes another look at the Continental concept (sorry for going there...but autoblog featured a 4 door Continental convertible today.)
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I think some guy took some spy shots and did some sort of photo rendering. Not sure how close to reality these are or will be.
  • dds010dds010 Member Posts: 33
    What do the engineers at ford have time to do in order to get it out at the right time, just look at the new F-150 not being launched with the 6.2 and does that even really exists because no one at Ford has made that offical. Besides from that all im saying that only having 7 more horsepower than the 3.7 is really going to hurt it's sell when you consider how much the MKZ and MKS weigh over their competition not to mention it's suppose to be the the "Luxury enigine"
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Yes, the 6.2L is official, but you can thank Bill Ford for the delay. He killed the Boss program (or allowed it to be killed) and it was shelved for almost a year until Fields took over and resurrected it. Had it been allowed to continue originally it would have been ready now. The 4.4L Diesel will also be here next year for the F150 and while it would have been good to have them for the 09 MY it doesn't make sense to delay the new truck for a year if it's ready now.

    I don't know why Ford powertrain development is taking so long. I'm sure right now they're hurting from the layoffs but that doesn't explain why the 3.5L was 2 years behind schedule. I do know that Bill Ford mandated lower emissions rather than power or fuel economy and that has changed. There is also a 5.0L aluminum block DOHC engine reported to make 400 hp/360 lb ft and that will replace the 4.6L modular engine and will be the standard Mustang GT engine. I'm sure Lincoln we get a version.

    As for Lincoln they do need the DI version of the 3.7L with 300 hp. I think it's going to take a few years for Ford to fully catch up with their drivetrains. They're still just treading water.
  • tiger16tiger16 Member Posts: 54
    The 09 looks way too much to like the 06 Zephyr. When compared to the Lexus, Cadillac and Infiniti, the MKZ looks "tubby" and fatigued. Tweaking sleek is one thing, tweaking bland is quite another. A more extensive styling change is needed. Four years on now and the look of the car hasn't changed. Not good! Based on styling, the MKZ just doesn't seem to belong in the same group with it's competition. The 09 had better be chock full of mechanical and interior upgrades or it could be a tough year. A more comfortable ride, suspension options, more pleasing dash, rear air vents, bigger gas tank, better gas mileage, etc are infinitely more important than blue tooth, voice sync and std satellite radio. Nice features but, at the end of the day if a buyer must choose between gas mileage, ride and upscale feel vs voice sync, guess what they are going to choose.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    4 years? You need a calendar. The Zephyr debuted in October 2005 (06 MY) which, according to my calendar, is only 2 years, 4 months. When the 09 refresh hits at the end of the year it will be just over 3 years which is EXACTLY what the other mfrs are doing. And that's ignoring the tweaks that were done for 07 along with the name change to MKZ.

    It's just an artist's rendering that was done a year ago so we don't know exactly what it will look like yet. I hope it gets the same features as the MKS (keyless go, adaptive HIDs, Integrated LED keypad, etc.) plus the 3.7L engine. A 300 hp AWD version would be nice.

    I'm sure we'll see the Fusion, Milan and MKZ at the New York Auto show in April.
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    I have no ideal what this is but I like it!

    image
  • bigtbigt Member Posts: 412
    image
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    That is a photoshop chop of the Lincoln MKT concept.
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