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Seriously, Erin Riches sounds completely biased in every single thing she writes. She needs a new job as a spokesperson for Toyota or BMW.
So, the tires were changed on the MKZ........ SO?!??! What you do if you ARE in a position of authority for your magazine IS you contact Lincoln and tell them "this won't do.....send us another vehicle that is more representative of what would be available for the CONSUMER. Or, you wait and get a showroom fresh one! VERY Logical....... and I would think that if you are a senior editor that the powers that be at Lincoln would be obliging.
If Lincoln then refuses, then they will appear to look bad of their own accord. Instead you get this inflammatory review from the senior editor at Edmunds that makes it seem more like (she) the senior editor was having a BAD day or a personal axe to grind. In either case, the review makes Lincoln look iffy, and the senior editor like a first class whiner incapable of writing an article in an un-biased manner. (And TIRES!?? Surely there were better ways to diffuse this situation.....still lacking in professionalism on both sides...)
As for me, I'll shop around and will check out Lincoln's offering as I definitely would not hold this Lincoln MKZ article written by this "senior" editor" up as a credible source of information in making my decision on my purchase.......
I look at the reviews overall. I was hoping the car would be more remarkable than it is, but it is a start. Reviews are mixed, not uniformly bad. Thus, the car is good enough to compete. Reviews are mixed as well on the new ES350...that won't kill it.
Mainly, the MKZ no longer has forgettable styling, and its equipment and engines are competitive. It is just not great enough to turn Lincoln's reputation around right now.
As for all the complaints about the interior and everything else, they all sound like personal preference issues. Other reviews I've read have said the exact opposite of this one about all these topics, including how it stacks up to the competition. Compare this review to the Lexus ES review Erin wrote, where she completely glosses over many issues and didn't whine about anything, and it sounds like she's got a prejudice problem with Lincoln.
This review comes off as a poor excuse for fair, unbiased journalism, and gives the Edmunds website a black eye if she's qualified enough to be a senior editor. The other journalists on this website seem to have a more even-tempered set of skills for evaluating an automobile on it's merits, maybe over time Erin can learn something from them. :lemon:
This Edmunds reviewer was not impressed with the MKZ. Period. I may not be duly impressed with one of her favorites. There is no need to take any of it personally.
The argument that it beat an M5 falls if apples-to-apples tires are shod on each vehicle. I think her point is that these tires on this car render it louder and more uncomfortable than the MKZ should be. Few people buying this type of car want sport at the expense of comfort. (That may change a bit when an Ecoboost 3.5 model is offered that is more all-of-a-piece.) So relax. She had a point to make. You do as well.
Remember that very few people are ever completely unbiased. The little Lincoln fan club on this thread certainly isn't. We all hope that Lincoln will begin to issue true excellence very soon. MKZ is a start around the bases, but hardly a home run.
They were the same tires that the M5 uses. That was the point.
It's not that we're fanbois who get upset at anything negative. There are plenty of negative things that could be said about the MKZ and Lincoln in general without going overboard or exaggerating.
It's just irritating that Lincoln is making significant headway to change they way everybody said they need to change and they still don't get treated fairly by some of the media.
As for Edmunds - I remember their senior editor back in 2002 or so (Wardlaw) who said Lincoln couldn't make up their mind about engine displacement because the Stype had a 4.0L engine and the LS said it was 3.9L. I tried to explain that the difference in displacement had to do with the Lincoln engine having a 85 mm stroke vs. 86 mm in the Jag. His answer - well what does stroke have to do with displacement? Which is akin to saying "why does a taller glass hold more water than a shorter glass?". Then he complains about the transmission shifting on the LS and takes it in for service, knowing there was a TSB available that fixed it. Did he mention the TSB that he knew about? Nope. He waited to see if the service advisor would find it on his own and he didn't, so he put up with the bad shifting for 6 more months and complained about it constantly.
And I won't even mention that he couldn't find the battery which was mounted in the trunk.
So I don't have a lot of respect for Edmunds senior editors in the first place nor most automotive journalists. They all seem to have their biases and they don't always do proper research. That doesn't mean it isn't frustrating though.
But my point is that reviews don't have to be frustrating. To take offense at an auto journalist's opinion just because her opinion frosts your cookies, doesn't change a thing as compared to simply taking note of your disagreement and moving on.
I am fascinated as well by the lack of knowledge and insight within many of these articles. But I just cannot waste my energy getting upset about something that I cannot change, and that will not change. What I have found is that like with movie reviews, book reviews or anything else, the bulk of reviews of any model taken together more or less provide an overall rating. To balance out Edmunds, I have also seen a completely glowing review of the new MKZ. I pay attention to the regression toward the mean.
Maybe that's why my blood pressure is a little higher than it should be. I'll try to do more ignoring and less ranting.
The new MKZ is so much better than the 2012. Yet it competes in a 2013 environment that reasonably can expect more, given the competition.
If you drive a car for awhile as these testers did, and conclude that there is little to be gained for that $20K over the Fusion Titanium, that is a problem. For Lincoln it is a big problem, because this car cannot be redone for at least five more years.
I priced a MKZ and it was about $10K more than a comparably equipped Fusion Titanium. For that you get a longer warranty, free maintenance, upgraded materials, Lincoln Ride Control, LED headlamps, heated and cooled seats, push button shifter and lots of smaller upgrades.
Whether those extra things are worth $10K is really a personal decision. For some it is and others (like me) it isn't. But at least you're not getting a rebadge job.
I also think the MKZ will get a major facelift for 2015 with a new front that's closer to the MKC concept and engine upgrades. They're not going to wait 5 years.
Jerry
The MKZ launch is a fiasco as was the Fusion launch at the same plant. I think they cut too many corners on the schedule and ended up with too many problems. They seem to be resolved now and dealers are getting shipments but they probably should have waited and done a March release on both vehicles.
What they need to do is educate dealers as to what will engender more sales in 2013. Dealers can change, or cut their own throats...but forcing out a certain percentage will not fix what is a culture that hasn't figured out why the Lexus dealer down the street has more business, even though the product isn't obviously superior.
They absolutely had too many dealers for the modest (and more realistic) projected sales volume since Mercury was cancelled. Mercury volume (mostly fleet and employee sales) kept the dealers afloat but that's no longer there. They're simply trying to size the number of dealers to the number of vehicles they expect to be sold. It's a lot easier to justify the upgrades that they're asking the dealers to make if there are fewer dealers with more volume available per dealer.
It doesn't solve the poor service - that's not the intent.
The sales drop is due to poor products and Ford's unwillingness to throw large sums of cash on the hood. Not dealer contraction.
By contrast - do you think that Lexus - who doesn't have very many dealers to begin with - could increase sales by adding dealers? Of course not.
I want people to know that Lincoln's ignorance and total disregard do not translate into extra they charge. If people are willing to go with Lincoln, they should understand that they will not get Lexus or Audi type service. They will not get it, period.
The problem with the MKZ launch is that it was a totally new vehicle and inspection process that had not been done before and when they decided to send the cars to Michigan for inspection to clear the backlog they found out their tracking process wasn't able to handle it. Not an excuse - just an explanation that this was a unique situation that probably won't happen again.
It will take Lincoln several years to get most of the dealerships upgraded .
Jerry
"The Lincoln MKZ posted its best-ever June sales, with 3,180 vehicles sold. In addition, the second quarter represented MKZ’s best quarterly sales performance ever and its first time to exceed 10,000 cars in a quarter, with 10,682 sold."
July sales were down 7%, true, but that's off a best-ever June.
MKZ is not a home run but it's a solid double and big steps in the right direction.
But right now, there's no doubt in my mind that the car was worth waiting for. Since March, I've put on about 7600 miles; today I'm getting 41.5 mpg (best day ever was 43.3). People stop me in parking lots and at traffic lights, asking about the car. It is a hot, fun, eco-friendly luxury car. And it is surely not my grandpa's Lincoln. It has had a couple of minor quirks - probably won't be as trouble-free as my Lexus was.
But I'd pick it again because every time I see it...it makes me smile. :shades:
That 7% reduction in July is not from June sales. It is from July, 2012 sales. Thus the new one did not sell as well in July as the old one did last July. Sales would have to pick up in order for the 2013 to outsell the 2012. This is not what Lincoln (or Allen) had hoped for.
Meanwhile, the MKZ Hybrid is doing very well as a percentage of overall MKZ sales. However, this market is still quite small.
If sales stay low after Flat Rock is online and they are no longer production constrained then its time to worry a little.
After several conversations with Lincoln Customer Care, and a threat of Lemon Law, I was referred to the Ford Re-acquisition group. The Lincoln Customer Care representative that I dealt with was condescending, rude, typically took 3-5 phone calls over the course of multiple days to get a call back. The sad thing - I asked for his manager's name and number, which he gave me, and he was even more rude to me.
I was basically told that I was "lucky" to get a buy back and that "the company is only obligated to fix your vehicle, not buy it back"... even though after 4 attempts they could not resolve the issues with my car.
I can understand quality, supplier, and assembly process issues... But, to then be treated horribly by the Customer Care individuals representing the company that provided such a defective product, be subjected to rude, demeaning comments and banter, is inexcusable.
I owned an Audi for nearly 12 years and got 220,000 miles before the transmission gave up the ghost. There were minor bumps along the way, but the Customer Care that Audi provides is amazingly good, and even better now that I compare it to the poor excuse provided by Lincoln. I wanted to give an American car company another shot... apparently Lincoln was the wrong choice.
I have written letters to four of Ford/Lincoln's VPs and one of the Executive VPs. Perhaps one of them can treat a customer like a customer and not push them away.
I cried a little and moved on. I got myself an Audi instead and cannot be happier. It is truly a pinnacle of an automotive technology, luxury, comfort and prestige. And then their Customer Service is just a strawberry on the top. :-)
Lincoln should give me a call. I will let them testdrive this spaceship. Perhaps this will wake them up.
I am wishing You all the very best in resolving the problems with Your car.
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The MKZ does need the new 2.3L EB and another engine above the 3.7L. I think at least the 2.3LEB is coming within the next year.
Since when is acceleration a consideration with a hybrid? The MKZ hybrid is rated 5 mpg better than the direct competition. They finally acknowledge that (begrudgingly) but only after the rant on performance.
MSRP is high but again I think that's part of the game plan especially since the hybrid is in such high demand and manufacturing was constrained until the last couple of months when Flat Rock started building Fusions. I think we'll see more content and performance with the price staying the same.
If the current MKZ was Lincoln's end goal it wouldn't be good. But as a building block for the future it's not bad. And it's certainly the best vehicle Lincoln has created in at least a couple of decades (and yes that includes the LS which I owned).
This really just boils down to the same old FWD/AWD vs. RWD argument.
The MKZ at the beginning of its cycle can barely outsell the previous MKZ.
BTW, the Camry still outsells the Fusion and Accord and Altima even though the latter three are superior to it. Thankfully, they all have made gains against the Camry appliance, but making a better product does not always translate into the best sales. That process can take many years.
In the MKZ's case, it is a good car but not the superior product in its category, a category which does not include a certain RWD V8 sedan from South Korea. To crow about the MKZ outselling the Genesis is damning with faint praise.
Never did I say anything about the object being winning magazine comparisons. Magazine comparison wins come with superior products.
Lincoln may be selling its few units at a profit for all I know, but who cares? I don't know whether Ford loses money on Lincoln or not, but we all know they are not making any money with it right now. It makes no difference in Ford's bottom line. The object of a luxury division is to add to that bottom line, even with fewer unit sales. I know you know that.
If Lincoln was solidly established - with upgraded dealerships, upgraded or new vehicles in all segments, etc. - then it would make a lot more sense to go after a high performance halo vehicle. But given that Lincoln is starting over from scratch and trying to build the entire dealership experience and vehicle lineup from the ground up, it just doesn't make sense for them to waste money on low volume halo vehicles just to "wow" the press and enthusiasts.
The Lexus ES and RX probably generate an order of magnitude more profit for Lexus than all of the RWD models combined due to the higher platform costs and much lower volume. Same for the Audi A4 and A6.
The jury is still out on whether they can execute this new strategy but it's not fair to judge them on it when they haven't had time to really get it started yet. That's all I'm saying.