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Comments
Here's my focus group of how the public would view the Zephyr name:
96% Have no idea what it means and can not pronounce it.
3.9% Know it's the Mercury version of the Ford Fairmont from the early 1980's
0.1% Know it refers to a Lincoln from the 30's.
Whoever is in charge of picking Lincoln's names needs to be fired.
Also, Ford would be wise to also offer those options (THX, cooled seats, HID headlights, navigation) on all three, as they need all of the competitive advantages they can get to take on the competition. It would cost them nothing to offer the options - the cars come down the same line, and the parts are already on the line. They could make money off of the options, but, more importantly, they could attract buyers with options not available on the Camry, Accord, and Sonata.
I drive a car named for a trim level.
"Tone deaf" is what I think it's called. The agency responsible for gathering & analyzing their focus groups? Bet they were the lowest bidder.
Being an old f--- (fool?) and having spent formative years in Grand Junction, CO, I know the California Zephyr was the train (named after the gentle breeze) that ran one of the most beautiful routes in the world, between Denver & GJ. While we're at it, who knows what D & RGW stands for, or cares? Yeah, I know. No one.
Lincoln may name their vehicles strangely, but at least they don't advertise them, or upgrade them, or . . .
By the way, naming a car for a gentle breeze leads one to believe it's something that goes places in a very refined way. Sorta like that old economy run where the egg was placed between the foot & the accelerator -- Mobil did it, I think. Doesn't have a lot to do with a car that isn't driven like a limo, or does it?
All together, now -- C L U E L E S S.
Anyway, I will deal with the final product to make it my own but a different shift knob option would be highly wanted by the consumers. Most aftermarket products are not a direct match. A official option would be great!
Chad
Help me out ANT!
I believe marketing might have something up there sleeve that will help promote the vehicle (a la Flex-Fusion), that might bring for aftermarket items. And there's always local places that will specifically do them for you if need be.
The shifter pays homage to something of a gone-by era, to try and piece the name, to the vehicle, to the history, same with the dashboard bannacles.
It is a commonly used term in the automotive industry, but heard almost nowhere else. Just like cubby is most often used in the child care industry! The other day a woman at work told me to look in a coworkers cubby to see if she had mail, and I nearly fell in the floor!
But I guess it's not as fancy as hoped when the person using the flowery word misspells it.
Lincoln J.D. Power Survey results
I know some Mercedes dealerships that give out Camrys as loaners except on the really expensive models.
That's what ours does, and I don't see the logic in that at all!! I may, if given a Camry for an E-series that in the shop, discover that the Camry is better!!!
The GM of the dealership discovered they were giving Cadillacs to Lincoln customers. Needless to say, he flipped out.
I expect it to have a warranty lasting as long as Hyundai
I expect it to have vehicle dynamic control as standard
Turn signal light on side view mirrors
Heated and cooled seats not as an option but as standard.
Either performance or gas mileage similar to sonata.
But I guess I can buy it through Sam’s auto purchase program. Or through costoco For 27K( both carry mercury and lincoln )
may be there will be a rebate in future of about 1500$.
~alpha
Sad.
Who's impressed by this one? From what I can see, probably not many folks who arent already members of the Ford Lincoln/Mercury camp.
~alpha
The Zephyr will have 1 yr free maintenance and a 4 yr/50K mile warranty.
Any car can have any warranty - it's not an indication of quality. The automaker simply adds the expected warranty cost to the cost of the vehicle.
If you prefer the Sonata then I'm sure there's another board for that.
And I stand by that. I didn't realize the Focus doesn't even match that. Thanks for telling me.
FYI, I am very interested in the Zephyr, but not until AWD and a 3.5L are available...
Additionally, "what does (being a Lincoln) that mean anyway?"
I don't know - but literally every day I drive my 05 Taurus and people I know see me, somebody, without fail so far, tells me, "that car is not you, it just doesn't look right". I even had a friend in the same business tell me, "this looks like you've given up". Today, a friend said, "this negates all of your success" and told me I should rethink my decision to drive that car in lieu of my Navigator. I was trying to save a little gas and some miles on the truck. Finally, I had one person tell me, "That Taurus on you looks like a fat woman in sweats".
Conclusion: It means something. Believe me, a Sonata garners no more respect than a Taurus does. :confuse:
John; you're a good guy, and I'm not dumping on you, just having some fun.
How's the 500 doing?
I have NEVER said one fond word about any Hyundai, nor am I likely to. You see, last summer, I picked up a rental car in San Fran--a Hyundai, I believe it was a Sonata. Every four or five minutes, the door dinger started going off without warning, in heavy San Fran traffic. To Oakland I ended up going the next day (and having to waste several hours I had other, more fun-filled plans for out of a jam-packed week), and the nice manager at Dollar Rental Car put me in a Chrysler 300 for my troubles.
My Five Hundred was on order at the time. I learned then I HATED the 300, the major reason being that to drive one is very similar to driving from the bottom of the corner mail box, peeping out the slot wherein mail is deposited.
So, no, I did NOT say anything complimentary about Hyundai...I can still hear that infernal, unexpected and erratic dinging....which wouldn't stop until the car was pulled over and the ignition turned off...an insistent chime.
My favorable comments were about Hyundai's WARRANTY, not its cars, which, from my experience, albeit limited, NEED that warranty. I also find it hard to respect a car company whose very name is so easily confused with Honda, and whose cars' styling is also derivative of others, others much more expensive than their own.
The Five Hundred? An AWD SEL, it now has 34,000 trouble free miles. And no dinging. My only problem is I can't decide if I want an AWD 3.5L Lincoln Zephyr next time, or the 3.5L AWD Five Hundred/Montego, due about the same time. I'll be driving both, then deciding...provided nothing more interesting to me comes out in the meanwhile... I was tempted by another Impala, this time with a V8, but I won't even drive one as you can't get automatic climate control, which I love and missed the entire time I owned my 00 Impala LS. Add to that, you also cannot get AWD, and the command seating that I so love in the Five Hundred is certainly not a feature on the Impala.
As for the Lincoln meaning something, that also wasn't me, except I DO worry about being a bit more visible than I would like in my travels to large, inner city, mostly Northeastern areas....as a former president said, "I'm a Ford, not a Lincoln." I am a wee bit concerned about getting undue attention from law enforcement and thieves. (There's a combination seldom seen). To me, one of the big pluses of my Pueblo Gold Five Hundred is that it is so anonymous most people do not even see it!
Mind you, I dont think the Taurus is a bad car, and it might be the best value ever as a Certified Used (seeing as how its so long in the tooth, what problems could there really be!!), its just very dated. And for 06, the Duratec goes away and the Vulcan is the sole power.
If the Sonata cant get more respect than that car... sheesh, people are just unwilling to accept change!!!
Going back to the Zephyr, got a very good mailing today (snail kind). Thus far, Im duly impressed by the ad campaign. It looks to be a good car, I just wonder if its enough with so much else out there. For me, not a fan of the interior, but the chassis has significant appeal...
About the 'Lincoln' name... no offense to owners, but Id say it carries the least panache/cachet of any lux or near lux marque out there.
~alpha
14 speakers
600 watts of amplification
12 channels of digital signal processing power providing:
Individual speaker EQ
Three optimized seating position modes (Driver, Front Seat, All Seats)
THX patented configurable speaker array processing
Surround processing of stereo CDs
Updated Press Kit Info
THX II-Certified® audiophile six-disc CD/MP3 player with ten speakers
ANT, please tell me the system did not get changed! The info was taken from the Jan 6, press release between THX/Lincoln...The second was on the updated Press Kit Info. If Ford made this change, I will be extremely upset!
If they did take out 4 speakers from the original plan, it's because they weren't needed. 10 speakers is MORE than enough.
I wouldn't worry about it - I'm sure it will sound GREAT!
This is the 2nd generation of THX that will be introduced on the Zephyr, I believe it's like 10.1 or something for it. I read an interesting report on it, but I misplaced it, now I can't find it around me.
But you could probably contact THX.com and ask them specifically what the changes entail. Supposedly the speaker count goes down to 10, but because the quality of the speakers and reproduction of sound is much more precise that 14 wasn't needed, last I heard.
You can email Nick Twork ntwork1@ford.com and maybe he can give you specific details.
Keep in mind, that Taurus is currently relegated to Fleet sales primarily. Retail sales of this car are incidental at this point. But you're right - I bought an 05 with 15K miles on it 2 months ago for $10,500 - virtually half price, current year, barely used. They are a terrific certified or used buy right now. Frankly, although I didn't buy it for my daily driver, I really enjoy the little car and take it whenever it's available. Saves gas, saves miles on my Navigator, and is kinda fun, and there are no defects in the car whatever, everything works great, and the A/C is kick butt. It has the Vulcan, and it's no race horse though, especially in second gear. If you put your foot in it, it'll go pretty well, but otherwise, it's set for economy mode.
Finally, regarding the mighty have fallen? You are so right. I keenly remember the introduction of the 86 Taurus, which made instant old news of the Chevy Celebrity - you couldn't give a Celebrity away to someone. As soon as I sat in a Taurus, I had to have one, and ended up buying a fleet of them for my company, and a Sable for me. The Taurus of today doesn't even drive like that one did. Let alone the ergonomics, seat quality, etc., have all gone to the wayside. It's a cheap little car now, a good value, but nothing special.
Amen to that!!!
Remember when the "US" car companies used to blame their poor products on the shoddy workmanship of American workers? And they could never compete on price because American workers were overpaid?
I guess as the Italian saying goes: the fish rots from the head.
Once I settle down, I can give you more accurate answers since I'll have more items at my disposal.