hbalek

No one noted how close Infiniti's sales numbers are to Lincoln this month! Their lineup is just as fresh as Lincoln's with possibly more appealing rear-drive luxury sport sedans, coupes and even convertibles. Today I drove the MKZ 3.7 AWD and to compare to my test drive of the 2.0 FWD Ecoboost, I must say I found no compelling reason to get the bigger engine since it didn't really seem smoother, quieter or even that much faster than the 2.0. The only thing you really get is bragging rights to having an engine not offered in the Fusion.

They are for people who hate cars and driving!

We need to stop talking about appliances before people start to mistake this for the Toyota Camry Forum!

I loved the push button transmission and I drove one for 3 days! I got used to it almost immediately. It's no different than getting used to a button start, instead of turning a key. The paddle shifters also work very well on the MKZ--they finally got that one right! I do agree however that all of these cool innovations and upgrades do further remove the driver from the physical connection to a machine...

Your bad eyesight just saved you over $20,000, congratulations! The only thing the 2 rears have in common is that they both have full-width tail lamps. BTW, I saw an MKZ tonight with the lights on from the rear and it looked like nothing else on the road--SIMPLY STUNNING and those LED head lights are REALLY bright!!!

Thanks but Lincoln paid me! :-P Seriously, I like this comment below the article: I love lines like this from reviews on this site "The devil’s in the details and surprisingly for a domestic automaker Lincoln is paying attention to the little things" Can you do a better job of hiding your bias? Its 2013, not 1993 so it's time to let go of your tired prejudice against cars that are from domestic brands. In 2013 you find it "surprising" that a domestic model shows attention to detail? Really?

Maybe so, but, but many of the details and observations are true from my experience with the car. He actually reviewed the car instead of writing off the top of his head like a lot of reviews do, and then just mention a few actual observations in passing. His mind was not already made up like a lot of reviewers, he actually went through every nook and cranny of the vehicle and gave his opinion on his findings.

Here are some reviews of the MKZ that I had not seen: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2013-lincoln-mkz-test-drive http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/03/15/test-drive-2013-lincoln-mkz/ http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/lincoln/2013-lincoln-mkz-review-2482.html The AutoGuide article is the most comprehensive and detailed review in my opinion. All three seem to agree that MKZ is a better choice than the Acura TL and Lexus ES.

I love the sales people that say, "I really want you to have this car," as if he's doing me a favor by "letting" me buy the vehicle! LOL Or as much as I'm a car LOVER, the ones who make it a purely emotional/obsessive transaction, like I would have such a love and affection for the car that I just drove, that I simply can't walk away from it, if I don't like the deal they offer. Please... it's not like prime real estate inventory where if you see something you like and walk away or hesitate, it's GONE, especially in a hot market. Now the latter with real estate really is urgent and if you like a home and don't act now, consider it lost and it usually is. There are many more dealers to talk to in town, unless you live in a remote area of Wyoming, with more inventory of cars, even a hot Fusion! Of course I've had 20 years of bad experiences with some salespeople, especially at Ford dealers, where I know more about a new model than they do, and they try make up stuff about features and specs... I must admit the level of ignorance is not as bad in recent years and I credit Ford for doing a better job training reps at auto shows and dealers. At the end of the day, they always trip up with me about a vehicle's features/specs. Now this comment does not apply to dealers on this forum, who are clearly more educated and enthusiastic about Ford products than the average rep.

Sadly, Lincoln is not in the same boat as Ford!

If I'm paying cash for a new car I expect at least 10% off MSRP even before I discuss a trade-in, otherwise I am walking! I don't care if it's a Ford, Lincoln or Infiniti for that matter. The dealer wants you to think the mark-up is so low, because they're only talking about mark-up on the base price, but each option and package is marked up too, for an average of 10% markup.

A local dealer here in MD had "no-haggle" pricing on the MKZ which was about 3,000 off MSRP! They also have Fusions for about 5,000 off MSRP!

In the mid-80's I worked at a Ford dealer and that happened with a Ford LTD (Fairmont-based one) which came in with part Mercury Marquis trim and part Ford trim and badges inside and out.

This a Ford Flex I saw at my local dealer.

Oh I know, my buddy has a '59 Dodge with one! Although those old buttons were clunkier and noisier than my 2010 gear selector.

I think everyone is emulating Lexus and Audi these days for their innovation and attention to detail. I am an Audi fan for the past 12 years or so and a Lincoln fan for over 30! I wouldn't mind it if Lincoln wants to be a cross between Audi and Lexus. Audi innovation and modern driving experience with Lexus reliability and quality! That's exactly how the MKZ felt to me but without losing that "old" American luxury look and feel. If you look at the history of luxury autos, the Americans invented it, the Germans reinvented it and the Japanese copied aspects of both and perfected it! BTW, everytime I use my "clunky" gear selector, it feels odd now, as I remember how slick, smooth and just plain cool the push button transmission was in the MKZ. It really grew on me and I think that Lincoln is really onto something with this feature.

Lincoln is not Lexus, the luxury brand for people who hate cars and driving! LOL

Once you experience and possess any luxury item or feature it's nearly impossible to live without. Think of all the gadgets and features we've gotten accustomed to and they have become necessities! Once they become routine, they trickle down to everyone.

I'm not looking forward to totally autonomous vehicles. The new MKZ really made me feel like a pasenger with lane-keeping engaged especially, along with adaptive cruise. The car really drove itself and I just had to stay alert enough to make sure it didn't make any mistakes, which it doesn't, btw! LOL The most fun I had driving it was when I turned all of the electronics off on the way back to the dealer. I understand how these aids are great for long, stressful drives where you want to relax and enjoy the ride. But on a daily basis, they really take the joy out of driving!

This reminds me of why I miss driving a manual transmission! The feeling of actively being one with the machine instead of a passenger. Anyone who drove a Contour 5-speed with 2.5 Duratec would relate to this feeling... If I were still in my 20's I'd buy a Focus ST in a heartbeat! But I've evolved into a luxury car customer.

I think that is OVERLY optimistic. I can almost guarantee the MKC, MKX and Navigator are due in showrooms in the first half of 2014, probably in that order, well before the MKS. I think the MKS in late 2014 is more realistic, if not later. Ford is on a 7-year cycle and the 2009 MKS arrived in summer of 2008, remember? I bet the MKX debuts in L.A. and MKC via social media sooner. That would leave a Lincoln concept for Detroit and possibly production MKS for New York.

I think it must have been added for 2013 because I've never seen it on 2011 or 2012's.

I'm in love with the Explorer Limited and I seriously considered trading in for one. You know what seemingly trivial Lincoln feature I would miss and didn't want to lose? Cooled Seats! Yes, silly but I guess I'm a luxury car buyer...

I have driven the fully loaded Fusion Titanium which was about $38,000 and the fully loaded 2.0T MKZ which was about $48,000. I liked both vehicles but they are different enough in my eyes to justify the $10,000 price difference. The gorgeous, even exotic styling makes the Lincoln exclusive not to mention the free maintenance for 4 years and the dealer experience, free loaners, car washes, etc. Then there's the tangible, unique features like glass roof, electronic suspension, cooled seats, all-LED lighting, push-button gear selection, heated steering wheel and rear seats, power open/close trunk, real wood or metal accents, thicker glass and more sound insulation, etc. Why is all that not worth $10,000? If you don't think so, that's because YOU'RE NOT a luxury car buyer. You're a Ford Buyer!

Have you driven the "wimpy" inadequate EcoBoost 2.0? I HAVE! I enjoyed every damn second of the 48-hour/300 mile test drive! It feels and drives like $15,000 more car than my 2010 MKZ, which I still love, but the 2013 has an MSRP of just $6,000 more than mine. While it offers many things which my old MKZ doesn't even have like Adaptive Cruise, Lane Keeping, and Park Assist. Not to mention a sophisticated electronically controlled suspension, paddle shifters, the really beautiful new design inside and out and to top it off, the AMAZING panoramic retractable roof, which is an attention-grabber and a must-have feature for me. The push-button transmission works GREAT and I didn't take a very long time to get used to it. At the same time the 2.0 motor sounds and feels more refined than my 3.5L V-6 and has just as much torque and almost as much HP. I would have chosen the 3.7AWD as my first choice for the test drive, but I grew to love the base engine, not to mention the 25 MPG I averaged versus the 19 MPG I would've gotten on my old V6 MKZ and probably on the 3.7 AWD as well. My point is Audi gets away with having a turbo 4 as the base engine on the A4 and people don't complain. This engine is BETTER than Audi's 2.0T! I was so impressed with the performance, efficiency and smooth refinement of the 2.0 EcoBoost compared to my 3 year-old 3.5 V6. Guys: don't knock it til you drive it. This engine is good enough to power heavy vehicles like the Edge, Explorer and the Taurus too. I would even say after driving a FWD 4 cylinder Lincoln for a weekend, that was the biggest surprise of the entire experience. That it was more than adequate and competitive and even felt like a MAJOR upgrade over the last generation's standard V6. The 3.7 AWD and Hybrid options are just the icing on the cake. As for cross-shopping, I met an older gentleman at the Detroit show's Lincoln Lounge who drove a LaCrosse and was shopping the new MKZ and ATS against it. I had to clue him in that despite the similar price, the 3 vehicles were very different, especially the ATS which is the size of a Focus and no where near the size of the MKZ. Because of the price tag he thought they were direct competitors. I told him to compare the CTS to the MKZ in size but the MKZ is priced and engineered to be between the new LaCrosse and the CTS.