CharlesN

To answer two questions in one post, they chose 85 mph because that is as fast as they can safely turn the M2 (Main Electric Motor) with the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) stopped. That is with the ICE at 0 RPM. They figure if they are going for the best gas mileage then set the EV to stay on as long as possible. The ICE and M2 are interdependant for their speeds so it allows a range of RPM's at 70-73 MPH. Without getting really technical the ICE can run from 1000 to 4500 RPM. It's best gas mileage is around 2800 RPM as a guess. (Most gas engines are good at that speed). So if they are going to run the ICE and set the programing at 2800 for the ICE you would see about 4000 RPM on M2. The choice of M2 being a driver or a generator would also be left up to the programing. The catch comes in when you try to keep the ICE stopped and run only on M2 [EV mode], then your M2 speed goes to 7500 RPM at 70-73 MPH. (A speed not allowed at present.) Note all of the RPM's above are round figures. The factory can do anything they want with the programing including using either M1 or M2 as a motor, a generator or free wheeling. And they can let the ICE stop, go any speed up to the limit they set, run as a driver or open the valves and let it free wheel. The only thing they can not do is back up using the ICE. Reverse is driven only by M2. I hope this helps explain what I see going on here. If you want to hear more interesting things about our new cars just ask, I have talked long enough already.

Well... have you ever heard that nothing is free?? Yes, Ford is going to do software changes without any hardware changes. They are going to close the grill shutters longer and more often, they are going to warm up the gas engine quicker, they are going to slow down the radiator fan and they are going to use some of the electric airconditioning to cool the gas engine. This all amounts to allowing the gas engine to run at a higher temperature than before. (Lets not worry about the fact that higher temperatures cause earlier failure of mechanical equipment.) Most importantly for gas mileage, they are going to allow the car to stay in EV mode up to 85 MPH. Now without being too techinical I have to mention that both electric motors and the gas engine are constantly connected to each other through gearing and without any clutches. This means that the speed of each motor is dependant on the speed of the others. At present the gas engine operates from 1000 to 4500 rpm. That is it's most economical range and that is good for gas mileage. The problem is that the electric motors have to spin forward or backward in order to accomodate the gas engine. Currently both electric motors are limited at 6500 rpm either direction. In order to go 85 MPH without turning on the gas engine the main electric has to spin at 9000 RPM and the small electric has to spin at 9000 RPM backwards. These motors are only designed to withstand 10000 RPM. (Lets not worry about the fact that higher RPM causes exponentially greater wear on the electric motors. We will just replace the ones that do fail early and let the consumer deal with a shortened lifetime on the vehicle.) Something to think about.

In my personal experience and based on many posts I have seen on this site and the Lincoln Forum it makes a big difference who you buy the car from. I mean dealer and salesman! I decided what I wanted, and called six dealers. The three closest to me did not have enough allocation to really know about the MKZ or even have one in stock to test drive. The salesmen at two of the other dealers were obviously clueless (because I asked pointed questions). Many other purchasers on these sites have been VERY disgusted with their salesman's knowledge and concern for their needs. (Read some old threads). The dealership I chose is 100 miles from me but the salesman and manager provided the best service and updates that I have ever experienced in purchasing a car. On top of that, after my ordered car came in they easily negotiated an additional $5000 discount on the price I had been originally quoted. Choose your dealer and salesman carefully, it makes all the difference in your experience. If you live close to Atlanta let me know and I will refer you to the guy who helped me.

I have a hybrid. I have driven both. The difference is not that noticable. The electric section of the hybrid provides a lot of kick on the low end where you feel it. If you are buying the car for comfort and mileage get the hybrid and change you driving habits!!! It is (unbelievably) the same price as the straight gas although it costs Lincoln about $1600 more to make it. If you have to have the power and punch of a sports car buy something else and pay double for your gas. Or else do what I have done, I have an Austin Healy with a 351W Ford Racing Engine in it. A 2500# car with 360 HP. Oh yeah, 12 mpg.... If you want more power from you gasoline then forget 91 or 93 octane. It costs more and does nothing. Go out and find a station that sells non-ethanol gas, that does contain more hp per gal.

I need some help here. My dealer (in Georgia) is having trouble turning on the DRL's. Is there someone at your dealer that he could call and get instructions? Thanks Chalres

I need some help here. Who is your dealer? My dealer (in Georgia) is having trouble getting the DRL's on. Could he call someone at your dealer and let them tell him how? Thanks Charles

We have about 1800 miles on the Hybrid now. Lifetime average is 36.8 mpg. We got 39 mpg on a trip to Chattanooga last week including 3 times up and down Lookout Mountain. We got 42.5 mpg on a 28 mile trip the other day. When I drive it I normally get 38+ mpg. When the wife drives it (most of the time) she gets 36 mpg. Driving style affects the average. The break in does seem to affect the average, because it is getting better over time. Hot days and airconditioning reduces the average. Driving 75+ mph versus 65 mph reduces the average. To get 45 mpg you would have to be an experienced hypermiler. I am not but I might learn from them. Being lower than the EPA averages might bother some people, but for me in comparison to the Pontiac at 24-27 mpg I am very happy! In comparison to my antique collector cars at 12 mpg ... there is no comparison.

This is a combination of posts from before and on another forum, but I thought you would like to know how it all turned out. (from February) Well, apparently what you get from the new Lincoln Motor Company has everything to do with finding the right salesman in the first place. I ordered a MKZ Hybrid last week (2/21) from an older gentleman who has been in car sales for 25 years. Found him back in December by calling and talking to several dealerships until I talked to someone who seemed to care. I told him I was interested but would only be sure when I could drive one. He kept in contact with me by email for two months basically telling me that everyone was frustrated but that the MKZs would eventually be here. He got one on the lot [a dealer order, not pre-order] on 2/20 at 10 AM. It was sold by 3 PM the same day but he held the car for me until the next day so I could test drive it. He even convinced the other buyer to allow this. When I decided to order one he gave me the list prices, agreed to the discount I requested, spent 30 minutes finding the application for the Lincoln Maker Program and entered the paper work for that then entered the order. He told me that the deposit was $500 and that they had to fax the copies to Lincoln to prove that they were not trying to sneak in extra dealer orders by calling them a pre order. He said that if I did not mind he was just going to hold the check and not cash it since the deposit was fully refundable. Note: he still has my check and has not cashed it. He said he would keep me updated. Now, today, one week later, with no urging or request on my part, I have received an email from him stating that the order is accepted and my scheduled build is the week of March 25. He also indicated he would send me the VIN number as soon as it was assigned. It may take longer to get, the central office may be lying to him, and other areas of the company may make communication impossible, but the information is available to any salesman who wants to support his customer. Not only do we love the car, the treatment has been first class. Maybe this guy should give classes to the other salesmen. Charles To complete the above story, this is what happened.(from May) Our car arrived at the dealership on 4/29/2013, just over 9 weeks after order. We were on vacation and our salesman stored it for us until we returned and were able to pick it up. (5/16/2013) We received the car in perfect condition, no dings, no body pannels misaligned, no problems at all with only 6.5 miles on it. Have had it one day and driven 53 miles. The salesman reset the lifetime mpg for us without us even requesting it. Currently showing 30.9 mpg but has no history to work with. Totaly satisfiedcustomer here. On top of all of this, I called him two days before we were to pick it up and gave him a promotion code (for $1000 conquest cash) and an X-Plan pin given to me by LCS. I expected the $1000 off from my original quote, I hoped for the X-Plan although I knew there might be some difficulty, I never expected what I got! When we showed up he had reduced the pricing by $1000 cash, $1400 X-Plan, an additional $750 rebate he found himself and another $800 from various waived dealer fees and taxes. Total savings after ordering the car was almost $4000. He also spent 3 hours teaching us about the controls on the car and expects us to return in 3-4 weeks for a free class on the car after we have time to become accustomed to it. If anyone wants to order a Lincoln in Georgia just ask me and I will tell you where to go to get the best service from a salesman.

Our car (2013 MKZ Hybrid) arrived at the dealership on 4/29/2013, just over 9 weeks after our preorder. We were on vacation and our salesman stored it for us until we returned and were able to pick it up. (5/16/2013) We received the car in perfect condition, no dings, no body pannels misaligned, no problems at all with only 6.5 miles on it. Have had it one day and driven 53 miles. The salesman reset the lifetime mpg for us without us even requesting it. Currently showing 30.9 mpg but has no history to work with. Totaly satisfiedcustomer here. On top of all of this, I called him two days before we were to pick it up and gave him a promotion code(for $1000 conquest cash) and an X-Plan pin given to me by LCS. I expected the $1000 off from my original quote, I hoped for the X-Plan although I knew there might be some difficulty, I never expected what I got! When we showed up he had reduced the pricing by $1000 cash, $1400 X-Plan, an additional $750 rebate he found himself and another $800 from various waived dealer fees and taxes. Total savings after ordering the car was almost $4000. He also spent 3 hours teaching us about the controls on the car and expects us to return in 3-4 weeks for a free class on the car after we have time to become accustomed to it. If anyone wants to order a Lincoln in Georgia just ask me and I will tell you where to go to get the best possible service from a salesman.

If you can find someone with a financial calculator take it to the dealer with you. Enter the purchase price and the financing rate they are telling you. (0.9%). Be double sure the monthly payment matches the rate! My dauhgter had me on the phone when she went in and I ran the calculations while she sat there. The monthly payment was 1% higher than what the salesman was sitting ther telling her!! I told her to call their bluff and walk out. She did and they chased her to the parking lot apologizing for their "mistake". Lesson, do not trust a car salesman.

To start with, these are my previous posts so that you can see what has happened. Posted by CharlesN on 28 February 2013 - 03:48 PM in Lincoln Discussion Well, apparently what you get from the new Lincoln Motor Company has everything to do with finding the right salesman in the first place. I ordered a MKZ Hybrid last week (2/21) from an older gentleman who has been in car sales for 25 years. Found him back in December by calling and talking to several dealerships until I talked to someone who seemed to care. I told him I was interested but would only be sure when I could drive one. He kept in contact with me by email for two months basically telling me that everyone was frustrated but that the MKZs would eventually be here. He got one on the lot [a dealer order, not pre-order] on 2/20 at 10 AM. It was sold by 3 PM the same day but he held the car for me until the next day so I could test drive it. He even convinced the other buyer to allow this. When I decided to order one he gave me the list prices, agreed to the discount I requested, spent 30 minutes finding the application for the Lincoln Maker Program and entered the paper work for that then entered the order. He told me that the deposit was $500 and that they had to fax the copies to Lincoln to prove that they were not trying to sneak in extra dealer orders by calling them a pre order. He said that if I did not mind he was just going to hold the check and not cash it since the deposit was fully refundable. Note: he still has my check and has not cashed it. He said he would keep me updated. Now, today, one week later, with no urging or request on my part, I have received an email from him stating that the order is accepted and my scheduled build is the week of March 25. He also indicated he would send me the VIN number as soon as it was assigned. It may take longer to get, the central office may be lying to him, and other areas of the company may make communication impossible, but the information is available to any salesman who wants to support his customer. Not only do we love the car, the treatment has been first class. Maybe this guy should give classes to the other salesmen. Posted by CharlesN on 05 March 2013 - 05:28 PM in Lincoln Discussion It is now 12 days since I placed my pre order for a new MKZ Hybrid. My salesman just sent me my VIN number for the car and a confirmation that we would receive the "Lincoln Maker Program" prizes. Customer service does work if you deal with someone who knows what to do. OK, yes I do have a VIN and a build date -- March 25, but I am hesitant to believe it. If they gave me any ETA after only 12 days I would be totally amazed! Manufacturing in Mexico just does not work that way. To tell you the truth I would be totally blown away if I got the car before April 30. Expect little and you will be pleasantly surprised. Since the last post we have received the "Lincoln Maker Program" confirmation. A poster by some artist, and an offer to receive free sunglasses to use while driving. Our salesman has contacted us once or twice a week without any encouragement or request on our part. Two weeks ago he updated the build date from March 25 to April 4. Today I received an email from from him indicating that the car went into production today. He said he will contact me as soon as he receives further info and an ETA. In addition, I called Lincoln Customer Service to ask about the discounts mentioned on here and she said that those offers were targeted to specific individuals and were not available for her distribution. She did, however, give me an X Plan PIN number which I did not have before. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? AM I IN A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM THE REST OF YOU??

What date did you order yours? Just checking to see how long these things are taking now. I ordered Feb.21 and build date is April 8 .... So far.

Really............... Numbers matching original, engine has not been apart. Even the paint is factory. You probably will not see one of our MKZ's in 55 years.

Speaking of having to wait for the car you really want This is my newest ford automobile purchase. Only 55 years for delivery and 12.5 MPG which is right with the owners manual!

Reminds me of my friend who had a new 1967 Firebird 400 Four Speed. He came off the expressway and down shifted to slow down. Trouble was he got first instead of third at 70! The clutch plate came through the floor board. Yes, just like the MKZ, you could put in "L" any time you wanted................