Lincoln Date Night: My 48-hour MKZ Test Drive and Dinner for 2

[galangg]

Nice report. I've got mine on order and am patiently waiting for it to be delivered.

[rmc523]

Very nice !!!

 

Thanks for the update. How long do you have the car??

 

Odd about the problems with the blurry camera. The one in my Explorer Sport is clear as can be. Have you tried wiping the lense?? We found that ours would get gunked up pretty good in snowy weather................ and even afterward with all of the water on the roads. Then when you use it, it is blurry. I also find the darkness of the screen interesting. It has to pretty much be the same one in my Sport, and it has good color definition between the 4 zones.

 

Thanks again !!!

 

I think Lincoln may use a slightly different color scheme on the nav screen than Ford models. Not sure if that explains the issues he was having with it though.

[Extreme4x4]

I have it until this afternoon. I did wipe off the lens as I also do with my 2010 MKZ and it's still blurry. By the way I'm lusting after the Explorer Sport now. I was looking at a red one when picked up the MKZ. What color is yours?

 

Ruby Red, and fully loaded short of the rear DVD's and the adaptive cruise.

 

Its funny, because the MKZ was one of the vehicles being considered, when we bought the Sport. It dropped out of the running due to not being available yet (in December when we needed to buy.

[hbalek]

Ruby Red, and fully loaded short of the rear DVD's and the adaptive cruise.

 

Its funny, because the MKZ was one of the vehicles being considered, when we bought the Sport. It dropped out of the running due to not being available yet (in December when we needed to buy.

Ruby Red was the one I was staring at the other day!!! NICE!

 

One interesting detail to note about the 2013 MKZ: All of the glass on the vehicle is embossed with the Lincoln Star logo above "Carlite" unlike my 2010 MKZ which has FoMoCo instead of the star. Does this mean now they REALLY mean business? LOL

 

Sadly I just returned the MKZ to the dealer after driving 280 miles in 2 days! I maintained an average of 25 MPG.

Edited March 26, 2013 by hbalek

[BORG]

Ruby Red was the one I was staring at the other day!!! NICE!

 

One interesting detail to note about the 2013 MKZ: All of the glass on the vehicle is embossed with the Lincoln Star logo about "Carlite" unlike my 2010 MKZ which has FoMoCo instead of the star. Does this mean now they REALLY mean business? LOL

 

Sadly I just returned the MKZ to the dealer after driving 280 miles in 2 days! I maintained an average of 25 MPG.

Are you sold?

[tanner83]

I saw my first one in the wild today...................... Wow !!!

 

It instantly stood out, and I had to look. It took me a moment to realize what it was. The car has a real presence on the road, even in a subdued color like Bordeaux. You have to look at it, as you have no choice.

 

Its funny that I have seen one on the road in my tiny metropolis of Payson AZ, this soon. The closest Lincoln dealership is 80-100 miles away.

Hey that was me!!!! I was in Payson yesterday. OMG, that is so funny. Glad you liked the car I am loving it very much!! BTW, I managed to get to Payson and back to Phx(where I live on less than 5 gallons of gas.) ROFLMAO, that is so funny you saw me. :happy feet:

[hbalek]

Are you sold?

I was thinking the same, that I was driving the first '13 MKZ that many in the DC/Baltimore and Annapolis areas had ever seen! Hell the one I drove was the first one I had ever seen outside of a dealer's lot.

 

As for sold, yes and no. I LOVED the car and was so impressed with the attention to detail and innovative tech features it was packed with. And I'm the kind of person who would order every option available. That being said, with all of the electronic nannies at play, I literally felt like I was almost in a sci-fi movie, a passenger in a car with an invisible driver! There was a feeling of isolation and confinement from the outside world that luxury cars are supposed to have but almost too extreme for me. On my trip back to return the car, I turned all of the stuff off and really enjoyed the "natural" drive on windy, wet country roads. At last, I was really steering the ship rather than being a spectator. As great as the safety tech is, it does take the fun out of driving, along with the danger of course!

 

Would I buy one? YES it's just a matter of what color, engine and when. In the fall, I will have had my '10 MKZ for 3 years and I usually keep my cars an average of 8 years. I'm also a single, one car household. That may change soon or I may just trade up to the '13 within the year. I must say though that driving the old MKZ, feels so much lighter, smaller and more nimble even. Driving the '13 MKZ felt almost like driving the Taurus SHO both in size, feel, driving position and handling.

Edited March 26, 2013 by hbalek

[Extreme4x4]

Hey that was me!!!! I was in Payson yesterday. OMG, that is so funny. Glad you liked the car I am loving it very much!! BTW, I managed to get to Payson and back to Phx(where I live on less than 5 gallons of gas.) ROFLMAO, that is so funny you saw me. :happy feet:

 

That is too funny !!! I was in the filthy Pueblo Gold over black F250 CrewCab, heading north of 260.

 

That being said, the next time you come through Payson with the car, you had better let me know, so I can check it out!! LOL

 

So, spill................... how do you like the car?? She looked great !!!

[BORG]

I was thinking the same, that I was driving the first '13 MKZ that many in the DC/Baltimore and Annapolis areas had ever seen! Hell the one I drove was the first one I had ever seen outside of a dealer's lot.

 

As for sold, yes and no. I LOVED the car and was so impressed with the attention to detail and innovative tech features it was packed with. And I'm the kind of person who would order every option available. That being said, with all of the electronic nannies at play, I literally felt like I was almost in a sci-fi movie, a passenger in a car with an invisible driver! There was a feeling of isolation and confinement from the outside world that luxury cars are supposed to have but almost too extreme for me. On my trip back to return the car, I turned all of the stuff off and really enjoyed the "natural" drive on windy, wet country roads. At last, I was really steering the ship rather than being a spectator. As great as the safety tech is, it does take the fun out of driving, along with the danger of course!

 

Would I buy one? YES it's just a matter of what color, engine and when. In the fall, I will have had my '10 MKZ for 3 years and I usually keep my cars an average of 8 years. I'm also a single, one car household. That may change soon or I may just trade up to the '13 within the year. I must say though that driving the old MKZ, feels so much lighter, smaller and more nimble even. Driving the '13 MKZ felt almost like driving the Taurus SHO both in size, feel, driving position and handling.

I like the MKZ, but it's not a comfortable car to me, it's too low and cramped and the interior doesn't feel nearly as rich as most cars in its price (or the MKS for that matter). It tries to make up for this in design, but that wears thin too quickly after first sight. In the end the car just didn't hit the right notes for me, especially at the price. Maybe in an MCE they can find a way to merge design and 'posh' in the same equation. You can get the same quality design in any non-luxury car, but it's the materials that make the experience special. I'm very glad I waited to check it out before settling on the MKX again, but there is no denying it has some unique character. I dont' think I'll look at the MKZ again however, Lincoln luxury makes more sense in a spacious cabin and the MKZ is not a sports car.

Edited March 26, 2013 by BORG

[hbalek]

Since I drive a 2010 MKZ I did notice that they are using the same or similar quality plastics and metals on the 2013 interior, with even some of the same textures, except the shapes are designed to be swoopier and sleeker. They didn't really raise the bar enough. So I agree that they should improve the richness of materials in the MCE!

 

In the looks department alone, this car wins against even competitors priced three time higher, both inside and out. A brand new Porshe Panamera parked next to the '13 MKZ I was driving. As I approached with my 2 cousins to show them my ride, the much pricier Porshe did not detract from the Lincoln's impact, especially from the rear!!

Edited March 26, 2013 by hbalek

[jasonj80]

As requested here are more exterior pics but I didn't bother with interior because it's so dark, black with gray metal trim and it was a dark cloudy day too! LOL

 

After looking at your photo's I just realized that the MKZ uses Tandem wipers while the Fusion and new Fords (Escape, Focus, CMAX) all use opposable Wipers. I was happy Ford was switching as the opposable wipers work much better in snow as you don't end up with the down stroke pushing all the snow to the bottom causing the drivers wiper to freeze. They also cover more area with the steep rake of the windshields now.

 

Do the MKZ and Fusion have a different windshield angle and how much is it?

[tanner83]

That is too funny !!! I was in the filthy Pueblo Gold over black F250 CrewCab, heading north of 260.

 

That being said, the next time you come through Payson with the car, you had better let me know, so I can check it out!! LOL

 

So, spill................... how do you like the car?? She looked great !!!

I love the car, I just added some pics in the other thread if you want to check it out. I love the leather interior, cooled seats(In Arizona a must), the car drives very nice(I tried normal and sport on the way up and back from Payson), really enjoying it overall. The only thing I am sad about is that I did not get the Adaptive Cruise, I know that I would use that alot!!

[silvrsvt]

I didn't get adaptive cruise on my SHO, but I was curious...I'm assuming the system keeps you a couple car lengths behind the car infront of you depending on your speed (rule of thumb I've always heard was a car length for every 10 miles an hour or so) but what happens if someone cuts into your lane front of you? How does the system react to that?

[Dedonut]

I have put over 260 miles on this MKZ so far and I love everything about it! I'm averaging about 25.7 MPG in mixed driving. The one minor complaint is, believe it or not, that the rear camera has a lower quality, BLURRY image compared to my 2010 MKZ. Also, the big center screen does get fingerprints and smudges much easier than the older version. The graphics on MLT are mostly black and white with very washed out colors for the different control screens. I prefer the vivid, saturated colors on my old Sync screen. When driving on I-95 today, a lot of young, mostly urban males driving Escalades, Genesis Sedans, and other higher-end vehicles would slow down to see what I was driving. LOL

 

 

tanner, hbalek-

I certainly agree about the fingerprints on the screen and I'm going to look for a screen shield like I have on my iPhone. However, I don't have an issue with blurry, so you might want to have them check it out. But I have a question re: what the 2013 MKZ rearview camera lines represent. We're having a discussion at home and the Owner's Manual doesn't clarify it for me.

 

-The white lines show the direction the car would travel based on how the wheels are turned at the moment in comparison to the colored lines.

 

-Do the colored lines represent the CLEAR path backing up? If the car is too close to an object … e.g., a wall, a colored warning block (red or yellow) appears alerting the driver that the car is too close. My assumption is that, without any warning block appearing, the colored lines represent the clear path back and should be used when. e.g., backing out of a tight garage.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Dedonut

[jasonj80]

I didn't get adaptive cruise on my SHO, but I was curious...I'm assuming the system keeps you a couple car lengths behind the car infront of you depending on your speed (rule of thumb I've always heard was a car length for every 10 miles an hour or so) but what happens if someone cuts into your lane front of you? How does the system react to that?

 

On the 2010 I drove with it the car would apply the brakes pretty hard to maintain distance. Though if you set the distance on the shortest setting it follows close enough most people don't cut in. Where I didn't like the Adaptive cruise was after it gradually slowed down for a slow car in the lane once that car got out of the way it was almost like WOT to get back to the set speed.

[hbalek]

It reacts very fast when someone cuts in front of you. However I did notice a delay getting back up to speed, especially after you change lanes to avoid slowing down. The system took its time adjusting once the path was clear. The white lines represent the direction you would go with the wheels turned.

 

I loved the display on the MKZ showing the legal Speed Limit, the actual speed you are traveling and the speed your Cruise is set for. So you could be in heavy traffic and adaptive cruise would have you at 58 but have the normal cruise set for 75MPH. Once you have a clear path, the vehicle would speed up to 75. It's hard to live without the adaptive feature once you get used to the ease of driving with it!

 

The lane keeping was the annoying feature for me and hard to get used to. Very creepy having the steering wheel resist your moves at times. I didn't mind the corrections but the resistance to slow lane changes annoyed me. The remedy of course is to use your turn signal or turn the system off.

Edited March 27, 2013 by hbalek

[Extreme4x4]

Newer vehicles seem to be very aggressive to get back up to speed on cruise. We have noticed it on our '08 SD and on the Sport.

 

For me, adaptive cruise was silly, as most of my driving with cruise is on the open highway. I can imagine it could be handy if you want to use cruise on more urban freeways. However, I never use cruise at all, in those situations.

[Dedonut]

tanner, hbalek-

I have a question re: what the 2013 MKZ rearview camera lines represent. We're having a discussion at home and the Owner's Manual doesn't clarify it for me.

 

-The white lines show the direction the car would travel based on how the wheels are turned at the moment in comparison to the colored lines.

 

-Do the colored lines represent the CLEAR path backing up? If the car is too close to an object … e.g., a wall, a colored warning block (red or yellow) appears alerting the driver that the car is too close. My assumption is that, without any warning block appearing, the colored lines represent the clear path back and should be used when. e.g., backing out of a tight garage.

 

bump

[svtenthusiast]

I have seen the quality differences between the old Ford/Clarion nav system backup camera (on your old MKZ) and the MyFord touch backup camera. I had a 2010 Fusion Sport, and when I bought the first vehicle with MyFord touch it was much blurrier picture, probably lower grade cameras.

[hbalek]

I have seen the quality differences between the old Ford/Clarion nav system backup camera (on your old MKZ) and the MyFord touch backup camera. I had a 2010 Fusion Sport, and when I bought the first vehicle with MyFord touch it was much blurrier picture, probably lower grade cameras.

What a dumb move on Ford's part to lower the resolution of the camera and increase the size of the display screen! No wonder it's blurry...

[Dedonut]

I don't know what you guys are referring to. My Nav screen is not blurry and I can compare it to the 2011 MKZ Nav screen I had just prior to this one.

[hbalek]

I don't know what you guys are referring to. My Nav screen is not blurry and I can compare it to the 2011 MKZ Nav screen I had just prior to this one.

 

We are talking about the Rear Camera Image not the graphics on the screen.

[Dedonut]

We are talking about the Rear Camera Image not the graphics on the screen.

Well, and so it is! I've also noticed that if I back out of the garage, then pull back in for some reason, still at slow speed, the rearview camera stays on even though I'm going forward!

[hbalek]

Well, and so it is! I've also noticed that if I back out of the garage, then pull back in for some reason, still at slow speed, the rearview camera stays on even though I'm going forward!

That might be caused by the delay setting for the camera...

[Dedonut]

I'll check the settings and say thank you but not for pointing out the blurry camera which I really didn't notice because I was so focused on the lines! :-)