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FiN Drives the MKZ !

13K views 29 replies 11 participants last post by  BMuscl 
#1 ·
Figured I'd make a one-stop thread for YOUR personal reviews as members get a chance at some seat-time.
If you prefer to make your own thread, go right ahead

&
I'll index-Link them in this first post for ease of finding.
as usual,
PIX are most welcome ...esp by
me, since there's no Lincoln dealer in the NW third of Nevada
__________________________________________________

Andrew L — post#3
...superb timing, Andrew!!

ZanatWork — post#10
...Thanks, Zan!!

OMG 2b2 drove an MKZ (Link)
 
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#2 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ ...

I got to drive it today, typing up a review now stay tuned :smile:
 
#3 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ ... TODAY!

Andrew L’s review on the 2013 Lincoln MKZ 2.0 EcoBoost FWD (warning it's not as good as I was hoping)
Well recently I have been shopping around actually at other cars. Not because I am sick of my LS but because I live only 10 minutes from my office so I do a lot of city driving and my fuel economy has seen a sharp drop from where it used to be (around 23 mpg mixed driving). I was trying to find a used or reasonably priced RWD Hybrid but I soon found out my options there are limited leaving me mostly with an Infiniti M35h or a Lexus GS450h which begs the question where are the American automakers here? I recently went to Autoway Lincoln to get a feel for an MKZ but they turned me away and said they would only let me test drive if I was ready to buy. I decided to go to Parks Lincoln in Tampa to check out their inventory. They had about the same amount around 7 or 8. They were surprisingly pretty busy so it took a while for a dealer to come out and show me the car, after showing it to me he asked if I wanted to drive it, I promptly said yes.





Interesting note about this handle if you have the key on you and you touch the bumpy area it will unlock all doors or lock them instead of having a physical button thought that was kind of cool


This model was equipped with the Reserve Package which included:
- Navigation
- BLIS
- Sync
- THX Sound System
- Heated/Cooled front seats
- Memory Seats for 3
- Power tilt and telescope steering column
- Power opening and closing truck with soft close
- Rear view camera
- Parking sensors
- Single panel moon roof
- 19” Wheels
- Crystal Champagne Tri Coat
- Light Dune interior
- Final price of $42,615

Most of the models on the lot were entry level models barely any were high end and NONE had the BAMR (Big @$$ Moon Roof). The car drove very nicely which surprised me. I started driving it in sport mode around town. The paddle shifters responded quickly. The ride was firm and I didn’t notice any body lean. Interior was very quiet as well. Once I hit the highway I switched it to comfort mode and didn’t notice a difference at first but as soon as I went over a bump the car rocked softly. The whole car just felt very solid the whole time the doors had a nice quiet thud when opening and closing them. The 2.0 feels great also. I was afraid of it being like so many other 4 cylinders that I have driven in the past where on the highway they buzz and feel tired but this vehicle felt great on the highway and in fact felt A LOT like my V6 in my LS. 3 things I was disappointed with, first being when I opened the shade on the moon roof the whole panel slid way to easily and felt VERY cheap, second there was really bad glare off the speedometer when the sun was over us, and third the dashboard was all soft touch but not leather stitching (which I already knew about) but for a car in this price range feels cheap. I was impressed with the car overall but something was missing from it, a certain character that my LS has and this car was missing. Was it because it was RWD? I don’t think so and that’s me being honest as much as I love RWD it was not that at all. It just felt too boring for me even in sport mode.
But the biggest disappointment came from the dealership experience. I was standing around waiting for almost 15 minutes because they were slammed with customers, which was fine by me but the last part really got me the most. The dealer wanted me to buy the car right there on the spot it was VERY high pressured sales and after I told him no he got his sales manager out to talk with me and he was pushing very hard and kept telling me that he had no wiggle room. They quoted me at $580 a month for 39 months and 10,500 miles. They also offered me 2500 on the trade in for my LS. Now… I know my car isn’t the newest but my LS is in immaculate condition and only has 75,000 miles on it. KBB puts it at 5,900 for Excellent, 5,852 for Very good and 5,527 for Good. I told them no thanks and they lowered my monthly payments to 500 a month. I still refused and walked out. The dealer came running after me and asked me what was wrong, asked if it was the color of the car or asked if they were too expensive and wanted to know my magic number. I told him I wasn’t ready to buy period. After I came home I went to Lincoln.com to build that exact car and something caught my eye…



Even if I change the down payment to 2500 it comes out to 472 a month

If this is the new Lincoln dealership experience I am VERY disappointed. Normally I wouldn’t be this taken back by something but I just feel like they were really trying to screw me over on this one. I cannot honestly say that my next car will be a Lincoln… Ford I am very disappointed in you.

One final note, why is this important? I think most have seen me post here but not really everyone knows me except maybe 2b2 and we have discussed this before. I feel like I am the perfect demographic for Lincoln to be aiming at. I am young at 24 years old, I have a Bachelors of Science in I.T. Network Engineering and have been working in my field since 09 and graduated in 2010, I was working full time while going to school full time. I am a young professional I have a job I love and I make excellent money for my age. I go on business trips for the company, I work with vendors and try to help create cost cutting in the I.T. department and I am considered a part of administration for my office since I am the only I.T. person on site in St. Petersburg. I am the exact person that Lincoln should be going after, someone who is driven and really starting their life. I see a lot of young professionals driving the competition and Lincoln is nowhere to be found here.
 
#4 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ

VERY appropriate dual-review! considering the way Lincoln goes on (& on & on) about the customer experience...
one of the first things I noticed in your photos is the dealer DECAL right next to the "M"K"Z" on the trunklid ... DO NOT LIKE

and sorta makes me UNsurprised at the hard sell...tho still unhappy about it.
Wonder if dealers in vacationy areas are worse (you FLA, me LA & Reno) but that makes no sense imho cuz doubt many buy cars on vacation).

back to the Z itself
- while you were waiting, did you evaluate the different paint colors they had available? From web-pix, the only color I really liked was SmokedQuartz but these Z's in your photos look more uniformly attractive regardless of color >> magic camera, Andrew? or just Florida sunshine?

also
were you able to eyeball the diff interior colors?
(imho ONLY in-person opinions count)

re: the speedo glare - is it all videoscreen or physical guages+side screens?
iirc MB is all video now - wonder how well theirs work?

re: that "special something" that was lacking for you;
for me the environment/people make a BIG diff - to the point of warping any objectivity, *I* can't help it, just try to be aware of it.
Do you think that could've played a part for you too?

last 'Q', afaik the Z is about as close to the same size(length) to your LS as feasible;
did it feel that way??
 
#5 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ

VERY appropriate dual-review! considering the way Lincoln goes on (& on & on) about the customer experience...
one of the first things I noticed in your photos is the dealer DECAL right next to the "M"K"Z" on the trunklid ... DO NOT LIKE

and sorta makes me UNsurprised at the hard sell...tho still unhappy about it.
Wonder if dealers in vacationy areas are worse (you FLA, me LA & Reno) but that makes no sense imho cuz doubt many buy cars on vacation).

back to the Z itself
- while you were waiting, did you evaluate the different paint colors they had available? From web-pix, the only color I really liked was SmokedQuartz but these Z's in your photos look more uniformly attractive regardless of color >> magic camera, Andrew?
also
were you able to eyeball the diff interior colors?

re: the speedo glare - is it all videoscreen or physical guages+side screens?
iirc MB is all video now - wonder how well theirs work?

re: that "special something" that was lacking for you;
for me the environment/people make a BIG diff - to the point of warping any objectivity, *I* can't help it, just try to be aware of it.
Do you think that could've played a part for you too?

last 'Q', afaik the Z is about as close to the same size(length) to your LS as feasible;
did it feel that way??
1. Thanks for reminding me, I forgot to mention how boring the paint options are to me imo. I would love it if they had more options but all the color are quite boring. When he asked bout the color I said I would rather have black and he was taken back by that saying that Crystal Champagne is beautiful.

2. It wasn't the vid screen it was the clear plastic that was over it that had a really bad glare, and yes they all have LCD speedometers.

3. I don't think so. I think it was more the feeling and feed back maybe. It felt like I was driving a regular sedan at some points not something sporty or special.

4. The Z felt longer. Interior was where there were some differences too. It felt narrower and the rear seat room has a lot more than my LS.
 
#6 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ ... TODAY!

The dealer wanted me to buy the car right there on the spot it was VERY high pressured sales and after I told him no he got his sales manager out to talk with me and he was pushing very hard and kept telling me that he had no wiggle room.


I wonder if much of this pressure stems from how long they've gone without cars to sell. Yes they have the S and T and the ancient 'Gator, but they haven't had a single remotely desirable vehicle of any type. On the other hand old habits die hard.

The pricing online will be list, it will have a very nice markup for the dealer so the fact that they were pushing it at over $100 per month above the internet price is disgusting. How dense do you have to be to not expect people are going to price shop these days, they can do it right in you dealer parking lot with their phones, don't make a complete a$$ out of yourself and your business!!!

Sad, sad, sad. :(

Edit: If it were me and I wanted the car I would buy it elsewhere and be sure to let the upper management of the local dealer know that they'd lost my business, permanently.
 
#8 ·
Great review, Andrew! What did you think about the interior overall? Does it look cheap in person?

What's up with that 2013 decal? It looks gaudy.
It doesn't look it, the fit and finish is great it just doesn't 'feel' like a 40k+ car
 
#10 ·
Checked one out at my local dealer while my Expy was getting some service.

It's a red example, the only one here at my local Ford/Lincoln dealer. The salesman said their promised supply is finally en route, but they have the one example to show customers. It's red, tan interior, and seemingly loaded (I won't pretend I play with the option lists on these).

I'm too tall, right off the bat, to get comfortable in this car. Awkward for the poor sales guy. In the morning, I nudge 6'5", and this car can't accomodate me without the seat reclined to an almost ridiculous degree. I'm disappointed by that, but not all that much; most tall folks are pretty used to having vehicles not fit. This is the smallest of the current Lincolns, and I'm of sports athlete height (if not quite condition). I can forgive this.

On the other hand...the interior is, well, stark. The lack of anything mechanical to interact with beyond the wheel, paddles, and pedals is off-putting to me. Yes, I know, people will continue assuming I'm hacking on the car. but it's the simple truth-all the smooth surfaces (which felt kinda cheap in the console) just make it seem cold to me.

I can't give a road report, I didn't feel like I could drive it comfortably enough to make that worthwhile. This one has the V6, and stickered for $49K (the dealer price is about 2K cheaper). Everything I felt about it at car shows still holds, though, especially my liking for the "1970 Torino GT" rear of the car. The 19" rims look good, and I'm slowly warming to the nose...but I find it a bit plain compared to the other end.

All in all, not for me. I'm pretty analog and the car's pretty digital. Plus, I could use another couple inches of roof height, which would spoil its appearance. Pics to follow later.
 
#11 ·
...the interior is, well, stark. The lack of anything mechanical to interact with beyond the wheel, paddles, and pedals is off-putting to me. Yes, I know, people will continue assuming I'm hacking on the car. but it's the simple truth-all the smooth surfaces (which felt kinda cheap in the console) just make it seem cold to me.

I can't give a road report...

All in all, not for me. I'm pretty analog and the car's pretty digital. Plus, I could use another couple inches of roof height, which would spoil its appearance. Pics to follow later.
Great to get more points of view! TY Zan!

interiors are something I've LEARNED I cannot tell from pix...
Wish there was a nearby dealer even tho
-- the Z is a much larger/longer car than I prefer
-- I'm just not a Lincoln or Luxury customer (so prolley wouldn't feel right even taking a testdrive if offered)
but I'd love to be able to get my own 'feel' for what Lincoln is doing

not sure how I'd feel with a techno car that'd have tons of features I wouldn't ever use
& still not have some things (my programmable driver/car interface) that I'd love to have.



I wonder if much of this pressure stems from how long they've gone without cars to sell...

The pricing online will be list, it will have a very nice markup for the dealer so the fact that they were pushing it at over $100 per month above the internet price is disgusting....
-- good point...conjures up images of starving dealers with holes in their shoes
-- here it's not unusual (from my limited experience) to several $k on the monroney for pure markup (forgot the euphemisms they use)
 
#13 ·
So the complaints from andrew are that the roof opened too fast, and when it was open, too much sun entered and glared. Oh, and you did not like it as much as your LS.


OK, thanks.
The shade was too flimsy it felt like it could break, and the sun was glaring the speedometer with the shade closed also the interior materials were not up to par with other vehicles in this class.
 
#14 ·
Re: FiN Drives the MKZ ... TODAY!

Edit: If it were me and I wanted the car I would buy it elsewhere and be sure to let the upper management of the local dealer know that they'd lost my business, permanently.
The problem is that going "elsewhere" is not always an option - especially when targeting a Lincoln. In this case, Andrew could either buy it from Parks or the other guys in Clearwater that didn't want to grant him a test-drive in the first place.

When it comes to buying a car, you simply have to know the numbers and be prepared. If not, you will get burned 9 out of 10 times because SAs have a good sense to figure out who they are dealing with. This is not something that applies to a particular brand - that's just how the car selling business works.

And when it comes to this sticker-advertising: We have to be fair that MANY dealers do this. I've seen these stickers on BMWs before so that is not limited to Lincoln. That is not a big deal to me. If my car would have such a sticker, I'd simply tell them to remove it. Problem solved.
 
#15 ·
The shade was too flimsy it felt like it could break, and the sun was glaring the speedometer with the shade closed also the interior materials were not up to par with other vehicles in this class.
Are you talking about the big glass roof shade, that is like a window shade that uses spring mechanisms to roll it back out of sight?
Did not really grab one and give it a durability test, as you never really should touch it, but my other similar Ford vehicles are strong enough.
And how in the world did you get too much glaring sun through that? I have driven one. I seem to recall nearly complete blockage.

Meh, I drove one. Love-LOVED it. Materials were stellar in that premium trim model too. The drive was great and the luxury value was perfect. Wife wants one even, but new powertrains is what I want to wait for.

I drive a lot of cars. it's just, when I see someone focus so much attention on a couple of nit picks, and falls far short in a comprehensive drive evaluation....I tend to give it the amount of merit it deserves.
 
#16 ·
Wings...you know I give the straight version. Always. It led to years of chaos when I modded for MT, with some calling me a "Ford apologist" and you wanting my head for my disappointment in the last real Navi update.

I don't worry about feelings, I call things exactly as I see 'em. I saw the progress Ford was making during those dark years we were both at MT's boards, I also saw the occasional hiccups and wasn't shy bout my opinions on those.

Where the MKZ is concerned, I found the interior...drab. The leather was nice enough, but the console (where my arm would be resting regularly) didn't even feel as nice as my Expedition's...and there was a very plasticky feel to things.

I couldn't drive it because the sexy roofline bodes badly for taller guys like me, and tall families like mine could never own one because that same sexy roofline makes the backseat worse for tall folks.

It's a pretty car, especially from the rear (comparisons to the 1970 Torino GT tail are a big compliment from me), but I worry that too many compromises were made in order to make a visual impression. I also worry that the car's press, which has been rocky for a number of reasons, will continue to be problematic.

I'm hoping the forthcoming Lincolns (I like the MKC's styling a LOT) and their upcoming powertrains really do breathe tons of life back into the brand...but I think the MKZ's launch problems and other issues are going to be rough on this generation of the car.
 
#17 ·
Are you talking about the big glass roof shade, that is like a window shade that uses spring mechanisms to roll it back out of sight?
Did not really grab one and give it a durability test, as you never really should touch it, but my other similar Ford vehicles are strong enough.
And how in the world did you get too much glaring sun through that? I have driven one. I seem to recall nearly complete blockage.

Meh, I drove one. Love-LOVED it. Materials were stellar in that premium trim model too. The drive was great and the luxury value was perfect. Wife wants one even, but new powertrains is what I want to wait for.

I drive a lot of cars. it's just, when I see someone focus so much attention on a couple of nit picks, and falls far short in a comprehensive drive evaluation....I tend to give it the amount of merit it deserves.
Wings with all due respect, did you read my review or skim through it? I stated here:

Most of the models on the lot were entry level models barely any were high end and NONE had the BAMR (Big @$$ Moon Roof).
And I only listed 3 things that I didn't like about the car I never focused on them at all if anything my BIGGEST disappointment was the dealership experience, if you want to say I was nitpicking on THAT then by all means since the whole last part of the review was on that.

The shade on the REGULAR moonroof shade slid very easily with me barely touching it and it felt like it was cardboard thin where as the shade in my LS has some resistance and feels solid and thick.

I got glare from the sun shining off the steering column on the clear plastic. The salesman was trying to show me how to go into sport mode and I had to hold my hand over the column to block the sunshine so I could read the LCD screen.

Areas around the interior just felt cheap and plasticy like Zan mentioned. The lack of leather stitching on the rest of the dash alienates the Z from the rest of the lineup where the S, T, and X all have leather on their dashes, HOWEVER this has been my complaint about the Z in the past since it never has had leather on the dash. BUT and here is a big BUT, I think the build quality on the interior was excellent small panel gaps door trim lined up with dash trim VERY quiet interior.

Look I try to be as unbiased as possible, I WANT Lincoln to succeed as I posted on GMI I come from a Ford family, I have done reviews on other non Ford cars in the past. I am telling it exactly how I saw it. I think its a great car and it feels very solid but to me it was missing the feedback and the sportyness that my LS has even in sport mode, it comes close but falls short for me, and the dealership experience has NOT improved which I hoping it was. Ford made a huge deal about this and I was really let down especially with them inflating the price $100+ a month at first and swearing they had no wiggle room.
 
#18 ·
Wings...you know I give the straight version. Always. It led to years of chaos when I modded for MT, with some calling me a "Ford apologist" and you wanting my head for my disappointment in the last real Navi update.

I don't worry about feelings, I call things exactly as I see 'em. I saw the progress Ford was making during those dark years we were both at MT's boards, I also saw the occasional hiccups and wasn't shy bout my opinions on those.

Where the MKZ is concerned, I found the interior...drab. The leather was nice enough, but the console (where my arm would be resting regularly) didn't even feel as nice as my Expedition's...and there was a very plasticky feel to things.

I couldn't drive it because the sexy roofline bodes badly for taller guys like me, and tall families like mine could never own one because that same sexy roofline makes the backseat worse for tall folks.

It's a pretty car, especially from the rear (comparisons to the 1970 Torino GT tail are a big compliment from me), but I worry that too many compromises were made in order to make a visual impression. I also worry that the car's press, which has been rocky for a number of reasons, will continue to be problematic.

I'm hoping the forthcoming Lincolns (I like the MKC's styling a LOT) and their upcoming powertrains really do breathe tons of life back into the brand...but I think the MKZ's launch problems and other issues are going to be rough on this generation of the car.

thanks for the words. I too don't consider feelings much when I spout off at the mouth. Part of my charm, or lack of it.
I guess I come across abrasive, although I usually don't intend to, as I am more focused on making a point.

As for the MKZ interior, I don't know what to say. I drove a $39K model and a $48K model. At $39K with small sunroof, it sure offered a lot of luxury. That would be my choice. The interior comforts were plenty. Can't really speak toward the arm rest of a $55K plus Expedition, but I don't recall the Z being horrible either. Materials is similar to other $40K luxury cars and quality of execution is right there at the top too. I simply loved it, but I am under 6' too.

And you sound too tall to be considering a mid sized anyway.
I would keep the Expy.
 
#20 ·
Where the MKZ is concerned, I found the interior...drab. The leather was nice enough, but the console (where my arm would be resting regularly) didn't even feel as nice as my Expedition's...and there was a very plasticky feel to things.

I couldn't drive it because the sexy roofline bodes badly for taller guys like me, and tall families like mine could never own one because that same sexy roofline makes the backseat worse for tall folks.

The advertisments made a big deal of the design and pass-through of the center console, but from the driver's seat, it is impossible to even see it. What you do see is the dash and steering wheel that are easily recognized as Ford parts.

I think automakers are making a big mistake with the design of coupe like sedans. Not only here, but in quite a few cars I have looked at recently, the rear seat headroom is not only compromised, but dangerous. If you are rear ended, people in the back will strike their heads on the roof top, or in worse cases, the window/window frame.
 
#22 ·
The worst thing of the MK Z interior is that big panel in the front... completly done in plastic. Some details in wood ( real wood??) dont make it a luxury finish. The interior must be redone in a yaer or so... The central console, with the transmision buttons are great, but lack of refinement. Maybe a chrome touch or another kind of finish could make this car more upscale.
 
#23 ·
The worst thing of the MK Z interior is that big panel in the front... completly done in plastic. Some details in wood ( real wood??) dont make it a luxury finish. The interior must be redone in a yaer or so... The central console, with the transmision buttons are great, but lack of refinement. Maybe a chrome touch or another kind of finish could make this car more upscale.
It should be real wood, they have been using real wood in Lincolns for a while **** even my LS has real wood on the dash, doors, steering wheel, and shifter
 
#24 ·
It should be real wood, they have been using real wood in Lincolns for a while **** even my LS has real wood on the dash, doors, steering wheel, and shifter
It is real wood. The problem is that its so highly polished that it is hard to tell anymore. The graining in fake wood has come a long way and looks good, but because its plastic it too has the highly polished look which only makes the real stuff appear to be plastic! LOL I've seen some of the other luxury cars are moving towards a less glossy wood which lets the graining, rather then the gloss be the focus, Lincoln needs to go that route IMO.
 
#25 ·
^^ thinking of the video posted a while back showing the head of Z interior design...
the prototype (iirc) was covered in that rich, buttery-caramel, euro-leather-colour WHICH of course is NOT offered

makes me wonder if they should do the initial style-work in a yucky color like hospital-puke-greengray -- if it looks good in THAT it'd hafta be great in anything else


&
re: wood
they need a SELECTION (see "fadish" comment below)
imho: high-gloss + medium-lustre/waxed-look + matte


...I think automakers are making a big mistake with the design of (ONLY) coupe like sedans. Not only here, but in quite a few cars I have looked at recently, the rear seat headroom is not only compromised, but dangerous. If you are rear ended, people in the back will strike their heads on the roof top, or in worse cases, the window/window frame.
AGREE!
there's an old chop somewhere of a notchback Fusion
Imho that's what they shoulda made (would look truly distinct from the Z!!) and then also offered the 5-door Fusion WHICH could've legitimately shared fastback structure with the Z.
Imho2,
auto-execs seem to be more "fadish" than professional in many ways!

For big ticket items, GoodTaste and acknowledgement of classic styling actually DO work better in building and maintaining Image - esp since our beloved Mfgs don't seem to be able to afford even the tiniest yearly styling updates like they did in the good ol' days
re-

or just don't care enough to re-re-

well... at least FLincMoCo isn't as bad as ACURA < equal in 'yuck' to the late 50's ridiculousness
or Lexoid's "SPIDERFACE"
 
#26 ·
Interior is my favorite part, especially when lit at night. The use of aluminum and real wood is tastefully, and minimally done.
And I love the matte finish, instead of gloss black that always looks dirty with fingerprints.

View attachment 3609


Here is the ATS for comparison, with a sea of glossy plastic.

View attachment 3617
 

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