YAY! I finally get to do a review
and this year's Reno Hot August Nights** drive events provided many more cars than I'll be able to write about.
(** many vintage/collectors' "Show & Shines" displays/contests plus parades & drag racing
And starting this year: Barrett-Jackson Auctions!)
Both Ford and Chevrolet are having Drive Events (again) where you get ride-along thrills in high powered Mustangs-or-ST's and Corvettes
but this year they brought along production vehicles for us to drive on closed courses
AND FORD BROUGHT LINCOLNS!!!
I drove them all but naturally spent the most time in the MKZ
= Preferred trim Hybrid, Sterling Grey & Light Dune with Panoramic Roof.
The guys conducting the drives are from the local SCCA and were extremely accomodating, even letting me play backseat passenger while he took the Z thru its paces...with vigor
Also I got to try out all 3 drive modes - was able to go'round the course as many times as I wanted!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
cont.
So impressions more or less in the order they happened:
I'm not one of those that thinks the Z looks (much) better in person than in pix. The grey paint didn't do it any favor - wish it'd been Smoked Quartz which I still haven't seen in person.
Didn't have time to "fondle" the interior due to others waiting for their turn to drive. But from the front-left seat, I found the Z welcoming and comfortable tho not mindblowingly impressive. (after my first go'round with the Z I immediately drove a Titanium Fusion. WOW! imho the Z interior looks MORE than $10-15k higher in price.)
insert: Had to come back to emphasize how SEAMLESS the electric-petrol switching is on FoMoCo Hybrids. No lurches or even vibration or change in "oomph" - you have to LISTEN for an engine note to tell.
While I was driving I had my friendly co-pilot retract the panoramic roof ALL the way open - mainly to check rear visibility (I'm not a poptop fan) and I categorically refute anyone who thinks the view is overly impaired - it leaves plenty of a "driving" view - and for parking there's the camera. DUH
A third(?) Z-drive was my turn as passenger. Rear headroom is tighter than *I* think it should be. But I got my 6'1" self situated so my head wasn't quite touching the headliner (shoot, just realized I forgot to look at the hidden ceiling lights
) legroom was fine for a longish trip as was my slightly-slouching seat-comfort.
The leather's slipperyness or lack of sufficient bolster-cocooning (rear only) was only noticeable when I could also hear the tires squealing on aggressive cornering. Asked what CCD setting the car was in; told "default".
A drive-or-2 after that was when I decided to look for the drive-mode control ...not in the console screen afaik... played with the steeringwheel 5-part switches and soon found it in the lefthand IP screen
So the next circuit was in Sport Mode, and EVERYthing felt tighter, quicker, better. re-
The parking lot course didn't really allow me to test harshness BUT *none* was detected - potholes might change that.
Last trip in the Z was Comfort Mode. The Z still had plenty of control in the corners but just didn't inspire aggresiveness anymore, And a mini-chicane displayed just a hint of 'float'. Here, since I wasn't on a boulevard, I saw NO reason to ever use that Mode again
OK, think I covered my main Zimpressions...
just want to repeat that anyone who can't feel the benefits of the Z over the Fusion
&or
isn't willing to pay for them (Z's sucky trim packages aside) JUST ISN'T A Luxury Customer imho.
...hope to be able to answer 'some' questions...
&
if I can remember them all, here's a list of what I was able to drive today
MKZ Hybrid
MKS EB
MKX (all the time I was there I seriously thought is was a 2012 - that 2 generations ago styling, tho pretty, seemed SO OLD!!)
MKT EB
Navigator (my 1st & prolley last time in one...before the/a refresh/allnew one)
Fusion Titanium Hybrid
C-Max (dunno if Hybrid or Energi but didn't notice the plug-in port)
Fiesta
Focus
& (different venue)
Cruze Diesel
Spark EV
Impala 2LZ (3.6)
Malibu 2.4Eco (tho the guy said it wasN'T a hybrid)
Camaro 6.2
and
got to ride along in
Mustang BOSS
Fiesta ST
Focus ST
Corvette ZR-1 (third party tune)
and an even wilder red one with a number (26) on the side - I was pretty wiped out by that last one.
ps
tho we couldn't drive-or-ride the new Vette, they had them there to oogle, STINGRAYs too!
I *really like* the little stingray logo on the sides of the car!
and the new gen Corvette looks (even/much) better in person than pix imho - & that goes for every graphic on it too!
and this year's Reno Hot August Nights** drive events provided many more cars than I'll be able to write about.
(** many vintage/collectors' "Show & Shines" displays/contests plus parades & drag racing
And starting this year: Barrett-Jackson Auctions!)
Both Ford and Chevrolet are having Drive Events (again) where you get ride-along thrills in high powered Mustangs-or-ST's and Corvettes
but this year they brought along production vehicles for us to drive on closed courses
AND FORD BROUGHT LINCOLNS!!!
I drove them all but naturally spent the most time in the MKZ
= Preferred trim Hybrid, Sterling Grey & Light Dune with Panoramic Roof.
The guys conducting the drives are from the local SCCA and were extremely accomodating, even letting me play backseat passenger while he took the Z thru its paces...with vigor
Also I got to try out all 3 drive modes - was able to go'round the course as many times as I wanted!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
cont.
So impressions more or less in the order they happened:
I'm not one of those that thinks the Z looks (much) better in person than in pix. The grey paint didn't do it any favor - wish it'd been Smoked Quartz which I still haven't seen in person.
Didn't have time to "fondle" the interior due to others waiting for their turn to drive. But from the front-left seat, I found the Z welcoming and comfortable tho not mindblowingly impressive. (after my first go'round with the Z I immediately drove a Titanium Fusion. WOW! imho the Z interior looks MORE than $10-15k higher in price.)
insert: Had to come back to emphasize how SEAMLESS the electric-petrol switching is on FoMoCo Hybrids. No lurches or even vibration or change in "oomph" - you have to LISTEN for an engine note to tell.
While I was driving I had my friendly co-pilot retract the panoramic roof ALL the way open - mainly to check rear visibility (I'm not a poptop fan) and I categorically refute anyone who thinks the view is overly impaired - it leaves plenty of a "driving" view - and for parking there's the camera. DUH
A third(?) Z-drive was my turn as passenger. Rear headroom is tighter than *I* think it should be. But I got my 6'1" self situated so my head wasn't quite touching the headliner (shoot, just realized I forgot to look at the hidden ceiling lights
The leather's slipperyness or lack of sufficient bolster-cocooning (rear only) was only noticeable when I could also hear the tires squealing on aggressive cornering. Asked what CCD setting the car was in; told "default".
A drive-or-2 after that was when I decided to look for the drive-mode control ...not in the console screen afaik... played with the steeringwheel 5-part switches and soon found it in the lefthand IP screen
So the next circuit was in Sport Mode, and EVERYthing felt tighter, quicker, better. re-
Last trip in the Z was Comfort Mode. The Z still had plenty of control in the corners but just didn't inspire aggresiveness anymore, And a mini-chicane displayed just a hint of 'float'. Here, since I wasn't on a boulevard, I saw NO reason to ever use that Mode again
OK, think I covered my main Zimpressions...
just want to repeat that anyone who can't feel the benefits of the Z over the Fusion
&or
isn't willing to pay for them (Z's sucky trim packages aside) JUST ISN'T A Luxury Customer imho.
...hope to be able to answer 'some' questions...
&
if I can remember them all, here's a list of what I was able to drive today
MKZ Hybrid
MKS EB
MKX (all the time I was there I seriously thought is was a 2012 - that 2 generations ago styling, tho pretty, seemed SO OLD!!)
MKT EB
Navigator (my 1st & prolley last time in one...before the/a refresh/allnew one)
Fusion Titanium Hybrid
C-Max (dunno if Hybrid or Energi but didn't notice the plug-in port)
Fiesta
Focus
& (different venue)
Cruze Diesel
Spark EV
Impala 2LZ (3.6)
Malibu 2.4Eco (tho the guy said it wasN'T a hybrid)
Camaro 6.2
and
got to ride along in
Mustang BOSS
Fiesta ST
Focus ST
Corvette ZR-1 (third party tune)
and an even wilder red one with a number (26) on the side - I was pretty wiped out by that last one.
ps
tho we couldn't drive-or-ride the new Vette, they had them there to oogle, STINGRAYs too!
I *really like* the little stingray logo on the sides of the car!
and the new gen Corvette looks (even/much) better in person than pix imho - & that goes for every graphic on it too!