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OMG 2b2 drove an MKZ!! - Hot August Nights, Reno

7K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  2b2 
#1 ·
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!
 
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#2 ·
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!

will add more
and hope to be able to answer 'some' questions...
:thumb: enjoy 2b2.........I wanted to rent a mkz but needed more space, so we rented a expedition
 
#3 ·
^ Thanks, Jose

had a LOT of fun today!!
&
if you ever have chance to "drive one" I recommend it
tho I'm left feeling that unless the Z is driven HARD it won't be fully appreciated

co-incidentally, the first Z I ever saw in person was just YESTERDAY - a visitor from Texas parked at a resort-hotel
Never imagined I'd have driven one 24 hours later
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the test drive experience. I'm considering the MKZ, M37s, and S5. My only concern is if my 10 and 8 year old have enough leg room space in the back. My current 02 Maxima and spouses 09 CTS is tight in the rear for there legs/feet. I prefer the size of the MKS but I don't want the current one.
 
#5 ·
2b2 that was a stellar review that I know only you could've written, thanks! I'm especially glad you re-emphasized the differences in the interiors of both the MKZ and Fusion (materials, fit, & finish) as from photos that I've seen, they look dangerously close in ergonomic feel. Mind you I have not been behind the wheel of either sedan to make a final comparison. I suspect from your impressions that the "Sport" driving mode was the best of the 3 driving modes (what a surprise):tongue: I'm hoping this tech will be rolled out across the entire line of future Lincoln cars as I feel it is a very engaging feature. Aside from a little more headroom in the rear was there any other real short-comings that you think the MKZ could improve upon?
 
#6 ·
YvW, guys & TY

& YAY questions!

At these drive events my whole focus is doing what would be ILLEGAL anywhere else
ie pushing the cars as hard as I can & seeing how/if they respond. And I couldn't take ANY time to just sit and soak up ambiance with a line of other FoMoCo fans waiting in the bright sun. So honestly didn't pay any attention to "materials, fit, & finish", just peripherally-visual design & basic comfort. So re: the Fusion's interior 'comparo' while keeping my eyes on the 'road', there was NONE - coulda been different Mfgs alltogether, with only the Lincoln having Luxury aspirations.

re: Sport Mode - no idea what I'd prefer on real STREETS. Or even *IF* I'd play with the Modes if I owned a Lincoln. The differences may not even be noticeable most of the time COMMUTING.
&
this is where I'm less confident about the desirability of the Z:
When the driving experience is at most 'background'.

Not sure the ambiance is demonstratively 'special/speshul' enough to MAKE anyone say something about it. The word "nice" comes to mind.
Tho MOST of this ought to be fixable with just colors & trims**
(at least for someone like me who's mainly 'visual' oriented)

Imho FLincky may be focusing too much on the driver and not enough on the kind of passenger one hopes is never behind the wheel (kardashian?). Really who are there more of: real-drivers or idiots with money?
STOP DISCRIMINATING AGAINST RICH IDIOTS, FORD!

re: shortcomings, my main issue with the MKZ is that FLincMoCo & I may simply have different ideas about what a Lincoln should look like; tho that's really more in details/graphics**; their current direction is pretty darn good imho with NO negative reactions like I get with many/most other Brands: BARF (LEXUS!!) or EWW/MEH (MB & BMW) or OOO-ButNotForMe (Cadillac) Kinda doubt they'd'll ever completely satisfy me if/when they bring back Mercury!
so
another reason for **BESPOKE!


for a very different review, which I complained about to the author BEFORE he wrote it, since he wasn't going to be AT ALL Objective imho: Link


...My only concern is if my 10 and 8 year old have enough leg room space in the back...
leg & footroom (something my size 12's ARE aware of) was just fine
& if the kids are still no more than 6', headroom will be too
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the review 2b2, I'm glad you finally got a chance to see and drive the Z. I too am an aesthetic/visual type of person. As far as colors go I find that white with the black roof looks stunning on the Z. At the Houston Auto Show earlier this year LMC had a couple of Zs, one grey and the other in white. The white one always had a large group around it while the grey received just a passing glance by the crowd including me.
 
#8 ·
^ YW/TY/me too, scford


it's funny imho about the Sterling Grey looking so bland since, for the MKS, I was ranting about/for a "Phantom Grey"
&
also funny, per my list of colors from .pdf's & NadaGuide, Sterling Grey wasN'T available on the 2013my;
think I'm gonna have to swing by the drive event to make sure I remember the paint color right...in which case I drove a brandNew 2014my Z!
 
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