shortspark

The LaCrosse has also been reviewed on TV - Motor Trend.

Well, it looks like what they say is true - eight to twelve weeks.

Thanks, that is great information!

The shift lever should be behind the steering wheel. It has no business on the center stack or the center console, in my opinion as that area should be for storage, drinks and command center. I have an ML350 and it is positioned perfectly on the steering wheel column. Your hand is on the wheel anyway and all you have to do is flick up for reverse, down for drive and the center for neutral. Park is a simple button on top of the shifter. Car manufacturers decided to put the shifter in the center to mimic the old four on the floor manuals. Having said that, a push button shifter such as it is located on the MKZ is okay but it is not the best application for changing gears.

Once again, how long would a special build take to arrive and how much under sticker should you expect to pay for a Reserve?

JHVJXN, that is a nice build and almost like I would configure my order. Can I ask what kind of price you ended up paying?

Today I went to see a 2017 Buick LaCrosse. It was as beautiful as the MKZ and the interior seemed even a tad better than the Reserve, although the Black Label edition is more impressive. I did not have time for a test drive but the build quality was also equal to Lincoln. It does not have a 400hp motor of course. There are other problems with the Buick such as stop/start that can not be disabled, no power folding mirrors, no cd player, no sun glass holder, variable cylinder deactivation and a couple other things. The MKZ has a few problems of its own such as to get the driver's package you are stuck with the black interior. If you want something other than black and have the driver's package you have to move all the way up to Black Label. These cars are priced about the same, at least in the configurations I want. It use to be Lincoln competed with Cadillac but it appears this new Buick is a solid competitor with Lincoln, at least up to MKZ. However, I am sure the Continental will blow any Buick out of the water. On Thursday I go to the big city to test drive a Merc CLS 550 and I am really looking forward to that. Of course, at $30,000 more than the MKZ it is in a different category but it will be fun to compare nonetheless.

This is not the right forum to post this I guess but just think, Architectural Digest has just reviewed a Lincoln! Not a good car review like Top Gear would do but to think this publication would even bother should put a star in front of Lincoln. http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/ad-test-drives-new-2017-lincoln-continental

Yes longislander, I have two cars right now but will be selling my spare to a friend tomorrow so I'll be down to one, which is really all I need. He usually buys my cars when it is time to change because of how I take care of them. He gets a one way ticket from Rochester, NY and drives the car back (after a few rounds of golf of course!). This one he is buying for his son. He knows there is no car in that part of the country that has not been exposed to salt and grime and that is important to him. Coming from Long Island (I assume) you know what I am talking about. So, I am down to my Mercedes SUV which has been a great car for me for four years. But the warranty expired in June. Since then the superb German engineering has given me a "check engine" light about three weeks ago which (luckily) only required a software update. And yesterday the "check brake pads" light came on. Fortunately I was in the vicinity of the Merc dealer and he took care of it right away so I only waited an hour or so. BUT, I was out $350! That's what the German cars do. Once the warranty is out stuff happens and I think it is engineered that way. In fact, as soon as my ML hit 36000 miles yesterday that brake pad light came on at the same time. Coincidence? I smell a rat but what are you going to do? The car was perfect for four years but now every little thing like this will cost me big bucks - that is why I have been in the market for a new car since the warranty expired. It becomes more and more important to have dependability when you are down to one car. I guess I am going to have to move a bit faster than I wanted. Maybe being the end of the month and the end of the quarter I might do okay on a deal. I've narrowed it down to a CLS, XF or MKZ (I was considering the new LaCrosse until I found out you can not disable the Eco start/stop system). Both the Buick and MKZ are one step down in prestige but I don't care about that. The MKZ is really my cup of tea anyway but there is nothing around like I want and it will take months to order one. There is a CLS and XF just like I would order sitting right there on their lots in Dallas, (even though they are 130 miles away) and that may be a temptation too great to resist! The next two weeks should be a fun time!!

I know what you are saying longislander. I consider myself a hobbyist detailer. I use only the finest German products (such as P21s and Sonax) on my Mercedes. I am a member of all the detailing forums have been for years - I am an original, charter member "AutoGeek"! There are few things I do these days that I can say I am really proud of but the condition of my cars is one of them. I like that feeling of accomplishment as I sit back and admire my work and more than that, I feel connected to my car in a way not felt since I was a young man running formula cars with four on the floor. Again, I am not a pro mechanic or detailer but I enjoy working on my cars immensely. It is also sort of therapy for me whereas some people consider even washing their car to be avoided at all cost. After every drive I clean the windshield and remove any bug splatter. Every week it gets washed even if it never left the garage. Every three months is a complete detail. And the abnormality of it is that I look forward to all of it. Maybe that is why I never leased. It just dawned on me after reading your comment. I am a perfect subject for lease because I like luxury cars, trade or sell them soon after warranty expires and never put more than ten thousand miles a year on them. Maybe, without me even realizing it, the thought of "my" car not really being mine would make my labor of love less meaningful. In reality I would be working for someone else. If I were a pro that would be different because I would be paid for it but I don't think I could view a leased car with the same dedication and "affection", for lack of a better term. I could never (as you say) shrug my shoulders and say "oh well". It would break my heart. I know this is not normal and I guess I am not a well person but it is what it is. Nope, I don't think I will lease even if I save money and even if it makes sense. The pride of ownership and my labor of love would be too far diminished and the "therapy" I enjoy would soon become a chore. I think I have now realized the real reason why I have never leased a car. Thanks for that!

I am a member of Sams Club and they have something similar to Costco so I might try that out. Ford X plan would not apply to me. I looked up what it was and you have to have some connection to Ford, such as a supplier or some sorts. But Sams might be pretty good. Thanks for the tips.

Makes sense, longislander!

Thanks for that information. I thought it seemed like a lot of down payment and they really don't tell you on the website what it covers. That is the problem with leases - too many things are covered up and they get you one way or another.

I do not know the name of the thread where someone advised me that the Lincoln lease deals are among the best. I forgot now who it was and what he said but I configured an MKZ Reserve on the Lincoln website to about like I would want to order it. It is a 3.0 FWD and the total price with destination comes to 46,434 which includes a 1000 incentive and the destination charge. The lease period I selected was 36 months (10,500 miles per year). The down payment is shown as 4,744 with no trade in, and monthly payments of 466. The total due at signing is 6,044, which I guess includes other stuff besides the down payment. Can you negotiate the sales price to get it lower? I never leased and I am wondering if this is a good or bad lease. Since no dealer wants to give me a good price on my trade, I figured I would lease and then take my time to sell my car privately. Can someone please advise me on this as I am getting real close to pulling the trigger.

Yes, the Continental is on my radar screen too. I saw one at the Dallas Auto Show this past spring. It was white with chalet interior - a real beauty! So many great cars out there today that it is hard to decide. But no, I really don't want a full size sedan. I have a big Mercedes SUV right now and don't really utilize it. The CLS that thunderstruck me only seats four and the XF I spoke about is mid size (XJ is Jaguar's full size saloon and the XE is their "compact"). And my primary interest in Lincoln has always been the MKZ, which is also midsize. It is just Judi and I, no pets or kids/grand kids and we don't have folks in the back seat very often, maybe one other couple at most. The Continental, like the S class, XJ, G90 and similar sedans are true boats with rear seat comfort built in as an important factor. For us, the back seat is mostly irrelevant and would be folded down 90% of the time. I really think the MKZ is the sweet spot in the Lincoln range right now for our situation but if I were to seriously consider a full size, the Conti would be high on my list.