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.

Oh, oh. Today I saw a brand new CLS 550 and fell in love. I think it has the M278 engine, a truly magnificent Twin turbo V8! Also, the nearest Jag dealer to me just got in an XF Prestige in British Racing Green with lattie brown interior. The CLS is gorgeous but this Jaguar is the most beautiful car I ever saw other than F Type and Aston. I don't care about the money and because of that realization I know for certain that I am now in serious, serious trouble!!

Is it awd or fwd? Do you have the driver's package? What trim? Let us know all the details and your impressions after you drive it a few days. Congratulations on your new ride and I hope you enjoy every minute in it.

Thanks guys, you all have explained things very nicely and eloquently. It will help a lot in my decision. And yes, I certainly plan on test driving several of these vehicles in different configurations, even if I have to travel a ways to do so.

You guys are now confusing me. I don't know what I want. I don't want the black interior that goes with the driver's package on the Reserve but I want the 400 hp motor. To get the motor with what I thought was a necessary feature for 400 hp - the driver's package and anything other than the black interior, I have to go 140 miles away and get a Black Label. Why do I want this motor? Just because it is powerful I guess but I don't drive like a sports driver. I'm too old for that. We have nice roads in the country side where I live that are free of pot holes thanks to the lack of freeze. No stop lights or signs or much traffic. They wind gently and are mostly flat. All this makes a cruise an enjoyable thing. I want power and feel but not stiff and "sporty", if you know what I mean. Powerful luxury is what I'm looking for. Do I want awd or fwd? Will the 350hp be enough? I don't know any of this so I will have to test drive - a lot. The problem is they don't have enough dealers out here in the sticks and the few there are are not Black Label. At best, they might someday bring in an entry level four cylinder MKZ.

Because some have expressed a sporty nature to the MKZ in this thread, I think I will post a differing opinion here, as well as in the reviews section: http://www.consumerreports.org/sedans/2017-lincoln-mkz-first-drive-review/

http://www.consumerreports.org/sedans/2017-lincoln-mkz-first-drive-review/

I'm not sure how Lincoln works but I can tell you a story about Mercedes. I wanted an ML350 in 2012 and it had to have certain things such as the right color paint and interior, lighting package, upgraded stereo package, etc. On most options I was not flexible. I contacted all the MB internet managers for several hundred miles of me and told them what I wanted and that if they could get it and give me a straight 9% off sticker I would buy it. I already had a couple test drives and knew just what I wanted. I also checked all the Mercedes forums and auto pricing websites and found out a fair average of what people were paying for this car in various parts of the country (it came to 7 1/4% but I started at 9% for a little play room). All the internet managers wrote emails back. Some said there was no car like I wanted anywhere and it would have to be special ordered (up to 12 weeks). Some said they could not do 9% even if they did order it. But one guy at a dealership 130 miles from me wrote back and said he could do the price if I was patient enough to wait two weeks. I wrote back and said the car could not possibly be built in two weeks. He said that indeed there were no cars like I wanted or even close to what I wanted for sale anywhere. However, he checked the plant in Alabama where assembly takes place and found one that had two small items of difference from what I wanted - this car came with wheel locks and a heated steering wheel, which I would not have ordered. He explained that the car is coming off line shortly and is a dealer ordered car for a Boston dealer. Except for those two small items, it was precisely what I wanted. The guy was really prepared to talk to me and had everything lined out perfectly, including all costs associated with the sale. He said he had called the Boston dealer and offered to trade invoices with him and give him one of his cars coming off line in exchange for the one I wanted. The car my Texas dealer ordered would instead go to Boston and that Boston car would come to Texas for me. I said go for it. Sure enough, two weeks later he called and I went in to pick it up. That was the first time I ever saw the dealership or the internet manager and I never put a nickle down as deposit. I handed him the check for the car, drove off with my Judi following me - and have not been back since. I have been tickled to death with that car from day one. Could I have done better than 9% off sticker by going back and forth among the dealers? Maybe, maybe not but not having to travel those distances and doing everything from the comfort of my home was priceless to me. I guess the moral of the story is where there is a will there is a way. You just have to find a dealer who is willing to go the extra mile to find your car and get it to you. Someone, someplace probably has a car coming off line just like you want for their showroom and that car can be switched and sent to you. At least that is what happened at Mercedes with me and if Lincoln does not work that way, well, maybe they should.

I agree that many manufacturers do this, especially with colors and even interior materials (such as Mercedes). One thing about the MKZ that is strange is that they restrict you to a black interior with the driver's package. If you want the new 400hp motor (which I think is a huge selling point for Lincoln) you would want the driver's package, primarily for the torque vectoring to help keep this beast in tow. It is available in awd only and if you select fwd, the motor is reduced to 350hp. If you want a different interior color but still want the driver's package for the big engine, you are forced to go all the way up to Black Label, which retains its "themes" interiors with or without the driver's package. I think this restriction of black interior with the driver's package on any level other than BL is a marketing mistake.

I agree, that is why if I go with a Reserve I will settle for the fwd 350hp motor. I just don't want a black interior and it is forced on you if you order the driver's package on the Reserve. If I got the 400 hp awd, I would want the driver's package but not the black interior that comes with it. The BL advantage in this is that you can still get the driver's package with the bigger motor and you are not restricted to black interior - any of the BL themes are available with the driver's package. But the 350 hp is big enough for me and where I live in Texas the awd is really not needed.

Yea, I did the same thing and in fact yesterday I test drove an MKZ Black Label and Jaguar XF. I had to go 130 miles from home to find a BL dealer and the Jaguar dealer in the "big city". I was most impressed with the Jaguar's road feel and handling, as to be expected. The BL had the 350 hp motor which is about the same as the Jaguar I drove but there was no comparison in quickness, again, as to be expected. The MKZ was just as nice on the inside (Chalet theme) as the Jag and looked just as good on the outside. Of course, MKZ stole some of the frontal features from the Jaguar but that is not a bad thing. I had a Mercedes to trade that was mint and thought I would make a run at the Jaguar with a low ball figure for the car and a high ball figure for the Mercedes I had. We were $5000 apart as they only offered $1500 off the $66,000 Jaguar so I walked out and went down the road to test drive the Lincoln. I asked the salesman at Lincoln what he would give me in trade on the BL car and he gave the same figure as the Jaguar dealer quoted. They look on the computer and give you what it says without consideration to any other factor. That is why a car like mine that is a mint, garage queen needs to be sold individually to max out its resale potential. It was a fun day and I was impressed with both cars. I may buy locally, however, as I don't want to buy a car where the nearest dealer is over 100 miles away. That ruled out the Jag from the start but I wanted to drive it anyway. The BL I can buy in any big city and have local Lincoln service departments work on it but I would rather buy and have it serviced at the same dealership if possible. The MKZ BL I would order is around $59,000 (that is with the 400hp motor, AWL and driver's package). The Jaguar XF was $66,000. I believe the MKZ offered the better value unless you really wanted a driver's car or needed a huge trunk. I also configured a regular MKZ Reserve and it came in at around $47,000 (FWD and 350 hp - which is plenty for me!). The regular MKZ Reserve may represent the best value for me, especially since the nearest non-Black Label dealer is only 35 miles away. I asked the the Jag salesman what would happen if one day I went to the garage and the car would not start. He said not to worry about distance as they would tow any disabled Jaguar to the nearest dealer no matter how far. I said, "what happens to me"? How do I get to the dealership that is over a hundred miles away? Funny thing but he said, "yea, I know what you mean". The local Lincoln sales manager said in such a situation they would come out and provide a loaner. That is important to me. The Black Label edition could be worth the extra money for people close by who can take advantage of the perks of BL but I can't. And the Chalet theme I drove was just beautiful! But for me and considering where I am located, a nice Reserve from the local dealer should fit the bill nicely.