brucelinc

I have a Continental on order. Reserve, 3.0, climate and tech packages, 30 way massaging seats, Revel. Ruby red/Cappuccino. The Continental plant is not up to full speed yet and they have cars that need the headlight fix done. There was also a temporary shortage of 3.0 engines. I still got a VIN within a week of placing the order as well as a tentative build date. It seems ridiculous to me that one would not have a VIN for an MKZ after 8 weeks. I can understand delays if you order extremely early like Myron did but at this point, there shouldn't be any delays with MKZs.

I agree 100% woth longislander about the benefit of factory orders. Newlinux, I don't understand why you don't have a VIN. I placed an order 2 weeks ago and got the VIN last week. If you really want out of your deal, I don't think you would have any problem getting your deposit back. I would just be pressing firmly on what the status of your order really is.

I have subscribed to C&D since I was a teenager. I agree that they used to have the best writers and their road tests were more factual with much less bias than now. I thought Pat Bedard was among the best. The Continental review was not a bad as the MKZ review but it was striking that they said the ride was too firm. EVER OTHER SOURCE has complimented the ride quality. I have driven 3 different versions of the Conti and found the ride to be supurb even on our frost heaved, pot holed Minneapolis streets.

A couple of weeks ago, Anthony told me they were planning on tuning for the 3.0 but they hadn't had one on the dyno yet. They are still working out the kinks in the Fusion Sport. If they don't have something by spring, I might have to take a little trip out there.

No one has a tune for them yet but I am anxiously waiting for someone to develop one. Livernois has been working on the 2.7 that is in the Fusion Sport. It has taken a few revisions but I think they have really made a contender out of it. Hopefully, they can work their magic on the 3.0.

I couldn't get to the test notes on my phone, either. Here it is: http://media.caranddriver.com/files/2017-lincoln-mkz-30t-awd-test-review-car-and-driverlincolnmkz30tawd2017.pdf

They timed it at 4.9 0-60. Nice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvPI-ilfe2g

In the test notes, it indicated the fuel was "regular." I have no idea what the octane was but the 400 HP/Torque is on 93.

That 3.0 seems to be a great engine.

Yes, it is not the car that they hate so much - it is Lincoln in general. In the test notes, they refer to the tires as "cheater tires." Zalvern, it wasn't wheel hop at WOT that they complained about. It was their opinion that the summer tires ruined the ride quality and were noisy. I haven't driven an MKZ with summer tires but they are much noisier and rougher on an SHO than the all seasons so their opinion on that may be valid. Of course, the all seasons wouldn't generate the skidpad numbers that they recorded with the summer tires, either.

Great acceleration numbers - a bit better than I expected! I am not influenced by magazine tests but I suspect it would have faired better if they had tested one without the driver's package and summer tires. Reviewing its merits as a powerful entry luxury car instead of a sports sedan would be more in this car's wheelhouse.

The 3.0 sounds very strong but refined. I wish he had timed it from 0-60.

I hope you guys are right. My concern is the amount of torque management that seems to be at play. On the cars that I drove, it felt like someone shut off the engine between the shifts. Torque management is fine to make the shifts buttery smooth and to protect the drivetrain from damage but it can also impact acceleration times. It is possible that the cars that I have driven would get much better when fully broken it. When tuned by Livernois or other aftermarket tuners, the amount of torque management is reduced and the result is quicker and firmer shifts. I think it would take that level of tuning to get the 3.0 MKZ or Continental to really shine. Schteve, have you had any more recent discussions with Livernois about tuning for the 3.0?

I would love to see it, too. They don't feel that fast to me but "feel" can be deceiving. I would be shocked and thrilled if it is quicker than 13.5.

These are the wheels available on the 2016 MKZ. They were a $750 option and referred to as 19" 10 spoke polished aluminum wheels. I don't know or care if they are clear coated but I think they are a better looking wheel than any available on the 2017s - except maybe the Black Label wheels.

I love that color but I really wish the Reserve had polished wheels instead of just painted. The 2016 MKZ was available with beautiful polished wheels.

The LaCrosse is Buick's top of the line sedan while the MKZ is Lincoln's lowest priced sedan. It isn't too surprising to me that they could compete for similar buyers. However, the Lacrosse offers nothing similar to the 400 HP MKZ. The Buick is also a natural competitor for the Lexus ES.

I am getting a little tired of reviewers complaining about the price. A very nicely equipped Reserve with the 3.0 can be in the low to mid $50s MSRP by paying attention to the options. Also, these can be purchased or leased all day long at dealer invoice - not MSRP. When I drove one, I also thought the engine felt a bit soft considering its rating but I chalked that up to only having 32 miles on it. I am not as critical of the transmission although the car I drove seemed to downshift more that I expected. Again, the car was not broken in nor gone through the adaptation process that is normal with the transmission. Often, transmissions with 8 and 9 speeds have a tendency to "hunt" for the right gear. I don't like that. They may produce better EPA fuel economy numbers but not so much in the real world. Also, high torque turbo engines with flat torque curves do not benefit from an acceleration perspective as much from more gears. Each gear change is accompanied by some torque management to make the shifts smooth so more gear changes can actually hurt acceleration. My tuned MKS will go from 0-60 in 3.94 seconds and only use 2 gears in doing so.

I can respect thrifty until it becomes ridiculous. I have been told that I tend to pinch a penny until it squeaks and then spend the squeak and save the penny. However, different things are important to different people. For me personally, I am a car guy. I buy new because I am fussy and I like new cars. (I do not buy used clothing, either!)

Removal of the resonator causes a hideous drone on SHOs when cruising according to those who have done it. I suspect it might do the same with this.

I wonder if that guy buys his clothes at the salvation army or his furniture at the 2nd hand store....

I also just returned from a test drive of the new Continental. I won't spend a lot of time discussing it since this is an MKZ forum but I would urge anyone who is thinking of an MKZ with the standard 2.0 Turbo engine to cross shop it against a Continental with the base 3.7 engine. I agree with Zalvern. The Continental drives much smaller than it is. It is definitely not as sporty as the MKZ but it is not a big ponderous barge, either. The car is exceptionally quiet and the ride is superb whether it be in Comfort, Normal or Sport modes. The car I drove only had the base 3.7 engine but it is quieter, smoother and more powerful than the 2.0 turbo in the MKZ. It likely uses more fuel than the 4 cylinder MKZ if that is a concern but I found the 3.7 to be a more satisfying base engine. I can't wait to get my hands on a Continental with the 3.0. It may not be quite as strong as a 3.0 MKZ, but since I am not really looking for sportiness or handling prowess, I think the Continental will suit me better than the MKZ. Etiher car - MKZ or Continental - is a big step forward for Lincoln.

Seeing a 3.0T Continental get tuned and hit a drag strip/track would be hilariously awesome. Yes, and that is precisely what I plan to do if I like the Conti after reviewing and driving one.

The axle ratio for the 3.0 Continental is 3.39 and it is 3.16 for the MKZ. That could be enough advantage to offset the small weight difference in terms of acceleration. The Continental has aluminum fenders, hood and trunk lid among other weight saving measures.

Shortspark, you might want to add the Continental to the list for consideration. I will be test driving one on Monday.