brucelinc Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 My dealer just emailed me to let me know they have a 3.0. I will test drive it first thing tomorrow. Looking forward to it! As for pricing, my dealer makes it easy. I buy at invoice. The only thing to negotiate is the value of a trade-in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17MKZ30T Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) My dealer just emailed me to let me know they have a 3.0. I will test drive it first thing tomorrow. Looking forward to it! As for pricing, my dealer makes it easy. I buy at invoice. The only thing to negotiate is the value of a trade-in. Great price! I'm going on faith, the 3.7 I drove was good the 3.0T can only be better right? I grew up in Spring Lake Park you must be near there if you are going thru North Country. Edited July 29, 2016 by 17MKZ30T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron D. Brown Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 My dealer just emailed me to let me know they have a 3.0. I will test drive it first thing tomorrow. Looking forward to it! As for pricing, my dealer makes it easy. I buy at invoice. The only thing to negotiate is the value of a trade-in. If you buy at invoice, then how do they make any money off of the sale? You must buy lots of add on services (extended warranty, etc.) Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Oh they make money when selling at invoice. I don't know all the details on hold-backs, bonuses, etc. for high volume dealers but "invoice" does not mean that is what they pay the manufacturer for the car. They will make money on any trade-in as well. They are currently advertising 2016 models for less than invoice so there is some profit built in there somewhere. No, I do not buy any extras at all. I would never discourage anyone from purchasing an extended warranty but I never have. I have probably saved enough by NOT buying warranties to easily pay the difference between a base Fusion and a loaded MKZ. I will get an aftermarket tune and take the car to the track occasionally so that can have a negative effect on warranties, anyway. :) Isn't X-plan around invoice, too? And aren't there some other perks with x-plan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I just returned from my test drive in a Reserve with the 3.0 so I will share my observations. Your needs and desires in a car may be different than mine so there are bound to be differences of opinion. Further, the only thing I have to compare the MKZ against is my MKS which has an aftermarket tune. The Z is definitely a more sporty feeling car than the MKS. The ride is tauter - even in comfort mode. The benefit is that the overall nimbleness and handling capability is clearly better. I am not a fan of the 40 series tires. There is more tire thump over poor pavement that I am accustomed to and a bit less feeling of isolation from the road. It is not what I would call a sports sedan but it leaned closer to sport than luxury in my opinion. The car I drove did not have the drivers package and that would likely be even sportier. I am not an audiophile by any means so I can't really comment on the Revel system. I couldn't say if it was better, worse or the same as the THX system in the MKS. I didn't really play with the settings so it may have much more potential. The car I drove had excellent fit & finish and the 2017 interior is much improved over the 2016s. All of the switchgear had a quality feel to it. Personally, I would prefer the center stack and console top to be covered in wood rather than aluminum but that is just personal preference. The engine felt very strong considering it only had 32 miles on it. It sounded good when pushed and set you back in the seat nicely. I would guess that a fully broken in model would do 0-60 in around 5 seconds flat. I look forward to seeing what the road tests show when one is actually conducted. It did seem to me that it had a tendency to downshift under part throttle pretty easily. It didn't take much pressure on the throttle for it to kick down. The kick down was smooth and without much engine noise, though. Overall, I was reasonably impressed but not quite impressed enough to place an order today. I still want to drive a Continental before I decide even though we are talking a lot more money. Zalvern 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalvern Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) I just returned from my test drive in a Reserve with the 3.0 so I will share my observations. Your needs and desires in a car may be different than mine so there are bound to be differences of opinion. Further, the only thing I have to compare the MKZ against is my MKS which has an aftermarket tune. The Z is definitely a more sporty feeling car than the MKS. The ride is tauter - even in comfort mode. The benefit is that the overall nimbleness and handling capability is clearly better. I am not a fan of the 40 series tires. There is more tire thump over poor pavement that I am accustomed to and a bit less feeling of isolation from the road. It is not what I would call a sports sedan but it leaned closer to sport than luxury in my opinion. The car I drove did not have the drivers package and that would likely be even sportier. I am not an audiophile by any means so I can't really comment on the Revel system. I couldn't say if it was better, worse or the same as the THX system in the MKS. I didn't really play with the settings so it may have much more potential. The car I drove had excellent fit & finish and the 2017 interior is much improved over the 2016s. All of the switchgear had a quality feel to it. Personally, I would prefer the center stack and console top to be covered in wood rather than aluminum but that is just personal preference. The engine felt very strong considering it only had 32 miles on it. It sounded good when pushed and set you back in the seat nicely. I would guess that a fully broken in model would do 0-60 in around 5 seconds flat. I look forward to seeing what the road tests show when one is actually conducted. It did seem to me that it had a tendency to downshift under part throttle pretty easily. It didn't take much pressure on the throttle for it to kick down. The kick down was smooth and without much engine noise, though. Overall, I was reasonably impressed but not quite impressed enough to place an order today. I still want to drive a Continental before I decide even though we are talking a lot more money. Your review and feelings sound solid. Oh but was it a full performance 3.0? AWD w/Driver's Package? I'm guessing you did since Driver's Package provides a sport tuned suspension even in comfort, just raised enough for still decent feel. It is hard to get a real feel with easy going test drives (cars in the end are a gamble since the real review takes a few years to really gauge it). Coming from my tuned Fusion, I knew to not expect any aggressive performance. But its decent and the car can spank other vehicles easily. OEM manufacturers, especially Lincoln will go easy on the drive train and potential. What I could feel is other than the stock tune being dialed down (400 HP and TQ is definitely a safe cushion). Same goes for the transmission and AWD systems (if applicable). We'll all definitely have differing opinions as I found sporty comfort mode ( to call it that) very nice. I changed my tires to summer immediately since tire quality enhances the experience. It's a great car to start but every car will have points for improvement. I will say even if the Continental weighs more, the 3.0T will serve it well. Being bigger, it also will ride more comfortable as size does play a factor in reducing road feedback. It's why I can't stand compact cars especially. So waiting for it as a MKS owner is a wise idea. Bigger vehicles do better in naturally providing comfortable suspension and exhausting any NVT energy which all boils down to mass and matter physics. I know hands down the MKZ will not equal Continental comfort, yet MKZ will be more agile and sporty in return. Me being a former Fusion driver finds this MKZ an awesome upgrade. Flaws I disliked in my Fusion were solved. One gripe I have is not painting the rear lower bumper plastic or just not leaving it so dull. Edited July 29, 2016 by Zalvern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) Yes, Zalvern, I knew you and I would have different ideas on ride quality! :) Nothing wrong with that! The car I drove did not have the drivers package. It was an AWD Reserve but no drivers package with the torque vectoring. To be honest about it, there are few places in my area where I could really use and appreciate the improved handling provided by the drivers package. My priorities lie more in quiet isolation and comfort....but with a heckuva kick in the pants in a straight line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIqjtnckKG0 Edited July 29, 2016 by brucelinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longislander Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) Thanks for the review, Bruce! I am planning on replacing my 2014 Cadillac CTS with a 400-hp '17 MKZ when my lease ends in about 7 months. I love the Drivers Package but am concerned about those low-profile tires in pothole-filled New York and your review makes me lean toward a well-optioned Select with the 18-inch wheels. FWIW i absolutely LOVE my Cadillac but the '17 is virtually unchanged interior/exterior from my '14 so I can't see getting another one for the next 3 years. Edited July 29, 2016 by longislander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schteve Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) One thing I have noticed now even with just a tick over 150 miles is that as the ecu starts to dial in, it does seems to have gotten stronger.The other thing maybe not as positive is that under hard acceleration while the wheel is turned it starts to induce some torque steer (even with the drivers package).Just gives an idea of how much power is really there.I have noticed that I find that for my area. I have the settings in comfort for driving to work and what not. It really helps smooth out the post apocalyptic roads around the Detroit area (settings in drive) and have suspension in "sport" for S. Sport is great on the expressway tightens things up enough to play a bit, although on a road trip I may set it to normal for expressway just to soften things up a bit. I think comfort mode is a bit to "floaty" to feel really comfortable at speed.And one kind of neat-o whiz bang thing ... And I don't know if non-driver package cars have it. On the left Driver info screen, I have a selection for intelligent AWD and when displayed it shows the amount of power applied to each wheel. Kinda cool.... Edited July 30, 2016 by schteve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I wish I had checked the tire pressure on the one I drove. It is in the message center if I had paid attention. They just got the car in and hadn't done anything to prep it. Sometimes, they overinflate the tires for transport. That might account for the firmer than expected ride and more tire noise that I experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalvern Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) I just did my first long distance trip of 250 miles, so I'm up to about 450 miles now. Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop n' Go got its shot today...worked just as expected and probably did a load of my trip never touching the pedals. That plus Auto Hold really lets the feet rest a lot when the drives get slowed by traffic. I know its nannies and all but can't help appreciate the resting factor the car can provide. Though Auto Hold can serve a lot more handy usefulness for the performance inclined. On my long trip home, I got my first dose of heavy rain fall (boarder line flash flooding). While I am using Pilot Super Sports (one of the best rated tires for rain), the car overall handled lane-changing hydro planing flawlessly, did not ever have to reduce speed or slow down. Watching the AWD Action gauge, Torque Vectoring did its job powering rear tires appropriately to keep the MKZ firm and in full control to my requested commands. I even had traction control off for maximum torque potential. These are going to be some of the real world factors to witness and experience, but so far this car is still performing amazingly for my expectations. Oh yeah and I nearly got up to 27 MPGs as a result of the trip. That, is really good considering what this 3.0T is packing and is still a young new motor... Edited July 30, 2016 by Zalvern brucelinc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortspark Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 That is very encouraging news. Please don't forget to give us an idea of the night lighting with the headlamps that are on this vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenZ Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Bought a new 2017 MKZ yesterday. I did not exactly mean to, but I did. I was at the Lincoln site and decided to build my “dream” MKZ just for fun. When I got to the end, it gives you the option of finding cars close to your specifications. I clicked on that and up popped a car that was literally a 99% match to what I had. The only difference was that I had added a bumper protector and an upgraded cargo mat. Color, interior, wheels, options, everything else was identical. While it was not at my closest Lincoln dealer (1 mile away), it was at the next closest at 15 miles away. My interest was piqued at driving the new 3.0T so I called and made an appointment to test drive it at 3PM. Glad I had a check tucked in my wallet, was taking it home at 6PM – after the salesman took me to a nearby gas station and filled it with Premium gas. Old car was a 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Tuxedo Black, Charcoal Interior, Fully Loaded. New car is a 2017 Lincoln MKZ 3.0T FWD, White Platinum, Cappuccino Interior, Fully Loaded. The difference is literally night and day. Literally! Having trained myself to drive a Hybrid, I will have to retrain myself to drive a car with this beast under the hood. I am definitely a little afraid of the gas pedal! I think the ad uses the term “effortless power”, and I heartily agree. The options… Panoramic Roof, Technology Package, Luxury Package, Climate Package, 19” Wheels with Painted Pockets, Multi-Contour Seats, Rear Inflatable Seat Belts. Pretty much everything you can have. Unfortunately, this dealer had already done some dealer add-ons which I did not really want… they had done a slight tint to the windows, a paint protection coating and window etching with some sort of serial number. Not sure what that it, but they said it was a theft deterrent and I may be able to get a better price on my insurance with in. Kinda seems like a profit center to me! Also something weird, is they filled the tires with nitrogen – never heard of that before. First impressions in comparison to the 2013 version… Love that there is a raised, padded driver right side arm rest. Love that there is an audible tone when you lock the car using the ridges on the door handles. Love that there is the ability to have a digital (numbers) speedometer. Love Apple CarPlay. Love that the external antennae is gone (2013’s with the Panoramic roof had an actual antenna). Love that it shows individual tire pressure. The 20 speaker Revel Ultima Audio system rocks. The interior of the car is considerably quieter than the 2013, even with the larger engine. Love Love Love the massaging seats – although they are a little creepy! When I went back to the dealership today to take them my 2013 title and the 2nd key fob. The salesman told me they had sold my 2013 Hybrid to a buyer before they closed last night. It had been parked out in front of the dealership (so I could transfer all the crap from my old car to the new one). Before they could move it to clean and prep it, someone saw it and bought it. The new buyer is picking it up today. Going for a ride now! tgara, Zalvern and Robert Iggy Cerami 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortspark Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 That is just about the car I want. Please drive at night and let me know how the headlamps are. I want to compare these with what I have now on my Mercedes which is bi-Xenon headlamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron D. Brown Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Okay... I'm officially fed up. I called Lincoln Concierge today about my 2017 Black Label. I kinda "went behind my dealer's back" to see what I could find out from Lincoln directly. As I've said before, when I put down a deposit on April 8, I was given neither an order number nor a VIN. But I told the concierge which dealership I ordered through and what were the exact features/packages. Turns out, she says my car is STILL IN PRODUCTION!! And the plant is closed this week. So this means when my dealer called me on June 15 and said "Your car has been built and should be here on/around June 26, that was a LIE. So either Lincoln is wrong or the dealer is wrong. Furthermore, she said the car has a VIN, but she wasn't allowed to release it to me unless I had an order number to confirm that was ordered for me. But this "Lincoln Experience" is the pits. It's now been 16 weeks and a day since I ordered. I'm done playing phone games. I'm driving up there as soon as I finish eating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalvern Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) That is just about the car I want. Please drive at night and let me know how the headlamps are. I want to compare these with what I have now on my Mercedes which is bi-Xenon headlamps. Ah yes I find the Headlights, excellent. I should say I have the upscale LED 5-star ones which are adaptive adjusting when you want them to. Honestly they are better than my retrofitted HID headlights with good width, throw, and illumination of signs. I feel they get the job done greatly and look cool and unique of course. However headlights can vary, as I find the LED ones great though others might find something displeasing. It's hard to gauge and it is something to ask the dealer to take the car into one of their bays or something for a darker room to see. Cut off is sharp though. The HID ones beings standard should be cool too, but test them if you don't plan for the Luxury LED ones. Both look good for the car. The upper white DRL strip also is fluid flowing on LED headlights, whereas on HID versions its solid flash on/off. Edited July 30, 2016 by Zalvern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortspark Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Thanks - I'll check out both headlamp options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Bought a new 2017 MKZ yesterday. I did not exactly mean to, but I did. I was at the Lincoln site and decided to build my “dream” MKZ just for fun. When I got to the end, it gives you the option of finding cars close to your specifications. I clicked on that and up popped a car that was literally a 99% match to what I had. The only difference was that I had added a bumper protector and an upgraded cargo mat. Color, interior, wheels, options, everything else was identical. While it was not at my closest Lincoln dealer (1 mile away), it was at the next closest at 15 miles away. My interest was piqued at driving the new 3.0T so I called and made an appointment to test drive it at 3PM. Glad I had a check tucked in my wallet, was taking it home at 6PM – after the salesman took me to a nearby gas station and filled it with Premium gas. Old car was a 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Tuxedo Black, Charcoal Interior, Fully Loaded. New car is a 2017 Lincoln MKZ 3.0T FWD, White Platinum, Cappuccino Interior, Fully Loaded. The difference is literally night and day. Literally! Having trained myself to drive a Hybrid, I will have to retrain myself to drive a car with this beast under the hood. I am definitely a little afraid of the gas pedal! I think the ad uses the term “effortless power”, and I heartily agree. The options… Panoramic Roof, Technology Package, Luxury Package, Climate Package, 19” Wheels with Painted Pockets, Multi-Contour Seats, Rear Inflatable Seat Belts. Pretty much everything you can have. Unfortunately, this dealer had already done some dealer add-ons which I did not really want… they had done a slight tint to the windows, a paint protection coating and window etching with some sort of serial number. Not sure what that it, but they said it was a theft deterrent and I may be able to get a better price on my insurance with in. Kinda seems like a profit center to me! Also something weird, is they filled the tires with nitrogen – never heard of that before. First impressions in comparison to the 2013 version… Love that there is a raised, padded driver right side arm rest. Love that there is an audible tone when you lock the car using the ridges on the door handles. Love that there is the ability to have a digital (numbers) speedometer. Love Apple CarPlay. Love that the external antennae is gone (2013’s with the Panoramic roof had an actual antenna). Love that it shows individual tire pressure. The 20 speaker Revel Ultima Audio system rocks. The interior of the car is considerably quieter than the 2013, even with the larger engine. Love Love Love the massaging seats – although they are a little creepy! When I went back to the dealership today to take them my 2013 title and the 2nd key fob. The salesman told me they had sold my 2013 Hybrid to a buyer before they closed last night. It had been parked out in front of the dealership (so I could transfer all the crap from my old car to the new one). Before they could move it to clean and prep it, someone saw it and bought it. The new buyer is picking it up today. Going for a ride now! Nice surprise to yourself ;) Congrats and enjoy. The umber etched into the windows is usually the VIN. The theory is that it's too expensive for thieves to replace all the glass thus making it more difficult to sell the whole car or parts thereof as they are more readily identifiable to police. Insurers usually give a 5 to 15% discount for it. In fact, here in NY they're required by law to do do so. Nitrogen for tires has been a thing for several years now. Here's an article from tirerack.com about it. The problem is that if you need to add "air" at any time, it has to be 100% to retain the benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hermans Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) KenZ - I remember that we got our 2013s at about the same time. I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger on a new one yet as I just bought a new Edge and my 2013 MKZh only has 31K miles on it. When I sold my 2013 FFH it went in less than two days at full private party cash sales price. At the dealer where I do business you rarely see a FFH or MKZh and they do sell fast. Enjoy your new MKZ. Edited July 31, 2016 by hermans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
International J Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 My car showed up!! Going to get it tomorrow. Picture my salesman sent me. Mine has the chrome grille and I've been wanting to see how the black grille would look, now that I see it I really like it.... Now if only I can find one aftermarket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schteve Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 It's actually not black. It's painted with"magnetic". The same as the body color (like a dark grey) You could probably order one direct from Lincoln. I doubt they have the same restrictions on the driver package parts as they do on the black label cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17MKZ30T Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 It's actually not black. It's painted with"magnetic". The same as the body color (like a dark grey) You could probably order one direct from Lincoln. I doubt they have the same restrictions on the driver package parts as they do on the black label cars I was think the same thing but...... I might try Anthricite Plasti Dip instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schteve Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Yeah at that price I might give plasti-dip a whirl myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 They have made some very worthwhile improvements in the 2017 MKZ versus the 2016 model. One thing, however, bugs me. With the 2016s, there was an optional polished aluminum wheel that looked very rich and upscale. Those wheels are no longer available. The standard wheel for the Reserve is just painted aluminum and I think they look cheap. I don't care much for the optional wheel for the Reserve, either. The wheels that come with the Driver's package look good but they are not a stand alone option. Strangely, when I was at the dealer checking out the MKZ, they had a 2017 Fusion with beautiful polished aluminum wheels - much nicer than the MKZ wheels, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17MKZ30T Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 I agree, not the best choices for wheels I went with thee optional 19" wheels just because they are better (IMO) than the standard wheels. I have been looking at some aftermarket wheels for a possible upgrade. Here's one I like.. brucelinc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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