Observations

[ctrcbob]

Just returned from one month out in NM and AZ. Here are my observations.

 

1. Heading West to Roswell, I never saw a 2013 (or 2014) MKZ on the road. None. Nada. Saw none on the road to Phoenix. None.

 

2. Heading East, back to Florida, I saw ONE. Only one on the road.

 

3. The Ford/Lincoln dealer in Roswell NM, two blocks from my Roswell address, did not have any, that I could see from my car. He may have had one or two inside the showroom, but none sitting in his lot.

 

4. Passed by a couple combo Ford/Lincoln dealers in smaller towns in Texas, but did not notice their MKZ's.

 

5. Stayed overnight in Pensacola FL, on Pensacola Blvd, where there is a Stand Alone Lincoln Dealer. He did have some MKZ's sitting out front, HOWEVER, most of the cars in his lot were other brands (used cars). I guess he has to do something to sell cars, to stay in business.

 

6. I now see that Lincoln (and Ford) are now getting their 2014's in and they are advertising their 2013's very heavy, comparing them to the Lexus.

 

7. In my area of Central Florida, I believe that Ford/Lincoln is making a mistake separating the two dealerships. Now, Lincoln Dealers are fewer than "Hens Teeth" and they are NOT dealing because they have no Lincoln competition. I will find out more in three or four weeks, as I have to take my 2011 in for service, and while there (Central Florida Lincoln) I'll see what kind of a deal they will give me on a 2013 or 2014 MKZ. (3.7 V6, not the 2.0 EcoBoost or the Hybrid).

 

I've been with Ford products since 1993, and no matter where I purchased them, there has always been a Ford Dealership (to service my Fords) or a Lincoln Dealership (to service my six [yes SIX] Lincoln's) nearby for my servicing.

[Rusty Boltz]

I've been having my MKZ serviced at the local Ford dealer because the L/M dealer went out of business during the recession, and the next nearest Lincoln dealer is too far away.

 

Did you see any aliens when you were in Roswell?

[robertlane]

I was in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and saw 4-5 as they stand right out.  However, around here in Dearborn they are plentiful, so it's hard to gauge.  

 

Is Central Florida Lincoln in Longwood/Lake Mary on 17-92?

[ctrcbob]

The dealer in Longwood (formerly Longwood Lincoln) is now Parks Lincoln.

I won't buy from Parks as their "Manager" "Joe K" tried to pull a fast one on me and I will not buy from them as long as he is employed there. I told him, pointing to my forehead, "it don't say stupid up here"!

 

Central Florida Lincoln is on Hwy-50, Colonial Blvd.

[ctrcbob]

I've been having my MKZ serviced at the local Ford dealer because the L/M dealer went out of business during the recession, and the next nearest Lincoln dealer is too far away.

 

Did you see any aliens when you were in Roswell?

Old shipmate owns an Alien Shop.

 

I see you are from Fort Worth. I love driving from Denton (or Bridgeport) on US-380 all the way into Roswell. I always go this way when I have the time.

[Rusty Boltz]

Old shipmate owns an Alien Shop.

 

I see you are from Fort Worth. I love driving from Denton (or Bridgeport) on US-380 all the way into Roswell. I always go this way when I have the time.

I drove Fort Worth-Snyder-Carlsbad-Artesia-Cloudcroft-Silver City-Show Low, AZ(route 191, formerly 666 "Devil's backbone") this past June on my way to Flagstaff, AZ for a sports car event.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Rusty Boltz

[SteveB_TX]

I just got back from a 1400 mile round-trip to Tennessee from Texas.  I only saw one (1) new MKZ on the road.  There were a bunch of new Fusions/Fusion hybrids out and about.  The nice thing was I got a lot of admiring looks from passers-by on the highway as well as around the little town I was visiting.  A couple of my friends there had never seen one except in commercials, and were drooling over themselves as I gave them a tour of the car.  :)

[Robert Iggy Cerami]

Steve B.. living in So. Calif were cars are everywhere I have seen only 4 on the road since May ... 

[drolds1]

Steve B.. living in So. Calif were cars are everywhere I have seen only 4 on the road since May ... 

Car sales sometimes tend to be regional.  I've seen 3 or 4 in the past week around here.  Year over year MKZ sales are up despite the launch problems which resulted in almost no deliveries in January and Februrary.  Total sales for 2013 will still probably set a record.

[ctrcbob]

I'm going to get the oil changed in my 2011 either friday or early next week. Not yet sure where I will get it changed.

 

If I get it changed at Central Florida Lincoln, about 25 miles from me, I will look over the MKZ's he has in stock, both 2013 and 2014's. Will see what they have to offer on a deal.

 

If I get it changed at my local Ford dealer, about 2 miles from me, I know they will want to get me into a Fusion, however the Titanium is a 2 liter ecoboost, and not offered in a V6. Also the gas milage of the 2.0 ecoboost highway (and city) is no different than my 2013 Avalon V6. Also, I noticed that some Ford dealers in the area, (not my closest one) has "plug-in hybrids" in stock. I've never seen a plug-in hybrid. Very high cost but I'm just wondering if the engine cuts in a charges the battery, the same as a regular hybrid once the charge is depleted from charging at home. I may ask, just for the heck of it.

 

I would much rather have the V6.

[timf]

The plug-in Fusion works exactly the same as a normal hybrid once the charge runs out. There is only one battery, but it is virtually divided into two parts. The plug-in section never gets charged by the engine, but if you regenerate beyond the capacity of the hybrid portion, on a long downhill for instance, you can charge the plug-in portion as well. If you can find a remaining 2013 they are practically giving them away, but the lease payment on a 2014 worked out to about $100 more per month compared to a similarly equipped MKZ.

 

Living in the Detroit area really gives a skewed impression of the popularity of Lincoln. They are everywhere, and the big dealers have several hundred MKZs in stock. It's funny to hear how rare they are elsewhere.

[ctrcbob]

Went to the largest (only) Lincoln Dealer in Orlando on Colonial Drive, for my oil and filter change today. This is my wife's car and only 3500 miles since the last oil change exactly one year ago.

 

Here is what surprised me. Very few, if any, customers at the dealership. Only saw one other guy in for service and only one woman shopping for a car. I figured that on Black Friday, there would be long lines waiting for service and a lot of people looking to buy. (See below)

 

When I left there, I decided to visit a friend who is a technician at the Hyundai Dealership, just a mile away on Colonial. What a surprise. The sales area was packed and the Service Department was also loaded with customers having their cars serviced.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ford/Lincoln is making a mistake removing Lincoln from former Ford/Lincoln dealerships. Now there are too few Lincoln dealers. With the five Lincoln's I've owned, (two 1998 Continentals, a 2002 Continental, a 2007 MKZ and our present 2011 MKZ) I always had a choice of many dealers, but not anymore.

[JediBoyTJ]

The dealer near me in South Florida is still a Ford/Lincoln Dealer (Pompano Ford/Lincoln). It used to be a Lincoln/Mercury only dealership until a few years ago when it merged with the Ford dealer that was down the road (I want to say this was around the automotive recession/government bailout time). This dealership is almost always busy with tons of Lincoln traffic.

 

I remember reading an article from around that same time that was requiring stand alone Lincoln franchise dealers to pay for over $1 Million in renovations for "upgrades" to bring the service level up to par with other luxury brands, or merge with a Ford dealer. I'm guessing there was more of an incentive for dealers to merge rather than pay for these upgrades considering Lincolns sales figures (at the time) were quite low, and dealers were uncertain about their fate. I know a lot of Lincoln dealers down here were lost in the early/mid 2000s already, so the remaining were probably quite nervous about Fords requirements. Also considering the fact that most Lincoln dealerships were "Lincoln/Mercury" dealerships, and after Mercurys demise in 2011, most were down to only 1 car brand when they were used to getting sales and incentives for two.

 

I can understand why they probably want to split them, to be able to truly separate the two brands.  Most of the Cadillac dealers that I know of are either stand alone ones, or combined with other higher end/premium brands. There aren't too many "Chevy/Cadillac" dealers that I know of. I know they exist, but I know I see more "Ford/Lincoln" dealers. I also see the benefit of a Ford/Lincoln combined dealer, as it gives someone who might be looking at a higher end Ford the chance to really see a Lincoln without going all the way to a different dealership. Especially since now Lincoln is really starting to stand out from the pack and become more competitive.

[ctrcbob]

When I was on Roswell NM last month, Roswell Ford and Roswell Lincoln were still together in the same building. While in Pensacola FL, the Lincoln Dealer was stand alone, across from the Ford Dealer. Up in Rochester NY where I often go, Cortese Lincoln is right next door from Cortese Ford. Completely separate buildings. I know of other Ford/Lincoln dealerships both in Western New York and in Florida that had to drop Lincoln. IMHO, it's a shame as it gives me less dealer choice.

[ctrcbob]

Went to the largest (only) Lincoln Dealer in Orlando on Colonial Drive, for my oil and filter change today. This is my wife's car and only 3500 miles since the last oil change exactly one year ago.

Here is what surprised me. Very few, if any, customers at the dealership. Only saw one other guy in for service and only one woman shopping for a car. I figured that on Black Friday, there would be long lines waiting for service and a lot of people looking to buy. (See below)

When I left there, I decided to visit a friend who is a technician at the Hyundai Dealership, just a mile away on Colonial. What a surprise. The sales area was packed and the Service Department was also loaded with customers having their cars serviced.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ford/Lincoln is making a mistake removing Lincoln from former Ford/Lincoln dealerships. Now there are too few Lincoln dealers. With the five Lincoln's I've owned, (two 1998 Continentals, a 2002 Continental, a 2007 MKZ and our present 2011 MKZ) I always had a choice of many dealers, but not anymore.

Stopped off at my local Ford Dealer yesterday only because I had one of those "worthless" mailers saying "match the numbers and you win". I knew I would not get anything other than a "scratch off" ticket. (I thought the scratch off would be for Lotto, but WRONG, it's from the ticket promoter).

 

Well back to the point. Their Service Department was dead. Techs only servicing a couple cars. As for the Sales Department, yes, there were a VERY few customers there, but only because of the mail in promotion. Salespeople were standing outside like a bunch of vultures. Well, while there, t thought I'd ask about the Fusion Hybrid Energi. This is the plug in hybrid. Not that I wanted to buy, I just wanted to look and to see how it switches from plug in battery power to hybrid battery and what the 120v (and 240v) plugs look like. I may as well have been talking Greek. The salesperson did not have a clue. (Dealer in Apopka has a few and next time I'm in the area, I will stop there just to see how the Hybrid Energi differs vice the regular Hybrid).

[Rusty Boltz]

If Lincoln wants to attract the luxury car buyer, they will have to provide the level of service luxury buyers expect.

 

Several years ago, I was having my Grand Marquis serviced at the local L/M dealer, and was impressed with the service. When I traded that car for a Caddy, the Caddy dealer was also providing a superior level of service, but the car turned out to be unreliable. I traded it for my current MKZ. Since the aforementioned L/M dealer went out of business, I was getting the MKZ serviced at the local Ford dealer. The service was good, but not up to luxury car standards. Last week, I took the car to the nearest Lincoln dealer for service (farther away than Ford). I was very pleased with the service, and will continue to take the car there in the future.

[robertlane]

The plug-in Fusion works exactly the same as a normal hybrid once the charge runs out. There is only one battery, but it is virtually divided into two parts. The plug-in section never gets charged by the engine, but if you regenerate beyond the capacity of the hybrid portion, on a long downhill for instance, you can charge the plug-in portion as well. If you can find a remaining 2013 they are practically giving them away, but the lease payment on a 2014 worked out to about $100 more per month compared to a similarly equipped MKZ.

 

Living in the Detroit area really gives a skewed impression of the popularity of Lincoln. They are everywhere, and the big dealers have several hundred MKZs in stock. It's funny to hear how rare they are elsewhere.

 

^ Isn't that the truth.  Living in Dearborn, one would conclude that Lincoln OWNS the premium market.  I do travel quite a bit and have seen more MKZs on the road, which is really great for Lincoln.  Plus, the MKZ looks awesome.

[michaelinokc]

The Lincoln dealer in nearby El Reno, Oklahoma sells Fords and Lincolns and has an excellent selection of 2013 and 2014 MKZ's.  I looked at a used 2007 there while shopping for mine.

[william]

I visited the Greenville SC dealer beforevI traded my Acura in. I was very leary about the dealer service experience but after my trip on Friday to get my other key fixed I took a deep breath and expected the worst. It was to my suprise on par with Acura. Having a service advisor exclusive for Lincoln owners made the experience actually pleasant.

[Rusty Boltz]

Another Lincoln dealer has opened shop near me. I took the MKZ in for service, and was pleased (except for them trying to sell more service than was needed).

[AZ MKZ h]

It's great having a car that's not seen every day, all day and looks like every other car.  Several Lincoln Dealerships around the Phoenix market, yet few MKZ's spotted around town.  I wondered about the slow sales but liked the car to much to pass it up.  In local areas, I spot only 3-4 and on a recent trip to So. CA, I think I only spotted two; does that make us "special".  

[william]

I agree, I have only seen one on the road here in Greenville. I stopped at the grocery store the other day and as I was walking to the door a lady asked me kind of car I was driving and her reaction when I told her it was a Lincoln was priceless. They are very special cars.

[JoeBrown]

I agree, I have only seen one on the road here in Greenville. I stopped at the grocery store the other day and as I was walking to the door a lady asked me kind of car I was driving and her reaction when I told her it was a Lincoln was priceless. They are very special cars.

 

I've been getting the same reaction. I'm a bit used to it because I got the same reaction back when I bought my 2000 Lincoln LS. That was a special car also.