Twin Turbo

[DavidTX]

I am considering buying a new 18 or 19 (when available) MKZ two wheel drive twin turbo 6. Need advice/comments on the engine and verification that regular gas is recommended. Currently have a CTS coupe with 3.6 engine, will keep it as a daily driver. 

[bbf2530]

6 minutes ago, DavidTX said:

I am considering buying a new 18 or 19 (when available) MKZ two wheel drive twin turbo 6. Need advice/comments on the engine and verification that regular gas is recommended. Currently have a CTS coupe with 3.6 engine, will keep it as a daily driver. 

Hi David. Welcome to the Lincoln MKZ forum! Everyone is very helpful here and you certainly can't go wrong with a new 2018 or 2019 MKZ.

Regular fuel with a minimum 87 octane rating can be used. Full horsepower/torque (350/400) are only achieved with premium, 93 octane fuel.

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have and good luck.

[drolds1]

Welcome, David.  The FWD version of the 3.0TT is slightly detuned, so my observations may not apply.  I have a 2017 with the AWD version.  As bbf2530 has pointed out, regular fuel is fine for normal use but you will lose some hp. In the case of the 400hp version, the loss is about 20hp.  IDK what that figure is for the 350hp version.   I find that the car just does not respond as well on regular when heavy acceleration is called for (often with this car?),especially in hot weather.  This engine setup is very sensitive to heat and it produces a lot.  Note also that fuel economy may be lower on regular, as the ECU pulls timing to avoid detonation.

Also, my own personal opinion, for which you didn't ask, is that I'd be a little leery about putting that much hp and torque through the front wheels. only.

 

Good luck whatever you choose.  I don't know if you're interested in the Driver's Sport Package but it's no longer available for the 2019MY.  Some of the components of it can be still be ordered but not all on the FWD version.

[bbf2530]

3 hours ago, bbf2530 said:

Hi David. Welcome to the Lincoln MKZ forum! Everyone is very helpful here and you certainly can't go wrong with a new 2018 or 2019 MKZ.

Regular fuel with a minimum 87 octane rating can be used. Full horsepower/torque (350/400) are only achieved with premium, 93 octane fuel.

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have and good luck.

Hi again David. Thought I would add my agreement to what drolds stated above. I have a 2018 3.0T AWD. It has been written quite a bit how the torque steer on the 3.0T FWD only version is quite pronounced, as far as torque steer goes when putting 350 HP through only the front wheels.

Probably not an issue if you rarely/never drive above 7/10 th's or so, but would be an issue in more spirited driving. And obviously would be a factor in foul weather driving. Not sure off the top of my head how much snow you get in your area of Texas, but the AWD version would definitely make rainy weather driving a bit easier.

Just an observation through personal experience: I did not order AWD in my previous MKZ (3.5L V-6 with 263 HP). However, I specifically ordered the AWD version in the 400 HP, 3.0T 2018, knowing that even the detuned 350 HP could overpower the FWD version.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[longislander]

I have the 3.0T with AWD, but a Select trim with 18-inch wheels and no Driver's Package. I was a little hesitant that the engine would overpower the "base" chassis setup (without the Torque Vectoring, sport suspension, etc.) but have had no issues.

Edited July 31, 2018 by longislander

[DavidTX]

I really appreciate all the very pertinent information provided by all. We rarely have any snow here in central TX. Unfortunately I have been unable to find a 2018 with twin turbos tdrive in either FWD or AWD MKZ at any Lincoln dealer within 100 miles.

[MKZMark]

My dealer in Delaware has one 3.0AWD in stock, a Reserve with almost no options for $44K. Good deal except I'd want the Revel sound system.

[bbf2530]

58 minutes ago, DavidTX said:

I really appreciate all the very pertinent information provided by all. We rarely have any snow here in central TX. Unfortunately I have been unable to find a 2018 with twin turbos tdrive in either FWD or AWD MKZ at any Lincoln dealer within 100 miles.

Hi David. Yes, it is the end of the 2018 model year, so pickings will be slim, especially for examples considered to be higher-end, like the 3.0T models. And very few Dealerships, if any, will trade for a car from another Dealership just so a customer can test drive it.  You may have to travel out of your comfort zone to test drive one. Or test drive the 2.0T model for a basic idea of the cars normal everyday ride and handling. The 3.0T will feel essentially the same in normal everyday ride and handling, except much more powerful, and much smoother, engine wise when pushed a little or a lot.

The 5 Lincoln Dealers in what I consider to be my close-enough-to-reasonably-drive area, each have 1-3, 2018 MKZ 3.0T models each.  But my location is certainly too far for you.

that being said, you may want to try to find a 2018, if you can find a 2018 that fits your needs. The availability of the 2019 3.0T is limited to the top of the line Premier II trim.  And availability will be even more limited. Personally, I always special order my cars so that I can get exactly what I want, with no compromises on trim, options, colors etc. In addition, your car will not have been sitting on a lot for months and test driven by god knows who. Just a thought.

Keep us updated and good luck.