Gunny Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Hi everyone! Well Ive been searching for a new car and plan to buy one within the next year. I'm mainly here for research to aid in my decision. My first Lincoln was a 1997 Mark VIII that I bought in 2002 and owned for 13 glorious years. What a wonderful car that was! I put over 100k miles on it , a good portion of which were at the 1/4 mile drag strip. Absolutely loved that car, but decided to sell a couple years after I bought one of my dream cars, a Jaguar XK-R. That thing was a beast, a luxurious beast. Unfortunately due to the way some people drive, it was totaled a couple years ago, so I got me an AWD Mercedes C300. I tell you all this so you can get a picture of what I like in a car, luxury and power, and I guess I'm getting older because they are now about even on the importance meter. I had some criteria in my car search: Fast, luxury, 4 door (it hurts to say that), AWD, good looks, and a decent aftermarket (I can't leave anything stock). I've been able to narrow my search from 17 cars down to 2, the 2017+ 3.0T MKZ and the Aplha Romero Guilia. Alot of the cars were eliminated due to reevaluating how much I wanted to spend. I was reminded I have 2 highschool kids, both of which will need a car, and college, in the near future, so max price dropped to around $30k. I look forward to poking around the forum and soaking up as much knowledge as I can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multitask Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) Are you looking at just power, i.e. would a hybrid fit? The specs and what I've seen others post about the 3.0 TT (2017 plus) seems a good fit there... I have the 2020 MKZ Hybrid, and I get about 40 average, but have seen as high as 50 a couple times.... It is quick, but I'm sure not as quick as the 3.0TT as far as what you can do to it... I don't see too much in aftermarket stuff for the Lincolns... more the Fords ... Edited June 30, 2020 by Multitask Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I love my 2017 especially when it comes to power. It's great value to get 400hp/400tq for less than 30k, I'm not sure you can find that in any other car made in the last 3 years. A tune can add an easy another 75HP on top of that Gunny and Robert Iggy Cerami 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Iggy Cerami Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 36 minutes ago, Gunny said: Hi everyone! Well Ive been searching for a new car and plan to buy one within the next year. I'm mainly here for research to aid in my decision. My first Lincoln was a 1997 Mark VIII that I bought in 2002 and owned for 13 glorious years. What a wonderful car that was! I put over 100k miles on it , a good portion of which were at the 1/4 mile drag strip. Absolutely loved that car, but decided to sell a couple years after I bought one of my dream cars, a Jaguar XK-R. That thing was a beast, a luxurious beast. Unfortunately due to the way some people drive, it was totaled a couple years ago, so I got me an AWD Mercedes C300. I tell you all this so you can get a picture of what I like in a car, luxury and power, and I guess I'm getting older because they are now about even on the importance meter. I had some criteria in my car search: Fast, luxury, 4 door (it hurts to say that), AWD, good looks, and a decent aftermarket (I can't leave anything stock). I've been able to narrow my search from 17 cars down to 2, the 2017+ 3.0T MKZ and the Aplha Romero Guilia. Alot of the cars were eliminated due to reevaluating how much I wanted to spend. I was reminded I have 2 highschool kids, both of which will need a car, and college, in the near future, so max price dropped to around $30k. I look forward to poking around the forum and soaking up as much knowledge as I can! Gunny, I have leased 4 MKZs since 2013.. First one was a Hybrid, great car comfort, great ride quality and great mileage... But not for me need more power on my long rode trips through the back roads of the South West.. After that is was all 3.7 FWD and two 3.0 AWD... I would get the Lincoln over the Alfa.. The MKZ as been around longer and more reliable also if you have any issues Ford/Lincoln dealers are easier to find then an Alfa dealer .. Before I switched to Lincoln I drove Mercedes for over 30 years, mostly big German land yachts.. Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Multitask said: Are you looking at just power, i.e. would a hybrid fit? The specs and what I've seen others post about the 3.0 TT (2017 plus) seems a good fit there... I have the 2020 MKZ Hybrid, and I get about 40 average, but have seen as high as 50 a couple times.... It is quick, but I'm sure not as quick as the 3.0TT as far as what you can do to it... I don't see too much in aftermarket stuff for the Lincolns... more the Fords ... Multitask, I could care less about economy, anything over 20 MPG is good enough for me lol. It's not even on my list of "must haves". I do appreciate your input though, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 33 minutes ago, Robert Iggy Cerami said: Gunny, I have leased 4 MKZs since 2013.. First one was a Hybrid, great car comfort, great ride quality and great mileage... But not for me need more power on my long rode trips through the back roads of the South West.. After that is was all 3.7 FWD and two 3.0 AWD... I would get the Lincoln over the Alfa.. The MKZ as been around longer and more reliable also if you have any issues Ford/Lincoln dealers are easier to find then an Alfa dealer .. Before I switched to Lincoln I drove Mercedes for over 30 years, mostly big German land yachts.. Robert, appreciate the input! Very valid points, but the Alfa dealer is actually closer to home than the Lincoln lol! But seriously, the reliability is a concern when it comes to the alpha, not sure how much of a concern, but its there. People told me the same thing about Jaguars too (unreliable, electrical gremlins, etc) but in 4 years I never had a problem. I get what your saying though! Thanks! Robert Iggy Cerami 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 40 minutes ago, Blackhawk said: I love my 2017 especially when it comes to power. It's great value to get 400hp/400tq for less than 30k, I'm not sure you can find that in any other car made in the last 3 years. A tune can add an easy another 75HP on top of that Blackhawk, I've seen guys with just a Livernoise tune run mid 12's in the 1/4... That's what I'm talking about!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 3 minutes ago, Gunny said: Blackhawk, I've seen guys with just a Livernoise tune run mid 12's in the 1/4... That's what I'm talking about!!! I've only gotten mine to 12.7 with my tune from Unleashed performance so far but I haven't had much time at the track. I think the fastest is 12.06 right now. I'm going to be picking up a bigger front mount intercooler soon. Most of the mods for the Fusion Sport work, a lot of good info on https://www.fusionsportforums.com/ The car is a blast to drive, I've always loved sleepers. It surprises the heck out of people on the street and at the track. Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multitask Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Gunny said: Robert, appreciate the input! Very valid points, but the Alfa dealer is actually closer to home than the Lincoln lol! But seriously, the reliability is a concern when it comes to the alpha, not sure how much of a concern, but its there. People told me the same thing about Jaguars too (unreliable, electrical gremlins, etc) but in 4 years I never had a problem. I get what your saying though! Thanks! While I like the looks of the Alfa, they are known for having issues with the earlier models... so I don't know if that still applies. When Jag was brit, I think they had issues... then Ford owned them, now it's Tata? So if you owned them when it was Ford, maybe that is why you didn't have issues. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 it was a 2007, so after the Ford years. Man did I love that car! It was a "deployment gift" to myself when I got back from Afghanistan. Flew from NC to Salt Lake City to buy it then took 3 days drive it back across the country. She got destroyed on Feb 23rd, 2018. Robert Iggy Cerami 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Iggy Cerami Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Sweet ride... the R badge says it all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) Hi Gunny. Welcome to the Lincoln MKZ Forum and nice Jag! I own a 2018 MKZ Reserve, 3.0T AWD. Love the car and think you would love it too. While Alfas have improved on the reliability end and are better than they used to be, they are still more trouble prone than the average car. Beautiful design, but trouble prone. I will leave the aftermarket tuning and other modifications for others to advise you, as I no longer tinker with my cars like that. I like my factory and extended warranties to stay intact If you find a nice used one, you can not go wrong with an MKZ 3.0T. We have a good bunch of members here. Hope you find a nice 3.0T and stick around. Keep us updated and good luck. Edited June 30, 2020 by bbf2530 Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusionff Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Man, do I love my MKZ, and for some reason the gas pedal seems to go down so damn easy...? If you end up geting a 17 or 18, make sure the car has the Drivers Package, which includes Torque Vectoring. I believe it became standard equipment with the 3.0 (fun) engine in 2019, or was it 2020?, I can't remember. Anyway, happy hunting, and Welcome Aboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multitask Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 3 hours ago, Gunny said: it was a 2007, so after the Ford years. Man did I love that car! It was a "deployment gift" to myself when I got back from Afghanistan. Flew from NC to Salt Lake City to buy it then took 3 days drive it back across the country. She got destroyed on Feb 23rd, 2018. So the Brit version... I think FOrd had them in the 2010-15 range... I think... Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) 19 hours ago, Gunny said: it was a 2007, so after the Ford years. Man did I love that car! It was a "deployment gift" to myself when I got back from Afghanistan. Flew from NC to Salt Lake City to buy it then took 3 days drive it back across the country. She got destroyed on Feb 23rd, 2018. Ford Owned Jaguar from 1990 to 2008. Hi Gunny. Just as an FYI: Ford owned Jaguar from 1990 to 2008. So your 2007 was produced at the tail end of the Ford years. And I really think you will like the AWD 3.0T MKZ. Just follow fusionff's advice and make sure you get an AWD with the Drivers Package. As fusionff mentioned, the Drivers Package was optional on the 2017-2018 AWD 3.0T's. Then most of the important elements of the Drivers Package (i.e. Torque Vectoring) became standard on the 2019-2020 AWD 3.0T's. Good luck. Edited July 1, 2020 by bbf2530 Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Can you tell by the VIN if it has the Driver's Package, or do you have to go by the visible parts of the options (painted grill, 10 spoke wheels, black interior w/ white accents, etc)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Gunny said: Can you tell by the VIN if it has the Driver's Package, or do you have to go by the visible parts of the options (painted grill, 10 spoke wheels, black interior w/ white accents, etc)? Hi Gunny. If you post a VIN, I can pull up the as-built information for you. To answer your question, sort of: Well, it is possible to go by the visible parts. However, it becomes complicated, and I have some time, so I will post a very confusing explanation. ? You can not necessarily use the Magnetic painted grill/10 spoke wheels/black and white accent seats (and black painted brake calipers etc.) being there, or missing, as definitive indicators of a Drivers Package equipped MKZ, since some of those items were available as individual options/option packages in 2017-2018 model years (i.e. an available "Magnetic Package" gave you the painted grill and wheels). And some of those items were not available at all on the 2019-2020 (e.g. the black w/white trim seats, black painted brake calipers). So essentially...there are 2017-2018's with Magnetic painted grills and 10 spoke wheels that do not have the Drivers Package. However, if it also has the black w/white seats then it should have the Drivers Package (unless the owner swapped in the DP seats later). ? And there are 2019-2020 models without black w/white trim seats that do have the under the skin "Drivers Package" parts. This is because...although the Drivers Package was discontinued with the 2019 model year, any 2019-2020 3.0T AWD MKZ has the important under the skin parts of the old Drivers Package (i.e. Torque Vectoring etc). Those are just some of the possibilities and part of the confusing parts. ? Good luck. Edited July 2, 2020 by bbf2530 Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Well that makes it a lot harder to figure out. When the time comes to select a car, I will keep your offer in mind! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 6 minutes ago, Gunny said: Well that makes it a lot harder to figure out. When the time comes to select a car, I will keep your offer in mind! Thank you! Hi Gunny. I added some confusion to my previous post at the same time you were posting your last reply. So take a look. ? I am happy to help with the VIN, so feel free to post back. Good luck Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Is it the same as the Driver Sport Package, a $3395.00 option in 2017? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Gunny said: Is it the same as the Driver Sport Package, a $3395.00 option in 2017? Hi Gunny. Yes. That was a nice, simple question with a nice, simple answer. ? "Drivers Sport Package" for 2017 model year. "Drivers Package" for 2018 model year. Neither of those "packages" available in 2019-2020 model years. The torque vectoring was simply made standard equipment on all 3.0T AWD MKZ's. But many of the visible features (i.e. black and white seats, black brake calipers etc) were no longer available. Good luck. Edited July 2, 2020 by bbf2530 Gunny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Thanks brother, very helpful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 You are very welcome Gunny. And feel free to post back with VIN's for any verification you may need. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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