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Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ

3018 messages,  Last post on Feb 22, 2013 at 11:54 AM

You are in the Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ Forum.

What is this discussion about? Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, Sedan

Messages Page 287 of 303

#2856 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [gregg_vw] by savetheland

Nov 30, 2009 (12:49 am)

Replying to: gregg_vw (Nov 29, 2009 5:57 pm)
Gimmick or not but MKZs are going to be sold at discount because it is not what truly luxury buyers expect. There is already $2000 cash back in CA. I checked - Acura TSX and Audi A4 do not have any discounts. Lincoln basically became a blue collar luxury brands. That means that buyer do not care much about service, amenities or prestige. They just want more comfortable and nicer trimmed Ford with different look. But that was Mission Mercury until recently. Until recently Lincoln was considered luxury marque above Mercury, but not anymore, now Lincoln is a replacement for Mercury.
 
BTW there is link to article about LM dealerships going away:
 
http://www.fomoconews.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3769
 
Below are some excerpts from article:
 
...Since Ford's dealership reduction efforts began in 2006, the number of stand-alone Lincoln-Mercury dealerships is down more than 42 percent. The biggest driver of the reduction has been the push for Lincoln-Mercury and Ford stores to merge in metro markets, something the automaker previously discouraged.
 
At the beginning of 2009, there were 357 Lincoln-Mercury stores in the United States, down from 619 three years prior.
 
Ford CEO Alan Mulally talked about the future of Lincoln and the stand-alone Lincoln-Mercury dealership with Associate Publisher Peter Brown, Editor Jason Stein and Staff Reporter Amy Wilson...
 
...I'll share a recent experience: I was driving a Lincoln MKS and visiting a stand-alone Ford store, and I was sitting in the car in front of the showroom for a few minutes. There was a salesman outside on the sidewalk right in front of this Lincoln MKS, and he starts talking it up to a customer, but then the punch line was: “Well, this is pretty much the same as the Taurus, the Taurus actually looks even better. I have the Taurus around the side, and it costs $10,000 less. Come look at the Taurus.”
 
That wasn't a Ford-Lincoln-Mercury store, but that salesman saw that Lincoln and he jumped right on it to use it as a sales tool.
 
"I understand. And the answer clearly is the brand promise. Maybe in the past, there hasn't been as much differentiation between a Lincoln and a Ford. But clearly with what we're doing going forward, that Lincoln product is going to be a more of a luxury brand promise. The whole bar's moving up because the Ford vehicles are getting better and all the luxury brands are getting better."
 
But part of the brand promise is the experience at the dealership.
 
"Most people that dual have an enhanced experience with the dealership, too, with the service. If you go to the ones that are really successful with that, they really provide the extra attention and care that the Lincoln buyers really expect and really value."
 
But you have to get them to buy the Lincolns first. And if the sales guy thinks it's easier to sell him the Ford, you're going to sell fewer Lincolns, won't you?
 
"I know your one example. But we've got a lot of people that are buying Lincolns, and they love Lincolns. The people that have dualed stores know they want to have an experience that fits the vehicle that they're selling, so they'll do it to be successful. They'll have two different experiences."...

#2857 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [savetheland] by akirby

Nov 30, 2009 (7:13 am)

Replying to: savetheland (Nov 30, 2009 12:49 am)
You still didn't point out why the Fusion key was "crappy". Frankly as long as it works all the time I don't see why it has to be different. There is only so much design and functionality you can put it in keyfob.
 
Why doesn't the MKZ have keyless go? Same reason it shares doors and a roof with the Fusion. It wouldn't surprise me if they added it for 2010, but either way it will be there when Ford has the resources to commit to it.
 
Which do you think is more important for Ford right now
 
minor details like keyless go on the MKZ and a new RWD platform that might sell 50K/yr
 
OR
 
A new Fiesta, Euro Focus and unibody Explorer that will combine for 200k-300k units and protect Ford from future high gas prices?
 
Ford wants to do what you want them to do but it will take years to get there. You seem to think they can just wave a magic wand and fix everything all at once.

#2858 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [akirby] by savetheland

Nov 30, 2009 (6:30 pm)

Replying to: akirby (Nov 30, 2009 7:13 am)
Still Ford did not have problem committing resources to Jaguar which never brought adime of profit to Ford.
 
Regarding keyfob - what is this:
 

 

#2859 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [savetheland] by akirby

Nov 30, 2009 (10:35 pm)

Replying to: savetheland (Nov 30, 2009 6:30 pm)
In case you forgot, Mulally sold Jaguar as soon as he arrived. They're putting the money into Ford first, then Lincoln, then Mercury. Without a thriving Ford there won't be a Lincoln but you don't seem to understand that.
 
As for the keyfob - looks like any other keyfob to me. What's wrong with it?

#2860 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [akirby] by savetheland

Dec 01, 2009 (9:56 am)

Replying to: akirby (Nov 30, 2009 10:35 pm)
Photo is from Lincoln MKZ website. It says "Remote keyless entry system with trunk release (fob integrated into key)". It does not look like Ford Fusion key or like a key at all, so my question was does MKZ has keyless push button start or not. Of course if someone actually bought or test driven MKZ. On the other side in MKZ review in autoblog or Jalopnik they were complaining that MKZ uses same low price key-fob from Fusion.

#2861 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [savetheland] by brucelinc

Dec 01, 2009 (7:26 pm)

Replying to: savetheland (Dec 01, 2009 9:56 am)
I drove a 2010 MKZ Ultimate last spring and it had a conventional key - like a Fusion. The fob in the picture looks like the MKS fob. I am not saying that push button start isn't part of some package for an MKZ but their website sure does not indicate that it is.

#2862 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [brucelinc] by savetheland

Dec 01, 2009 (8:11 pm)

Replying to: brucelinc (Dec 01, 2009 7:26 pm)
It is MKZ fob because it is featured on MKZ webpage on lincolnvehicles.com. The other option may be that key itself is hidden in fob (like swiss knife). In this case Lincoln does not have start button. Using the same key as in Fusion is a mistake. People who buy luxury cars pay attention to details. Every detail has exude luxury. Unfortunately too many details in MKZ indicate that it is not truly luxury brand.
 
BTW I compared new Buick LaCrosse and MKZ and LaCrosse feels more luxury car than MKZ for less money. MKZ might be in trouble unless Ford reduces the price. LaCrosse exterior and interior execution is perfection rivaling Lexus ES. Trunk is small though and in general car feels too Asian for me. I do not like Asian cars but most American prefer Asian style to anything else. So I do not know how MKZ is going to compete other than discounting car.

#2863 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [savetheland] by gregg_vw

Dec 01, 2009 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: savetheland (Dec 01, 2009 8:11 pm)
All GM core brands were up in sales Nov to Nov. Lincoln continues to be down, and that is very bad, considering how bad Nov 2008 sales were. I give Lincoln credit for trying different things, but they are just not hitting any marks yet. The popularity of the new Cadillac SRX, along with the CTS wagon and the stunning CTS coupe will not help Lincoln (for those who are looking for an American brand). Plus, really, who is going to buy the MKZ after honestly comparing it to the 2010 Lacrosse? Ford is still on a roll (I think), but Lincoln has not managed to do much with the MKS and MKT (and the afterthought MKZ...let's not even mention the MKX...oops I did), and Mercury still being around is starting to look silly.

#2864 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [gregg_vw] by tiger16

Dec 02, 2009 (5:33 am)

Replying to: gregg_vw (Dec 01, 2009 9:39 pm)
Couldn't agree with you more concerning Lincoln (especially the MKZ). I own a Zephyr and I am quite happy with it's durability. I am very disappointed, however, in the 2010 MKZ. I'm sure it's also very durable (Ford is making some pretty reliable cars). Unfortunately, the styling of the 2010 is very forgettable, the interior is sub par for that price group and the car is overpriced. Ford is just not doing enough to make Lincoln truly competive and I'm wondering if Ford's future plan is to do away with Mercury and reduce Lincoln to competing with the Buicks of the world. Even "little' things like the hood prop issue and no heating/cooling vents in the back of the console for rear seat ventilation. These are things that are on ALL its competitors and you take for granted that Lincoln would do the same but, it just doesn't.
The new Consumer's Report is out and a group of cars is tested including the 2010 MKZ. I understand that CR is not the end all be all and is just another review source but, it's interesting that CR's biggest problem with the MKZ was the interior. It said that at the price point of the MKZ, the interior should be nicer and that the interior was nothing more than "middling." The price and the interior are also my two big complaints.
I don't think Lincoln will ever get back to where it was. Over a decade ago, it lost it's way and Ford doesn't seem to be interested in putting it back on the original intended course. I think it is pretty competitive with Buick but, it is no longer competive with Cadillac and it never was competitive with Lexus.

#2865 of 3018 Re: Does MKZ has start push button? [tiger16] by akirby

Dec 02, 2009 (7:02 am)

Replying to: tiger16 (Dec 02, 2009 5:33 am)
Ford doesn't seem to be interested in putting it back on the original intended course.
 
Ford hasn't even begun to rebuild Lincoln. The MKZ, MKS and MKX are all lame ducks. Ford put most of it's limited resources to fixing Ford - the core brand. Without a strong Ford there won't be a Lincoln, and Ford had some serious product holes that are now being filled (Fiesta, Euro Focus, Transit Connect, Unibody explorer, new engines, fusion hybrid, etc.). The new Taurus proves that Ford will be taking Lincoln further upmarket and the MKT is first Lincoln product that really had the benefit of that new strategy.
 
And it would cost a lot more money to shut down Mercury than to just ignore it as they're doing now (no new Sable....). Mercury will continue to be on the back burner until they fix Lincoln. It's just not a priority. OTOH it keeps the stand alone Lincoln/Mercury dealers in business with Milans and Mariners.
 
Anybody that understands business decisions can see what's happening with Lincoln. The future will be bright but it will take a few years to get there. Some people are just impatient.

Messages Page 287 of 303

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