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Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ

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

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#56 of 2865 by revdrluv May 10, 2004 (8:30 am)
One could argue that most things built during the 70's are rustbucket junk.   The reason there are no Maximas in Tokyo has a lot more to do with size then dealership cost. For Europe it's the same way. Not only would it be a pain to navigate and park a car of that size on the narrow roads of those congested cities, but they don't get the cheap gas that we do. The other big reason is the way in which both japanese and european governments tax automobiles every which way to sunday. Size, width, displacement, etc... You end up paying an outrageous amount every year just to run a big car. That's why the trend in other markets is to sell small cars with lots of room inside.   Also if you make the exchange rate between what a car cost in Japan/Europe vs what they cost here the difference is alarming. Not only is our gas amazingly cheap by comparison, but so are our cars. The reason we have lower prices has a lot to do with how many cars we buy and how long we keep them for (not very).   But back to the Zephyr. How big is this car? It seems to me that with it's engine and fwd layout it would be competing with cars like the TSX, S40 and upcoming SAAB 9-2x.
#57 of 2865 by kirstie_h HOST May 10, 2004 (2:22 pm)
A bunch of off-topic posts have been removed. If you want to discuss import v domestic, UAW v non-UAW, the News & Views board is a great place to hold that conversation. This discussion is specifically for speculation and info about the Lincoln Zephyr. Thanks!
#58 of 2865 ??? by exalteddragon1 May 12, 2004 (9:37 am)
"Also if you make the exchange rate between what a car cost in Japan/Europe vs what they cost here the difference is alarming. Not only is our gas amazingly cheap by comparison, but so are our cars. The reason we have lower prices has a lot to do with how many cars we buy and how long we keep them for (not very)."   Whether a car is made here or in japan, it gets the same rate for gas per gallon. I don't see your logic. The conditions today make it more profitable to produce cars outside the us, that's all. The companies that are in the us do not deal with unions... ohh, check some other posts.   The point is, if the Zephyr were made in Japan under the same budget, it would have a beter engine, more featurs and wind up costing less and bieng a more profitable vehicle to boot. If you don't believe this, please check market share data for the past 10 years.
#59 of 2865 by ANT14 May 12, 2004 (9:42 am)
Well yes, mainly because of the favorable exchange rate between the Yen and Dollar. The Japanese government purposely over-inflates the yen, so their businesses are more profittable abroad.   If need be, the Zephyr could be produces in Japan since it shared quite a bit with the Mazda6. Although that would tick off the UAW, and consumer's who are expecting "American luxury" from Lincoln....
#60 of 2865 Not Quite On The Mark by grglv May 12, 2004 (3:48 pm)
If this car is to compete with the G35, BMW 330, and Lexus ES, then it is unlikely to be overly successfull. These cars are all RWD, and have a performance minded luxury design. The Lincoln Zephyr is nice, but a front wheel drive car is going to have performance issues with the horsepower the competition provides. The TL is a good example of this, and even though it can handle its 270 horses well, every review, and my test drive, found that the FWD set up is more of a struggle in cornering and can cause wheel hop when accelerating.   If reports are correct and this is based on the Mazda 6 platform, then this should probably use the Mazda Speed 6 platform which is rumored to be 4WD and have a greater performance edge.   I wish Lincoln well, but the car formula as reported is not compelling and certainly doesn't live up to the aspirational icon of the Zephyrs of old. For similar, uninspiring models see the entry level car from Ford's other luxury division Jaguar, and expect similar sales figures after the charm of a new introduction wears off in a few months.

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