Is Ford's efforts to turnaround Lincoln on the right track?

Do you think Lincoln's new look/models/efforts are working? Are the new Lincoln models that are coming out competitive enough, and on the right track to get to a point where they can compete with Cadillac and the other top luxury brand?

 

Last two cars leased where Lincoln. Love them. Would I say better than Cadillac? No, but at least they are getting close to even. Granted I am not talking about the V series cars. I traded my lease on the MKX to the MKZ ..Nothing down $520 a month for 24 months. They also waved 3k overage in milage. Has all the bells and whistles on the thing.
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Also forgot to point out, I get into this with my friend all the time, trying to compare US cars to European cars. You get what you pay for. I lease a damn 2013 A4 for $515 a month, same as the Lincoln. And its no comparison, the Lincoln blows it away. The options and all. But my old S class or A8 where a lot better. So all I ask is compare price points in each car, and make your decision.

 

Sitting here right now... I can't visualize any current Lincoln model other than the Town Car.

 

And they haven't made the Town Car since 2011...

I have 0 interest in Lincoln at this point. I don't like the styling of the grill on the current car. The rest of the car looks nice but that grill looks like it is trying way too hard. They don't have the product lineup to compete. They need to upgrade the lineup and make some exciting options for people other than blue hairs.

 

No, they're fugly IMO. The MKZ/X/S have always looked like their front grills are made of whale baleen. The MKT is probably in the top three of ugliest cars ever made.

 

The grill seems to be a love or hate thing. I've grown to like it. Slow8, they are expanding their lineup, starting with a new small crossover this summer.

 

So far it all seems like a misguided effort. From where I live they don't sell very well. The Ford edge is far more popular for way less money. It's been a decent car when I've rented one.

They made a Town Car in 2011? WOW! Well that tells you something and it ain't good.

 

Like the look, but ...

They could use a CTS-V competitor, a big car to match the S-Class and 7-Series (Caddy needs this, as well), and a Model S rival, so ...

 

They are so ugly. So ugly.

 

me too, I just had to go to their website to see what they have.

The brand that time forgot.

Seriously what a joke. They let Mercury go down the tubes and Lincoln just stagnate. The only good thing about Mercury was Jill Wagner. Just goes to show how over rated Mullaly's performance has been. Ford is a main course of F-150 and a side order of Mustang. There really is no American Luxury brand right now except Tesla.

Cadillac designs great cars but never builds them. No excuse for not building the Elmiraj right now in the exact same form as it was shown. http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-media/pgmain/img/detroit/photo/2013/08/-35b6074357e7ff20.jpg

Chevy and Jeep are the best they ever have been, fantastic designs and products, along with Tesla. All the others need an overhaul. No excuse for it.

 

I just don't like Lincoln's current naming convention; can't remember which MKZ/T/S/X is which. Almost as stupid as Inifinit naming every model Q. Ford needs to throw money and talent at Lincoln to get it out of near luxury purgatory. Too bad their Continental and MK-R concepts weren't okayed for production.

 

Same here. They look big, heavy and ugly.

 

How about the 'car' part of a car?

I'm guessing the seat heaters on the Audi are far superior....? What is the range? I.e.,MPG x gas tank volume. Does the Lincoln have headlight washers? Does the washer fluid container have 7 quart capacity(as my last A4 did)? Does the Lincoln have seats comfortable for a 500 mile day? Is the visibility superior on the Lincoln? Does the Lincoln corner well, so you are faster on an entrance ramp than 95% of other cars?

These kinds of things.....?

 

ugly ugly ugly

they look to have massively subsidized leases if your looking for a driver

 

The car I have is a 2012 audi A4 primium plus. Vs 2013 lincoln Mks...Here are the two based on the options you are asking.

HEATED SEATS.> AUDI HEATED SEATS ONLY. LINCOLN HEATED AND AC SEATS.
GAS RANGE > AUDI 16.9 GALLON ON AVERAGE OF 23/30 MPG, 92 OCTANE ONLY..LINCOLN 19 GALLON TANK 17/26 MPG , 87 OCTANE ...
HEADLIGHT WASHERS..NONE ON BOTH. (NEVER USED THOSE ANYWAYS ON ANY OF MY OTHER CARS)
SEATS> NO COMPARISION FOR COMPFORT. THEY REALLY DID A GOOD JOB ON THE NEW SEATS ON THE LINCOLN.
VISABILTY> THE LINCOLN IS A BIGGER CAR SO OF COURSE THE VISABILTY WILL BE BETTER. THE REAR WINDOW IS HOW EVER A BIT SMALLER SO NOT AS GOOD AS THE AUDI.
HANDLING. REGULARE MODE AUDI IS BETTER, SPORT MODE THE LINCOLN SPRINGS INTO ACTION.
This is just my thought on having two cars and paying the same car payment. I think its better to let the big boys explain it better regarding the handling of the car. In sport mode the Lincoln comes to life.

Also two big factors for me is the free maintenance with Lincoln vs. Audi where you have to pay. Putting in 87 gas in a v6 vs. 92 for a 4 cylinder car.

Lincoln MKS (2013)

 

Your post tells me they are missing the mark then on styling. Even looking at the link you posted, they don't "look" as stately as your run of the mill Audi/Mercedes/BMW.

Kudos to Ford upgrading everything else, but it appears in doing so they made another infiniti/acura style offering of more for less but with a stigma of less 'curb appeal'.

Their problem is if someone didn't care for the look, they are now directly competing with acura/infiniti/lexus/etc which will further chip at sales.

Fortunately, they only now need to focus on better styling and better brand-awareness that the fundamentals are there (in contrast to say, the old LS effort).

For the record, I actually liked the old LS. It had just enough of a chiseled stone look to echo Lincolns of the past without being retro.

 

Until Lincoln offers another rear drive sedan like the LS, they are going to suffer. Luxury is RWD IMHO. AWD optional. Caddy is getting back into it, and Lincoln could. Ford has the engines and money. Just need a solid platform and stop rebadging every Ford model there is.

 

I would take the Audi. I don't think the MKS is bad, but it looks like many of the Japanese mid-size sedans -- nice, but I can't tell them apart. Unfortunately, air conditioned seats and a larger fuel tank aren't the kind of things that re-establish a brand in the luxury segment. I suspect that Lincoln has gone for so many decades without a noteworthy car that the brand itself isn't all that meaningful to guys under 90 (even if the cars are improved).

 

Good point, for me the styling doesnt bother me as the perks inside make up for it. Believe me, they can do better..As cadillac has done. Here are a couple of pictures to compare size and style of the two. I am not trying to make this a Lincoln, Audi duel. I loved my A8 and A6 4.2 But for me its what I get for my money that I am comparing.
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Its more than that...
Entertaiment package with THX surround sound, full glass dual sunroofs, heated steering wheel(which i never use) , Moving HID lights, much larger more comfortable interior, 87 vs 92 octane,V6 to a V4, change the interior lighting, Onstar, keyless start, I mean the list is endless. Besides the the massaging seats that comes on my Cl-63 it has everything and then sum. And No, I love my CL63 hands down.. For the lease I pay, what other car can I get that has all this? Not much.

 

How is Lincoln and Infiniti's naming convention any different from the other luxury brands?

 

I like the car and in my mind it is not bad looking. The one I frove felt like a luxury car. They also make a high performance version that the dealer did not have.

The last caddy I drove was a CTSV and it was quite a car. I have not driven the new caddy just out.

My take away was when I get a little older I was going to buy thr high HP Bently, now I am not sure. I think it willl be one of those American luxury models. Much less expensive and felt just as good. They both had massive features.

Best

Lee

 

Ford's little idol Mark Fields wanted a revamp of the Lincoln line after the destruction of the Mercury line. He asked that grill treatment be maintained thru the product line as per BMW style ( look at the trucks, SUV, Ford, Lincoln grilles)

Not bad idea if you have an appealing one, Lincoln is a spin on the 1937-40`s. The name was dropped because he ( mark fields) thought the name was spoiled by the 80`s Mercury car. So he mandated the Lincoln Zephyr become MK Z and the whole line became the alphabet and model recognition was lost to all but the Marketing and Sales guys.

I can definitely say that the Lincoln counterpart of the Ford model may share some part of the platform, the quality of the ride and comfort are absolutely not comparable and also on the plus side they do not share instrumentation like the Cadillac vehicles do!

 

Turnaround ? Isn't their entire line comprised of 2014 re-iterations of the Versailles ?

Ford has done well to sit on the fence, trinket up existing platforms at minimal cost and focus on inhabitants of Del Boca Vista.

With retirement Boomer numbers rising hourly and manufacturers universally concentrating on a younger market, there's a solid chance Ford may be on the cutting edge of the shuffleboard share. .