Guys i think that we have it all wrong we all seem to forget what a American Luxery car used to be and what is being produced now.
Yes. American luxury cars used to be big, heavy, lumbering beasts that rode like floating on a cloud but wallowed and bounced and floated in the curvies. We surely need more cars like that
Not that that's bad. I've had a '62 Continental, '71 Continental, '79 Town Coupe, and two '88 Town Cars. And I loved them. They were big, heavy, lumbering beasts that handled like land yachts, but they were supremely comfortable, luxurious, powerful and fast. The '71 Connie especially, with its 365hp/500ft-lb 460 V-8 could do the best smokey burnouts
But that's not what luxury car buyers want now. If someone has the money to plop down for a premium luxury sedan, they want something a little better than what is obviously a rebadged wrong-wheel-drive Taurus or Fusion. That's why Lincoln is losing so much of the market share. Why spend $60K on a FWD MKS when you can go across the street and get proper RWD Cadillac CTS or STS for the same money?
For some reason people think that we should follow the Germans but guys this is not Germany or Japan this is America.
This is true. However, if Lincoln can't even compete here in America, how do they plan to compete in the rest of the world. Luxury cars and sport sedans are defined by a few makes. Most notably Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti and BMW. Cadillac has seen the light and returned the majority of its vehicles to proper RWD platforms with real performance and luxury that can compete with its European rivals.
We don't have autobahns or twisty highways we have long straight highways that are made for cruising
That's not entirely true. We have many highways that have speed limits of 65 and up. We also have many twisty, curvy roads. I frequently drive my Mark VIII on these roads because I enjoy it. So do a lot of other people judging by the numbers of BMW's I see on the road every day
in my opinion is that the American automakers have lost their identity and need to return to what made us great. Big, powerful and comfortable ride with alot of technology.
Please refer to my first comment.
And the mks is just that the Mercedes s class and all of the Lexus are doing this the difference is that they have earned prestige while Lincoln still has not.
I'm sorry. The MKS is not anywhere close to being in the same league as the Mercedes S class, or even the Lexus LS. Lincoln had prestige...many moons ago. Somewhere around the 70's or 80's they lost their way, and have been going down hill ever since. Now Lincoln is nothing more than a Ford in a silk suit. And everybody knows it.
We compare Cadillac but other than the Cts they are producing the same cars like the mks.
Nope. You're forgetting the STS. It's RWD as it should be and nothing like the MKS. And it's not just a re-badged Chevy. The DTS, however, is still FWD but at least it is V-8 powered. Again, nothing like the MKS.
Now do I think they should have v8 and rwd it would be nice but really its not necessary.
Yes. It is. Very necessary. If Lincoln wishes to play in the premium luxury car sandbox, they need to have the same toys as everybody else. RWD and V-8 engines are prerequisites in this category. If you don't have them, you aren't in the same class.
Now I heard Lincoln is pumping 1billion dollars into Lincoln and update all their show rooms to Mb and BMW status and also now they are going to sell Lincoln globally.
That's all well and good. However, the FWD MKS and MKZ will not be able to compete with any of the premium luxury makes in other countries any better than they do here in the USA unless something is changed. How the showroom looks makes no difference if your product doesn't have the tools to be competitive.
This auto company cannot be expected to hit a home run but they are doing a steady progressive rise and traying to get customers back by offering a different kind of luxery without the hefty price tag.
They are not rising. Lincoln is falling. Rapidly. They're losing market share and owner loyalty. Lincoln is in a horrible state of affairs and it doesn't show any signs of getting any better. Even the brass at Lincoln know that they need a premium RWD halo car if they want Lincoln to be taken seriously as a real luxury brand. But Ford won't give them the money or resources to build such a vehicle. So they're stuck with reworking lesser Ford products into something resembling a premium luxury car that doesn't quite meet the standards of Mercedes, Cadillac, or BMW.
I have a 04 ls v8 and they let me drive the mks eccoboost for 1 full day and yes the handling is not as precise but it was no way bad it was just different. The cabin on my ls is noisy I can hear and feel everything and in the mks is quiet really quiet and the ride is smooth the car makes you just want to cruise meanwhile the ls your looking for a sharp corner to hit. Not bad but just different. I would buy it if the price was right for me. So guys Lincoln is not dead they are not following the pack any more and carving their own identity but I must agree I has the Mk BLS BLS names
The LS was Lincoln's last real effort to produce a car that could compete with luxury cars from Japan and Europe. And it was a fabulous car. My next car will be an LS, preferably an '00-'02 with the 3.0L V-6 and 5-speed manual transmission. It's too bad they didn't put the manual in the V-8 models. The LS was by far the best handling Lincoln ever made. But they let the car stagnate for seven years without an update and it was overshadowed by the Cadillac CTS and most notably the CTS-V until it was finally trampled. But instead of updating and improving the LS, Ford took the easy and cheap road and re-badged the Fusion to make the Zyphyr (which was an insult to the original V-12 Lincoln Zephyr).
And if their is any argument that rwd is really needed for this class. What really pushed audi away from Volkswagen is their superb awd (Quattro) linup they offered something different than the others and now after all this time they are getting their just deserves.
I don't quite understand that comment. In this class, RWD is absolutely a necessity. Audi's AWD system is rear-biased to elimitate torque steer and give their cars a RWD "feel". The FWD Audi's are in a somewhat lower class more in line with Volkswagen and Acura. In the higher class premium territory where Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar live, RWD is absolutely necessary.
Lincoln needs to continue to do what they are doing and refine it.
Yes. Keep refining Taurus' and Fusions and Edges. Come on. Lincoln needs some distinctive products that can be easily distinguished from their Ford siblings. And they desperately need RWD.
Just the same way Lexus redefined smooth and quiet rides and bww/mb athletic and handling.
With RWD and V-8 engines.
American automakers cannot pretend to beet them at their own game we must play ours and perfect it.
Agreed. But there's nothing wrong with putting forth a little effort to at least try to compete. Lincoln's not even doing that.
I used to live in new York city as if 4 years ago and all the livery cabs in NYC are Lincoln town cars it felt great being driven in them now since they are discontinued cabbies are replacing them with Mb and caddy Cts but I must admit the ride is not the same It wasn't like the town car then i realized i have never seen a German limo other than a maybach and the cost 200k plus. American luxery = a great riding car that feels like home in the streets. German luxery = great driving cars they only drives well on a autobahn that we don't have.
It's not just about speed. It's about a combination of smooth ride, crisp handling, and refined luxury. That's what premium luxury car buyers want. If Lincoln want's to compete globally with the big boys, they'll need to ditch the wrong-wheel-drive and V6-only engine choice in favor of RWD/AWD and at least one V-8 engine option. They'll need to tighten up their quality. Make the bodystyles more distinctive, and upgrade the interiors to European/Japanese standards. Basically, they need to do what Cadillac has already done. Then maybe they'll avoid the fate of Mercury.
Just out of curiosity, you have "1701" in your username. Are you a Trek fan?