Maybe it's my covetousness working its way out every Sunday morning on the church parking lot. I'm currently drooling over the new MB CLK series, but back in the real world I'm probably going to wind up with a comfortable mid-size sedan to replace the aging minivan my wife is so reluctant to give up.

Last Sunday I parked next to a new Milan, and was very impressed. One of the great secrets of the Mercury marque (especially for cheapskates like me) is the fact that with a judicious touch, you can carefully check off the options boxes to build yourself a Lincoln at a fire-sale price. The interior was very nice - quite stylish compared to the Toyota/Honda upscale family 4-doors. Color was nice, well applied, fit and finish was unlike most Fords in my experience, but it was the tasteful 2-tone leather interior that got me.

Now I have no delusions that this is a luxury car, but it achieves near-lux status, if not a rave review from me simply because of its sticker. You would have a great deal of difficulty optioning one of these up to $30K - even with the Duratec V-6, AWD, and nav. In today's market that's quite a feat.

Meanwhile, I'm staying away from that end of the parking lot. If JK sees it (especially lovely in dark blue) that van of hers will never see 200K and the money we've set aside for a new windshield, side window, paint, wheels, tires and rocker cover gaskets might go toward the first payment on a Milan. I've gotta start parking between a couple old rusty pickups - if I value my bank account and/or immortal soul.

Don't kid yourself...the Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ's interior trumps the Milan's, no matter what option box you check off on the order form.

Having said that, though, the Fusion and Milan do offer much of the same engineering for a lower price. I have formally reviewed two different versions of these cars.....a FWD Lincoln Zephyr (MKZ) and an AWD Ford Fusion. Both were nice cars. The Zephyr didn't quite have the smooth, Town-Car ride that a lot of Lincoln traditionalists would want (it is a luxury/sports sedan), but was otherwise a very nice car. Same with the Fusion....though, for some reason, I noticed a distinct lack of rear headroom in the Fusion compared to the Lincoln, and its interior, of course, was much less plush.

All three of these cars have quite an ace up their sleeves, too....their first-year reliability was well above average, quite unusual for a American-designed vehicle. Their first-year reliability, in some cases, beat even the well-established Accord and Camry's. Ford's well-publicized efforts at improving quality control seem to be starting to pay off.

I had a 4-cylinder basic Fusion rental car in Tucson, AZ a few months back and remember being very impressed by it overall. The chassis had very nice taut and controlled feedback over bumps and during tight corners, almost as good as my Audi, and I'm pretty sure it was quieter than my Audi.

Granted if you equip a Fusion with all of the features found in my Audi you basically have an MKZ and the price is no longer an advantage... but still, if I could live with a less powerful slightly less tightly handling car with fewer options at half the price, the Fusion would make a great choice.:)

if ford actually attempted to make its mercury counterpart look different than its ford counterpart maybe id be remotely interested. They really dont try to make it look different, its lame

The lady in the Milan commercials is on the throb list.

The lady in the Milan commercials is on the throb list.

yea shes freaking hot

Don't kid yourself...the Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ's interior trumps the Milan's, no matter what option box you check off on the order form. . . . but now you're moving into Lexus ES sticker territory, and the Lincoln is going to finish a distant second in that comparison.

We'll probably wind up with something relatively inexpensive, or something off the "pre-owned" lot. Her car gets only about 500-600 miles per year, unless #1 daughter begins driving more. We won't be making any moves until spring, but I'm beginning to make a list. Of course it won't be my decision, but one can always hope . . .

. . . but now you're moving into Lexus ES sticker territory, and the Lincoln is going to finish a distant second in that comparison.

.

I'd honestly rather have the Lincoln's interior...if you have followed my posts lately, you know I think the new ES350 is a disappointment compared to the last-generation model. The interior has lost a lot of its former superb wood paneling, especially on the dash and doors, and the new 55-series tires and firmer underpinnings stiffen up the ride as well. There were also creaks and minor rattles in the ES350 I reviewed.
Both the Lincoln and the new ES, however, are well above average in reliability.

The Milan....the thread topic......is a good compromise, though, between the Fusion and the MKZ, both in interior quality, standard equipment, and, of course, reliability. The Milan, like most Mercury products, lags far behind its Ford brother in sales, so L-M dealers have more incentives to bargain and discount. You certainly have my blessing if you and your wife want to buy one......especially the AWD model. Even though you generally don't get snow and ice in Houston where you are, you DO get heavy rains where AWD is beneficial. However, reliability data on the newer AWD models is somewhat lacking compared to the older FWD ones, so the much-better-than-average record may or may not end up applying to them too.
But, please..... DO check out that rear seat headroom if tall people are going to ride back there.

I like the Milan but do your self a favor, Look at a 08 Avalon.

I like the Milan but do your self a favor, Look at a 08 Avalon.

Yes, a nice car, but generally more expensive, AWD not available, and not necessarily any more reliable (although most Milans are still relatively new and unproven in the long run). Some of the interior plastics, finishes, and knobs on the new Avalon don't impress me either.

The Avalon does not compete directly with the Fusion/Milan twins either......it competes more directly with the larger and more expensive Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego (since renamed Taurus/Sable).

Yea, but it rides nice.

. . . but now you're moving into Lexus ES sticker territory, and the Lincoln is going to finish a distant second in that comparison.

We'll probably wind up with something relatively inexpensive, or something off the "pre-owned" lot. Her car gets only about 500-600 miles per year, unless #1 daughter begins driving more. We won't be making any moves until spring, but I'm beginning to make a list. Of course it won't be my decision, but one can always hope . . .

I consider you one of the smartest guys here but in this case, it sounds like listen to the heart, not logic.

The Milan is nice to look at and a good car. Its not going to be a mag heartthrob or internet king. Its nice, if you like it, rock it!

The Milan is a very good car imo. It looks ok which is more than i can say for the fusion/ mkz. I see used '06 Milans for ~$16k w/ low miles!

You think YOU'RE unhappy with the latest ES? Take a walk over to the ES forums and try to say something nice about it. Hint: come wearing your flame suit. :eek2:

I agree that the Avalon is probably a better buy.

But...Milan = twin of Fusion:eek2:
The could have at least made some changes:egads:

I agree that the Avalon is probably a better buy.

Both the Avalon & Milan are good buys imo. I drove an '06 Avalon and the ride was very lexus-like as well as everything else. BUT of course the Avalon will cost a little more. I would still take the Avalon though ;)

You think YOU'RE unhappy with the latest ES? Take a walk over to the ES forums and try to say something nice about it. Hint: come wearing your flame suit. :eek2:

I'll let them have their say and speak for themselves, Lil.....I've already had mine.;)



I agree that the Avalon is probably a better buy.

Yes, in some ways.....where you are in Houston you don't get much snow and ice and don't really need the Milan's AWD option.

The Avalon, in general, rides a little more softly than the Ford triplets (I didn't test the firmer-riding Avalon Touring model to compare it to the regular
model), and even the regular Avalon rides slightly firmer than past models due to lower-profile tires (seems like you can't get away from them these days). It is, of course, not a sports sedan or a car for twisty roads in spite of the new suspension and tires (maybe the Touring model is a little better). The Avalon also has a superb 280 HP V6 engine and automatic transmission that runs and shifts just like clockwork.:thumbup:

Although I said in an earlier comment that The Fusion and Milan don't compete directly with the Avalon as they do with the Camry, I agree with you that I'd much rather have an Avalon than a Camry. I recently reviewed a new Camry SE and was not impressed at all with the interior quality (even taking a few pot shots from some other people about that :D ). There are some things about the Avalon's interior I didn't like, but IMO it was far more livable with on a daily basis.

I've also had a Fusion as a rental and it was nice too. The suspension was firm, body was fairly well controlled, steering and brakes weren't shabby. And the styling is good, although the interior needs work. If I wanted a daily beater, I would consider this. I'm not sure about the Milan since there are very few around here and it's not really a popular choice.

The Avalon is a much bigger choice and better compared to the Ford Taurus. I have also driven the Avalon and there is much to like about it. But I'm so partial to a good driving experience, that the awful steering and brakes along with the roly-poly suspension are just too much for me to truly consider buying one. Heck, I didn't even want to pick it out as a rental the second time around.

The Avalon is a much bigger choice and better compared to the Ford Taurus. I have also driven the Avalon and there is much to like about it. But I'm so partial to a good driving experience, that the awful steering and brakes along with the roly-poly suspension are just too much for me to truly consider buying one. Heck, I didn't even want to pick it out as a rental the second time around.

What do you find so awful about the Avalon's steering? Granted, it's no BMW, but I've seen lots worse. And the suspension/body roll, while again not up to sports car/sports sedan standards, is noticeably firmer than the Avalon it replaces, along with lower-profile tires......as are most cars these days.

The only regular passenger car (non-SUV) I've driven recently that has anywhere near what I would call an overly-soft suspension is the Kia Amanti.
THAT car was a handful on almost anything but arrow-straight roads, even by my somewhat conservative standards......but cars like that today are rare; the main obsession today is handling and steering response, and most cars deliver.

What do you find so awful about the Avalon's steering? Granted, it's no BMW, but I've seen lots worse. And the suspension/body roll, while again not up to sports car/sports sedan standards, is noticeably firmer than the Avalon it replaces, along with lower-profile tires......as are most cars these days.
I haven't driven the old Avalon, but the current steering is far too numb and far too light. It was as light as my Lexus ES300, which means a sneeze will land you in the next lane. It proved difficult to aim around bends and offered no feedback on what the tires were doing. The Avalon was the XLS and not the Touring model, but I can't imagine Toyota really making a suspension that much firmer. It rolled so much, that my mom got nausea sitting in the backseat as I curved around Mt. St. Helens.

In fact, I've also driven the Chevy Impala and that had better suspension control without being overly harsh. By my standards its still too soft, but it was better controlled than the Avalon. Now, the steering was a mixed bag. For the most part, it was weighted better and offered just a hair more feedback. However, I constantly beat the power steering pump while parallel parking.......something that should NOT be happening.

Sorry, a bit off-topic.

Sorry, a bit off-topic.

Not really. Lil4X, the person who actually opened the thread, was comparing the Milan with the Avalon.

Not really. Lil4X, the person who actually opened the thread, was comparing the Milan with the Avalon.
Oh okay. yea I didnt see mention of the Avalon in the opening thread but read a bit further down and saw the comparison.

To its credit, the Avalon has the best Toyota gearbox I've ever sampled. It's smooth, efficient, but thankfully, full throttle kickdowns come NOW when you as for it. Passing on the one-lane roads of Oregon and Washington was very fun with 268hp on tap :cool:. The manual mode doesn't work right though (If you select "3", it starts in 1st gear from a stop anyway), and the automatic downshift on downhills was a bit abrupt and unnecessary. But amazingly, it achieved 35 miles to the gallon on our highway stint from Mt. Hood to Crater Lake, even as me and my dad were blasting down the countryside!

Oh, and the backseat reclines on the Avalon. It's a terrific highway car. But day to day, it's a bit too big.

The lady in the Milan commercials is on the throb list.

Definitely, she makes me throb! :eek2:

I have owned 8-9 Hondas over my life time, mostly Accords. While in Portland, I had a fusion and I must say, I was impressed. Even the 4 cylinder was a smooth competent family hauler. Based on the Mazda 6 chassis though, it was a no brainer. I like it, not enough to buy one, but I wouldn't shun folks for buying a Fusion like I do with a Taurus.

The Milan is a beautiful car. I too caught the Milan bug a while back. A Ford that looks and drives great? Wow, what a concept!

Go look at the new Mazda 6 in a thread on CL. All I can say is WOW! That's a great looking family hauler.

Steve

The manual mode doesn't work right though (If you select "3", it starts in 1st gear from a stop anyway),

But amazingly, it achieved 35 miles to the gallon on our highway stint from Mt. Hood to Crater Lake, even as me and my dad were blasting down the countryside!


Almost all manual-shift automatics revert to "1" at a dead stop, no matter what gear you had it in when you last shifted. That is a necessity.....few street cars, other than the likes of Dodge Vipers and Corvette Z06's, have the massive torque needed to start from a dead stop in high gear without excessive slipping of the clutches (even automatic clutches) and overstraining the engine.

The difference is that some manu-matic trannys will shift back up automatically to the "3" position you had it in and then hold it there until another stop......others make you manually shift it back up to "3" as the car picks up speed. With the latter, you have to be careful to remember to upshift it at the proper time when you take off from a stop.......otherwise you could very quickly get the engine near redline accidentially on an aggressive start in first gear. I've done that a couple of times myself in unfamiliar cars I've driven or reviewed (or like Mazdas and BMW's which have an opposite fore-aft +/- shift pattern from most cars).....we all probably have.


Was the 35 MPG verified by the trip computer's mileage readout?

Otherwise, I question the 35 MPG highway figure you got with the Avalon's 280 HP V6, even featherfooting it and keeping it in high gear on a level surface....and the area of the country you're talking about is not particularly level either. More likely, what happened was that you actually got mid-high 20's (maybe 30 at the most) and it LOOKED like more because when you gassed up, you were not on a level surface, and the gas tank was at either a fore-aft or side-to-side tilt. Depending on the amount of tilt, the amount of vaccum in the filler pipe vents/canister, the sensitivity of the tank's fuel-float sending unit, and and the sensitivity of the gas pump handle's automatic cut-off feature, you may not have gotten the tank completely full. This is a common occurance that gives many people false mileage readings.

The computer said 35 miles to the gallon, but I understand that such computers tend to be optimistic. That was just the very best extreme. In most of the other highway driving it was closer to "31mpg" (maybe actual is 29-30?).

The fuel gauges on Toyotas/Lexus seem to rise/fall more than other cars, so I can never get an accurate fuel estimate. On my Lexus, I drove in the city for a day and a half with the fuel light coming on/off randomly.

About the topography, that part of central Oregon is very flat. They call it the "high desert" and once you get out of the mountain range, it's fairly flat for the most part. You can see the cool mountains in the not-too-far distance to the west. The gearing in that 5-speed automatic is fairly tall too. Too tall. In top gear lockup @ 60mph it revs 1750rpm, which is a bit low and causes a bit of gear hunting. At 80mph it is a cool 2400rpm, and at 105mph it registered 2800rpm (they don't call it "high desert for no reason :D ).

I know that most manumatics downshift for you at a stop. However, say I picked 4th gear and I'm travelling 45mph. If you floor it in the Avalon, it will kickdown to 2nd. If you push it mildly hard, it will downshift to 3rd. So therefore it doesn't allow complete control. Plus IMO the shift direction is opposite and incorrect, but you and I differ on that, mmarshall.

On a side note, the Mustang V6 we had for a week in Florida could select 3rd gear, and START in 3rd quite briskly. I found that incredibly stupid but impressive nonetheless.