LexBob2

Those were my words. They said "despite the MKX's strong road test score, Lincolns have traditionally lagged in our reliability survey, which sets them back in its Overall Score".

I just retuned from test driving one and I'm happy to report nothing went wrong.

mmarshall

Test drive report?....................

Stroock639

anyone who's seen my posts here will probably just be like "oh there he goes again" but a FWD V6 just simply won't cut it. i want to see another true flagship, and a FWD just doesn't cut it. it simply doesn't give you the proper handling characteristics that RWD does. but then you get the "oh but RWD is much worse in the snow" people chiming in and everyone thinks they need AWD now so i understand not wanting to sell a RWD car. but come on FWD is not executive and you'll never beat the germans with FWD.

i'm also aware that having a V8 isn't "with the times" but just give it some cylinder deactivation and it wouldn't even be that thirsty. hell my 20 year old V8 can still get well over 30 mpg if you're just cruising along at 55-65. how you drive it has way more of an effect than the number of cylinders, so anyone thinks they need to get a small engine to not use a lot of fuel isn't as right as they think they are. yes turbos can make up for the lack of cylinders to some degree but the immediacy and off the line punch of a V8 just gives you a great sense of imperiousness that you should get when you're buying a full size luxury car. obviously i haven't driven it yet but that's my prediction.

also, $46,000? that's not nearly enough. the other day i went onto the websites of lincoln and cadillac, the "pinnacle" of american luxury cars, and no matter what you do configuring a car the price never exceeds like $65,000. an s class starts at over $90,000, so why have we given up trying to make a car that'll beat it? we put men on the god damn moon, but we can't make a proper luxury car (first world problems lol). at this point i'd take an Equus over any lincoln/cadillac/buick, which has a V8 with RWD. the new continental looks pretty nice, but $46,000 just isn't enough for it to be a properly good car. come on america!!! i want to be able to like what my country produces!!!

mmarshall

Well, no, it's not really a issue of just "Here he goes again", because your opinion, for one, is indeed shared by a number of persons, even here on CL....you are not alone by any means. But, on the other hand, most of those potential buyers actually interested in a Continental are probably not going to be of the same opinion as you and them. They are probably not going to want a canyon-carver in terms of handling, a drag-racer in the quarter-mile, or a triple-digit speed Autobahn cruiser. They are probably going to want a nice, comfortable cruiser for American roads, at American speeds....or at least a better attempt at it than the ill-fated Lincoln MKS was.

If it is RWD you want, you will probably be happier with the upcoming Cadillac CT6, which will be RWD/AWD, and have a twin-turbo V6 option with the power of a V8 (the Continental will also offer a 400 HP turbo V6 option, though that kind of power with FWD could lead to torque-steer).

Stroock639

i mean ford has definitely done more market research than i have so they probably know the average lincoln customer better than me... but the current "flagship" is i guess the MKS, which is just a fancier ford taurus. i definitely wouldn't want a canyon carver, if anything the opposite. lexus was so successful because the LS truly distinguished itself from any existing toyota, and as has already been said ford hasn't done that.

and you say they don't want an autobahn cruiser but then why does the S class, 7 series, A8, and LS sell so well? this country (apart from the laws) is literally perfect for an autobahn cruiser considering how many flat, straight, wide open roads there are. toyota basically designed the LS for america, and lexus is still around today so i think high speed cruising is definitely thought about when buying a luxury car. i think many people would be happy if we offered a proper S class competitor loss leader product, and built it in good ol US of A. i want to support a domestic product, but i wouldn't knowingly get a worse product just to do so.

the full size V8 RWD comfortable cruising boat (fleetwood, caprice, roadmaster, crown vic, town car, etc...) is what this country is all about lol, idk why we can't go back to that.

mmarshall

Well, the Continental isn't intended to compete with the top-level German sedans like the S-Class/7-Series/A8. If it were, it would probably have a layout like theirs and be priced accordingly. The upcoming Cadillac C6 will be a little closer to them in layout....but I think the Continental will do well simply on looks alone, though I'll reserve more judgement on that until I have reviewed one.

I'd also point out that the A8 you like does not have the RWD option that you want, either. It comes standard with AWD.......and other Audis that lack the Quattro AWD come with FWD, not RWD.

Though they aren't particularly well-represented in auto forums like this (and don't make a lot of noise in the process), there are a lot of people who DO want to go back to that (and, contrary to popular opinion, they don't all have one for in the grave either). But, with the possible exception of the Kia K900 and Hyundai Equus, the auto industry is mostly ignoring them. Like the old saying goes.....the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

And I'll tell you who probably wants to go back to those cars more than anybody....cops. Almost every cop I've talked to, since the police-spec Crown Vic went out of production, wishes they were back......and jumps at the chance to drive any remaining ones that have not been yet put out of service. They loved the rugged body-on-frame chassis that could take loads of punishment, and the huge trunks that had room for all the equipment they need to carry. Even the Kia K900 and Hyundai Equus I mentioned above (which the cops usually don't drive) lacks the former body-on-frame sturdiness they are looking for.

Stroock639

well it obviously isn't gonna compete with an s class lol i'm saying i want america to make something that does. just had a look at the CT6, it's definitely a step in the right direction but still not quite what i'm hoping to see.

i might just have to go to a lincoln dealership and put the salesman to the test once the continental goes on sale. i want to see if i can be convinced to get out of my LS (not that i'm in any economic position to get a new continental lol)

mmarshall

Well, to be honest.....in several areas, it's hard to beat a Lexus LS. If I were driving one like you, I probably wouldn't be looking at a Continental either, unless the LS was old or getting troublesome, or I really got bitten by the "Buy American" bug LOL. And, even then, with today's global auto industry and parts-content lists/origins, there is almost no such thing as a single-nationality vehicle anymore.

Stroock639

nahhh the LS is running absolutely perfectly, as they do. truthfully i don't want any new car. if i was given a continental i'd sell it immediately (of course after collecting the 0-60 and 0-100 data lol) and get a pristine E55 AMG and use the leftover money to fund that and the LS.

oh and i'd probably have to get a P71 Vic because i could be a sadistic bastard with it lol and watch everyone change their driving around me and it's also the perfect beater. plus my friend (as you saw from that video) has one and, and my other friend said that he'd get one if i got one, then we'd have a cop car fleet going lol... ahhh the potential for pranks is endless....

Aron9000

Like others have said with Lincoln and Cadillac, no V8, no care. I simply refuse to drive a great American luxury car without a V8. Call me old fashioned, but god damn all those German boys offer me a V8, with two god damn turbos attached to their cars, where as I'm left with just 2 options for a V8 American sedan, both ***** to the walls crazy, supercharged, hard riding sport sedans, the Cadillac CTS-V and the Dodge Charger Hellcat, or its less expensive and less powerful but pretty awesome Scat Pack Charger variant.

mmarshall

The real question, with the CAFE laws, could be how much longer the Germans themselves (and even American products like the CTS-V) will continue to offer V8s, supercharged or not. Ditto for Korean luxury cars...the Genesis, K900, and Equus currently offer V8s...but for how long? (and Hyundai does not offer the Genesis V8 here with AWD, only RWD, because of the mileage concerns) If I were you, and I seriously wanted a new sedan of this type, I'd consider starting my shopping now.

(Oh, and BTW......IMO, the Dodge Charger can hardly be considered a luxury vehicle)

Vladi

Lincoln just can't drop the Ford, that's its sole problem. They are not even on the same level of differentiation between Camry/Avalon/ES relationship of badge engineering. They have yet to get there. Every damn Lincoln looks and feels inside as Ford and it even drives the same, almost.

Ford just doesn't want to give up on its parts bin. Hence the results.

mmarshall

That was true up to just a few years ago, but is quickly changing. There is no comparison between the newest Lincolns and the ones they are replacing. Go test-drive a few yourself.

Of course, that doesn't mean the new ones are perfect by any means. The MKC was a great attempt, but IMO suffers from the lack of a proper V6 (relying on two different turbo fours instead), and it could use some less-placticky materials inside.

Toys4RJill

[QUOTE=Stroock639;9461611
the full size V8 RWD comfortable cruising boat (fleetwood, caprice, roadmaster, crown vic, town car, etc...) is what this country is all about lol, idk why we can't go back to that.[/QUOTE]

LOL. I think you are out of touch with today's needs.

mmarshall

He is not THAT far out of touch. I agree with him.....but only to an limited extent. Also, I don't know what the cops currently drive in Toronto, but try asking many American cops what they think of the Crown Vic's demise.