LOWFAST

I think most of the target buyers think this way. "AWD is better than FWD or RWD" I would guess a large portion of the take for non fleet Continentals will be optioned with AWD. Those who go the FWD route are truly your ES type shopper who like the soft ride and cushy interior and care nothing for handling, or driving dynamics, and frankly probably have no idea which wheels are the drive wheels or what the difference would be. I will give Lincoln credit that for their AWD they pulled some of the very best of their technology from the Focus RS/ST and other FWD based platforms to take care of torque steer even with the top trim engine, although they did neglect to provide a "drift mode."

Toys4RJill

OK thanks. But I already said that Lincoln is not targeting any of these brands except maybe the CT6. I bet the Lincoln is roomier than almost of the above mentioned. Anyways, perhaps Lincoln's research has told them that their buyers wanted FWD...nothing wrong with that?

SW17LS

The point is that theres something about the car they "have to not care" about. Lincoln had an opportunity to create a car that really offered no compromises, but they cheaped out.

And yes, Lincoln is competing for those same customers. Somebody shopping for a $60,000+ Lincoln is going to look at other cars too.

JDR76

I do agree they did a great job with the platform that they had to work with. I understand it to be a great AWD system.

If that's what their research showed, then we'll see it in their sales numbers and you're right, there would be nothing wrong with that.

LOWFAST

Problem is, if they did not "cheap out" then we would be looking at a $100k Lincoln (which is truly where a proper Continental should be) and then everyone would say, no matter how good it was, I am not going to pay $100k for a Lincoln! If you do not believe me just head on over the the new LS thread and see how everyone is knocking the new car's anticipated sticker price.

SW17LS

I don't agree. If Hyundai can deliver a $68-72k proper G90, and a 38k-55k proper G80, Ford can certainly do that. Totally doable.

If there was a proper RWD longitudinal Continental with the interior it has and the styling theme it has (proportions would be better) for $70k well optioned, it would be in my driveway. I was prepared to get a mid 60s CT6 until I drove the G90, much rather have that for $70k.

LOWFAST

Maybe so, but Cadillac could not and Lincoln chose for whatever reason not to. The great thing is that the G90 exists and sounds like a perfect car for what you are looking for, its awesome to have so many choices.

mmarshall

Hyundai and Kia have had lower production costs, for many years, than most automakers from other countries. That's at least part of how they manage to control sticker prices and deliver the kind of quality and equipment that they do for the price.

I think you will agree, don't you, that the G90 is more solidly-built than the CT6, with interior/exterior materials just as good or better, for the price? The only problem is going to be getting people to actually go and LOOK at one. A lot of people are still, in their minds, living in the 1990s, with a distinct anti-Korean bias. .

SW17LS

What do you mean Cadillac could not? You can buy a nicely equipped CT6 for $65-70k. Yeah its not the uber loaded Platinum, but thats way more than where most buyers will be. A much better overall product for that money than a Continental IMHO.

I don't know about "solidly built", the CT6s I've driven have all been well put together, the interior materials on the G90 however are markedly better than those in the CT6. Thats the CT6's failing, the interior just doesn't have the same finish or material quality as the G90 does or "real" flagships like the LS, 7, A8, S Class do. Hard plastic in places, won't find that anywhere in those cars. The Continental is slightly better, but also not to that level.

LOWFAST

But they didn't They may have gone with rwd based platform but the interior is frankly pretty crappy for the price point both in design and materials, and unfortunately they are having tons of transmission problems. To get the nicer materials you do have to go to the Platinum which I believe is $10K+ more than the Continental and G90. Lincoln and Cadillac both designed to a price, had to compromise, and in the end neither were able to match what Genesis was able to accomplish. Watching a G90 review comparing it to the S-Class, while not the S-Calss it does compare well for a ton less money. I like the presence and look of the exterior of the Cadillac, but that is about it. G90 is a better car. I also do not understand why Cadillac would not include a V8 given it is a RWD platform, especially since it is not like they don't have a family of V8's that would work nicely.

SW17LS

The interior is the weak point of the CT6, as it is for all Cadillac products (GM products in general basically). IMHO the Platinum doesn't even solve a lot of those interior issues, as you still have hard plastic pillars, lower doors and dash, etc. IMHO the place where the CT6 is a value is the 3.6L premium luxury at $64,890. Anything above that and the basic car can't support the price. But, you get a big flagship sized car that is great looking, great to drive, smooth powertrain, well equipped, and the interior is fine understanding that its cheaper than anything similar. The spoiler for them is the G90. I would have taken a $65k CT6 as a downgrade in cost from my LS460...but then they rolled out the V6 G90 at $69k and thats totally worth $4k more IMHO.

Cadillac didn't accomplish what Genesis did for the price, but they do have a better more established brand, better dealer network. I can understand a premium over upstart Genesis.

But, if you asked me if I would take a $65k equipped CT6 or a $65k equipped Continental, it wouldn't even be a difficult choice for me to choose the CT6.

mmarshall

Just FYI, Steve.......You were actually answering one of my posts there, not LOWFAST. (check posts #923 and 924).

SW17LS

Meant to type you in

1BlinkGone

I think much of the anti-Korean bias is out the window today...Samsung, LG, etc...how many peeps own their products? I sure do. Regarding autos, 10 years ago south Korea was making throwaway, disposable POS automobiles...even moreso 15 years ago. So IMO it hasn't been anti-Korean bias, it's been anti-crap bias. Justifiably so. So they have much trust to gain in the markets..they sure have done so in electronics. Granted, they still lack the customer service acumen they should display (even LG and Samsung still suffer this) and while they are improving, they haven't instilled broad-based confidence.

As far as the G90...well I don't exactly seeing Lexus taking their cues from Hyundai. Meanwhile, Genesis has work to do and I hope they succeed...as the South Korean's overall goal has been to be the next "Japan" in manufacturing. (Wouldn't it be nice if they wanted to be the next USA in that regard? another subject, not for here). For any price point in a new car, one of the things I personally look for unless it's strictly a utility vehicle, is "does the aesthetic appeal to me?" And when I spend $65k or more, it had better. hehehe As far as fit and finish, I was quite blown away with the CT6 overall that I drove twice and another CT6 Platinum I looked carefully at the the showroom with a 3.6 that I wasn't interested in (seams, door and hood fitment, trim alignment, build solidity and how the door sounds when it closes, etc etc)...and I'd rather to get into plastic hard surfaces here to keep it simple. I see no real different between hard plastic, or plastic soft-covered hard plastic. It's still all PLASTIC. Leather covered is a whole different deal. lol.

While I was chagrinned that the Conti had a very similar, almost identical front end design to the now dropped MKS; overall it's a car in a different class, definitely above IMO. Anyways, as far as the Linc, there IS a RWD version in the pipeline just a few years away.

When we start throwing out models into the mix like S-class, 5 series, 7 series, we have to find parity and these cars at the 70k-80 prices are pretty much barebones, and when you equip them to the levels of say the Continental, the CT6 Platinum, etc; the price skyrockets 20-30k upwards or more, and so all bets are off for comparison's sake. IMO. To not do so is not honest.

In my initial post about the Linc, my intent was to share my delight in finding something that I already thought I HIGHLY disliked and bagged on pretty hard; and yet walked away pleasantly surprised first seeing one, and then after driving one. That's all. No FWD debate was ever imagined; sadly, I've seen this trend quite often here...

SW17LS

Can't agree there at all. Soft touch, padded vinyl surfaces are a huge upgrade to an interior vs hard plastic.

The question is equipment vs basic car. Like I said, I would never option a CT6 up as a Platinum, its just not worth that money. Would I select a more lowly optioned S Class vs a more highly optioned 7 Series? Yes. Would I select a more lowly optioned LS over a higher optioned G90? Yes. Options and features are great, but to me the underlying car itself is a lot more important.