mmarshall

Even with the new front end/grille and interior? I could agree with you on the old version, but the new one got rid of much of that. The odd-looking C-pillars and trunk lid remain, though.

mmarshall

Forgot to mention earlier, bit........acording to Lincoln's web site, the 400 HP TT is also available with FWD, which should lessen the weight and make it even faster, although torque-steer could (?) be a problem with that much power and FWD. The base 2.0 turbo four is also available with FWD/AWD.

tex2670

Yup. Changing the the grill doesn't really do much for me... Looks are subjective, so I'm not saying that everyone should think the same thing--it's not like we are talking about a Pontiac Aztec, which no human being should think is less than fugly.

mmarshall

Well, as you say, looks are subjective......even on the Aztek. You may (?) have seen me post this story once or twice before in other threads, but, shortly after my ex-supervisor retired, he asked me to help him shop for a new Suburban or Yukon XL. We were checking out a base-version Yukon XL, at a local Pontiac/GMC shop, when a fairly young couple came in, were smitten by a white Aztek parked close to the XL, took it out for a test-drive, (apparently) fell in love with it, and took it home a couple of hours later. Even the salespeople were surprised......they had never seen an Aztek sell that quickly (I didn't ask what it sold for, but they probably gave that couple a hefty discount).

(And my ex-boss took home that new Yukon, too).

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

anyone who wants 400hp turbo and fwd failed physics.

(edit, turns out there is no 400hp fwd model - they detuned it to 350)

MattyG

Very true. You should always have a dedicated rwd platform with the option of awd on a 400 hp drivetrain. How they think that a fwd platform would be nice with that much power is interesting. It's a nice looking car until you get to that strange C pillar. And the Jaguar grill doesn't do it any favors.

mmarshall

Modern engineering tricks, like equal-length front half-shafts and torque-limitation in lower gears, can help with torque steer, but, yes, in general, you have a point.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

The 400hp version only has AWD. FWD has 350hp BUT both have 400lbft

[/QUOTE]

mmarshall

Good catch. Yes, both FWD and AWD share the same engine, but different HP levels. And they both have the same 400 ft-lbs. at the same RPM too......I wonder if that is a misprint on the web site? Something else that looks strange is only 129 ft-lbs. on the hybrid version, even if that only refers to the gas engine part.

Wouldn't be the first time an error got through on the web site from an auto manufacturer. Back when I reviewed the Kia Sedona, for instance, Kia had left out several temporary spare-tire/Fix-a-Flat specs for some models on its web site, but had included them with others (Steve and I got into a long discussion about that when he bought his Sedona). That's why you often see disclaimers on the web sites from the company's lawyers.

Sulu

Looks like Ford limits higher-rpm boost on the 3.0L EcoBoost with FWD. The engine with AWD would have a flatter torque curve than the same engine with FWD; the dip in torque due to the lower boost at high rpm would result in a lower peak horsepower.

mmarshall

That would make sense, although it seems to be the opposite of the way Mazda handled potential torque steer on the FWD MazdaSpeed 3. There, torque in first and second gears was sharply limited, then, in third gear, it came on full. Still, given the MKZ's general owner-base, I don't think there will be very many owners who would actually drive it hard enough to get serious torque steer, even if the full-blown version were available with FWD. This is primarily a gentleman's car, not a boy-racer.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

that's the point of offering more sophisticated and powerful drivetrains, to gain new types of customers.

i thought you didn't like stereotypes?

the 400HP AWD MKZ will compete nicely with an Audi S6 and Cadillac CTS V-Sport.

mmarshall

Not a stereotype....just a statement of fact. MKZs, like LaCrosses and ES350s, are generally not bought and driven by aggressive drivers.

Toys4RJill

Looks like a website error to me.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

So then the Lincoln.com, Mototrend.com, Edmunds.com.. hell the internet must be wrong