Going to the Dark Side...

[95 TA - The Beast]

I can't believe it, but I am actually going to be buying a F*rd product! :stare :wooo :wow

I am going to pick up a Black Tuxedo Metallic Lincoln MKS AWD with charcoal black interior tomorrow. I can't wait! :banana1:

Found that Lincolns new flagship sedan is one hell of a nice ride. Love the interior, the ride is luxerious, yet a little sporty, and it has more gadgets than just about anything this side of a BMW 7-series.

The exterior is done very well, and it has a great presence and I got one hell of a deal on it. I would be a fool NOT to buy it.

The wife also likes the fact that her clients (she is a caregiver) can get in and out of it with ease and will enjoy the ride more than the conversion van or the Sentra can provide on those days she has to take them on errands.

I will say F*rd has seemed to knock it out of the ballpark on the newer generation of cars. I really like the new Taurus (especially the SHO) and am quite impressed that they have effectively reinvented themselves as well as they have started to. The wife is actually eyeing up a Flex in white for herself as a replacement for the conversion van already.

I did look at the Cadillac CTS/STS/STS-4 before settling on the MKS and the MKS just "did" it for me with thier interior and options. I wouldn't mind a CTS-V, but I am not paying the price they want for even a nice used one. Plus I want a comfort/style car (which the MKS is) vs a sports car this time around.

Key about this one is it is Certified Pre-Owned as there is no way I would own a car as complex electrically without an extended warranty... As the saying goes, all the stars aligned on this one... And the end result is I will be driving a Lincoln. :)

[Prince Valiant]

Congrats...I was wondering why the MKS vs a SHO, but being "used" answers that. Surprised that any used ones were available?

[WhatsADSM]

Cool. They are sharp looking cars for sure.

Congrats.

[Exitspeed]

Congrats.

IMO Ford missed the mark (dealers have been bitching to Ford about it too) with the MKS, but it's still a pretty good vehicle.

I do like how they look though.

[Karps TA]

Now you need this

http://jalopnik.com/5482405/hennessey-maxboost-435-lincoln-mks-first-drive

[michelle]

Congrats! Post pics once you get it!

[Bobby "Big Daddy" Flay]

oh no

[95 TA - The Beast]

Yeah, I'll get some pics once I pick it up...

It is not the ecoboost version, just a 2009 with the 3.7l V6 with 270hp. Don't need this one to be a speed demon, but a comfortable luxo-cruiser. This one is an off-lease one with all the toys, like THX 5.1 audio, integrated Nav, Sync, etc...

Exitspeed, what did you mean by "they missed the mark"?

I do know a lot of LS owners are bitching and moaning, but this is more of a luxo-sport coupe vs a all out luxery-boat. The Ecoboost on the 2010+ ones will be better for those looking for a bunch of power with it. I know Lincoln is going after a whole different generation of owners with this one as well. Had me sold.

[johnny--2k]

welcome to the dark side Dennis!! :devil:devil

[lordairgtar]

...and the music in their commercials is cool. I do like the cars, though.

[88Nightmare]

the MKS is a sharp car, and I love the tuxedo black. post up some pics!

[Larrygto]

Is this one of the ones that can park itself?

[kornholio788]

Is this one of the ones that can park itself?

Yes when equipped with Park assist it will park itself.

[Exitspeed]

Yeah, I'll get some pics once I pick it up...

It is not the ecoboost version, just a 2009 with the 3.7l V6 with 270hp. Don't need this one to be a speed demon, but a comfortable luxo-cruiser. This one is an off-lease one with all the toys, like THX 5.1 audio, integrated Nav, Sync, etc...

Exitspeed, what did you mean by "they missed the mark"?

I do know a lot of LS owners are bitching and moaning, but this is more of a luxo-sport coupe vs a all out luxery-boat. The Ecoboost on the 2010+ ones will be better for those looking for a bunch of power with it. I know Lincoln is going after a whole different generation of owners with this one as well. Had me sold.

The original concept for the MKS was RWD and featured the TT Ecoboost engine. Styling wise and performance wise it was well received. The concept showed that Ford was really serious about getting back to being a competitive luxury brand. Then months later they announced the car would go into production but as a FWD based vehicle and the Ecoboost engine wouldn't be offered initially. Then the production version was shown and about the only thing that services from the well received concept was the grill. So the styling was dumbed down (which really don't have to be done now-a-days) and so was the performance. The industry was disappointed to say the least. It didn't help the luxury market also went into the tank making it THAT much more difficult to be competitive. Basically there's no room for missteps right now. To most consumers it's still plainly obvious it's a Taurus. You can get almost all the same features in the Taurus for $10,000 less. It should have been RWD. It's no coincidence that every car in it's class that is competitive (except the A6) is RWD based. Ford still has a ways to go with Lincoln for it to be a first-teir luxury brand again. The MKS should have been it's reentry, but it fell short.

Here's (http://www.detnews.com/article/20100216/AUTO01/2160369/1148/?source=nletter-business) a good article.

But again, it's still a nice vehicle. I think the Taurus is a good car, and the MKS is basically a luxury version of the Taurus. I think of the Camry and the ES. Not that they are in the same segment, but that they are so close in comparison.

[Cleveland Dave]

congrats, i really like the look of those cars

[johnny--2k]

Park Assist on the MKS is only available on the 2010 and only with the Ecoboost motor. Why, I have NO idea....

[95 TA - The Beast]

Ok, pictures coming tomorrow...

The car freakin ROCKS!

Those who say it has anemic power are wacked in the head. It is a very well balanced car. It gets out of it's own way quite well and gets up and moves without issue. Hell, turn traction/stability control off and it is a different beast altogether, even with AWD.

I mean it has just 20hp shy of the Northstar configurations, yet people are bagging on it? It also applies the power it has quite gracefully, as the 6-speed auto is quick and responsive. Hell manually shifting it is a lot less "laggy" than the GM offerings I have been looking at.

Oh, and the Sync system as well as all the "gadgets" all just flat out work. It all works so well I think this is the perfect car for long trips and long commutes.

About the only "gripe" I may have has virtually nothing to do with the car, and more with my cellphone, as it is a HTC Touch Pro2, and there is obviously something amiss with the implementation of the current OS under Sprint as hanging up after a phone call is a hit-or-miss endeavor. It also has an issue doing the "texting" thing over bluetooth which is working fine under other phones.

But, that issue aside, the built-in "jukebox" and the media player/USB integration is awesome, and about the only thing I am thinking I may add is the HD Radio module to round it out.

Also, the only other thing I may do is do a round of sound deadening once summer rolls around. The THX 5.1 system is pretty damn nice and I think a totally sound deadened truck as well as doors may just put it in the "perfect" category.

[OxmanWI]

One GM owner at a time, Muh-hahaha!

[johnny--2k]

Hahah....yeah, one at a time is right!

[Exitspeed]

I'm becoming a big Ford fan. They're doing a lot right now. Did you guys see the Focus Wagon? EEEEK <3

[DR.FORD]

Fords suck

[johnny--2k]

:D lol

[95 TA - The Beast]

Honestly, I always felt that Ford did a better job of supporting aftermarket performance and upgrades to thier vehicles. Unlike GM that viewed the aftermarket as a threat to thier bottom line due to warranty claims, or at the very least a threat to one division from another (such as the Corvette being the top-performance product, thus they killed off the GN, the Fiero-which was to get a Northstar in '88, and various other performance products the other divisions dreamed up). Hell, I have felt for years that GM purposely hamstrung thier products in various ways to have an 'achilles heel' that would be a limiting factor in a given product (such as the factory 10-bolt in the 4th gens). But, then again Ford did the same thing with the T56s input shaft on thier Cobras.

Looks like the closest "performance" following I will get for the MKS may be from the new Taurus SHO forums out there. I wonder if anyone considered supercharging the 3.7l Duratec, or if the automatic behind it in the MKS can even handle the extra hp/torque?

I do like the quietness of the car. I would only want to change the exhaust if it could remain quiet at idle/cruise and only "show it's teeth" when you brought the revs up...

I am also having a hard time finding a set of wheels that won't "ghetto-fy" the car too much and make it look hooptie-ish. There are plenty of wheels I like, but I am not sure they would look right. I woudl really like to find a nice set for 'summer' with performance tires and then I would just get a set of winter tires for the stock wheels.

[Prince Valiant]

(such as the Corvette being the top-performance product, thus they killed off the GN, the Fiero-which was to get a Northstar in '88, and various other performance products the other divisions dreamed up). :confused

1. Didn't the whole line of GM G-bodies go away after 87? So no more appropriate line to build the GNX?

2. Likewise, didn't the northstar v8 not come out until '92 in '93MY Allante...5years after the demise of the fiero?

[95 TA - The Beast]

:confused

1. Didn't the whole line of GM G-bodies go away after 87? So no more appropriate line to build the GNX?

2. Likewise, didn't the northstar v8 not come out until '92 in '93MY Allante...5years after the demise of the fiero?

1. Yes, but it was well known that the Chevy had a serious issue with that setup to begin with, just like when the '89 Trans-Am got the same motor setup, they bitched up and down about Corvette being the top-end performer for GM.

2. The Northstar was in development for years, the Allante was in development for Cadillac for many years before it was released. Pontiac was making moves for the Northstar and wanting to put that motor in the mid-engined car back in '87 when it was still in development.

Just because the Northstar actually was put into cars later doesn't mean that there wasn't internal struggles for new developments. Pontiac always wanted a better motor for the Fiero, and the Corvette group was always trying to get that product removed as it was a threat. In the GM world the Corvette group has always been worried about the other divisions making performance vehicles. Look at the 98-2002 F-bodies, as they were hamstrung from the factory with intakes and cams (hell the 2000+ had the better intake manifold and was a threat to the vette, so they detuned the f-bodies by puttingin a truck cam) as to not compete at the same level as the Corvette.

I may add that the Northstar and the LT5 were both pushed back many years from when they were "hoped" to be ready due to technical developments and issues.

[johnny--2k]

Dennis, the factory 20" split 5-spokes are HOT and not too badly priced surpisingly. Remind me tomorrow and I will try to find out a price for you.

Seems to be a lot of info over here http://www.lincolnmksforums.com/index.php?act=idx

and here are the wheels on the top left...

http://www.lincoln.com/pdf/10_Lincoln_MKS_SpecLite.pdf

[hrsp]

cant wait to see the pics...

[wrath]

The Lincoln MKS is a nice car. My other half's grandparents have one. But it's got nothing on a second generation CTS.

[95 TA - The Beast]

The Lincoln MKS is a nice car. My other half's grandparents have one. But it's got nothing on a second generation CTS.

Actually, drove a CTS and wasn't looking for a sport-luxery car, I was looking for more on the luxery side of the equation. If anything I would be looking more towards a DTS as even the STS-4 was just kinda -meh-.

That, and I think the late-model Caddies have gotten "cheap" in the way of feel and features. GM is resting on it's laurals and milking a division like Cadillac without really trying to give people thier money's worth.

The CTS, similarly optioned, is like $12-15k more expensive. Can't justify that outside of a bit more HP (not talking about the CTS-V). Also I know all about the Cadillac electronics/suspension and lets put it this way, if I want to keep this car once it goes out of warranty I don't have to worry about $1400 a piece shocks/struts that are GM-unique (as in no aftermarket replacements, or the ones that are do away with the electronic systems altogether and those cars are tuned for those systems). Also the CTS has nowhere near the interior room the MKS does.

It all comes down to fitting a purpose and this car hits all marks for me. Size, space, comfort, amenities, power, handling, warranty, and certainly on price.

[wrath]

To be honest, I can't say I've looked at used second-generation CTSs. But going by the fact that a nice AWD one new was about $42k then I suspect a 2009 is going for somewhere just south of $30k. But I know a brand new Cadillac CTS with AWD and the direct-injected 3.6L costs the same as an identically-equipped brand new MKS.

If you're comparing a first-generation CTS to a MKS, then it's not really comparing apples to apples when it comes to interior. The second-generation CTS is a couple inches narrower, a couple inches shorter in height, and about 20" shorter in length than a MKS.

[FoxStang]

Checked out a couple of Lincolns at the auto show, they seemed pretty nice. Don't know if they were premium over Taurus nice, but I have yet to drive either so I don't really know.
I've never seen why people like Cadillac's so much, for the price I don't think they are that nice, the build quality certainly isn't there. The interior's feel cheap and awkward, even in the newer ones. For the price of a Caddy CTS I'd rather get a BMW 3 series, because its simply a better car for the money.

I'll have to reserve my comments for the new Lincolns till I get a chance to go out and drive some.