(first posted 8/5/2016) Perhaps calling the death of the venerable Lincoln Town Car is premature. Sure, it left production in 2011, a dated relic with a surprisingly large enthusiast following (especially around these parts), but there are still plenty pottering around New York City as livery cars as this picture shows. And despite Lincoln affixing the Town Car nameplate to a special livery version of the MKT crossover, many car service operators have switched to a more conventional “town car”: the MKS.
The MKS deserves a more detailed write-up from myself because lord knows nobody else will write one. That’s not because it’s a bad car, per se, but rather because it is a wallflower in the luxury sedan market with a virtually non-existent enthusiast following. It hasn’t even arrived at dealers and yet the shapely 2017 Continental seems destined to consign the MKS to the dustbin of history. Look out for a retrospective from yours truly after the MKS leaves production.
The MKS has been a steady if unexceptional seller for Lincoln and despite its flaws – a forgettable name, somewhat odd proportions and packaging, average dynamics – it was a vastly more competitive offering than the Town Car was at the end of its run.
The Panther platform was a darling of fleets and taxi companies due to its rugged construction and easy maintenance, and a darling of many Curbsiders for its old-fashioned, simple and distinctly American character. But Ford seemingly gave up on the retail market around the turn of the century, engaging in rampant cost-cutting, saddling it with a weak V8, and investing little to keep it competitive with rivals like the Cadillac DeVille/DTS. Then, the 2005 Chrysler 300 arrived to great acclaim and at a much lower price point, showing private buyers were still rather fond of the idea of a brashly American, full-size, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered sedan. Hurrah! The big American V8 sedan wasn’t dead! Sadly, it was terminal at Lincoln.
Ford could have developed a new rear-wheel-drive, full-size flagship with distinctively American styling, à la the 2002 Continental concept, to help maintain the Lincoln brand’s prestige and show the successful Chrysler 300 who was boss (albeit at a higher price point). They could have even used the Australian Falcon platform as a starting point, an ageing platform but one that had been heavily refined by 2002 and one that was much more capable than the Panther platform. But Ford had its hands full with the Premier Auto Group and then the task of dismantling said group and remaining solvent, and instead Lincoln was given an influx of new models based on front-wheel-drive Ford platforms. You may scoff at the MKS for being a “fancy Taurus” but, especially after rampant cost-cutting, the Town Car was really just a “fancy Crown Victoria”.
On that note, even to somebody from V8-loving Australia, I’ll admit I was puzzled when living in the US just how many taxis, limousines and vans have not especially economical V8s. In Australia, most of those vehicles have six-cylinder engines with LPG or are diesels or hybrids, although we of course pay more for our gasoline. With the Panther platform gone and the E-Series van on its way out, the North American commercial vehicle landscape is looking more like the rest of the world.
The Town Car holds an undeniable appeal to many enthusiasts because of its character, and a front/all-wheel-drive, Taurus based successor with no V8 has little chance to stir those spirits. But to private car buyers, the MKS was leagues ahead with a high-quality interior and a plethora of features not available in the Town Car like ventilated seats, voice-activated SYNC and side curtain airbags. The MKS also had more power and greater fuel economy with only slightly less torque, and more power, fuel economy and torque with the optional EcoBoost 3.5. And as for car service owners, the MKS may have been less rugged but it appears to have a solid reliability record, superior winter weather capability and can still run on regular-grade gas.
In the end, the thousands of Town Cars may still have years of life left in them and owners that appreciate their worth. Time will tell if the thousands of MKS livery cars will be quite so durable. While I can appreciate the Town Car, if I was in a Lincoln showroom in 2009 with $40-something thousand, I would sooner have driven out with an MKS. To paraphrase an old tagline, by the 2000s the Town Car was no longer what a luxury car should have been.
Livery MKS sedans photographed in Chelsea, Midtown and Washington Heights in Manhattan.
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1994 Lincoln Town Car – Best U.S. Luxury Car of the ’90s
Car Show Capsule: 1988 Lincoln Town Car – Black Cherry Landau Sundae
Nobody could mistake a Lincoln Town Car for some homogeneous internationalized GermJapKorean lump of anonymity. That was what set it aside and still does. Town Car buyers did not care for BMW driving, Honda economy or Hyundai price. They wanted a TOWN CAR.
And they were still happily living in the past.
The past increasingly looks like a much better place to live.
We’ll overlook the fact that you just posted that on the Internet.
yes, but perhaps it was posted via a desktop running windows xp, and hardcabled to the router… not on some darn touchy-feely screen…
+1 (Quadrasonic)
By driving them in the present….
Sorry but that whole notion of writing off anything you disagree with as nostalgia is getting old, ironically. Sports cars, motorcycles, and electric cars are all relics themselves, all of which enjoyed greater successes in the past than they do today. Present day owners of them are technically living in the past as well. If someone enjoys them, who cares?
+1000 (XR7)
Just for you:
Overall, MKS blends into international luxury cars more than the Town Car did, but it lost many advantages and they were why people still shopped it. Town Car wise, it has one of the best seats in the industry if the option level isn’t too livery, and it’s pretty roomy inside ( not measured by how long the interior is, but how wide it is, and usually width is poorly reflected in the interior volume ) and visibility is very good for its low belt line. MKS doesn’t have great seats, it’s only alright, and somehow the ergonomics of the car wasn’t done right and extra cut was made on the rear roof to make room for head, I think it looks odd. Still, it’s better than MKT, as the supposed successor of Town Car the backseat is unforgivable ( one of the worst car seats in terms of comfort ) and no wonder it hardly sells. Styling wise, I think MKS is one of the victims influenced by bulky Chrysler 300 design, as not many cars wear it well ( XTS is another victim ).
Longer, wider and lower always naturally makes a car better looking, Detroit design philosophy isn’t hard to learn, it’s more of a matter how practical it would be ( not going to happen to Japanese cars due to domestic width limitations, but designers always can make the car appear wider, like Chrysler M-Body )
I hate to think that this lack of comfort in rear seats is endemic to Ford but, I was one of three people relegated to the back seat of a Ford Escape (Platinum, no less) in late April for a several hour trip. We all changed position at stops but afterwards, we all agreed: how could Ford have possibly designed such uncomfortable seats when space was not a problem. I always sit in the rear seats of any car that I am interested in and these would have been an unavoidable deal breaker.
No luxury car, before or sense, holds a candle to this. (I just repaired a total power window failure and took this photo). 1961 Lincoln Continental 4 dr. convertible.
Wow, presidential seal and sombrero wheel covers – do you also have red flashers in front? Beautiful car.
Yes, alternating!
Around here I can’t say I’ve seen a MKS used in livery service. I frequent the freeways that converge near the airport and while I still see real TCs and I’ve seen one or two of the new MK TC, the Tahoes and Escalade seems to be the black “car” of choice. The CV has fallen out of favor with most cabbies as well. The carpool lanes heading to the airport are filled with Prius vehicles. Interestingly there are still a lot of CVs in taxi service in downtown Seattle. One would think the small foot print and the fact that stop and go driving is the hybrid’s forte would mean that it would be the in-city cab of choice. There certainly are still cabbies picking up CVPI’s at auction but the fierce bidding is now on the Prius though the last two auctions I’ve attended have seen the price of the CVPI’s climb back up. 2 years ago $1500 would have got you the nicest white car and now that is starting point for the black and whites and a nice white will be bumping $2500. Surprisingly the cars in color haven’t seen their hammer prices climb nearly as much.
Last time I was in NYC this spring I saw a lot of Toyota Avalon livery cars.
I don’t find the interior quality of the MKS superior, in fact I’d call it Chrysler like. The Town Car is still my preferred livery ride, nothing currently made save for Mercedes is as plushy and roomy in back as they were, the MKS is cramped plasticky, sucks to get into, and doesn’t even ride as nice(despite the solid axle in the TC).
And my god are they boring to look at. I’ve never been a fan of the 98-11 town car but at least they were distinctive, the MKS looks like a Chinese knockoff of a Hyundai.
Agree that the MKS back seat is a poor choice for a livery vehicle, or a luxury vehicle for that matter.
Ford’s Fusion / MKZ generally has a better back seat, and its considered a smaller car (which is a bit of a technicality as they have about the same wheelbase).
A Chinese company made a licensed knockoff from Toyota Crown, and it somehow looks kinda similar to earlier MKS except the grill, but the grill looks more like from early ’00s Town Car.
That looks like a Hongqi H7.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/hongqi/h7
Definitely a Hongqi, you can tell by the Red Flag hood ornament. (Hongqi = Red Flag). They made Mao’s limousines back in the day, and still do, in addition to regular passenger cars and trucks.
I agree that the styling is both inoffensive and in the mode of many largish Japanese sedans. To look at it, yes, you see the Lincoln “face”, but the rest of the car is so anonymous.
I’m always surprised when I see an MKS passing by and wonder why the owner bought it. Just about every other car in it’s price range has more presence. Did they buy this car to be “different”? It’s an instance where the cheaper Ford looks like a better all around deal.
My 22-year-old hipster nephew was offered his late uncle’s MKS with every bell and whistle and only 35k miles but said no thanks, I’ll stick with my beat-up 2005 Avalon. Poor judgment?
For free or at/near low book? Because that’s still a lot of money.
A hipster would lose all their cred by owning a recent Lincoln. No irony value whatsoever. Even if offered for free, he might not have been able to take the embarrassment.
Nice write up, William.
Being the Ford guy that I am, I was planning on writing something on the MKS, but it probably would have come out as something very similar to what you wrote. This car is the Rodney Dangerfield of luxury vehicles, just like the MKT, and to a lesser extent, the Flex.
I’ve driven the MKS back to back with Pather vehicles with very little mileage on them and cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would prefer those land yachts as they wallow around so much as to be practically dangerous. The 3.5 EcoBoost puts that old V8 to shame in terms of refinement.
The only drawback is rear seat space, which some other have mentioned. I can also surmise that the Town Car may have been cheaper than the MKS, at least after rebates.
I think the MKS gets a bad rap because people look at it and imagine what could have been instead of looking at the actual merits of the sedan. Its not perfect and now its definitely dated, but its not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
I’ll probably translate my thoughts to a post in the near future.
Never underestimate nostalgia to a lot of the Internet car crowd. I’ve rented a couple of Panthers (usually Mercury’s) and my experience with them has me seriously doubting the sanity and objectiveness of anyone who calls them a great car. To me, the Panthers are easily THE most overrated automobile of the last fifty years.
Great for 1985 maybe, but utterly overrated for the 21st century. Then again, they were the last holdout of the V-8 up front, rear wheel drive, bench seat, column shift era. And there’s a lot of people who really didn’t want to see that era go.
Sorry, I was tired of that setup back in 1963.
Good for you. I was sick of transverse V6 FWD sedans by ’93. Guess I should be happy whether I like it or not eh?
Some people just can’t let the Panther and B Body cars die without pissing on their graves, too. “Not only is it dead, but it sucked, and the new one is soooo much better and you’re an Internet wacko if you like them”. Yawn. I’ve driven nothing but big Fords and GMs ranging from 211 in to 232.4 in. I’ve never found a single one to have “dangerous” handling. I guess everyone with MKSes spends the weekends racing them at Lime Rock or something, because that is the only way you could find the Panther handling comparatively hazardous.
I get that people have a lot of nostalgic affection for the Town Car, but in reality it was a very inferior outdated relic of the past. Even just examining the final generation released in 1998, forgetting the fact that the car’s basic platform and layout dated back to 1978, the Town Car was archaic and uncompetitive.
Interior materials were horrendously cheap for a car at its price point, and styling was dowdier than an armadillo (which it quite frankly looked a lot like). There was really nothing any more classy nor premium about it than a Grand Marquis which cost half as much.
The MKS on the other hand is very much a far superior vehicle. Better handling, better ride quality, far more supportive seats, and significantly better interior materials, not to mention many more safety and luxury features. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But the weaknesses of the MKS are far more minimal than the Town Car, and if we’re speaking strictly livery vehicle proficiency, the MKS provides more than ample rear seat space and comfort.
Well said. Driving these sedans back-to-back is illuminating.
Given my post-retirement job as a consultant for a company in Manhattan, I ridden in dozens and dozens of the old Town Cars used by our livery service. While I’ve never found the back seat all that comfortable (too low with insufficient thigh or back support), the drivers all love their durability and reliability – many have 300K+ on them. What I became increasingly aware of and uncomfortable with over time was their vulnerability in any kind of side impact (witness Bob Simon’s death in a Manhattan crash, Jack Baruth’s accident, multiple police car crashes). Most of the drivers for our livery service have moved on to Mercedes and Lexus.
The Town Car’s styling I’ve never minded – those of us who remember the 54 Lincoln (“nostalgic affection”) recognized the attempt to recreate elements from the past – and over time it became an icon. Lincoln could use a new icon.
CA guy
Good call on the 54 tailight resemblance. I hadn’t noticed that before. The current MKZ greenhouse reminds me of the 49 Town Sedan. They bumped out a little trunk on it but if they went for a full fastback I think it would be more obvious.
“Even just examining the final generation released in 1998, forgetting the fact that the car’s basic platform and layout dated back to 1978, the Town Car was archaic and uncompetitive. Interior materials were horrendously cheap for a car at its price point, and styling was dowdier than an armadillo (which it quite frankly looked a lot like). There was really nothing any more classy nor premium about it than a Grand Marquis which cost half as much.”
Much of that was down to Jac Nasser’s cost cutting. Ford took thousands of dollars out of the Town Car with that last redesign, turned the TC into a shell of itself.
I worked for a supplier to Ford at that time, knew dozens of people who leased Town Cars, every single one of them hated that redesign. No one spoke well of it.
I think the more pedestrian final Crown Victoria’s and Grand Marquis have more of that nostalgic affection from people since they’re even simpler and basic. The Town car has a lot of wearable surfaces and some additional features/electronics in comparison and I think a lot of Panther love gravitates away from that, and speaking from experience it’s ALOT easier to keep a basic car in good condition than a car loaded with costly to fix/replace amenities and leather surfaces that need regular care.
My main defense in this thread isn’t for the 98-11 Towncar as a car I’d ever want to own, but what car is “better” when it comes to livery service. Sittingin the back of an MKS most of the superior traits don’t really matter, and a few I find quite subjective(I find the rear seat ridiculously comply in the TC, I don’t want firm tight seating for a casual ride, and the materials around are at worst equal – plastic leather, plastic wood, pick your preferred texture). The MKS feels about like it does in any current midsizer, space may be “adequate”, but limo it isn’t, more like Uber.
“You may scoff at the MKS for being a “fancy Taurus” but, especially after rampant cost-cutting, the Town Car was really just a “fancy Crown Victoria”.”
I call the last gen Town Cars ‘Town Marquis’ because they’re little more than a trim package on a Grand Marquis. In fact, the GM Limited was an all around better car than the Town Cars.
What Jac Nasser did to Lincoln was a crime – wasted huge money creating PAG while letting their established product die on the vine.
On a related note.
If anything it just makes me glad mercedes E, and S class sedans and station wagons are still a staple for taxi cabs in Norway, Denmark, and Germany to mention some. even though they also faced a lot of competition from Toyota, Skoda, etc. Sure, they’re luxury cars in the US, rich people’s toys, and what have you. But they rightfully earned a spot as solid, dependable workhorses in these countries.
In Norway alone they hold a market share of 42% of all taxi fleet cars.
That’s…really odd, considering the reputation modern Benzes (and German cars in general) have for aging expensively.
After a bad period in the early 00s, MB has upped its game (well, at least here in the EU) during the last few years so they are getting back to their older reliability standards.
Also, these are a steal on the used car market if you’re interested in one. Same with the Taurus.
Every time I see a late model Lincoln with the split grille, the first thing that comes to mind is Oldsmobile.
The cars have no identity anymore. I think Volkswagen everytime I see one of those new redesigned Honda Pilots.
I’ve seen a lot of black Genesis sedans in our liveries here in Houston. Seem to hold up pretty well.
Excuse me. What is that black car in the first picture? I don’t recognize it given that it seems like they are everywhere I look.
@Bill Prince: Agreed. I owned a ’61 hardtop in 1973, baby blue with a metallic silver-blue leather interior. I remember distinctly the seats being a revelation in that car, they were firm like no other American car at the time, yet supportive, and the 6-way power seat made finding the ideal driving position a breeze. And of course the “suicide” rear doors were not only a styling point, they made it ever so much easier for madame to enter or exit the vehicle gracefully at the opera or a charity gala. A milestone car definitely.
The MKS would have been my next choice if I didn’t get the 300c. I thought they are pretty comfy and nice and I think they look better than the XTS.
I like the Town Car even though it’s long in the tooth. It floats down the road and handles just fine for anything I’d ever care to do. The instrumentation needs fancying up though.
The 300C were the work horse of the UK livery service. Built in Austria and all running with the 2.7 diesel engine. Operators liked the lower price than The M B E class but they did not hold out so long.
“the MKS was leagues ahead with a high-quality interior…”
Um, no.
I offer up pic of a “high-quality interior” from my 2005 Town Car:
TC front seat. Can you find this in any tarted up Ford Fusion/Tarus?
All of you calling the TC archaic and praise the MKS miss the point, just as Ford has, which to me is: how can you even produce such a non-entity when you know there are Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers on this earth? Particularly when you have the below as a prototype? I mean, they must have drank a high calories stupid juice when they decided not to produce it. A Lincoln should be unique and offer a special driving experience – if I wanted a car like the MKS, Lexus and even Hyundai offer appropriate and better vehicles. Interestingly, whereas the 300 always sold (not in huge numbers, but still) in Europe (as did Cadillac’s RWD offerings), I have never, NEVER, seen one MKS here – no one seems to be stupid enough to try and grey import them.
Sigh…
We’re not missing the point at all, its just our preference, just like you prefer a rear wheel drive vehicle. The name calling is unnecessary.
I meant that prototype
A massive missed opportunity. Distinctive and modern, like the ’61 all over agaiun.
Of the black cars besides TCs here in NYC, I prefer the Tahoes and Suburban. Good legroom, good comfort, reasonably isolated.
None of the elegant formality of a Town Car L in good condition though. That was and is still the go-to for something at the Waldorf (until next year) or the Metropolitan Club.
I don’t think the MKs are awful. But I think livery cars have lost their presence and gravity with the demise of the Panther. An S Class is an okay substitute but feels like an owner driven car. The Town Car (and the late Fleetwood) were inferior in certain ways to their namesake predecessors; I’ll be the first to agree they needed some serious updating but with their formality at least looked like something a driver could be piloting with passengers in the back. . S-class falls short not on the luxury scale but because it feels more like being given a lift by your dentist or attorney than a livery vehicle.
Drove loads of these when I worked at a Ford-Lincoln dealer in 2012 – actually one of our loaner cars in the service department was a pearl white one with white leather seats. Plenty of late model Town Cars and various Panthers came in for service as well so it was easy to compare everything.
The MKS drives a LOT like the Taurus it’s based on, the interior was a more pleasant design but I wouldn’t say it would age any better. Both cars were quiet, “tomb-like” and felt heavy and huge from the driver’s seat, but they didn’t actually have that much interior room, especially width. I specifically recall the MASSIVE turning circle which is inevitable with any FWD large sedan, but somehow seemed worse than most. (big Buicks, Impalas, etc)
Both generations of Fusion felt roomier and airier inside despite having steering, suspension, and driving dynamics that felt about 1000lbs lighter (IDK what the actual weight difference is). The MKS/Taurus had less NVH and more electronic goodies but that was about the only advantage they offered while offering a long list of disadvantages. It struck me as very similar to the Altima/Maxima and Camry/Avalon dillema – the larger car is marginally quieter and more decked out, but doesn’t have nearly extra enough room, luxury, or prescence to justify the $10k price premium while also feeling too barge-like from the additional girth. Especially compared to an upper-trim V6 version of the midsize cars, which are all but identical and still a lot cheaper.
Hell, for the same price I’d take a Fusion/MKZ over a Taurus/MKS. They are just so much more pleasant and tossable while having 9/10th the quietness and room of the larger cars. Out of all the vans, trucks, subcompact Fiestas, Town Cars, etc….. the 2006-2012 Fusion was my FAVORITE all around vehicle to drive for comfort, room, ergonomics, quietness, and handling. It just felt “right” (there’s a reason the 190inch 4-cyl midsizer sedan is the Standard US car)
As for the Town Car… it’s unfair to even compare it to any of these cars because it’s obvious it was designed with a whole different objective. They were quiet, reasobably soft (if you ignored the chassis flex) and felt classy from behind the wheel, but in terms of power train refinement an Econoline van or Ford Expedition is probably a more apt comparison. Same story for interior material quality.
Your’re right about the Fusion, it does handle very well, but the previous generation did suffer from coarse sounding engines and a lack of NVH. The Lincoln obviously doesn’t have the nimbleness of the Ford, but it is very quiet and smooth – especially with the 3.5 Ecoboost.
The 2013+ Fusion is a huge step up and basically matches the Taurus and MKS in refinement, but I still think there is enough value in the Lincoln to make it a good used car purchase. You’d have to be crazy to pick one up new unless you got $5,000 off, and even then it’s a stretch.
I purchased one of the last 2011 Town Cars new and enjoyed it. I definitely got the Panther bug out of my system. The build quality was subpar, with constant rattles and lots of mismatched parts, inside and out. The last generation lost a lot of the traits that made them so popular. It rode okay but could have been cushier. The leather was cheap, the carpet was cheap, the A/C never blew cold enough, the door panels looked like they we’re put on by hand, with finger looking indentations at the top of them, the sound system didn’t have that quality sound, etc. It was super quiet, had okay power, and was very comfortable for 4 with luggage. I’m glad I experienced this ‘legendary’ car, but I wish I had the money back as it depreciated like a Yugo!
I’m doing a double take on the MKS; it looks restrained and elegant. I must have driven and walked among them but never noticed until now when it is prominently featured in Curbside Classics! For me, this model was lost among the anonymous alphabet soup of Lincoln model names like MKX, MKZ, MKC, MK…
Look at it as a car…my ’07 Town Car, purchased 14 months/14k miles old for $20,000 is comfortable, quiet, gets pretty good mileage (23-25 on the road) and is very rugged and reliable. I just renewed it (all fluids, struts and rear shocks, etc.) at 150k miles. It feels as good as new and will probably last another 150k. The point is that, at some point, matching the vehicle to the required task will reveal that most modern vehicles will meet the needs and a “stodgy” choice can create a real savings.
I was invited to the rollout of the MKS back in 2008 and found it to be an excellent, if anonymous car, a good job given Lincoln’s budget at the time. For my needs, the Town Car (at the used price) was the better choice.
But it this way: Warren Buffett drove a 2006 Cadillac until 2 yrs ago.
Do you know what he drives now? I presume it is something he bought new and will keep for several years.
I think it is a shame that Ford killed of the Global RWD platform, or is there any prospect that something else will be built off the current Mustang platform? The last Fairlane/LTD here in Australia had 42.3″ rear legroom on its 116″ wheelbase, and they could have done a lwb version of the FG as a livery Lincoln easily, running current Ford engines, transmissions, electrical systems etc.
A 2014 Cadillac
These are pretty common as livery cars in Chicago. I have to admit I’ve been pleasantly surprised by these as I was expecting a slightly nicer Fusion inside, but these feel like a legit luxury car from the back seat, on par with the modern Mercedes I’ve been driven in.
The cars that have really surprised me, well trucks, have been the GMC/Chevy full size SUVs. GM has really stepped up their interior game. The Suburban is an extremely comfortable vehicle. I’d never want to drive one of those behemoths in Chicago traffic, but as a passenger it’s quite nice.
Having driven three of my grandfather’s Lincolns (1985, 1990, and 1996), I’m well acquainted with the stately Town Car. My favorite was his light blue 1990 Town Car. With its elegant style, smooth ride, powerful engine, and tastefully appointed interior, the Lincoln expressed everything, as its slogan suggested, “a luxury car should be.” My grandfather, a wealthy dairy farmer from middle Tennessee, always drove Lincolns, and as a youngster, I equated his cars with his material success. And, while these cars have their detractors, they were very good at what they were: American luxury cars on the grand scale.
In 2012, I was ready to trade my 2002 Volvo S60, 2.4 Turbo. I loved that car. Substantial, sporty, and comfortable, it exuded a characteristically “Volvo” attitude. But, after ten years and the cost of maintaining a European car, I traded the Volvo for a 2009 Lincoln MKS. While some considered its styling controversial, both the elegant creases at the belt-line and rocker panels evoked the flowing lines of the Continental Mark III. Trimmed in the “Ultimate” edition with beautiful “White Chocolate” paint, creamy beige leather, and a striking accent of real ash across the dashboard, the MKS offered everything I wanted in my next car. The AWD, SYNC, and radar-cruise worked very well. The sound system and telematics did too. For a large car, the MKS handled well, offering brisk acceleration. However, around 60k miles, it developed suspicious engine knocks and suspension vibrations. It guzzled gas, and its 19 inch tires were expensive. And, so, three years later, I bought a 2011 Toyota Avalon.
I don’t regret owning my Lincoln MKS. In fact, I bought the car as an homage to my grandfather. You see, at 83, Pop began to slip into the early stages of Alzheimer’s. As his tremendous vitality subsided, and just before his identity unravelled, I needed him to know that I was driving a Lincoln, just like he did. I needed to express some sense of what it meant to be his grandson, and I needed him to know it. I took him for one ride in it. He sat in the back seat, admiring, and after we arrived home, my grandmother gave me the chrome Lincoln key fob that he used to carry.
Perhaps that seems “nostalgic” to some, but I call it legacy. And, when storied American brands like Lincoln forget their legacies, serious consequences ensue. Brand dilution, shifting demographics, and unpredictable quality have hurt mighty Lincoln. And, like so many institutions in post-modern America, i.e., the political system, schools/universities, the family, and mainline Christian churches, the automobile industry reflects the fragmented nature of American cultural identity. And, while it struggles to find its footing in a shifting consumer landscape, I’d urge the powers that be to “let Lincoln be Lincoln.”
Poignant story about your grandfather and the MKS. I lost my grandfather to Alzheimer’s in 2001, when I was 21 years old. A few years earlier, when I was 17, when he had already started to decline but before it became too bad, I took him to play golf a couple of times over the summer. My car at the time was a car he bought new, a 1979 Malibu. When I asked him if he remembered the car he had trouble finding the words, but I’m pretty sure he did, and I wonder if he ever thought during his ownership of the car from ’79 to ’86 that his grandson might be driving him around in it in the late 90’s. Thanks for sharing a story that caused me to reflect on my own experience, and your point about brand legacy is a good one.
My neighbor has the Lincoln MKX with the Batman grill. Its so ugly!!!
If I understand correctly, Alan Mulally, former CEO of FORD, wanted to kill the Lincoln brand. It was William Clay Ford Jr who prevented the demise.
Let’s home the MKZ (new sedan) can revive the brand.
By the way, I’m still pissed about Mercury…..
The new MKZ is just a facelift (and a rather attractive one, IMO) of the current one. You may be thinking of the new Continental, for which we all have high hopes.
I took a look at the Lincoln.com web page this morning and it labels the new red sedan as the MKZ. I will attempt to attach an image from the Lincoln web page, but not sure if it will work.
You can double check me:
http://www.lincoln.com (red sedan, far right)
http://www.lincoln.com/cars/mkz/incentives/?hptid=ln-2477-sse-mkz-io (red sedan again, page mentions lease incentives)
Ok, I took another look and you are correct!! Mea culpa….
The new “Continental” sure looks like the new “MKZ”. Easy to get them confused.
Maybe Lincoln needs to ditch the MK(x) naming scheme.
Soooo confusing.
They seem to be doing that with the new Continental (replacing the MKS) and Aviator (replacing the MKT), which is why I hope they’ll be successful.
I got a 2009 MKS in 2013…. after just selling a 2004 Town Car. Was it sportier, sure, but I just still thought “this is a lincon… it should ride smoother”. After just a year i felt there was no need to watch it depreciate in value and sold it for $17k, then bought a 95 Cartier Town Car for $1200 and havent looked back since.
We don’t have many black livery vehicles where I live; I see one every two or three months, perhaps a Model S Tesla, or Avalon, and even the occasional Town Car. What we have plenty of, based on the stickers I see, are Lyft and Uber. This afternoon, my neighbor got dropped off by a Lyft … 1st Gen 4 door Yaris, steel wheels, no hubcaps. The Yaris was silver, not black, though the wheels were in fact black, sort of a reversal of the more typical livery scheme. Judging by his cheerful goodbyes to the driver, he was perfectly happy with the ride.
Last successful Lincoln was the 1990 generation Town Car. Ford should have shut Lincoln down when the Town Car went out of production, just as it did with Mercury and the Grand Marquis.