How is Lincoln still around?

I've owned three Lincolns in the past. Current Lincoln makes me sad. 

I can get a balls-to-the-walls loaded Kia Telluride for a couple grand less than a similar equipped Aviator. Sure I give up 100hp, but the Kia runs on normal gas and has a better warranty. I've driven both, I wouldn't spend the extra $$ just to have a Lincoln in the driveway again. And I loved my old Lincolns.

The thing I like about current Lincolns is that they have a few sleepers. The MKZ has had an available 400hp and the fancy torque-vectoring diff from the Focus RS for years now, and nobody talks about it. The Continental got this powertrain, too, but it's bigger and heavier. The current Aviator hybrid has almost 500hp and runs mid-13s in the quarter.

The Navigator is a 6000lb luxo bus that runs a 14.5sec 1/4mile and can tow your boat or haul your family.

It's now entering it's 4th year with the current model, and still the best in it's class, outdoing the brand new Escalade and BMW entrants.

Lincoln now exists in the vacuum left behind when Cadillac went chasing the Germans. Nobody buying luxury vehicles really cares about a Nurburgring time. They want to be coddled. They want to feel smooth, effortless, straight line power (kind of like Bentley I suppose). Ford has loosened the reins on Lincoln in recent years, giving them unique powertrains, and more bespoke parts than the Fords they're based on, and they're very highly reviewed these days. Also, they have actual names instead of the alphanumeric gobbeldygook that so many of the competition are burdened with and I think that appeals to people of a certain age with the means to be buying $50-100k vehicles.

There's an electric blue and black Corsair in my neck of the woods that's just as much of a head turner as any Range Rover. It really stands out among the beige, even though it's in the "just another mid-size CUV" slot in my brain.

93EXCivic said:

In reply to ztnedman1 :

I never said Lincoln made bad cars. A company can make great cars but if they don't sell then it calls into question how viable that company is. 

But they are selling them. Just because you don't see any doesn't mean they aren't selling anywhere. Based on the vehicles I see driving around my area, I'd be led to believe that porsche cayennes sell about as well as f150s, which clearly isn't the case. I'd be curious to know where exactly they are selling, but the numbers say they sell about as many vehicles as any of the other niche market luxury brands.

This is a Corsair:

ShawnG said:

Lincoln has been out of touch for a while now. 

The new luxury car display at Pebble beach in 2016 showed it clearly. Every manufacturer had their best, top tier concept sedan there. Lincoln showed up with a tarted up kid hauler platform.

Good job guys, thanks for coming out.

LOL, you're out to lunch there.  The Navigator concept was a huge success and a big hit.  When the production version came out the general consensus was 'Wow, Lincoln went from making a large SUV to making THE large SUV, and it's stil the best in the segment now.

The cool thing about the concept you showed is that with the gull wing doors and steps, everyone thought it was just a concept and didn't really show what the next generation would look like.  People were amazed when the production version was very similar other than with regular doors.  From memory the length and wheelbase were half way between the regular and long wheelbase production vehicls.  The hood height is dictated by ped pro rules and is higher than the Expedition, as unlike the Expedition it is sold outside of the US.  

People keep quoting US Sales figures, but Lincoln was launched in China in the last decade and is seen as highly desirable.  Images of James Bond and Kennedy in Suicide door Conti's are popular.  Also a fully loaded Navigator is the equivalent of over $250,000 there, that puts a lot of chedder back in FoMoCo's pocket, even though a lot of that price is local tax.

Having a soft spot for Lincoln having worked in Design before being let go from Ford I keep an eye out for them.  I realize that here is SE Michigan I have a bit of a skewed view of the market, but having just driven 1,500 each way to the Key's and back I was surprised at the number of new Navigators, Aviators and Continentals  I saw.  I still think the Continental is a stunning vehicle, it's a pity that they are being (have been?) discontinued.  If I had spare money I'd look for one of the 230 'rear hinged' (don't call them suicide!!) door version they built.  

Final thing, When Ford really got serious about reviving Lincoln back in 12/13ish, 'Quiet Flight' was very much intentional.  They let Cadillac try to out German the Germans and instead concentrated on real luxury.  Are they perfect?  No, but their offerings are all real contenders these days, and the fact that US Sales have gone from circa 80K units to circa 110k units per year backs that up.

I've been wrong before.

A minivan in a sea of luxury sedans seemed a bit "off".

I love Lincolns, there's a 1970 Continental in the garage at home. I'd love a '56 Continental for myself, maybe a 1970 MkIII