Topic: Used Vehicle Review: Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ 2006-2009

[Autos_Editor]

It may lack the cachet of many competitors, but the 2006-2009 Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ is "one of the best deals to be had," says Contributing Editor Chris Chase. The front-wheel models earn high reliability ratings and the price is right, he says.

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[bikenut]

this letter /number stuff for car names ,( mkz ) everyone wants to jump on the bmw band wagon , with the rational that people will identify with the brand better , not the car , valid point i suppose .
but i can tell you i always liked acuras  " legend " name and "integra " name alot more so than number letter stuff

[Erik]

Not a great car IMHO, but a very nice car.

[TopGun]

.....
but i can tell you i always liked acuras  " legend " name and "integra " name alot more so than number letter stuff

Agreed bikenut.  It would be scary to know what kind of cost they had spent building up those brands.  Additionally, the numbering stuff adds to brands that have a LOT of history and cachet.  Acura?  Not so much.

Lexus has been successful at it...as they've built up that cachet over-time, and they were very consistent in their message and offerings.  That's why the LFA makes no sense for me as a Lexus.

While we're at it, BMW is blowing it with all their "joy" nonsense...backed up by silly offerings like the GT.

[bikenut]

lfa , what a stupid name for a car .
my brother says he's going to buy one , but i know he's just teasing me
( he's leaving me his last car in his will to me , doesn't think he'll live long for some reason )

not only acura either,  infinity did the same thing with the letter/number stuff
without the " history and cache " either
bmw started it , but it fits them like a glove , and i guess i can include mecedes in that too

[CatsEye68]

Looked long and hard at these when I was in the market last year. Really wanted to like it because there were several available at decent prices. But despite the unique Lincolnesque dash on them which I sort of liked, I could not warm up to the car. There was way too much Fusion in the body design to justify the price. They couldn't even find a way to frame the door window greenhouse in stainless, sticking with the same beltline-only strip used on the Fusion, just executed using a wider molding. It looked unfinished. I could buy a V-6 Fusion with leather, sunroof, etc. of the same model year for about $10K less. The MKZ just didn't seem like a good deal. 

[rrocket]

Looked long and hard at these when I was in the market last year. Really wanted to like it because there were several available at decent prices. But despite the unique Lincolnesque dash on them which I sort of liked, I could not warm up to the car. There was way too much Fusion in the body design to justify the price. They couldn't even find a way to frame the door window greenhouse in stainless, sticking with the same beltline-only strip used on the Fusion, just executed using a wider molding. It looked unfinished. I could buy a V-6 Fusion with leather, sunroof, etc. of the same model year for about $10K less. The MKZ just didn't seem like a good deal. 

That's fair.  $10K isn't chump change....But the exterior of the MKZ I prefer over the 1st gen Fusion....

[Mike]

.....
but i can tell you i always liked acuras  " legend " name and "integra " name alot more so than number letter stuff

Agreed bikenut.  It would be scary to know what kind of cost they had spent building up those brands.  Additionally, the numbering stuff adds to brands that have a LOT of history and cachet.  Acura?  Not so much.

Lexus has been successful at it...as they've built up that cachet over-time, and they were very consistent in their message and offerings.  That's why the LFA makes no sense for me as a Lexus.

While we're at it, BMW is blowing it with all their "joy" nonsense...backed up by silly offerings like the GT.

The problem with Lincoln too is there doesn't seem to be much rationale behind what letters they pick (at least as far as I can tell) for thier vehicle names.  I always get mixed up which model is which.  MKT, MKZ, MKS, I don't know.

At least with BMW, Mercedes, Lexus they have a series name that lets you know which vehicle is being referred to followed by a vague reference to the engine size.

[TopGun]

The problem with Lincoln too is there doesn't seem to be much rationale behind what letters they pick (at least as far as I can tell) for thier vehicle names.  I always get mixed up which model is which.  MKT, MKZ, MKS, I don't know.
.....

Agreed...they seem to be in love with their "Mark" designation.  I thought their rationale when this way...could be wrong:

MKT - Truck
MKS - Sedan
MKX - Cross over...or X-over
MKZ - I got nothin'....other than maybe it was called Zephyr before.

[Shnak]

The problem with Lincoln too is there doesn't seem to be much rationale behind what letters they pick (at least as far as I can tell) for thier vehicle names.  I always get mixed up which model is which.  MKT, MKZ, MKS, I don't know.
.....

Agreed...they seem to be in love with their "Mark" designation.  I thought their rationale when this way...could be wrong:

MKT - Truck
MKS - Sedan
MKX - Cross over...or X-over
MKZ - I got nothin'....other than maybe it was called Zephyr before.

The one thing that screws me up is the Z and S... why is the S bigger and more expensive than the Z? Shouldn't those two be flipped to have semblance of logic?

The T and the X make sense... until they come out with a second crossover and randomly call it MKC and then it'll be back to not making sense again!

[Katana]

Justa  thought but the continental european manufacturers seem to prefer alphanumerics whilst the British (inc. Ford & Vauxhall/Opel (GM) preferred names.

Alphanumerics: BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Peugeot, Renault (changed to names in the 90s), Citroen (changed to names now back to letters), Fiatm SAAB, Volvo

Names: Ford, Austin-Rover, Vauxhall,

Spoilers: VW (continental but use names); Austin (Brit but used a lot of numbers).

Traditionally I thought the american cars had used names?

[sailor723]

The problem with Lincoln too is there doesn't seem to be much rationale behind what letters they pick (at least as far as I can tell) for thier vehicle names.  I always get mixed up which model is which.  MKT, MKZ, MKS, I don't know.
.....

Agreed...they seem to be in love with their "Mark" designation.  I thought their rationale when this way...could be wrong:

MKT - Truck
MKS - Sedan
MKX - Cross over...or X-over
MKZ - I got nothin'....other than maybe it was called Zephyr before.

The one thing that screws me up is the Z and S... why is the S bigger and more expensive than the Z? Shouldn't those two be flipped to have semblance of logic?

The T and the X make sense... until they come out with a second crossover and randomly call it MKC and then it'll be back to not making sense again!

I don't know....when I look at the MKT I think more "V" for "Vanlike"