Autoblog

Having reviewed many vehicles in my day, I can tell you unequivocally that not all satellite navigation systems are created equal. Just checking the sat nav box on the options sheet doesn't guarantee you'll be getting a system that's easy to use and will get you where you want to go. Those who know me will tell you that I've often sung the praises of Ford's sat nav systems, specifically the ones found in Lincoln models. My first experience with these factory-installed Pioneer units came from a review of the Lincoln LS I did back in the day, and I was happy to find an equally agreeable sat nav in the Lincoln Zephyr we tested back in March. So permit me to feel vindicated when I inform you that J.D. Power and Associates has just released its 2006 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study in which the Lincoln Zephyr's navigation system received the highest rankign. J.D. rates these factory installed nav systems in six areas that include (in order of importance) ease of use, routing, system appearance, speed of system, voice directions and navigation display screen. The Zephyr's Pioneer unit did particularly well in the those first three areas that are weighted the most. One feature of the system with which I became particularly infatuated was its ability to leave a trail of electronic breadcrumbs on the screen's map showing you where you've driven. And in case you're wondering, the same unit is also available in the 2007 MKZ.

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

We've given Ford credit in the past for its super smooth roll out of the Fusion midsize sedan and its counterparts, the Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ. To date the three sedans haven't had a single recall for anything minor or major, not an easy feat when you're launching all-new models as Ford found out the hard way with the recall-plagued Focus launch back in 2000. Still, our kudos mean little in the grand scheme of things. However, when Consumer Reports calls out your success in its predicted reliability ratings, potential customers take notice.

In its newly released 2006 Annual Car Reliability Survey, Consumer Reports discovered that the Fusion and Milan actually scored higher in predicted reliability than the Honda Accord V6 and Toyota Camry V6. The Zephyr also did will in the upscale cars category, scoring slightly behind the Lexus ES350. Other domestic models did well too, including the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS, both of which were above average in predicted reliability.

Despite these pockets of success, the domestics still only managed to account for six of the 47 vehicles that achieved the highest predicted reliability scores and got a little red circle with a white dot next to their names. The Japanese, meanwhile, accounted for 39 (21 from Toyota/Lexus and 11 from Honda/Acura). The Fusion/Milan/Zephyr, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Pontiac Vibe were the six American vehicles that scored highest. The remaining two vehicles were a split between Europe and Korea with one going to the MINI Cooper and the other to the Hyundai Azera.

Mercedes-Benz wound up the worst brand in reliability with eight models, including the new S-Class, rated as least reliable. Nissan, which has lately scored very pourly in these reliability rankings, still contributed the only five Japanese vehicles to be rated least reliable, though CR says its vehicles are showing about half as many problems as they did last year.

Check out CR's full press release after the jump with more details from this year's survey.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Lincoln has officially changed the name of its entry-level luxury sedan from Zephyr to MKZ, and is reintroducing it for 2007 with a new engine, styling tweaks and the availability of all-wheel drive for the first time ever on a Lincoln car.

The new engine is Ford's 3.5-liter V6 rated at 263 horsepower. The MKZ will be its first application in a car, though it will be used in the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX CUVs, as well. The transmission is a six-speed automatic that, if our memory hasn't failed us, is the one developed in conjunction with GM rather than sourced from one of Ford's suppliers.

It's difficult to see the styling tweaks made to the MKZ, but supposedly they're there. The car's interior, perhaps its most polarizing feature (we liked it when we reviewed the Zephyr), remains in tact and can be had with genuine wood, leather and satin nickel trim.

Finally, the MKZ gets all-wheel drive for 2007. Combined with the potent powerplant and a ride tuned for "luxury performance", the new MKZ should be a much better athlete than its short-lived predecessor.

The 2007 Lincoln MKZ starts below the magic $30k mark with a base price of $29,890 for a front-wheel drive model (just $230 more than the base price of the Zephyr) and $31,765 for the all-wheel drive model. It'll hit showrooms in October with a six-year / 70,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Lots more pics and Lincoln's press release can be found after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Will a Lincoln by any other name sell as sweetly?


The Zephyr/MKZ has racked up a good number of sales for Lincoln despite the brand's best efforts to confuse buyers over its name. Originally dubbed the Zephyr for its inaugural year of sales, Lincoln decided to quickly change the car's moniker to MKZ, pronounced "Mark Z," so that it would better jive with upcoming models like the MKX luxury crossover utility vehicle. After an earful of complaints from dealers, however, Lincoln's entry-level luxury sedan will henceforth be known as the (drum roll, please...) MKZ, pronounced "em-kay-zee." Funny, that's how we've been pronouncing "em-kay-zee" this whole time. Talk about a solution looking for a problem... sheesh.

[Source: The Detroit News]

When the MKZ replaces the Zephyr in Lincoln’s lineup it will carry with it a higher price tag to offset the cost of additional features. Chief among the new hardware is Ford’s new 3.5L V6 and six-speed tranny, both designed in-house. All-wheel drive and a nip-tuck up front also set the MKZ apart from the Zephyr.

The higher fee will likely help Lincoln move any remaining Zephyr’s off the lot when the MKZ arrives, though we won’t know the price difference between the two until closer to the MKZ’s official launch. AutoWeek expects it to be around $2,000, which would raise the current car's sub-$30k price to around $32k.

The Zephyr has been doing very well for Lincoln, with sales on pace to reach 40,000 units in 2006. The MKZ addresses most of the Zephyr’s flaws that were uncovered in our review of the sedan, so we would expect sales to hold steady or even increase despite the name change and price jump.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Could the Lincoln Zephyr, soon to be known as the MKZ, be bringing the average age of Lincoln drivers down a notch or two? Automotive News reports that while the average age of a Lincoln owner is 60 (and the Town Car's drivers are 70 ), the Zephyr's average buyer during the first three weeks of March was 56.

Arguably even more important is the fact that 40 percent of new Zephyr buyers are trading in cars other than Fords, Mercurys or Lincolns (better known in the auto industry as "conquest sales"). Automotive News identifies the Honda Accord, Acura TL, BMW 3 Series, Buick Lucerne, Toyota Avalon and Infiniti G35 as the cars buyers are passing over for the Zephyr.

Sales are coming at a price, however -- the average incentives package for the vehicle in February was $4,293, compared to an average of about $1,700 in the segment.

[Source: Automotive News]