TIL Lincoln still sells (or tries to sell) the MKT for some reason

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg) 10/04/2018 at 12:17 • Filed to: None

0

22

I genuinely thought they stopped selling these in like 2014, but nope, you can get still buy a 2018 and they’re gonna continue making it for 2019. As much as I want to love it, being an oddball and all, it’s still a big, ugly, outdated smudge on Lincoln’s otherwise excellent and improving lineup.

Lincoln is !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the lovely, brand-new Continental sedan soon, due to a sedan being a poor selling prospect in today’s crossover-crazed market. It sold 5,300 units in 2016 (and was only on sale for the last quarter), 12,000 in 2017, and 6,300 so far this year. The MKT, which falls in the ultra-hot luxury crossover not-actually-a-wagon category, sold 4,000 in all 12 months of 2016, 3,000 in 2017, and less than 1,800 so far this year. Must be super high margins on it due to the tooling not having been updated in a decade, becasue I can’t figure out why else they’re still making such a dud. Hell, even this equally outdated and wholly impractical Infiniti QX70 is outselling it...probably because it is the MKT’s polar opposite in terms of styling.

One can only hope it will quietly go away when the Nautilus and Aviator go on sale

jimz > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 12:20

1

sales are down to only a few hundred a month, probably entirely to “black car” livery operators.  I’m guessing it goes away when the Flex does as well; which will be the end of the D4 platform. 

Chariotoflove > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 12:37

5

The problem I find with the MKT is the holdover styling. Lincoln’s new look sported by their sedans is much better. If there are other problems with the MKT as a car, I wouldn’t know.

I think killing the Continental would be a huge step back for Lincoln. They said they were committed to re-establishing their luxury cred. You can’t do that without a flagship sedan, even if you don’t expect it to be a volume seller. Cadillac seems to understand this much better. They are not ditching their cars to make only Escalades, XT5s and etc.

I think the Continental is a good car, something different in American luxury that flips a middle finger at the omnipresence of German and  Japanese luxury. We need it.

Stapleface > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 12:38

1

I’ve seen more than a few of these converted to hearses. If FoMoCo can still sell it to certain industries , I imagine they’ll keep making them.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 12:44

1

People still need hearses

benjrblant > Chariotoflove 10/04/2018 at 13:00

1

I think there are a lot of good points in this statement. Establishing your Luxo Cred can often be the opposite of selling lots and lots of cars. Re: Bentley, Rolls, Maybach. You’re not likely to be fully understood or accepted as a luxury brand if you still sell holdover stuff like the MKT because you need sales numbers. 

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 10/04/2018 at 13:06

0

Yes, and I’m frankly surprised the MKT currently still  exists in its current form for that reason.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 13:10

1

It’s an airport staple in SF, tons of black MKTs, I just had to work near SFO and saw several on my way home. I really believe they sell it as service vehicle.

BJ > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 10/04/2018 at 13:32

1

Yep, lots of airport “limos” are MKTs. Thanks, but I’ll just take a regular cab and keep the $20 difference...

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 14:17

1

I actually really like the MKT, always have. Also, the jokes on you I don’t see the outside of it while driving!

Haha, it actually is a lovely place to sit, and you can get it basically as a Taurus SHO underneath, which means it accepts aftermarket SHO support and it can tow 4,000 pounds, which isn’t bad at all for it’s size.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 10/04/2018 at 15:01

0

Yeah,  airport limos and hearses.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/04/2018 at 15:04

0

I don’t doubt the bones are good, I loved the Flex we used to have and this is just a nicer version of that, albeit with a smaller interior. But for my $45,000-$55,000, there’s lots of things I’d rather have.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 15:34

1

This is why I buy used vehicles. I’m not spending 45-55k on anything. That’s about 25% of my house!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/04/2018 at 15:37

0

Fair point, although that’s a whole different conversation.

I more meant that for that much money on a new car, I’d take virtually anything else.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 16:19

1

On a new car there are definitely better options on that budget. Problem being that I’m Ford biased and know how much I like that driver’s seat lol.

I almost took a long trip to go buy a perfect example of the last model year Mercury Mountaineer in AWD V8 that only had 60k miles on it about a week ago because I have a M ercury problem lol

Monkey B > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 16:39

1

I think it’s hanging on for the funeral homes. The Flex is a better looking version for sure. 

CRider > Chariotoflove 10/04/2018 at 18:30

0

The Continental isn’t premium enough to be considered a true flagship. It’s still a FWD, t ra nsverse engine platform. The Navigator is Lincoln’s flagship, and they can’t build enough of those to meet demand. Ford makes a lot of questionable decisions, but they know where they make their money. 

Chariotoflove > CRider 10/04/2018 at 18:50

0

I have to disagree, because I do not consider FWD a disqualifying factor for a luxury flagship. Heresy in these modern times, I know. Somewhere along the line, we in the enthusiast community largely swallowed the myth that real luxury must include RWD and sports sedan driving per formance in the equation. The Conti has a smooth, quiet, composed ride, enough shove for spirited acceleration from any starting speed, handling that is composed in normal driving, and quality interior appointments. It qualifies. By reviewer accounts, it’s not done. It needs to be improved, not cancelled.

I don’t see the Navigator as the Lincoln flagship any more than I do the Escalade a s Cadillac’s flagship just because it’s a best seller . The Navigator is an old model. Remember that part of what makes a flag ship model is marketing. The Conti was introduced as the face of the New   Lincoln , carrying the company flag into the future.

ranwhenparked > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/04/2018 at 18:52

1

They sell it as their fleet model, you can get a version badged as an MKT Town Car.

Theoretically, they could probably come out with a cheaper, stripped down version of the Continental that would serve the same market just as well, if not better , but the plan was to preserve the upscale image of that car by keeping it away from fleet buyers.

Honestly, though, its kind of surprising the MKT has hung on this long. Even its best year saw only 7, 500 sales, which is far below even the dismal 11,000 a year the elderly Town Car averaged in its final years. And you know the latter had to be way cheaper to make, being a 1998 body on a 1979 chassis with a 1996 engine.

ranwhenparked > Chariotoflove 10/04/2018 at 19:48

1

The Continental is at least an improvement over the last few years of the MKS (8,160 in 2014, 6,877 in 2015, 4,950 in 2016), and I’d figure Ford is making more on the Conti, since the MKS was something of a fleet queen and carried all sorts of incentives at retail.

I think t he real trouble is that the Continental is built on a unique production line - t he only other product at Flat Rock is the Mustang, whereas the MKS shared a line at Chicago with the Taurus.

CRider > Chariotoflove 10/05/2018 at 02:48

0

The Continental shares a platform with the Fusion, Taurus and MKZ. The car’s chassis just isn’t great. A RWD platform, even if it was related to the Mustang, would at least show that Ford was willing to invest in the Lincoln brand instead of see just how nice they could make the Taurus.

The Navigator IS their flagship. It’s their most expensive vehicle, and arguably their best. It is the car that’s getting people back into Lincoln showrooms, not the Continental because nobody cares about the Continental except nostalgic car enthusiasts and limo services. The fact that the Navigator the only Lincoln people buy doesn’t disqualify it. The fact is, it’s a new design with a powerful engine, a great interior, and people love luxury SUVs. That is what people buy these days. The Navigator, Aviator and Nautil us are what is carrying Lincoln into the future, not the Continental.

SpeedSix > CRider 10/05/2018 at 22:15

0

I guess everyone forgot to tell anyone in the Toronto area - the lineup for taxi/livery services at the airport consists of black Siennas, Camrys, and black Navigators and MKTs. Privately-owned Navigators are actually hard to spot. People entering Lincoln showrooms to see the Navigator are likely only stopping by before they reach the Cadillac showroom for their Escalade.

Despite how often enthusiasts bring up the platform underpinning a certain vehicle, you’d be surprised by how little regular consumers know or care about such things.

If you have something against the Continental on principle, you could just admit it.

CRider > SpeedSix 10/06/2018 at 03:25

0

Navigator sales are supply constrained and are already on track to double last years sales numbers. I’ve seen several new Nav’s in private hands already. People want Navigators in numbers that have n’t been seen in over a decade. And not only are people buying it, they’re paying up - transaction prices are averaging over $90,000 for them. Like it or not, this is the car that’s going to get people to look at Lincoln again, and maybe after you ride in your friends Navigator with those amazeballs seats and that freight train engine   you’ll be intrigued enough to look at the rest of their lineup.

http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/lincoln/lincoln-navigator/

https://jalopnik.com/ford-can-t-make-lincoln-navigators-fast-enough-because-1822678975

I don’t have anything against the Continental. It’s a great car, and it deserves better, both in terms of sales and in support from Ford. And by that I mean I want suicide doors and a convertible. And the 450 hp Ecoboost from the   Raptor Navigator would be sweet, too.