MSRP on new Lincoln Zephyr...

[LostBoy]

From MSN MoneyCentral.

Comments?  Seems loaded with features...but, competition is rough is this strata of near-lux...Will the Zephyr hold it's own?  Can Lincoln move 200,000 more vehicles per year (total) in a mere 5 years?


All-New 2006 Lincoln Zephyr Offers Accessible Luxury and Simplified Options



All PRNewswire News

* The all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr entry-level luxury sedan starts at $29,995.

* Zephyr offers a single luxury array package with a full complement of premium standard features befitting its stature as a Lincoln. With only six available options, ordering Zephyr is very easy.

DEARBORN, Mich., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lincoln Mercury today announced pricing for the all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, a mid-size, five- passenger luxury sedan joining Lincoln's lineup in the fall of 2005. The 2006 Zephyr features a starting manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,995 and comes loaded with a number of premium standard features.

With the all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln will introduce an entirely new generation of consumers to the qualities that have made Lincoln a classic American luxury marque for more than 70 years. Zephyr has a bold and distinctive exterior design -- a rich, inviting interior with high-quality materials and a confident, luxurious driving character.

"The new Zephyr is all about accessible luxury," says Al Giombetti, Lincoln Mercury president. "The Zephyr makes the Lincoln brand more relevant to a new generation of younger customers who are ready to move to a luxury vehicle."

Zephyr is designed to deliver a comfortable ride and excellent driver response. Its suspension is designed to absorb more of the harshness of daily driving before it can reach the passenger compartment. Standard 17-inch tires with a wide P225/50 profile, power rack-and-pinion steering, a fully independent suspension, thicker front door glass and advanced door seals have been engineered and tuned with an emphasis on comfort, quietness and confident handling.

In addition to its attainable price, Zephyr features a full complement of standard premium equipment along with only six options, making the Zephyr easy to order for customers and dealers.

Major standard equipment includes a 221 horsepower 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine with 6-speed automatic transmission; 17-inch machined aluminum wheels; anti-lock braking (ABS); traction assist; side air bags and side air curtains; a luxurious and stylish interior featuring dark ebony or light maple wood, leather and satin nickel trim; AM/FM stereo with six-disc CD/MP3 player with six speakers; intermittent speed-sensitive windshield wipers; dual-zone climate control; driver-memory leather seating surfaces; front center console with adjustable armrest; universal garage door opener; power adjustable, driver-memory heated exterior mirrors with puddle lamps; tilt and telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio and climate controls; heated, 10-way power driver and passenger seats with power lumbar and recline; new projector-beam headlamps and LED taillights; and rear-seat reading lights.

The six available options include:

* Industry-exclusive THX II-Certified® audio system featuring 14 speakers -- ten primary speakers deliver surround sound; two front and rear center-channel speakers add acoustical depth; and two subwoofers augmented by power amplifiers deliver deep, rich bass -- and a quick-loading six-disc player compatible with normal audio, MP3 compressed or text format CDs ($995).

* DVD-based navigation system on a single disc that features a sharp, 6.5-inch-wide screen and text-to-speech technology for travel directions aloud in English, Spanish or French. Includes THX II-Certified® audio system as detailed above ($2,495).

* High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps designed to produce more light, last longer and use less energy than typical incandescent headlamps ($495).

* 17-inch 8-spoke chrome wheels ($895).

* Perforated premium leather cooled front seats ($495).

* Power moonroof ($1,200).

The MSRP of a fully-loaded Zephyr featuring all available options is $35,575. All prices include destination and delivery.

The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr is one of the five new products Lincoln will introduce over four years and is part of the much larger transformation of the Lincoln showroom. "We're beginning a renaissance at Lincoln, and it starts with the Mark LT and Zephyr this year," says Giombetti.

Following this year's release of the Lincoln Mark LT luxury pickup and the new Lincoln Zephyr, the Lincoln Aviator will be introduced. Soon thereafter, two additional sedans will join the lineup. "With all the new products, we feel confident in our ability to grow Lincoln Mercury sales from 300,000 annually to 500,000 by the end of the decade," adds Giombetti.  

[ifcar]

When people said that they wanted a powertrain upgrade to more than 220 horsepower, they didn't mean 221.  

[BMWDave]

When people said that they wanted a powertrain upgrade to more than 220 horsepower, they didn't mean 221.

35K is a bit steep for this...I could pay TL money for that price and get a much better, much more powerful, and more rounded car.  Hell, I could even get a 325i.  Who the hell is going to buy a Zephyr over a TL, 325i, A4, C Class, etc?

[ifcar]

But $30K isn't a bad deal, and it won't be going for sticker.  

[BMWDave]

But $30K isn't a bad deal, and it won't be going for sticker.

I agree.  

Let me rephrase:  I dont see why anyone would pay 35K for a Zephyr when....  

[mazda6er]

But $30K isn't a bad deal, and it won't be going for sticker.

I agree.  

Let me rephrase:  I dont see why anyone would pay 35K for a Zephyr when....

I agree. I wouldn't buy a Zephyr over those other cars you listed above, but I still think it's a nice overall package, and not badly priced. If I wanted a car like that, I'd just option out the Fusion and end up at around 27K.

[TBR]

This car sounded much better at 27-28k than it does at 30k. No thanks, for that money I would be looking at the A4, G35, 325i, and S40.

[ifcar]

If it were at $27K, it would be priced the same as a comparably-equipped Milan. That's unreasonable to expect, and wouldn't make sense.

[TBR]

If it were at $27K, it would be priced the same as a comparably-equipped Milan. That's unreasonable to expect, and wouldn't make sense.

It is unreasonable to expect people to pay 30k on a FWD Lincoln when for the same amount you can get an import sports sedan.  

[ifcar]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?  

[TBR]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.  

[ifcar]

It will have the advantages of a blend of nimble handling, a comfortable ride, and a roomy interior. As humdrum as that sounds, not all of its competitors have managed such a formula.

[crv16]

When people said that they wanted a powertrain upgrade to more than 220 horsepower, they didn't mean 221.

35K is a bit steep for this...I could pay TL money for that price and get a much better, much more powerful, and more rounded car.  Hell, I could even get a 325i.  Who the hell is going to buy a Zephyr over a TL, 325i, A4, C Class, etc?

My thoughts exactly.  They are wading into a segment where there are a lot of really great cars in the mid 30's.

Lincoln is way down on HP, so they should be competing on price.  Sell a fully loaded Zephry (with sunroof and zenons) for $29k, and they would do pretty well.

[SJ_GTI]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.

The TL seems to be doing fine with a similar formula to the Zephyr.

The TL does have more power, but I will say that i like the Mazda 6s' handling over the TL's, though I doubt the Zephyr will be as nimble as the Mazda.

The Zephyr interior is really nice though, maybe second only to Audi (with the TL being third, and BMW behind that).

In the end the main thing that would stop me from buying this car?

I could never drive a car called "the Zephyr."    

[TBR]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.

The TL seems to be doing fine with a similar formula to the Zephyr.

The TL does have more power, but I will say that i like the Mazda 6s' handling over the TL's, though I doubt the Zephyr will be as nimble as the Mazda.

The Zephyr interior is really nice though, maybe second only to Audi (with the TL being third, and BMW behind that).

In the end the main thing that would stop me from buying this car?

I could never drive a car called "the Zephyr."  

The only reason the TL is selling so well is because of its brand image, Lincoln's brand image isn't nearly as positive. Also, I personally don't care for the Zephyer's interior at all.  

[giant_mtb]

I didn't read the article, but I went to the dealership and checked it out.  It's a very big car and the interior is very nice, to my standards and opinions.  The styling is very nice, IMO, but the concept did look better, but it still is nice.

[BMWDave]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.

The TL seems to be doing fine with a similar formula to the Zephyr.

The TL does have more power, but I will say that i like the Mazda 6s' handling over the TL's, though I doubt the Zephyr will be as nimble as the Mazda.

The Zephyr interior is really nice though, maybe second only to Audi (with the TL being third, and BMW behind that).

In the end the main thing that would stop me from buying this car?

I could never drive a car called "the Zephyr."  

The only reason the TL is selling so well is because of its brand image, Lincoln's brand image isn't nearly as positive. Also, I personally don't care for the Zephyer's interior at all.

The interior is a bit too tallish and "truckish" for a car, but its interior is nicer than any Lincoln car at the moment IMO.  It definitely is a big improvement for Lincoln.

[TBR]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.

The TL seems to be doing fine with a similar formula to the Zephyr.

The TL does have more power, but I will say that i like the Mazda 6s' handling over the TL's, though I doubt the Zephyr will be as nimble as the Mazda.

The Zephyr interior is really nice though, maybe second only to Audi (with the TL being third, and BMW behind that).

In the end the main thing that would stop me from buying this car?

I could never drive a car called "the Zephyr."  

The only reason the TL is selling so well is because of its brand image, Lincoln's brand image isn't nearly as positive. Also, I personally don't care for the Zephyer's interior at all.

The interior is a bit too tallish and "truckish" for a car, but its interior is nicer than any Lincoln car at the moment IMO.  It definitely is a big improvement for Lincoln.

Just because it is an improvement for Lincoln doesn't mean its good.  

[BMWDave]

I never said it was good, it was just an improvement.  I have said my opinion on it earlier, and I certainly wouldnt buy it over antyhing in its class of the vehicles I mentioned.

[Raza]

It looks like they took the grille off of that concept Town Car and stuck it on a CTS body.

They wouldn't pry 20K from my hands for this.

[Raza]

And you can say this without knowing how it drives?

I know that it most likely will drive like a softer Mazda 6, which is good but not as good as the rwd and awd sports sedans that it would compete with at 30k.

The TL seems to be doing fine with a similar formula to the Zephyr.

The TL does have more power, but I will say that i like the Mazda 6s' handling over the TL's, though I doubt the Zephyr will be as nimble as the Mazda.

The Zephyr interior is really nice though, maybe second only to Audi (with the TL being third, and BMW behind that).

In the end the main thing that would stop me from buying this car?

I could never drive a car called "the Zephyr."  

What's wrong with the name?  Zephyr's a western wind, a gentle breeze.  It's elegant.  Not exactly a sports car name though.