Trunk Alignment

[EGFP]

This is crazy. Ford can't make trunk lights align with 1/4 rear panel lights, not with the MMH or even on the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. What is wrong with Ford? They ain't going to get a real share of the luxury market until everything is perfect. Listen up, Ford. If Hyundai can do it on non-luxury cars, you should be able to do it on luxury vehicles. If you can't do it, then don't put in trunk lights at all, like on the FFH.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-lincoln-mkz-hybrid-first-drive/#3340626

 

http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows/new_york/2010/1003_2011_lincoln_mkz_hybrid/photo_05.html

[runutzzzzz]

Ford / Mercury = Luxury? HA! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

That would bother the crap out of me...

[rfruth]

maybe it is perfect to them (does look odd to me but could somehow enhance safety) it's not like some people just got together and thru together an automobile, they knew what they were doing, I hope...

[EGFP]

Ford / Mercury = Luxury? HA! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

That would bother the crap out of me...

 

The problem is not Ford or Mercury (RIP) but the luxury brand: Lincoln. It used to be "Ford is for the workers, Mercury for the managers and Lincoln for the executives." Ford may have been adrift as the Japanese tidal wave took over, but they've clearly found their way in the last few years. And now they seek to emulate the Japanese and German model of one mainstream brand and one luxury brand. Fine. But luxury brands mean every detail needs to be perfect. That comes first, and then the name. Lincoln lost its name as a luxury brand, except to the old fuddy duddies. Now Ford wants Lincoln to compete with Lexus, Audi, Infiniti, etc. Well, if they don't get every detail right on the outside and the inside, people won't buy it (figuratively and literally).

 

We don't know how it will play out, because Mercury and Lincoln vehicles have been reskinned Fords. Now, Ford has signaled that with a narrower focus on Ford and Lincoln only, Lincolns may become more than candy-coated Fords. But we'll see. The Lincoln designers need to get into a different state of mind first.

 

Actually, Ford does internal stuff really well, arguably as well now as the best. They just make silly and incomprehensible mistakes when they try to just refit a Ford as a Lincoln. In terms of luxury, Fords offer great value with high tech gizmos and options that would cost more on most other makes. But when they try to make something really higher end, they make these little mistakes. For the price of a Lincoln, you can get a Lexus or Audi or Infiniti or BMW. The latter are a lot more associated with luxury and quality in the present day. So if Lincoln wants to attack that market, they'd better get stupid things like aligned trunks right. It's elementary.

 

We're not even talking Bentley here. We're talking basic outward displays of craftmanship and attention to detail that even shite Hyundai can manage. Hyundais are crap, though, while Fords are much better engineered. But at least Hyundai understands with the Sonata and their better vehicles that people want everything to look right when they buy. And Lincoln is positioning itself as more than that. So get the looks/outside right, Ford/Lincoln, because you've got the insides right. Then you've got to offer the refinement of a BMW. 3 Series BMWs aren't even that expensive or very exclusive - you can get one for less than most Lincolns - but they still look and handle like something much more refined.

 

Moreover, BMWs and most of the other mid-$30-ish-starting price entry level luxury car makers suck when it comes to hybrids (and most of the German diesel offerings aren't that impressive either). Ford is probably the most experienced car maker after Toyota and Honda in hybrids and probably does it better than at least Honda. So Lincoln could grab the fuel-efficient luxury market easily, but only when the vehicles look refined and don't have stupid little mistakes like misaligned trunks to turn people off. So go for it, Ford/Lincoln.