FFH vs MKZh

[acdii]

For those who have had an FFH and went to the MKZ, what did you like about it thats different and what did you like on the FFH that is different on the Z?

[corncobs]

For those who have had an FFH and went to the MKZ, what did you like about it thats different and what did you like on the FFH that is different on the Z?

Did you get your new job? ;)

[acdii]

I will know tomorrow.

 

I just ran across a 2014 HyTi Sunset with Ceramic seats. Oh Wow, is all I can say, man that looks sharp!

 

Want to hear something funny? NO, so what, gonna say it anyway. My last job usually took me an hour and a half or so to get home, and only something like 36 miles. The new job(hopefully) is twice as far, well almost, its 61 miles away, but it took me only an hour 14 to get home, and an hour 20 to get there. They asked me, do you think the drive will be an issue? Um, no, one, driving with the sun behind me both ways, check, travel time less than other jobs I interviewed, check, traffic nearly non existent, double check. Nope not a problem, so keeping fingers crossed they all wen thumbs up for me.

 

Only issue will be gas costs since it will be double what the car gets, and since the wife needs it, and doesnt like the t, well have to weigh options, so thats why i am asking on the Z. There are a few out there I like, but there are also some Energi and HyTI's that I like that are less expensive too. I just hate giving up the Lincoln though as it is a nice riding car, but 21 MPG is going to be a problem.

[TonyHzNV]

Only issue will be gas costs since it will be double what the car gets, and since the wife needs it, and doesnt like the t, well have to weigh options, so thats why i am asking on the Z. There are a few out there I like, but there are also some Energi and HyTI's that I like that are less expensive too. I just hate giving up the Lincoln though as it is a nice riding car, but 21 MPG is going to be a problem.

The other day I was looking around just for grins and found a couple great deals on MKZs (in my geo area) on CarMax.com. I pulled up the window stickers and saw prices like 48+K, ALL the bells and whistles and low miles. One had 11K the other 17K I think. The one with 11 was going for like 32K and the other 31K. The 32K one had the panoramic roof, the other the regular moon roof. Both had THX audio and, and, and! Like every option available. That's a pretty good cut off the original price for a one year old car! That almost made me think about buying one of those myself! :) Here's the sticker from one of them. Apparently I didn't save the other. Just sayin'.....there are some nice ones out there!

3LN6L2LU1DR822643_factory.pdf

Edited March 10, 2015 by TonyHzNV

[Texasota]

For those who have had an FFH and went to the MKZ, what did you like about it thats different and what did you like on the FFH that is different on the Z?

I don't own a MKZ so I don't meet the requirements to post on this subject. But... I like the hybrid badging on the MKZ better than the FFH. ;)

[machoman1337]

Don't own an MKZ but I got to sit in an MKZ at an auto show... does that count?

 

I like the shifter on the FFH - it has that perfect grip and feel, and I smile every time I pull the "trigger" to shift into drive. You don't get that on the MKZ with its pushbutton "shifter". That does increase storage space, but come on, a luxury car should at least preserve that part of the experience!

 

I like the leather on the MKZ. The FFH SE's leather isn't bad but it's noticeably harder/stiffer compared to the MKZ's. To be expected since the MKZ is an actual luxury car.

 

I vastly prefer the exterior styling of the FFH. I used to criticize Lincoln for not differentiating the exterior enough from Fords (e.g. the old MKZ vs the old Fusion, MKX vs Edge, etc) but in this case I really wish the MKZ was just a rebadged Fusion!

[nv rick]

Seeing as I am an 'interloper' in the first place, my opinion is obviously biased, ;) .

After I originally found interest in a hybrid, my natural tendency was to look to Lincoln due to my previous two MKS leases. While waiting for 'early bird' lease end eligibility, I did check out the Fusion hybrid. I don't know if it was my Lincoln bias, but I just did not find the Fusion to 'feel' quite the same as a Lincoln.

I appreciate what Ford has done as far as bringing some style and quality to the hybrid market, both Fusion and MKZ, and believe they are helping to push the development and acceptance of other brands as well. No longer does a hybrid have to appear to be an oversized go-cart or look like a lump rolling down the street on bicycle wheels.

I am not and probably never will be a 'greenie', but I really like the idea of getting a car with a great ride, creature comfort and almost double the mpg that I have been used to.

 

As an aside, many of you folks on this forum helped me along in the early stages of my interest, contributing information and your experiences which led to my ultimate decision to actually go the hybrid route. For that, I am truly grateful.

[acdii]

For me, its all about the butt in this case. The SE Luxury seats in the FFH were much more comfortable than the ones in the Titanium. The problem I have with the SE is I like stereos to sound good, and the SE just does not sound good, and I for one dont want to dump money into an aftermarket system, especially since this car has no head unit. To much integration with other components, and that is why I got the HyTi. While the Sony is not the "best" in sound quality, its good enough for my purposes.

 

No decisions have been made yet, just tossing around ideas, but if the MKZ has a more comfortable seat in it, with the good sounding system, then that is the one to go for. Since I would be getting rid of my MKT, the replacement will be something I want to replace it with, not a compromise. If I could keep the MKT, that would be a different story.

[Da0ne]

So get a '16 FFH then didnt they upgrade the radio

[acdii]

Not looking for a new car, want to keep it under $28K. This one had me say OH Wow out loud. http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/629027968/overview/

 

And then there is this one, which caught my eye, has everything on it that I would want, except the panoramic roof. http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/623363840/overview/

[corncobs]

I could have looked at the MKZh I just drove thru there 3 hrs ago.

 

Nice looking car for good looking price considering it's only two years old.

[Da0ne]

I always liked the way the MKZ looks and if they had offered a plugin version of it i wouldve bought one but as soon as my lease is up on the Lexus i may lease a MKZ AWD that one you posted wow has me in love and wanting to trade in the Lexus now

[tr7driver]

Not looking for a new car, want to keep it under $28K. This one had me say OH Wow out loud. http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/629027968/overview/

 

And then there is this one, which caught my eye, has everything on it that I would want, except the panoramic roof. http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/623363840/overview/

You might be able to find a leftover 2014 C-max energi new for that price with the current steep discounts, Then you would also be able to take the federal tax credit.

[acdii]

You might be able to find a leftover 2014 C-max energi new for that price with the current steep discounts, Then you would also be able to take the federal tax credit.

Catch there is I would have to go to a EV rated dealer, and the nearest one is 40 miles away, and I did not get a good vibe when I was there. I did consider it, but then again, the one feature that my wife and I are accustomed to, the BLIS, is not available on the Cmax, and I hate the non blis mirrors, the convex mirror takes up too much of the main mirror, and since I set mine way out, then backing up is a ROYAL pain, first time I tried backing it I nearly hit a car because I could not judge where it was due to the convex being in the way.

[hybridbear]

Catch there is I would have to go to a EV rated dealer, and the nearest one is 40 miles away, and I did not get a good vibe when I was there. I did consider it, but then again, the one feature that my wife and I are accustomed to, the BLIS, is not available on the Cmax, and I hate the non blis mirrors, the convex mirror takes up too much of the main mirror, and since I set mine way out, then backing up is a ROYAL pain, first time I tried backing it I nearly hit a car because I could not judge where it was due to the convex being in the way.

You could almost certainly find a Fusion Energi with BLIS for that price. Our 2013 had an MSRP of about $45k and we paid under $33k at the dealer, under $29k with the tax credit. How close are you to Havill-Spoerl Ford in Wisconsin? They are EV certified and are big proponents of EVs. They sell a lot of Focus Electrics and ship them all over the country.

[TonyHzNV]

You might want to check on that Federal tax credit. When I was doing my taxes a few weeks ago and got to the section on alternative power cars, I swear it said that the tax credit expired at the end of 2013 and (for hybrids) is only for plug-ins but if you "first put the car into service during 2014" you could still claim the credit on your 2014 return. I used TurboTax Deluxe and I swear that's what it said. So, I only got to claim the sales tax on my FFH.

[Automate]

Since 2011, has to be plugin hybrid or all electric to get the US federal credit. Either Energi model should get the tax break see link http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxphevb.shtml

Edited March 11, 2015 by Automate

[acdii]

In reality though, that tax break does not come off the price of the car when you buy it, you still are paying for it, with interest, you just get to remove that amount from your yearly wages for tax credit. I highly doubt you get a check from uncle sam for that full amount. (unless I have it wrong, if I paid out $7000 in taxes, does that give me a $4500 refund?) Either case, its still part of the price of the car that is you finance the entire thing, you are paying interest on it.

 

When you bought the car, did they deduct that amount from the overall price before taxes, or did they charge tax on the entire amount minus your trade?

Edited March 11, 2015 by acdii

[TonyHzNV]

I stand corrected. It was qualified 2 & 3 wheeled plug-ins that expired 2013. The tax credit is subtracted from the amount of tax that you owe on the 1040. You claim it on IRS Form 8936 for the tax year you put the car in service according to what I read. I tried to go to the site Automate pointed to above, but kept getting a gateway timeout. Tax credit amounts here: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/30D-New-Qualified-Plug-in-Electric-Drive-Motor-Vehicles-Ford-Motor-Company

Edited March 11, 2015 by TonyHzNV

[jeffo65]

If Ford and Lincoln would combine the two, I would be interested. I like the rearend of the MKZH but hate the front end looks. Whereas I prefer the front end look of the FFH.

 

My $0.02

 

 

.

[acdii]

This is what I found in regards, so I have a better understanding.

 

 

The Energy Efficient Vehicle credit reduces your tax liability. If the credit reduces your tax liability to zero then any remaining credit is lost and the tax payments you have made will be refunded.

For example - If your tax liability is $6,000 and the Energy Efficient Vehicle Credit is $7,500 then the credit reduces your tax liability to zero and the remaining $1,500 is lost. If you had tax payments of $6,000 then you would receive all of your tax payments as a refund since your tax payments are greater than your tax liability.

 

However, it is not subtracted from the cost of the vehicle, so I would still be paying that amount with interest until the tax check arrived.

 

I may not have gotten that job, from what I heard so far, they were considering going to a contract for hire instead of direct hire, and the contract price was well below contract prices I have already dismissed, by quite a bit. Not worth the drive at that point, but I interviewed this morning for a Chicago job that sounds promising, which if pans out, wont need to worry about replacing the T as I will be taking the train.

[Automate]

In reality though, that tax break does not come off the price of the car when you buy it, you still are paying for it, with interest, you just get to remove that amount from your yearly wages for tax credit. I highly doubt you get a check from uncle sam for that full amount. (unless I have it wrong, if I paid out $7000 in taxes, does that give me a $4500 refund?) Either case, its still part of the price of the car that is you finance the entire thing, you are paying interest on it.

 

When you bought the car, did they deduct that amount from the overall price before taxes, or did they charge tax on the entire amount minus your trade?

 

If purchased, you pay full price of car and then get the credit next year when you file your 1040. If your credit is more than you paid in taxes you can NOT carry over to the next year.

 

States may have different rules Georgia only has a credit on Electric only (not plugin hybrids) but they do allow you to carry over any remaining credit into future years.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Automate

[TonyHzNV]

Here's a nice simple explanation of how the tax credit works: http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/federal-tax-credits-for-plug-in-hybrids-electric-cars-what-you-need-to-know/2014/08/20/0ae02718-2886-11e4-8b10-7db129976abb_story.html

 

And the IRS version: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Energy-Incentives-for-Individuals:-Questions-and-Answers

Hope that helps!

Edited March 11, 2015 by TonyHzNV

[acdii]

Well reverse what I said earlier, just got a call and they made an offer and I accepted. :) Now to see what my wife gets and do some number crunching with my friends at the dealer. Need to find an MKZ around here to butt check.

[hybridbear]

Well reverse what I said earlier, just got a call and they made an offer and I accepted. :) Now to see what my wife gets and do some number crunching with my friends at the dealer. Need to find an MKZ around here to butt check.

Awesome!!