Lincoln Planning to Add Suicide Doors To Continental

I know a pickup is a different animal, but Ford has been offering suicide doors on the Supercab pickups for decades. 

What the hell, besides a negative bias against Ford, would make anyone think they can't do it right on a luxury sedan?

It isn't like it makes it a guarantee that Lincoln might not be able to do it, but good gracious the evidence is in their favor.

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Panel gaps and door alignment have been an issue for telsa for a while. I can spot them when I'm sitting in traffic.

Sure...

But my partner's Model S is FLAWLESS...

It happens.

I could see various panel gaps on Fusions too.

Some are tighter than others. My wife's Fusion. Not so tight. 

OK. Price does come into effect. My wife's Fusion was 26 000 CDN. The Model X is what? 85 000-95 000 CDN?

Quality control is NOT up to par on both...

THAT is all Im sayin'.  

If you were placing bets on who is more likely to get it right, would you bet on the 100+ year old company who has built suicide doors before or would you bet on the 15 year old company which still is using humans to manually drive the robots on their production line because they can't get them programmed correctly?

THAT is all I'm sayin..

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you were placing bets on who is more likely to get it right, would you bet on the 100+ year old company who has built suicide doors before or would you bet on the 15 year old company which still is using humans to manually drive the robots on their production line because they can't get them programmed correctly?

THAT is all I'm sayin..

But that speaks volumes, Drew.

12 minutes ago, lengnert said:

I know a pickup is a different animal, but Ford has been offering suicide doors on the Supercab pickups for decades. 

What the hell, besides a negative bias against Ford, would make anyone think they can't do it right on a luxury sedan?

It isn't like it makes it a guarantee that Lincoln might not be able to do it, but good gracious the evidence is in their favor.

They COULD do it properly!

Question is...are they GONNA?

The Continentla did not keep the showcar quality dazzling details.

There are a plenty.

The stance.  Longer wheelbase. I think the Edge is on the same platform, right? And I think the Edge might have a longer wheelbase, right? So what gives?

The pristine and tight tolerances and the luxury car details. Concept down below.  Look at the hood. THAT hood and front area SCREAMS luxury. Tight tolerance. The hood closure is sealed shut and is one with the whole top front end. The bottom chrome trim. The back wheel arches have a certain presence with that bulge.  Muscular.

Just impeccable luxurious details.

What we got.

And front end hood and area that is the same as in a Ford Fusion.

No cleaned up chrome trim on the bottom. (That chrome trim was a helluva nice touch in my opinion.) No bulge at the rear wheel wells.

The actual production car just seems like a very ordinary ride. The production car we got should have been the MKZ...

Which low and behold...is what the MKZ actually is...(at least in the Continental and on the Fusion the hood area is more smoother...)

Had the Continental we got be exactly like the concept, Lincoln would have had a hit on their hands...instead, it was just a more expensive MKZ (for nothing) which in turn is a more expensive Ford Fusion...

Not good! (For the Continental and the Continental name plate...)

So...on this platform,  

Do you really think suicide doors will actually improve the image of the Lincoln brand and the Continental name?

6 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you were placing bets on who is more likely to get it right, would you bet on the 100+ year old company who has built suicide doors before or would you bet on the 15 year old company which still is using humans to manually drive the robots on their production line because they can't get them programmed correctly?

THAT is all I'm sayin..

If I was a bettin' man?

What if I told you I wasnt gonna bet on FoMoCo either? 

I know that I said FoMoCo was NOT shyte...

But they dropped the ball on the Fusion quality, they dropped the ball on the Continental. 

Trucks. Yeah. They sell a ton of those. Always have.  The Navigator does NOT disappoint!

The Continental however, does! 

The Navigator is all about the little details. 

The Continental, not so much! 

12 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

They COULD do it properly!

Question is...are they GONNA?

The Continentla did not keep the showcar quality dazzling details.

There are a plenty.

The stance.  Longer wheelbase. I think the Edge is on the same platform, right? And I think the Edge might have a longer wheelbase, right? So what gives?

The pristine and tight tolerances and the luxury car details. Concept down below.  Look at the hood. THAT hood and front area SCREAMS luxury. Tight tolerance. The hood closure is sealed shut and is one with the whole top front end. The bottom chrome trim. The back wheel arches have a certain presence with that bulge.  Muscular.

Just impeccable luxurious details.

 

What we got.

 

 

And front end hood and area that is the same as in a Ford Fusion.

No cleaned up chrome trim on the bottom. (That chrome trim was a helluva nice touch in my opinion.) No bulge at the rear wheel wells.

The actual production car just seems like a very ordinary ride. The production car we got should have been the MKZ...

 

Which low and behold...is what the MKZ actually is...(at least in the Continental and on the Fusion the hood area is more smoother...)

Had the Continental we got be exactly like the concept, Lincoln would have had a hit on their hands...instead, it was just a more expensive MKZ (for nothing) which in turn is a more expensive Ford Fusion...

Not good! (For the Continental and the Continental name plate...)

So...on this platform,  

Do you really think suicide doors will actually improve the image of the Lincoln brand and the Continental name?

If I was a bettin' man?

What if I told you I wasnt gonna bet on FoMoCo either? 

I know that I said FoMoCo was NOT shyte...

But they dropped the ball on the Fusion quality, they dropped the ball on the Continental. 

Trucks. Yeah. They sell a ton of those. Always have.  The Navigator does NOT disappoint!

The Continental however, does! 

The Navigator is all about the little details. 

The Continental, not so much! 

To be sure, it would have been even more outstanding if Lincoln would have kept some of the elements you suggested.

However, I was not disappointed in the least with my actual (if admittedly brief) direct experience with the car itself. 

I honestly wish I was in the financial position right now (like I was years ago when I owned a late 80's Signature Series Continental) because it would only be a quick decision between the Lincoln and the Volvo (which would probably fall to the Lincoln because of my personal history).  And if they continue to improve the car (and I get my poop together) it will be in my driveway in the next couple of years.

And I get that the Fusion is not without some quality issues. But they continue to improve that, and hopefully the new platform they are moving to will be even better for all the models they build off of it.

I miss very much my first generation Milan. That was a great looking and completely reliable car. ('05 Premier)

30 minutes ago, lengnert said:

To be sure, it would have been even more outstanding if Lincoln would have kept some of the elements you suggested.

However, I was not disappointed in the least with my actual (if admittedly brief) direct experience with the car itself. 

I honestly wish I was in the financial position right now (like I was years ago when I owned a late 80's Signature Series Continental) because it would only be a quick decision between the Lincoln and the Volvo (which would probably fall to the Lincoln because of my personal history).  And if they continue to improve the car (and I get my poop together) it will be in my driveway in the next couple of years.

And I get that the Fusion is not without some quality issues. But they continue to improve that, and hopefully the new platform they are moving to will be even better for all the models they build off of it.

I miss very much my first generation Milan. That was a great looking and completely reliable car. ('05 Premier)

I sooooooo wanted to love the Continental.

Correction.  I love the concept!  I would have found a way to trade-in the Acura for a Continental had it been like the concept.

Now...well, Im keeping my Acura as I love that car to death, but, BELIEVE me when I say that the Fusion Sport COULD BE a replacement vehicle for me had I was trading in my Acura tomorrow. (That or the new Buick Regal GS. In my opinion, the Regal GS is the TRUE successor to the Acura TL SH-AWD, NOT the TLX that Acura is peddling now) 

Why do I view the Fusion Sport MORE than a Continental?

I dont think the extra $$$ is worth it to buy the Lincoln. Either in MKZ form or in Continental form.

Yes. Yes. The Continental blows the Fusion away in luxury, details and the like. I just dont deem the Continental worth that extra dough. If I spending that kind of $$$ on a sedan. Im skipping the Continental. Im going elsewhere. Cadillac, Buick, BMW, Mercedes, Audi...

If I wanna stay with FoMoCo, and yes I dont have ANY dislike for FoMoCo, Im keeping the extra cash in price difference between a Fusion Sport and the Continental and maybe I go to Vegas and blow the difference there. Bet it all on black or something...

Yes. the 1st generation Fusion and Milan were nice lookin' vehicles too. Aged quite well. There is a regular customer that comes to my restaurant who has a Fusion sport. Black. Good lookin' ride.  260 HP and 250 ft./lbs torque 3.5 liter V6.  Naturally aspirated! I LOVE THAT!   My Acura has got a 3.7liter V6 with 300 or so naturally aspirated horses and  270 ft./lbs... 

I love me some naturally aspirated V6s. Turbos and superchargers are cool and all. I prefer naturally aspirated. 

Looks something like this

Great looks! 

The 2nd generation DOES have some issues. The GREAT thing is FoMoCo is ANSWERING and REPAIRING all problems.  So...my wife's Fusion is basically FLAWLESS. No problems with it. The recalls get sent. The dealership repairs. There hasnt been ANY issues before the recall repairs. So we are all good!

I applaud FoMoCo for stepping up to the plate. Its just that its costing them money!  

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Panel gaps and door alignment have been an issue for telsa for a while. I can spot them when I'm sitting in traffic.

People aboard the International space station also discuss them...what is your point?

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you were placing bets on who is more likely to get it right, would you bet on the 100+ year old company who has built suicide doors before or would you bet on the 15 year old company which still is using humans to manually drive the robots on their production line because they can't get them programmed correctly?

THAT is all I'm sayin..

In all reality the Lincoln probably is bolted together to stay together longer than a lot of European and Asian cars. Still something about Ford reliability I don't like, but were I to own  a luxury car out of warranty...it would probably be Lincoln or Cadillac.

17 hours ago, lengnert said:

I know a pickup is a different animal, but Ford has been offering suicide doors on the Supercab pickups for decades. 

What the hell, besides a negative bias against Ford, would make anyone think they can't do it right on a luxury sedan?

It isn't like it makes it a guarantee that Lincoln might not be able to do it, but good gracious the evidence is in their favor.

They did it with 1950's/1960's era technology, and 50 plus years later a bunch of those cars are still on the road with doors that work fine. I remember finding suicide door Lincolns in Junkyards in the 1980's that had been in horrific accidents...doors still operated perfectly.

6 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

People aboard the International space station also discuss them...what is your point?

In all reality the Lincoln probably is bolted together to stay together longer than a lot of European and Asian cars. Still something about Ford reliability I don't like, but were I to own  a luxury car out of warranty...it would probably be Lincoln or Cadillac.

 

They did it with 1950's/1960's era technology, and 50 plus years later a bunch of those cars are still on the road with doors that work fine. I remember finding suicide door Lincolns in Junkyards in the 1980's that had been in horrific accidents...doors still operated perfectly.

See, this is why you are da' man!

I know you don't have a personal affinity for Ford and Lincoln, but you are certainly the most even minded when it comes to talking about a brand that you don't favor. 

Kudos, AHWNN.

30 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

but were I to own  a luxury car out of warranty...it would probably be Lincoln or Cadillac.

It would definitely be a Lincoln or Cadillac followed by the Asian brands. German engineers just to everything so different it is more difficult to do regular/simple stuff on our own. 

27 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

It would definitely be a Lincoln or Cadillac followed by the Asian brands. German engineers just to everything so different it is more difficult to do regular/simple stuff on our own. 

European cars have a certain charm, but I plan on owning only a few. A high maintenance vehicle is like a high maintenance woman...best done sparingly, with specific goals in mine.

In other words if it flies, floats or F@#$& you are better off renting it. The same thing can be said of European automobiles.

A used German car out of warranty is a gateway to madness and bankruptcy.  My sister learned her lesson with not one but two used Mercedes, and I had enough direct/indirect dealings with those money pits never to consider one again.   Now an older Lincoln I wouldn't mind as a weekend toy.   But for a daily driver, only something modern and under warranty. 

3 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

A used German car out of warranty is a gateway to madness and bankruptcy.  My sister learned her lesson with not one but two used Mercedes, and I had enough direct/indirect dealings with those money pits never to consider one again.   Now an older Lincoln I wouldn't mind as a weekend toy.   But for a daily driver, only something modern and under warranty. 

An older Lincoln will just be a Ford with nicer leather and a fancy grille.  If the interiors of the Town Car weren't so painfully "geriatric taxi cab", I'd totally own one. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

An older Lincoln will just be a Ford with nicer leather and a fancy grille.  If the interiors of the Town Car weren't so painfully "geriatric taxi cab", I'd totally own one. 

Yes, mechanically simple for the most part.   I like the blocky 80s Town Cars, 90-97 ones (there was one trim w/ white leather and blue that I like in particular), the final generation 03+, and the 60s-70s biggies...

I'd like any in the '87 - '97 range. 

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

An older Lincoln will just be a Ford with nicer leather and a fancy grille.  If the interiors of the Town Car weren't so painfully "geriatric taxi cab", I'd totally own one. 

...yeah...and again not a Ford guy but I am sitting here in Columbus lusting after the Mercury Marauder.  Even a guy like me has to admit a few of the vehicles of that era from Ford have some real charm and appeal.

17 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Yes, mechanically simple for the most part.   I like the blocky 80s Town Cars, 90-97 ones (there was one trim w/ white leather and blue that I like in particular), the final generation 03+, and the 60s-70s biggies...

For the Seventies, the pre 1977 down sized Thunderbird would just  be the cats a$$.  Those cars just had a long hood/shorter deck disco era look to die for.

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I'd like any in the '87 - '97 range. 

I have thought of buying one for my 17 year old daughter learning to drive. Safe, reliable, inexpensive, not bad looking. Seen several on the market here locally for relatively short cash.