Gurgeh

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180812/RETAIL07/180819938/rejuvenated-lincoln-seeks-a-place-of-its-own

Timmer, I think Job1 date (when the factory starts cranking out production Nautiluses -- Nautili?) is still a month away.

I missed this Automotive News story from the spring on the new 8-speed transmissions (yes, there will be two of them) slated for the Nautilus. The one used for the 2.0t in-line 4 base engine will be a revised version of the 9-speed jointly developed with GM, and it will be prioritized for fuel efficiency. The second will a new Ford-designed 8-speed based on the old 6-speed (that also has its origins in a joint development project with GM). This one will be used with the 2.7tt V6 upgrade engine and will be prioritized for power and torque. Just wish there was a Nautilus "first drive" review out as I'm curious how the Naut might differ from the MKX due to the new transmissions. Note: "Ford hasn't revealed fuel economy figures for the first vehicles with the new eight-speed gearboxes, but its engineers believe they can achieve everything GM is getting out of its nine-speed with one less gear. 'The small efficiency benefit did not justify the added weight and cost of an extra clutch and gear,' Ford spokesman Mike Levine said." And: "But the transmission switch also is about performance, at a time when Ford is creating a broad portfolio of sportier and high-horsepower vehicles. By adapting the six-speed from the 2002 GM alliance, Ford hopes to get more torque and power." http://www.autonews.com/article/20180423/OEM01/180429934/ford-gm-9-speed-transmission

Walkabout, less pronounced bolsters might do the trick. And as for road dynamics, it might just be because I'm used to the driving dynamics of a smaller crossover, my 2016 Q5. Though the F-Pace (all tuned for sporty driving, with a more harsh ride) is a similar size to the MKX but doesn't feel like it. The F-Pace, remarkably for its size, is actually lighter than the smaller Q5 because of all the aluminum they use in the suspension and body panels. It also has a lower center of gravity and rear-biased AWD. But that ride *is* on the rough side (and it's interior isn't as quiet as the Lincoln or Audi -- I think they might also be saving weight on sound dampening glass). I might still give the Nautilus one last look when it hits the streets, but 21" wheels? What were they thinking!

It's actually worse than that. If you want the upgraded audio or headlights, you have to get the 21" wheels as well. I've been pretty quiet in this forum lately, and really should change my "current vehicle" info, as this is one of the reasons I've about decided not to go with the Nautilus, as much as I wanted to do so. I may hold out just a couple or three months more to test drive the Nautilus when it hits dealer lots, but the "date night" extended drive I had with the MKX as a stand-in did not go well with the wife, who found the seats too narrow and the ride inferior to our 2016 Q5. I love that engine, but I too found the drive a little less engaging that I would have hoped. Maybe the Nautilus seats for 2019 will be a smidge wider (there's plenty of room for them to do so) and maybe the 8-speed transmission will make a big difference in drivability. But as things stand right now it looks like I'll either be going with a factory order on a new 2019 Q5 (with the standard, not sport seats) or Jaguar F-Pace (the 30t, not the S, which only comes with sport seats). The thing is, both of those have in-line turbo 4s, inferior engines to that sweet V6 2.7tt. Oh well...

Actually, looking at the dimensions of competing crossovers, it's the MKX that is in something of an odd market segment. It is about the largest 2-row around, with dimensions closer to the 3-row Acura MDX than the new RDX. Only the Cadillac XT5 has about the same size. For instance, the MKX slots in right between the size of the Q5 and Q7 and between the Lexus NX and RX. And similarly, the MKC comes in smaller than most compact 2-rows, though only slightly smaller than the Lexus NX, but bigger than subcompacts like the BMW X2 and Volvo XC40. It is one of the things, in fact, that makes the MKX/Nautilus attractive as long as you're not looking for a crossover that you can fling around corners with abandon (if that's what you want go with the Q5 or X3, or better yet, go with a sedan). It is roomier with more storage in back, and with the best, most powerful engine in its class with the 2.7TT.

Pretty bizarre, even for him. So, the Nautilus order guide is open and Job1 is 20 days away. Is it even physically possible to place a factory order for a 2018 MKX anymore? ...and what about the one he "ordered" back in February?

These continued posts bring to mind this wonderful clip from the Pirates of Penzsnce. The relevance doesn't appear until near the end

Albertabound, Thanks for sharing all that. I was also down to the Nautilus vs. RDX (technically still am, but am leaning toward the Lincoln). I just picked up an overnight loaner MKX from the dealer to see if the seats are comfortable enough (I would be going for the standard seats) and if my wife likes it. There are some very nice things about the redesigned RDX. I don't know how they manage to pack all those features in a crossover that you literally can't push to US$50,000. I found it a little more comfortable to sit in, but did not like the weaker and loud lawnmower-sounding engine. The Lincoln is heavier, which can be nice for longer distance driving, but not quite as maneuverable. That Acura SH-AWD system is really something. After our "date night" with the Lincoln I'll swing by the Acura dealer one more time. But assuming the Lincoln's the thing I'll put in my Nautilus order pretty much straight away. I would outfit it the same as you, except I'll avoid the Ultimate Package if they force me into the 21" wheels. I much prefer the ride of the 20" and had too much damage to the tires from potholes the one time I had a car with low profile wheels. Final note: "Job1" date (the day the first vehicle comes off the assembly line) for the Nautilus is July 30. No one's saying boo about actual delivery date, but I would think by sometime in September for pre-orders is reasonable. Congratulations!

Wanders, I went to the Nautilus under-construction build site and started building a Reserve and Black Label. You can see from the associated picture of each that the headlamps look different, which I am cutting and pasting below. The first is the Reserve, and the second the Black Label.

Look, I'm not rich, so no "status" implied. I freely said that I am unusually debt averse, as well as there are good reasons to finance even if one has the resources to buy outright. I was only trying to give a little warning to someone who seemed to be considering an approach that to me seemed a bit risky. In retrospect I should have avoided saying anything, as people can get very touchy about financial discussions. Even if everyone here but a few have already bought or leased their cars, it is unlikely to be the last time any of us do so. But even so, I'm sorry if I said something that you took as offensive.

Interesting. What's the difference, I wonder, between Dynamic LED Signature Lighting with select/reserve and that plus Full LED Multi-Projector Headlamps with ultimate. Again, really wouldn't mind lighting/sound upgrade, but not at the cost of a rougher ride and more danger from potholes. Car before last had low profile wheels and one winter I ended up blowing three tires over the course of two months one winter driving at night in DC and hitting, at the safe speeds, some of their infamous invisible potholes. I vowed never to have low profile tires again.

Yeah, agree on the bigger tires, but they should be easy to avoid, one way or another. Personally, I would prefer 19", but the car only comes with 18" or 20" (or larger), so 20" it is I guess. As for the obstacle detectors, is that the collision mitigation system? Can it be disabled or can you adjust the distance? Problem is that's in the driver assistance package with adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering, which seem desirable. The lane keeping features are now standard for all trims for 2019 and LED cornering headlights are standard with the Reserve. The other desirable-seeming package is the tech package. Less for the 360 camera and parking assist than for the front sensors. I use my front (and back) sensors constantly in manually parking my Q5 (I don't have park assist), and would hate to do without the front ones. If I could get the sensors alone I'd probably do that. In fact, drivers assist. and tech are the only two packages I'm really looking at. Will avoid the audio upgrade due to the wheels situation (13 Revel will do fine I'm sure) and ditto the seat upgrade.

Yeah, if that can't be fixed through a special factory order, I guess no audio upgrade for me.

Thanks, Cosmos. Is the rumored change to the standard Reserve seats or to the 22-way upgrade (or both)?

Other than having to purchase 21" wheels if you want an audio upgrade, the most rediculous thing in MKX/Nautilus packaging (IMO) is needing to buy the full parking assist package just to get front sensors.

This will be a bit long. I'm not a Lincoln owner, at least not yet, although I've put up a number of posts in these forums in recent weeks. As I've posted elsewhere, my search for a replacement for my 2016 Audi Q5 began with a roadtrip from Maryland to Colorado and back a few months ago. On day two of the trip (6 total days driving) I developed pain in my left hip from the Q5's hard sport seats, pain which now comes back every time I drive for more than half an hour. So while I love almost everything else about the vehicle, I need to get out of these seats. So my search for a new crossover began with comfortable seats. Based on research, I narrowed it down to the MKX/Nautilus, Mercedes GLC, Volvo XC60 and Acura RDX. I first eliminated the GLC because the base engine just does not inspire and going with the engine upgrade (to the GLC 43) forces one into high-bolstered sport seats (see: Audi Q5) at an astronomical starting price. I waited on road tests until the new RDX was out (it hit dealers in volume June 1) and pricing/configuration information on the refreshed Nautilus became available (which happened June 19). Last week was my first round of drive tests, and thought perhaps some here might find some interest in my impressions. I first went to a Black Label dealer (bit of a drive but not too far) because I wanted to get a sense of the differences in the interiors between the Reserve and Black Label. I test drove a loaded 2018 MKX BL with the upgraded "Ultra Comfort" seats. While much better than my Q5's sport seats I was surprised that the upgraded seats still gave me some discomfort because of the high seat bolsters. This was a huge disappointment as on paper I was otherwise strongly leaning toward the Lincoln. The driving experience was otherwise fine, but I was probably distracted by trying to figure out if the seat would somehow work for me. I sadly decided it wouldn't. Next, I drove across the county to a Volvo dealer and tried out the (new for) 2018 XC60. Volvo did some great things in the crossover's redesign. The interior is absolutely stunning (in part because of a feature I don't like, and that is the removal of virtually all physical controls) and the exterior is classy. The seats seemed fairly comfortable and the technology is cutting edge. The car is nimble and the engine strong and surprisingly quiet. But in the end, it has a nervous and unsettling drive, probably due to its new and complex engine that draws power from three different sources (2.0 engine, supercharger and turbocharger) and tries (but ultimately fails) to weave them together into a smooth power curve. I do not trust the reliability of that engine down the line. The vehicle, outfitted the way I would like, would be about the same price as a comparable MKX/Nautilus Reserve. So I eliminated the XC60. At this point, I was wondering if any of the crossovers I was shopping would do, as I did not have high hopes for the RDX for several reasons (more on that later). But since the Volvo dealership was in an autopark I decided drive over to the Ford/Lincoln dealer and take one more look at the MKX. Waiting for the dealer to come out (since unlike the other locations I hadn't emailed ahead and set up appointments) I sat down in the MKX they had on the showroom floor. Wait a second, sez I, these seats are quite nice! I then realized that I was sitting in the base Reserve seats, not the upgraded "comfort" ones. The side bolsters on these seats are much lower and quite soft. So I went out on another road test with the kid that the sales manager had assigned me (he was with another client). The seats seemed fine and I started paying more attention to the drive of the car. I liked the handling, but the engine was not as strong and responsive as I would have expected. It was solid, mind you, without any of the flightiness of the XC60, but just felt a little, well, ponderous. I know it is a heavier and larger vehicle than the XC60, but it is about the same weight as my Q5. When we got back the Sales Manager was now available to talk. I mentioned my driving experience and he responded, well, why didn't you drive the 2.7TT? The kid said, "but it *is* the 2.7!" (mind you, this is the same kid who mostly sells Fords and who was under the impression that this was the first year of the Nautilus would be its last because it was being replaced by the Aviator). "Uh, no it isn't," the Sales Manager responded and shooed the kid away. I then went on another test drive with the SM. And oh, what a difference! That twin turbo 2.7 was smooth, powerful, quiet and quickly responsive throughout the power band. I liked it even better than the marvelous 3.0 supercharged V6 in my Q5. Based on that drive I thought I had pretty much made up my mind, and I sat down with the Manager who pulled up the Nautilus order screen to show me the options. I mentioned my one concern about the Nautilus, which is that the packages seem to require you to get the 21' wheels (which I don't want because of their rougher ride) to get the audio upgrade, something changed from the MKX packages. He looked at his screen and saw a "Luxury Package" (that does not exist yet on the under-construction customer Nautilus build site) with only the audio and headlamp upgrades. "If I go with the Nautilus, that is what I would want," I said. But he then tried to select it and got the message that it also required him to select the $4k "Ultimate Package" that included the wheel upgrades as well. He said that he would call Lincoln and try to get this issue ironed out. The next day I went to my appointment at the Acura dealership without great expectations but my experience testing the RDX was a bit of a surprise, positive in several respects and negative in one. The RDX wins on handling; the SH-AWD system is simply a wonder. Generally it takes a good while to get comfortable driving a vehicle you've never driven before, but somehow with the RDX I felt almost instantly at ease driving the car. The seats are the best of the three. The unusual infotainment system is, well, unusual, but I think I could get used to it, and at least the car has plenty of physical controls. The technology is advanced, with much of it standard and almost everything else you could possibly want (except folding mirrors, wireless phone charging, and parking assist) through two quite affordable option packages. And this gets to maybe the vehicle's strongest point after its SH-AWD handling: its price point. Its MSRP is easily $10k less than the other two vehicles similarly equipped. But well, the engine. The RDX's engine is noticeably weaker than the ones in the Volvo and especially the Lincoln. And I feelt more lag in acceleration as well. It was either initial turbo lag or the 10-speed transmission needing a second at times to figure out the right gear. It is also quite loud, which surprised me because the car's interior is otherwise whisper quiet. It sounds like a 4-banger that is working too hard and being asked to do too much. The RDX would greatly benefit from having an engine upgrade option, but well, it doesn't. The most frustrating thing about the loudness of the engine is that this apparently was an intentional engineering decision by Acura. In Sport (the default mode) and Sport+ the car pipes in extra loud engine noise through the speakers. I guess to make 25-year-old hotshots think they are driving a racer. This is a horrible design decision for a family-oriented luxury SUV unless it can somehow be turned off in the car's settings, and I doubt that it can. So while still leaning toward the Lincoln, I'm somewhat torn. If the RDX had a stronger and especially quieter engine, I would go with it without a single regret. If the Lincoln had the SH-AWD system, was a little less expensive, and I felt as confident about the long-term comfort of the seats as I do with the RDX, the same. I sent emails to the Lincoln and Acura sales managers going through pretty much all of the above and requested getting an overnight loaner car to do a more extensive and private test drive (also allowing my ruler of the infotainment system wife to give her opinion). The assigned-kid who took me on my RDX test drive had volunteered this as an option if I was still undecided. I heard back immediately from the Lincoln Sales Manager who said "absolutely." So I'll be trying out the MKX overnight in a few days. I've yet to hear boo from the Acura Sales Manager, so maybe the kid was wrong or maybe the Sales Manager figures since they are already selling every RDX they can get (it being spanking new), why bother jumping through all these hoops just to try to sell one to me? Anyway, I warned this post would be long, but wanted to share my impressions of these three competing crossovers.

Here's the JD Powers study mentioned in the link above: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2018-us-initial-quality-study-iqs

I'm liking the Coffee two-tone interior, paired maybe with the Ceramic Pearl. That looks like a less cream-colored pearl (more gray maybe) than the current Ivory.

Yeah, well as I said it is probably just me. I hate debt fiercely. The only loans I have ever taken out were student loans and a mortgage. In a sense I am always making car payments, but I make them to myself. I have a bank account that is my car account. Whenever I buy a car the account receives the proceeds from the sale of my old one and I then start making monthly payments into that account to save up for my next car. I admit that it is probably a needlessly anal approach to car ownership and financing, but it gives me peace of mind.

Now that I think of it, Cosmo, you raise an excellent point. Thinking back on the conversation, it may well be that the Lincoln Manager just wanted to move the MKXs he had in stock (and was paying interest on). The examples of long delays he cited were of the Navigator and Continental, both all-new or newly redesigned. The Nautilus is just the same MKX the factory has been building for 3 years now, with a new front end and modest changes to the electronics. One interesting thing both dealers I mentioned said separately, when I asked how the Continental was selling: both said it was selling well and expressed frustration about supply. They said technically Conti sales were down the last couple of months, but that was due to supply disruptions from the factory. They claimed to be moving quickly what they could get. Maybe that's just dealer smoke and mirrors, or maybe it is something particular to the DC metro area.

You are right. A full LCD instrument panel was announced. I'm wondering if the brochure pic is in error. This guide is not intended to be given out to customers, but is intended to familiarize dealers with the 2019 product.

I may be old fashioned, but I've always operated under practice that if you can't afford to write a check (except for a mortgage), don't buy it. Buy something you can afford while saving up in advance for something better. That's why my first two cars were VW bugs and, after some years of university and paying off student loans, my third was the most awful car I ever owned, a Hyundai Excel. Of course, if you can afford to write a check, then finance it you want, as sometimes it makes sense to keep funds liquid. Of course, YMMV.

I dropped by a couple of Lincoln dealers today in the Maryland 'burbs of DC to test drive the MKX and talk about the upcoming Nautilus. A few things of note: Dealers can as of a few days ago start putting in factory orders. The first dealer I visited has already ordered two. The second one I visited said that one customer had approached him about it but he urged him to wait, warning that based on Lincoln's track record a July 30 Job1 date is much more likely to mean October/November delivery than August/September due to all the testing Lincoln does once the vehicles start rolling off the assembly line. That said, the Lincoln Manager took me to his computer and walked me through the Nautilus ordering screen. I mentioned how little sense it made for there to be a requirement that you purchase 21" wheels when all you want is an audio update. He hadn't noted that, so we looked at the options, and yes the "Ultimate Package" option was there that included the 21-Inch wheels, LED signature lighting, and multi-projector headlamps with cornering, and the 19-speakers Revel audio system, there was also a "Luxury Package" that contained just the audio and headlamp upgrades. Thing is, he was unable to select the Luxury Package alone -- the system forced him to select the Ultimate Package as well. The manager is hoping this is a glitch in the ordering program and will call Lincoln's HQ to warn them that they needed to fix this ASAP as it makes no sense to force customers buying the highest-featured Nautilus low-profile tires they don't want. He thinks this is something that will get fixed. I may soon go ahead and place a Nautilus order, even with the delay, but need first for the Lincoln Manager to nail down the ability to add the Luxury Package without the Ultimate Package. I also have the RDX to look at (testing it tomorrow, did the Volvo XC60 today). But, before I left the Lincoln Manager gave me a copy of the Nautilus "Reveal Guide" he'd gotten from Lincoln. There's noting earthshaking in here but some might find it interesting.

Yes, Premier seems to be gone. There is still an unnamed base Nautilus, but if you upgrade the engine or choose AWD it goes away. It kind of makes sense with the new standard electronic safety features.