Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 A couple of weeks ago I gave myself a real treat! Part One. 

It wasn't this nice, but it had a lot of cars.

I visited the Lincoln dealer in Livermore.

Was I actually in the market for a new Lincoln?

I wish that I was, or could be. The prices on these vehicles were eye popping, but I haven't kept up with the pricing of even "regular' cars. 

The most expensive models are the Navigators and the Black Label Aviator, I saw window stickers that were over 100,000 dollars! It wasn't really a surprise. But my first "House" had only set me back 108,000 or so, comparable to this price. But not really. That's 100K in Today's money. I bought my first townhouse back in 1985, almost forty years ago. Believe it or not, that place is now selling for over a million dollars! 

Cars are a depreciating asset, I think that everyone knows that. Sometimes there are unusual events, like the Pandemic that raised the prices of used cars, since the supply of new cars was so limited. Generally though, nobody expects to make any money on their late model car. Cars are about the utility they provide. 

I would suppose that buyers, or lessors of new Lincolns can afford to buy these vehicles. If not, there are less expensive options from the same manufacturer that can provide the same utility. Minus the frills, luxuries and perceived status. That's what luxury is all about: It's more than you need. either bigger or fancier, more impressive, or whatever. 

Whatever these vehicles offer, it's the satisfaction that the buyers derive from them is all that matters. 

I have had a long time love affair with American luxury vehicles. I have never been, or will probably never be, in the intended market for them. But I still like them.

Is that a Christmas sweater?

One aspect of luxury status items is that they must be new to convey status. Especially luxury vehicles. There aren't many bragging rights attached to owning a ten year old Cadillac. Do you recall that line in the Kurtis Blow song, The Breaks? 

He said his Cadillac was gold.

But he didn't say that it was ten years old!

That's the breaks, that's the breaks!

In other words: No Status Symbol there!

Well maybe so, but at least depreciation makes those old Cadillacs affordable to the regular guy that appreciates them. As I've often said, a Cadillac doesn't become a Hyundai, just because it's now ten years or more old. 

Did I feel a little awkward going to the car lot to look at cars that I probably couldn't afford? 

No, I'm an old man that could fit into their "retiree rewarding himself" profile. It wouldn't be a smart, or a good idea, but I could probably stretch myself to afford a lease. 

I told the friendly salesman that I might be thinking of buying a used model in a few years. I wanted to see the different color combinations that are available. Lincoln is putting some really nice interiors into their high end models, the colors, materials and veneers are really impressive. 

Lincoln offers four sizes of SUVs with multiple trim levels within each line. Not coincidentally, they parallel Fords mass market line. 

I was curious about Lincoln's smallest offering, the Corsair. 

While it is too small to really fulfill the role of a family SUV, it could adequately serve as an alternative to a coupe or family sedan. It is actually much more versatile than an equally sized car. The styling is very much described as a shrunken Navigator. The Lincoln styling cues are present inside and out. I recently read a very positive review in Motor Trend. My question is whether or not it can convey the Lincoln Experience.

These current models are turbo four or hybrid powered, FWD or AWD. Highway fuel economy is in the  high 20's.  Good, but not that great. Adequate when used as a daily runabout. Especially when compared to the two larger vehicles. 

At fueleconomy.gov the FWD model leads with 22/30 mpg. The AWD model is rated at 21/28 mpg.

The interior ambiance is good but it falls short of the Navigator and Aviator. These are expensive compared to regular compact SUVs, but it is much less expensive than it's bigger brothers. 

Next up is the Nautilus. A new, made in China model debuts for '24. These were not yet available, so my experience was with the '23. It has more space inside, though it also is limited to a two row configuration. The interior layout is more luxurious appearing. There is definitely a bit more room inside. If I was going to be carrying rear seat passengers regularly, I wouldn't choose the smaller model. These have turbo V6 or hybrid power. Fuel economy is only a couple of mpg. less, in the mid 20's.

The rating for the AWD model is 20/25 mpg. The FWD model is rated as 21/26.

The Aviator fills the runner's up spot, but it is probably the best vehicle of the bunch. It is big enough to have real presence, but it's size is not overpowering. I think that it looks fantastic, a bit athletic, and very prestigious. The quality of the interior is fantastic, the detailing in the Black Label makes it worth the money, in my eyes. You'll look rich driving this baby, that's for sure! Everything that I've read says that it drives at least as good as it looks. 

It has three rows, the third seat is a bit tight for adults, especially in headroom and leg room, but would be good for kids. The prices on these start at around mid 60K but they can easily climb to 100k with the appropriate options. 

Interestingly enough, there was a standard Aviator on the lot. The first thing you notice is that there is no sunroof. Instead there is a corrugated steel roof. The wheels are smaller and not as elaborate. The seats aren't those super adjustable units, but they are probably more than comfortable enough. The upholstery design, and the veneers used in the interior are quite a bit plainer. There are probably lots of electronic differences, from the sound system to self driving and parking. These Lincolns offer a panoramic glass sunroof, I wonder if a standard type moon roof is still offered. 

The AWD model is rated at 17/24 mpg. while the RWD model is rated at 18/26 mpg.

The Navigator displays a very, massive and blocky appearance. All three rows have spacious seating. The squared off appearance combined with the large 23 inch wheels give it an overpowering look. Nothing subtle here. The interior is a luxurious masterwork. If any American vehicle can be worth that kind of money, this is one that is worth it. If you need, or want all the space and capability, you can't go wrong. As a status symbol it surely makes an impression. That being said, in my eyes it is just "too much" for me. Fuel economy is almost identical to the Aviator give or take a mile or two, in the low 20's.

According to the website the AWD model is rated as 15/21 mpg. while the RWD model is rated at 17/23 mpg. Of course, your results may vary.

In almost all the road tests that I've seen on these Lincolns, the actual fuel economy is much lower than the listed numbers. The road testers are driving them in a manner to get the feeling for the overall performance, and they are not paying for the gas themselves! A careful owner with a feather foot might beat the EPA ratings, I frequently do that with my own vehicles, even topping 20 mpg. with my older V8 Navigator. 

There is actually only a narrow spread in fuel economy between all four vehicles. 21-30 mpg. is only a nine mile per gallon difference. AWD will cost you a mile or two with every model. The hybrid models will inflate the difference, but for long distance road travel it's the highway number that matters. 

Lincoln has a couple of colors that I found very attractive; a Diamond White pearl metallic and a Ceramic Pearl metallic. The Ceramic color has an ivory note. There was a used '22 Aviator Black Label in Diamond White with cordovan or Oxblood colored leather. The wood veneer was beautiful with laser etched detailing. If I could swing 69,000 bucks I would have driven that thing home! 

Would I really?