1963 Lincoln Continental, Gorgeous Condition, Lots Of Custom Upgrades on 2040-cars

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2019 Lincoln Nautilus replaces MKX crossover as new naming system takes hold

Goodbye, Lincoln MKX, hello Nautilus. And while you're at it, you can start saying goodbye to Lincoln's arcane alphanumeric nomenclature altogether. Lincoln unveiled the 2019 Nautilus midsize crossover in Los Angeles, taking the wraps (literally) off a ceramic gray version that had been hoisted to the rooftop penthouse of the Dream Hollywood hotel via crane ahead of its formal introduction Wednesday at the L.A. Auto Show. Latin for "sailor," the Nautilus joins the Continental and Navigator to establish a travel theme in the luxury brand's lineup. Robert Parker, global director of marketing, sales and service for Lincoln, said the significant changes made to the midsize SUV made this the right time to switch to a more traditional model name. "We'll do it with other products in the future, we're gonna do it one at a time," he said, without committing to a timetable. The company said nothing about renaming the recently refreshed 2019 MKC compact crossover, for example, nor the MKZ midsize sedan. Parker said the letter-based nomenclature was particularly challenging for customers in China, which has emerged as a key market in Lincoln's third year selling vehicles there. "There's an old adage that the name doesn't make the car, the car makes the name. So there's a degree of that that's played into this," Parker said. "This kind of connection that consumers have, especially with American brands and names, we felt like, is something that Lincoln could own, it's something we've owned in the past, and bringing those two back together, it does make it a bit more effortless for customers." The Nautilus gets its siblings' new signature grille and sidebody badging, welcome lighting from the undercarriage and cabin, and a choice of five new wheel options (out of six total) and three premium Black Label interior trim themes and other perks. It boasts an all-new front end, with everything redesigned from the A-pillar forward, plus a suite of driver-assist technologies like a lane-centering feature that pairs with adaptive cruise control; evasive steering assistance, which uses radar and cameras to lower the risk of rear-end collisions and can help the driver steer around the vehicle if needed; pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection; and active park assist. Inside, there's dark-stained wood trim on the console and minimal controls, with Lincoln opting to keep the cabin spacious, quiet and uncluttered. The rear seats offer best-in-class head and legroom.

The Zephyr could help Lincoln, seriously

The Zephyr could help Lincoln. The concept car revealed this week at the Shanghai Motor Show is gorgeous and a conversation starter. People noticed Lincoln.  The brand is quick to say the car, officially called the Zephyr Reflection Preview, is only intended for sale in China and what we’re seeing is a concept. In other words, donÂ’t get excited and donÂ’t read too much into the reveal. Why not?  Mercedes, Audi and BMW still do pretty well with sedans. So do Lexus and Cadillac. IÂ’m not saying Lincoln should line up three wide against the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class and try to go head-to-head. Just make one car, maybe complemented by a crossover variant, like the Volvo S60 and V60 Cross Country relationship. Tiptoe into the segment. Price it right, make it electric and see what happens. IÂ’ve argued Chrysler only needs a few models to become relevant again. Lincoln already has more than a few solid models. Lincoln is relevant. The Navigator is the superstar, and the brand has a respectable lineup with attractive design, solid powertrains and clever chassis setups (like the AviatorÂ’s independent rear suspension). Lincolns arenÂ’t more expensive Fords with flashier grilles anymore. Ironically, thatÂ’s exactly what the last Zephyr was — a gussied-up 2006 Ford Fusion — that lasted for one year before being renamed the MKZ. Ford Motor Co., including Lincoln, famously pivoted away from cars. That was a mistake. The Ford brand can compensate with Bronco Sports and Maverick pickups and maybe a crossover-wagon thing that sort of replaces the Fusion. Lincoln could use something beyond crossovers and SUVs. At this point, youÂ’re probably saying, “Uh, Continental, hello — Lincoln tried this." In fact, Lincoln has actually sold 768 Continentals this year as it sells off remaining inventory of the now-discontinued sedan. IÂ’d argue the ContinentalÂ’s demise wasnÂ’t due to its merits. ItÂ’s a pretty good car. It just had the misfortune of launching in 2016 as the market for sedans continued to shrink. The Continental was never going to be a volume play, but the measly sales figures it did achieve didnÂ’t justify its existence, even for a halo car. The Cadillac CT6, the ContinentalÂ’s domestic rival, met the same fate for the same reasons. Why would a new sedan fare any better? Lincoln didnÂ’t reveal the powertrain of the prototype, but an electric Zephyr sedan could bring in a whole new customer to the brand.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.