2014 Lincoln Mkx Base on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Here are a few of our automotive guilty pleasures

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. The world is full of cars, and just about as many of them are bad as are good. It's pretty easy to pick which fall into each category after giving them a thorough walkaround and, more important, driving them. But every once in a while, an automobile straddles the line somehow between good and bad — it may be hideously overpriced and therefore a marketplace failure, it may be stupid quick in a straight line but handles like a drunken noodle, or it may have an interior that looks like it was made of a mess of injection-molded Legos. Heck, maybe all three. Yet there's something special about some bad cars that actually makes them likable. The idea for this list came to me while I was browsing classified ads for cars within a few hundred miles of my house. I ran across a few oddballs and shared them with the rest of the team in our online chat room. It turns out several of us have a few automotive guilty pleasures that we're willing to admit to. We'll call a few of 'em out here. Feel free to share some of your own in the comments below. Dodge Neon SRT4 and Caliber SRT4: The Neon was a passably good and plucky little city car when it debuted for the 1995 model year. The Caliber, which replaced the aging Neon and sought to replace its friendly marketing campaign with something more sinister, was panned from the very outset for its cheap interior furnishings, but at least offered some decent utility with its hatchback shape. What the two little front-wheel-drive Dodge models have in common are their rip-roarin' SRT variants, each powered by turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines. Known for their propensity to light up their front tires under hard acceleration, the duo were legitimately quick and fun to drive with a fantastic turbo whoosh that called to mind the early days of turbo technology. — Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski  Chevrolet HHR SS: Chevy's HHR SS came out early in my automotive journalism career, and I have fond memories of the press launch (and having dinner with Bob Lutz) that included plenty of tire-smoking hard launches and demonstrations of the manual transmission's no-lift shift feature. The 260-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder was and still is a spunky little engine that makes the retro-inspired HHR a fun little hot rod that works quite well as a fun little daily driver.

2022 Lincoln Aviator MSRP discounted from $5 to $1,085

Price changes continue apace over at Lincoln. The 2022 Navigator received price boosts from the single figure to four figures, the 2022 Corsair came down in price by anywhere from three to four figures. The penultimate crossover in the four-strong lineup, the Aviator, gets one price increase of $105 to go along with discounts ranging from $105 to almost $1,100. As with the Navigator and Corsair, though, the Aviator's destination price is up by $100, from $1,095 to $1,195, trimming those discounts slightly. Prices for the new Aviator and the changes from the last 2021 pricing are: RWD Standard: $52,660 ($5 less) Reserve: $58,550 ($130 less) AWD Standard: $55,160 ($5 less) Reserve: $61,080 ($110 less) Grand Touring: $69.555 ($1.085 less) Black Label: $80,545 ($105) Black Label Grand Touring: $89,100 ($980 less) Another pricing quirk is that AWD has got more expensive on the Reserve trim. Sending power to the front wheels cost $2,510 in 2021, now it costs $2,530.  The Aviator doesn't appear to pair the price drops with punishments. The only big change for the 2022 model is former Monochromatic Package being given even more black-out trim and a name change to the Jet Package. The Monochromatic Package left bits of chrome on the car, such as the grille surround, fender badges, and window surrounds. The Jet Package abolishes those shiny bits in favor of gloss black trim. The body-colored mirrors also go black, as do the grille centers and the 22-inch wheels. It's meant to be available early this year, but at the time of writing, it's still not on the Lincoln configurator. When it does arrive, it can be optioned with the exterior colors Infinite Black, Pristine White, Silver Radiance, and Burgundy Velvet. The Monochromatic Package cost $2,000, the Jet Package will likely push that number up a bit. Ford Authority reports that Ford engineers have also reduced the latest Aviator's tow rating from 6,700 pounds with the Class IV Trailer Tow Package to 5,600 pounds. That package is standard on the Black Label Grand Touring trim, a cost option on other trims. The 2022 model isn't long for this world, GMA saying the 2023 enters production on May 30th.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lincoln cancels plan to build electric vehicle on Rivian's platform

Just three months ago, Lincoln announced a project to build a vehicle atop Rivian’s skateboard platform. Today, itÂ’s canceling those plans. Automotive News originally reported the news, and a Lincoln spokesperson confirmed it to us. Lincoln reportedly informed dealers of its decision to cancel the electric project earlier today, citing the “current environment.” Language like that these days in the automotive industry refers to the coronavirus pandemic and flailing vehicle sales. Originally, Lincoln announced that this model would launch in 2022. It was to be built using the same platform underpinning the Rivian R1S and R1T. The partnership with Rivian was so close that this Lincoln was going to be built at RivianÂ’s Normal, IL assembly plant. Production of the plant itself was halted recently in the face of the coronavirus, which is bad news for any products meant to be built there in the near future. Lincoln never announced that this vehicle was going to be an SUV, but that was the likely result of it using RivianÂ’s platform designed for rugged and large utility vehicles. However, Lincoln says it still has plans to build an electric vehicle. The companyÂ’s statement follows: “Given the current environment, Lincoln and Rivian have decided not to pursue the development of a fully electric vehicle based on RivianÂ’s skateboard platform. Our strategic commitment to Lincoln, Rivian and electrification remains unchanged and LincolnÂ’s future plans will include an all-electric vehicle consistent with its Quiet Flight DNA.” Lincoln hasnÂ’t specified any product details or timing for when this mystery electric vehicle will launch. It could be based off the Mustang Mach-E platform, or it could be a larger vehicle based off the future electric F-150 platform. The former could launch sooner, while the latter is likely a little ways out still. Lincoln doesnÂ’t want this news to be read as a loosening of ties between itself and Rivian either. “Our partnership with Rivian is strong,” LincolnÂ’s statement reads. “While the Lincoln electric vehicle did not turn out to be the right opportunity, we continue to work closely together with Rivian. Our strategic commitment remains unchanged and we will continue to work with Rivian on an alternative vehicle based on RivianÂ’s skateboard platform.” As of now, Lincoln hasnÂ’t revealed exactly what didnÂ’t line up to make the planned collaboration work.