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| By Michael Lamm |
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Ford's German hotrod, the Merkur XR4Ti, has been
the subject of much controversy around PM's offices ever since we called
it one of the 10 Best Cars Of 1986 (page 95, Apr '86) but admitted to having
a lot of mechanical trouble with the car in our Long Term Test Report (page
88, April '86). We knew that our Long Term Merkur was an early
"pilot run" car, and had Ford's promise that production line cars
would not suffer the teething problems we encountered. That wasn't quite
the case.
Most Merkur buyers seem to be driving enthusiasts who
can tell understeer from oversteer and know how to handle a fast European sports
sedan. Performance and handling brought rave reviews from these Merkur
owners. Take, for example, the comments of this North Carolina serviceman:
"Among the cars in its class, the Merkur stands out with the pure pleasure
of performance. There's no turbo lag in acceleration from 0-130 mph.
Most of the Merkur's competitors run out of power in the 85- to 95-mph
range."
A California flight attendant: "An absolute
pleasure to drive. Begs for long road trips. If only we had an Autobahn
nearby!"
A Missouri auto service technician: "Good power
and handling. Very slight understeer under full power, transitioning
nicely and controllably to slight oversteer. There's just the right amount
of tuck-in on hard corners. You can actually steer this car with the
throttle. It handles and rides almost as well fully loaded as unloaded, a
rare trait. Most comfortable ride I've experienced." A
California store owner said, "It's great fun pushing Porsche 928's and
Camaro Z-28s through the corners. Trailing throttle oversteer might be a
problem for some, but it's usually fun once you learn to anticipate it."
A Texas chemist: "I had the opportunity to get the
car up to 115 mph and was amazed at how stable it felt. There was an ample
reserve of power and very little wind roar." A California engineer:
"Rear-wheel drive is more entertaining than fwd. The feel of this car
is very balanced. There's enough power to break loose the rear end at
will. The transition from understeer to oversteer is very
controllable.
We could go on and on, quote after quote. The
Merkur XR4Ti's greatest strength, obviously, lies in its ability to please the
person behind the wheel.
The 5-speed manual transmission though, brought more
driver complaints than any other aspect of the car. "The shift gate
feels notchy," wrote a Michigan physician, "and hangs up between FIRST
and SECOND; delays shifting." A few others also had a hard time going
into REVERSE. others noted 4-cylinder vibrations in the gearshift lever,
despite the oil-cushioned engine mounts.
And a New York forester volunteered, "The safety
switch that makes you put the gearshift in NEUTRAL to start the engine should be
eliminated. It's not only bothersome, but unsafe, because too much time is
lost going back into NEUTRAL when you stall in heavy traffic or on a hill."
Unfortunately, nearly 60 percent of our respondents
reported mechanical problems -- mostly minor ones. Several owners noted a
coolant leak between the turbo and engine. The fix involved just
tightening a hose clamp. Dealers took care of two-thirds of all problems
to most owners' satisfaction -- a decent but not outstanding showing.
Then, too, service wasn't available everywhere. A
South Carolina pilot told us, "I moved from Tucson to Myrtle Beach, and
although there's a Lincoln-Mercury dealer here, he doesn't sell or service
XR4Ti's. The nearest Merkur dealer is 90 miles away."
Despite 175 turbocharged horses with the 5-speed (or
145 hp with the more recently released automatic), some owners felt the need for
added power. "Needs more low-end torque," insisted an Alabama TV
producer, "like a turbo V6 with different gearing." Several
drivers suggested adding an intercooler to the turbocharger, as on the Mustang
SVO.
Ford's Motorsports Div. does have an aftermarket
intercooler kit that will fit the Merkur and is not difficult to install.
Most Lincoln-Mercury dealers just don't know it exists.
Real-world fuel mileage lived up to EPA estimates -- in
fact, beat them slightly. However, as a Massachusetts mechanic observed,
"They boast of good mileage, but you have to use premium fuel at a premium
price. What's the advantage?" |
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To its credit, the XR4Ti definitely turns heads. Many owners
appreciate that, especially since styling was the first thing that tempted
them. A Michigan business woman and consultant told us, "Nobody else
around here has one, so I really enjoy the stares other drivers give this
car. It's one fun aspect of the Merkur -- a sign of success -- and that's
important to a woman with her own business."
Several respondents worried aloud about the XR4Ti's
eventual resale value, among them this California aerospace worker: "I'm
somewhat concerned," he wrote, "because the Merkur doesn't seem to be
selling all that well."
It would sell better, felt an Ohio engineer, "if
the Merkur were wearing a badge that said Porsche or Audi or BMW. I'm
positive it would be a smashing success that way."
Admittedly, the Merkur XR4Ti hasn't lived up to its
early sales estimates. According to Ward's Auto World, Lincoln-Mercury
hoped to sell 15,000 cars in calendar 1985 and ended up barely moving 6000.
The fault lies not with the car because, as we've seen,
our respondents tell us it's one of the best put-together, quickest, most sensuous
and comfortable automobiles they've ever owned. A lot of the XR4Ti's lack
of early popularity probably had as to do as much with identity as with stiff
competition. |
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The XR4Ti tends to get lost in a sea of sport sedan rivals like the BMW
318i, Volvo GL, Saab Turbo, Alfa GTV-6, Audi 5000S, and Peugeot 505. But
more than that, the Merkur suffers terribly from not being recognized.
A California industrial designer put his finger on it when he said, "Even
here in this conscious state, most people are unaware of the Merkur. They
just don't know what it is. It's different, and they realize that, but few
can name it."
Ironically, even some XR4Ti owners don't really know
what they have. A Massachusetts photographer scribbles the following note
on the bottom of his questionnaire: "This is the first American[!] car I've
ever owned. If more cars like the Merkur were available from U.S. dealers,
many people would probably buy American over foreign." This guy
obviously has no idea that his car came from Ford of Germany, with the body
built by Karmann and the engine made in Brazil! These same owners, however
would probably recognize a BMW or Volvo or Audi a block away.
Like its rivals, though, Merkur's quality of
worksmanship received a good to excellent rating from 97.8 percent of our
sample. That's up there in Mercedes territory.
Front-seat comfort likewise brought praise, with 98.5
percent scoring this aspect good to excellent. Even the split folding rear
seats prompted an amazing 98.5 percent to score comfort good to excellent --
virtually unheard of in a 2-door sedan of this type and size.
"More comfortable than any other car I've ever
owned," said a Kentucky pharmacist, "and much more comfortable than my
friend's BMW 325e, with more room and no electrical gizmos to go wrong in the
driver's seat." An Arizona machinist: "I'm over 6 feet tall, and
there's plenty of legroom. more of a sports car ride than a sedan ride,
but that's what I like."
A New York mental health professional summed up the
feelings of most current owners when he said, "The XR4Ti uniquely combines
racy looks, and good performance and handling, plus progressive design with
solid German attention to detail and quality." Who can ask for more
than that? |
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| Total miles driven |
1,881,528 |
| Average miles per gallon: |
| 5-speed manual |
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| In town |
19.9 |
| On the highway |
25.0 |
| 3-speed automatic |
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| In town |
18.0 |
| On the highway |
22.9 |
| Option choices: |
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| Power windows and door locks |
97.3% |
| Moonroof |
69.2 |
| Heated front seats |
59.1 |
| Leather upholstry |
25.6 |
| Why did you choose the Merkur? |
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| Styling |
69.4% |
| Performance |
40.6 |
| Handling |
22.8 |
| Quality |
14.4 |
| Good price |
12.2 |
| Specific likes: |
|
| Styling |
61.9% |
| Handling |
54.7 |
| Performance |
43.1 |
| Comfort |
40.3 |
| Power |
26.4 |
Ride |
23.3 |
| Specific dislikes: |
|
| Hard to shift |
19.0% |
| No complaints |
14.1 |
| Fuel mileage lower than expected |
6.3 |
| Noises and rattles |
5.3 |
| Not enough power |
4.9 |
| What changes would you like? |
|
| Improve the shifter |
18.2% |
| Make cruise control available |
14.9 |
| No changes |
12.5 |
| Add intercooler to turbo |
8.1 |
| More horsepower |
7.1 |
| How much did you pay? |
|
| Average |
$17,563 |
| Range |
$14,900-$21,000 |
| Workmanship opinion: |
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| Excellent |
74.5% |
| Good |
23.3 |
| Average |
1.8 |
| Poor |
0.3 |
| Comfort opinion: |
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| Front seats |
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| Excellent |
80.5% |
| Good |
18.0 |
| Average |
1.2 |
| Poor |
0.3 |
| Rear seats |
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| Excellent |
59.9% |
| Good |
38.6 |
| Average |
1.6 |
| Poor |
0.0 |
| Had any mechanical trouble? |
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| Yes |
57.4% |
| No |
42.6 |
| What type of trouble? |
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| Air conditioner |
17.8% |
| Transmission |
14.1 |
| Electrical system |
11.0 |
| Instrumentation |
8.4 |
| Door locks |
7.3 |
| Brake lamps |
6.8 |
| Dealer repairs satisfactory? |
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| Yes |
67.9% |
| No |
32.1 |
| Dealer service opinion: |
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| Excellent |
31.2% |
| Good |
40.7 |
| Average |
20.9 |
| Poor |
7.1 |
| Number of vehicles owned: |
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| This car only |
25.4% |
| Two cars |
39.6 |
| Three cars |
21.1 |
| Four or more cars |
13.8 |
| Makes of other cars owned: |
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| Ford |
33.3% |
| Mercury |
19.5 |
| Chevrolet |
13.8 |
| Honda |
8.5 |
| Volkswagen |
7.3 |
| Would you buy a Merkur again? |
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| Yes |
70.2% |
| No |
3.3 |
| Maybe |
26.5 |
| Would you buy another Lincoln-mercury product? |
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| Yes |
44.8% |
| No |
13.0 |
| Maybe |
42.2 |
| Age distribution or owners: |
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| Under 29 years |
16.3% |
| 30-49 years |
64.2 |
| 50-plus |
19.5 |
| *Percentages might not equal 100% due to rounding or insufficient data. |
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