Like anything, it’s all a matter of whether the consideration you receive sufficiently offsets its use to date - above and beyond the substantial discount from MSRP dealers should be offering on remaining 2018 stock, incentives notwithstanding.
Ford desperately wants rid of the 18’s as waning demand in anticipation of the restyled 19’s which has caused something of a glut to accumulate on dealer lots which interferes with the clear road ahead they wish to create for the refreshed versions which must compete with them.
Having concluded our search some three weeks ago and taken delivery on Saturday, high trim, high content units are starting to vanish, especially 2.3s - which go like a stabbed rat. Our fully-optioned 2018 Reserve 2.3 was the only remaining unit within 1,500 miles - and we had to accept our 2nd color choice and forego the trailer tow package to get it. It also had 20” wheels which we absolutely didn’t want, but the dealer agreed to swap them with the 19” AWD wheels we preferred and credit us the difference, even after trading with a dealer several states away to get it. Especially in southern states where AWD is far less prevalent in dealer stocks to begin with, Premier, Select, and oddly optioned units quickly are becoming all that’s left. We even had two other units sold out from under us between the time our dealer inquired about them and told us about them.
Lincoln seems to have eased back on some of the heaviest incentives in most areas which expired July 8 as both stocks dwindle and the highest priced units are snatched up. What stickered at $51K ultimately cost us less than $39K before TTL, which Lincoln lent us the money to buy for free for five years. The best of the incentives was a lease-to-retail offer of $4,500 atop all others for those who were ending leases and willing to purchase a new vehicle. In our area, at least, I believe that same offer is now only $2,500.
In the end, my wife will be driving it and she prefers the 2018 styling for some inexplicable reason - probably the same reason she preferred me.