By: New Car Test Drive
Photo Credit: Lincoln

Overview

The Lincoln MKZ is a near-luxury car, a luxurious, midsize sedan that competes with the Cadillac CTS and Acura TL, as well as the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima. In style and engineering, it's an upscale sibling to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.

The MKZ began a new direction for Lincoln: luxury vehicles designed to engage the driver. The MKZ succeeds, managing the difficult trick of delivering a ride that is generally comfortable with handling that makes it interesting and gratifying to drive quickly on a challenging country road.

The MKZ is powered by a strong, 263-hp V6 driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available. And MKZ's major standard equipment compares favorably with the best cars in this class.

For 2008, Lincoln has made several popular options standard, including heated and cooled leather seats, and Sirius Satellite Radio. New standard features include a reverse sensing system and a hands-free, voice-activated communications and entertainment system that Ford calls Sync.

Overall, the MKZ is well rounded. It's suitable for day-to-day commuting even on the Midwest's broken streets, comfy for long-distance cruising on an interstate, and playful during a quick trip along a two-lane road through the mountains. It has plenty of power, but it uses regular fuel and delivers decent gas mileage. Surprisingly, however, the MKZ does not offer electronic stability control.

The MKZ has collected some impressive accolades. Among them: When it was introduced as a 2007 model, it ranked highest in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study for Premium Cars. For two years in a row, industry voters have honored the MKZ with Ward's Premium-Priced Car Interior of the Year award. Its 3.5-liter V6 has been named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines. Its THX II-certified stereo was voted Best Audio by PC Magazine. And its navigation system was ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power's 2007 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study.