Introduction

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.

Walkaround

The Lincoln MKZ is styled in a conservative fashion, creating a prim, proper effect. The one exception is its wide chrome grille, which Lincoln is using across its line to instill brand identity. Lincoln's wide, split-waterfall motif first appeared on the 1938 Zephyr, so it's certainly appropriate for the MKZ, originally launched as the Lincoln Zephyr, to wear it. The Lincoln is brightened by its jewelry: quad-beam halogen headlights (with HID units optional), bright-metal accents at the beltline and on the mirror caps, and chromed exhaust tips. Handsome 17-inch wheels contribute to MKZ's purposeful stance.

Interior Features

The Lincoln MKZ cabin is comfortable and luxurious. We found the driver's seat comfortable for two or three hours at a time. The interior is pleasant, convenient and reasonably quiet. The cabin looks more upscale than that in the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, which share the MKZ's underpinnings and some major mechanical components. The trim plastics look best in lighter colors. All in all, the MKZ interior doesn't come across as shameless luxury as much as comfortably well-to-do, which is pretty much the standard for this class. The controls for heating, cooling and the stereo are all easy to find and use. Storage is adequate. The navigation system works well. The video screen is smaller than many, but it's easy to figure out without excessive reliance on the owner's manual. And unlike some nav systems, it provided information about some obscure dirt roads in Michigan, where much of our driving took place. All automakers make choices about where to spend and where to save, and many choose not include such detail in the navigation software. The MKZ will accommodate four six-footers in reasonable comfort. Five is a crowd unless you are toting small children. In short, it's comparable to other cars in its class. Trunk capacity is rated at 15.8 cubic feet, which is more than many cars in this class. The trunk lid swings high for easy access, and the fold-down rear seat allows some flexibility for hauling more. Forward and over-the-shoulder visibility is acceptable. The high rear deck limits visibility immediately behind the MKZ when backing up. The reverse-sensing system helps with this, providing an audible gauge of the distance between the MKZ and whatever is behind it.