Lincoln MKS - Not what a luxury car should be, by Robert Cumberford, from March '08 issue of Automobile Magazine

Looking for the poster child for the decline of the American automobile industry? You'd be hard pressed to come up with a better candidate than this redecorated Ford Five Hundred. The Five Hundred was a misguided idea poorly executed, and buyers gave it the reception it deserved. Now they're expected to buy this car because it has a Lincoln badge. I don't know whether to laugh or weep"

Here are some things that he critiqued about the MKS, starting with the exterior styling:



1. Thankfully, there is no imitation spare tire cover stamped into the trunklid sheetmetal.
2. The excessive rear overhang may recall giant Lincolns of the past, but on this car it simply looks old-fashioned. A longer wheelbase, with the wheels moved farther away from eachother, would have been better.
3. the chrome around the windows is nice, but it probably isn't cast brass as in the Lexus LS. Definetly a BMW line, though.
4. Big wheels are good, but not when they are placed so far aft that you wonder where the passengers will be able to put their feet. The awkward proportions make the car look tall and dumpy.
5. What could possibly be the purpose of this stamped indent?(referring to the stamped indent on the center of the hood) It simply looks - and is - wrong.
6. The wiggly, thin lines on the lower front end attract the eye, to no good purpose.
7. Small round lamp and large, black-painted hole in the bumper have no particular reason to exist. One suspects that there was a sketch where this looked good, so it was carried over.
8. This rib (referring to the raised sides of the hood, i think) is the best single surface feature on the exterior of the MKS, providing directionality and a sense of flow.
9. This crisp line is good, but it leaves a little triangle of sheetmetal above the lamp, which doesn't integrate well with the painted areas.
10. This small chrome flash does what, exactly? Larger ones are the latest British letimotif, as seen on various Jaguars and Land Rovers. Is this an expression of group solidarity?

And now, the interior of the car:


A. The instrument panel is a mess; curves, squares, vents, and ***** have seemingly been put wherever it was convenient (and cheap) to do so.
B. This rectangular panel containing the stereo and climate controls looks like something you might have seen in a 1970s delivery truck.
C. The navigation screen is usefully large, but the bright band above it looks cheap and will likely cause a reflection in the windshield.

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with a lot of those points...

 

This may all be true, but this car will look GEORGEOUS with a fake convertible top on it. You can't say THAT about a Lexus, Infiniti or BMW, can you?

 

I like it. I think the center console could be a little more exciting considering the MKZ is for whatever reason a step above this.

 

I don't mind the car as well. It does have a little style but its still very generic. I think its an improvement over the most recent Lincolns by a long shot. But compared to Cadillac they really aren't taking any chances. Seems to me like they still want to cater to the older crowd.

I actually like the interior ( simple nice leather dashboard). It comes off as modern yet with a classic Lincoln flair.

I think the new Lincoln turbo charged engines are going to be awesome though. :thunbup:

 

Look at the huge wheels and low-profile, rubber-band tires. There is no way this car is going to ride like the Town Car it all but replaces (Town Cars will still be offered for fleet and limo sales).

Though the MKS exterior and interior are both nice (I disagree with the negative comments about both), chalk up the loss of one more TRUE luxury-riding car to a BMW sport-oriented wannabee. The Town Car was just about the last one left.

 

I think the MKS is a risk that Lincoln (Caddy too) is going to have to take, for the longevity of the brand. The traditional Lincoln buyers in the near future will most likely have different tastes in cars than the typcial Lincoln buyer of 5-10 years ago. Baby boomers etc., are used to smaller, better handling and more fuel efficient cars that offer them the luxury they're looking for.

 

Maybe so.....but the traditional Lincoln and Town Car buyers of the past are still there....they didn't just disappear. And their needs and desires, like with Cadillac as well, are being ignored. With the loss of the Town Car, they are about to lose the LAST big, soft-riding car that was left........the Caddy Fleetwood was dropped in the 90s, and the DTS has been stiffened up some in the last few years. There is also talk that the DTS will soon be gone, despite the fact that there is still a market for it.

 

Those are photos of the concept. Here's the production version of the car













I agree that it isn't the greatest design. But I also don't think it looks that bad. I quite like the interior.

 

No question it's a nice car (even aside from my comments about suspension and tires ). THe interior will probably look even better in beige with the wood trim. And this car DOES offer a very important feature the Town Car didn't......AWD.

 

I like it. Looks American, unlike Caddilacs which just look fugly.

 

I think I have to disagree with the reviewer. Name a Lincoln that has ever looked this good. The LS wasn't bad but this is easily the best car Lincoln has ever built (even though it's not top of the line).

Lincoln has never built a real luxury car anyway.

 

The new CTS is ugly? Um, OK.

Or do you define "fugly" as "One of the best looking cars on the planet".

 

To each it's own, but I think that CTS is ridiculously fugly.

 

Of course they did. The Town Car was one of the last remaining cars with a real "luxury" ride. And you would not believe the incredible ride and noise level on the late 60's Lincoln Continental monsters I grew up with (my dad worked for Philco-Ford and used to bring them home after work....he'd let me drive them because I was trustworthy).