Review: 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
07-30-08, 06:19 PM
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Review: 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
A Review of the 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
http://www.lincoln.com/mks/home.asp
In a Nutshell: A smaller, firmer-riding, better-handling replacement for the Town Car, but with nice interior trim and far better wet/slick road traction.
The Lincoln MKS is a car I have been waiting not only to drive, but to actually see, close-up, in person. Lincoln had one displayed at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show last January, but it was up on a turntable, and they didn't allow us to climb up and inside of it. The MKS was being displayed as the eventual replacement for the Town Car, and the Lincoln staff there fed me a boatload of P.R. stuff about it (what do you expect from marketers at an auto show?)......how much better the MKS was going to be than the Town Car, how much more advanced it was.....on and on. I was genuinely impressed with the MKS's interior (what I could see of it on the turntable), but pointed out that its larger wheels, much lower-profile tires, and AWD unsprung-weight could not possibly equal the Town Car's smooth ride. They said I would be surprised when I got a chance to test-drive it (I was not, of course.....I knew it all along). I also noticed that the Town Car's hood ornament, vinyl roof option, and white-stripe tire option was gone from the MKS.
So, obviously, it is not a new Town Car. Then, of course, what IS it? Well, that is why I am doing this review. As we know, it is the Town Car's replacement. And, while it does not ride as silky-smooth as the Town Car (no surprise there, despite the B.S. from the people at the show), and does not have the Town Car's rather ostentatious exterior trim, it indeed IS a better car in a number of ways, particularly with the optional All-Wheel-Drive winter Traction (you guys know I'm a firm believer in AWD). The old Town Car, unless you put chains or studs on it, was about as useless in snow as trying to breed dairy cows with an ox. In the future, AWD is going to be expected pretty much across the board as a prerequisite option for luxury cars (and for many non-luxury cars as well).
The MKS was developed from the same platform as its sister Ford Five Hundred/Taurus and Mercury Montego/Sable (two cars, BTW, that I have a high opinion of, and rank among my favorite domestics), so, of course, I had high expectations for the MKS. Two versions of the MKS are currently offered in the U.S. Market...a base, front-drive MKS and, of course, the AWD version. Both use a transversely-mounted 3.7L V6 (an enlarged version of the 3.5L used its Ford/Mercury sisters), and the same 6-speed automatic transmission, although the MKS, unlike the Ford/Mercury, has a slotted auto-manual Sport-Shift gate. Ford used a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) for early versions of the All-wheel-drive Five Hundred and Montego, but has since dropped that unit and uses a conventional stepped 6-speed automatic for this line of cars.....the MKS, of course, benefits from the prior experience of this transmission in its two lower-priced sisters. Lincoln says that a V8 version of the MKS (probably with the ubiquitous 4.6L) or a turbo V6 will arrive by the end of the year, but I found the V6 to have plenty of power for all normal driving...more on that below. While the literature does not make direct reference to it, I believe that, as with some other Ford products, the AWD is derived from the Volvo Haldex system, a good but rather complex system, as opposed to the simpler Subaru and Audi systems.
I had been looking forward to an MKS review and test-drive for some time, and while I obviously miss the Town Car's full-frame, limo ride and traditional luxury-car attributes, there is a lot to like about the MKS, and, of course, as with all cars, some things to dislike as well. This was a very interesting test-drive for me....and, though I had mixed feelings, overall, I was not disappointed.
Details coming up.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
Base Price: $39,655
Major Options:
Ultimate Package (includes Technology Package, Navigation Package and a number of other features) $5715
Adaptive Cruise Control $995
Destination/Freight: $800 (automakers are raising destination fees because of the high price of fuel and
the expense of getting new cars to the dealership)
List price as reviewed: $47,065
Drivetrain: AWD, 3.7L Transverse-mounted SOHC Duratec V6, 273 HP @ 6250 RPM, Torque 270 @ 4250 RPM, 6-speed Automatic transmission with manual Sport-Shift.
EPA Mileage Ratings: 16 City, 23 Highway
Exterior Color: Tuxedo Black
Interior: Black Ultimate Leather
PLUSSES:
6/70 Drivetrain/Roadside Assistance and 4/50 Bumper-to-Bumper warranties better than on sister Ford/Mercury products.
Better handling and less body roll than its Town Car predecessor.
Seamless, Volvo-derived Haldex AWD system gives it all-weather capability.
Quiet ride except for some exhaust and bump-impact noises.
Fairly good response from 3.7L V6.
V8 model (or turbo V6?) available by the end of the year.
Well-designed brakes.
Good underhood access.
Clear, easy-to-read gauges.
Excellent, Surround-Sound stereo.
Good interior space efficiency/headroom/legroom.
Excellent interior trim....much better than other recent Lincolns.
Good interior hardware, with a couple of exceptions.
Solid, slick-feeling interior buttons/controls.
Mammoth-Cave trunk space (but with a small opening).
Fairly comfortable seats.
Fairly nice paint job.
Choice of using regular or premium gas with no engine problems.
MINUSES:
Firmer ride than the Town Car it replaces.
Too much exhaust drone for a luxury car.
Slit-like, Peek-a-Boo rear visibility.
Relatively small trunk opening.
Flimsy glove box lock.
Feature-laden but overly complex NAV/Screen system.
Climate-control buttons/***** hard to decipher.
well-chromed but flimsy, lightweight-plastic grille.
Mini-spare tire not worthy of this class of car.
Odd-feeling steering wheel.
Vague, rubbery transmission shifter
Head restraints marginal for tall people.
Tinny-closing hood.
OK but slightly weak air/conditioning.
Funeral-home paint colors.
New design with unproven reliability, although sisters Taurus/Sable are proven.
EXTERIOR:
Walking up to the MKS, especially from the front, one can easily recognize the signature Lincoln waterfall grille and identify it as a Lincoln product, but that's not the case in the rear....the rear-end styling could be mistaken for any number of European, Japanese, or Korean designs. The car is noticeably shorter than the Town Car it replaces, though not that much narrower. The Ford/Mercury versions of this platform look very similiar to each other on the outside, but there is little indication, from the MKS's exterior styling, that it was, in fact, derived from that same platform. I was quite surprised how much different the MKS looked from both its Ford and Mercury sisters....I was expecting more uniformity. The front, roofline, and rear styling of the MKS are much sleeker, more raked, and more streamlined than its more conservatively-styled sisters.....this causes a problem with the trunklid, as I outlined in the CARGO/TRUNK section below.
Sheet metal quality, on the outside, seemed OK but was not the best I've seen. The doors opened and shut reasonably solid, as did the trunk. The hood, in contrast, shook a little as it closed, and shook the two front fenders with it. Paint quality was pretty good (which was better than average for a Ford product). The paint job was smooth, with only a very small amount of orange peel, was evenly applied, and had a fairly good luster. Unfortunately, the paint colors, like on other Lincolns, were right out of Murphy's Funeral Home, though the Cinnamon and Light Ice Blue didn't look too bad. Lincoln, on the MKS, doesn't offer the beautiful White Pearl that is so nice on other luxury cars.....the two shades of white offered on this car are the much less attractive White Suede and White Chocolate Tri-Coat. All of the other colors are dark and/or dull.
Exterior chrome was mostly plasticized rather than real chrome, but nevertheless was superbly finished....you can't tell the difference unless you really look and feel closely. The chrome finish on the plastic was excellent, to say the least. The logos seemed to be be real chrome, rather than plastic. Though the chrome on the signature Lincoln waterfall grille was also superbly done, the grille itself felt like flimsy, dime-store plastic. The exterior trim, despite the plastic, felt solid and well-attached, and the twin outside mirror plastic housings didn't have the paper-thin feel so common on many Ford products....they looked and felt more like something from Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti. A new, "Easy-Fuel" capless fuel-filler system is supposed to make fillups a little easier....as this was, of course, a dealer car, I didn't get to actually fill it up and try it myself. On the left B-pillar, just above the driver's door handle, is a lighted number push-code for keyless entry.....that can be used if the key is not in your presence, or if it is not operating properly.
UNDERHOOD:
Lift the well-finished but not particularly solid-feeling hood, which has the thick insulation pad and hold-up struts expected in a car of this class, and underhood access/working space, with the 3.7L V6, was far better than that of the typical upmarket car today. While the top of the engine was the ubiquitous large plastic cover that blocks most upper components, there is room to reach lower components in front between the block and radiator. And, while many upmarket vehicles seal other things off under covers and panels, in the MKS, the battery, master cylinder, fluid reserviors, reserve coolant tank, dipsticks, and other features are all exposed and easily accessable. As with most cars, however, you'll have to go undeneath to reach the oil filter.
Of course, we'll have to wait until the V8 (?) version debuts to see how well Lincoln manages to cram the larger engine in there and see how it affects underhood access (as far as I know, the V8 will also be transversely-mounted like the V6). Cadillac, Pontiac, and Chevy, though, have managed to do FWD transverse-mounted V8's for years, though it can cause significant torque steer.
INTERIOR:
Quite an impressive interior, overall. My test car was black leather with chrome-lined Ebony wood, though Cashmere/Ebony and Light Camel/ Olive Ash are also available (sorry, no cloth option). I especially liked the Light Camel with the light Olive Ash wood.....that, as in other Lincolns, is a stunning combination (aluminum trim is available if desired). The leather itself, while gorgeous colors, was not as smooth as the leather in Lexus, Infiniti, and Jaguar products....it had a slightly grainy look and feel somewhat similiar to BMWs and Audis. The seats themselves were fairly comfortable...not as soft as in the Town Car, but not park-bench firm like in so many other cars today. Side bolsters gave a little side-support (this car, of course, is not meant to be a hard-cornering sports car), and almost every drivers' seat adjustment is power. The head rest, however, even all the way up, did not quite cover the back of my head. Front seats, as many other luxury cars, are both heated and cooled....but the small buttons activating that are hard to see and push.
The primary gauges are right out of the Ford parts-bin, and are the same four circles that most Ford-designed passenger cars have, but there's nothing wrong with that...they are all clear and easy-to-read. For some reason, though, Lincoln didn't put in the pleasant, light ice-blue back-lighting that Ford and Mercury uses....the MKS has white panel lights instead. The steering wheel has a rather odd feel in your hands if you grip the upper part of it....the wood in the rim is only on the outer part, so your fingers feel a combination of wood and leather at once...takes a little getting used to.
Interior trim is superb......WAY above that of just about any other Ford product, though little-brother Lincoln MKZ's is also impressive, and yes, better then the Town Car it replaces. Interior chrome, wood strips, brushed-metal vent housings, all have a precision-finished and precision-assembled look to them. Twin chrome strips bordering the Ebony-wood trim help it contrast from the black leather. The dash is covered with a thick, padded, imitation-sewn leather cover (I think it is vinyl). Everything in the trim feels solid, well-finished, and classy. Controls, stalks, and ***** also have a slick, precise feel, although some of the small climate-control buttons are too small to use and decipher easily. Turning the climate system completely off was also awkward and difficult until you got a little used to the complex controls. The NAV screen in the middle of the dash is quite complex, but has an astounding number of different functions......you can even get local movie theater listings if desired. (The NAv system, despite the lack of an I-Drive controller, is so complex, and has so many functions, that I won't try and explain them all here ). The stereo sound, with the Surround-Sound System, is excellent.
Only the glove-box lock, inside, seemed weak and flimsy....all of the other hardware, though some of it was out of the standard Ford parts-bin, seemed at least reasonably solid. And the interior, despite the car being smaller outside than the Town car, was quite space-efficient in contrast (perhaps a sign of the Town Car's antiquated RWD design). Headroom, front and rear, despite the sunroof housing and raked roofline, was fine for a person my size if the seats were adjusted down, as was front/rear footroom. But the steeply raked rear roofline made for a significant interior problem.....the rear window, while quite large, lies down at such an angle that one has little more than a slit, Peek-a-Boo rear vision from the driver's seat. Fortunately, on NAV-equipped cars, that problem is minimized, because the screen defaults to a rear-camera view when you shift into reverse, with green/yellow/red color bars showing the distance of objects behind you while backing up.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
The sharply raked rear roofline, besides causing slit-rear-vision inside, also cuts WAY back into the trunk lid's available space, making for a rather small opening when you lift the lid itself (It is interesting to note that the MKS's two sister cars, the Taurus and Sable, have a less-raked rear roof line and correspondingly larger trunk lid). Once past the small opening, however, it's the Mafia's dream....stuffing in bodies is a piece of cake. All three cars...MKS, Taurus, and Sable (being off the same platform), have enormous trunk space by modern standards, virtually as much as the Town Car itself. As befits a luxury car, the trunk area was well-finished with plush carpet and liners for the walls, though the compact spare tire, in the usual place under the trunk floor's pull-up panel, was not befitting a luxury car at all. I think this may be something that we, as car buyers, are just going to have to put up with from now on. Automakers seem determined not to put in real spare tire/wheel assemblies any more, force compact/temporary spares on us, and, even worse, use compressed-air bottles or no spares at all, especially with run-flat tires. The rear-seat does not fold down for added space (the trunk, of course, is big enough even without that feature), but, like many cars these days, a rear-seat pass-through is provided for very long items like skis, fishing poles, etc....
ON THE ROAD:
Given my first impressions of it at the D.C. Auto Show, and what I have read about it in the meantime, on the road, this car was pretty much what I expected it to be. As befits a newly-designed car of this class, with the key in your pocket, simply push a START button and the 3.7L six comes to life with a luxury-car smooth, quiet idle, although this engine is not quite as smooth under power and acceleration as the 4.6L V8 in other Ford products. The power level itself, however, is fine for all normal driving, and the car will easily get out of its own way (The promised (?) V8 version coming will, of course, probably offer even more power and smoothness). The engine, though, has a rather annoying, nasal-sounding exhaust drone under acceleration that cuts into the otherwise quiet and well-sealed-off noise level. You can use either regular or premium gas.....I see no reason to pay extra for premium in this car, as Lincoln's own figures only add 1 or 2 extra HP/torque if you use premium.
The versatile, 6-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and seamlessly under light throttle, but is slightly firmer under load and when the air conditioning operates.....a performance tweak (The air-conditioning itself, while adequate for a humid, Washington D.C. 85-90 degree day, is OK but not GM/Lexus strong). The transmission has two features I don't like, though. One is the rather flimsy-feeling auto-manual shift-lever motion, and the other, like with some Mazda and BMW auto-manual shifters, is that the shift action is opposite of that in the majority of cars.....you nudge the lever forward to downshift and pull it back to upshift. And you cannot manually get sixth gear, at all, to save fuel, until the engine/transmission computer decides you are going fast enough. Straight manual transmissions, of course, allow you to have complete gear control, but Lincoln tried marketing a straight 5-speed manual back in 1999 with the V6 Lincoln LS (remember that?), and it was a sales flop, only to be dropped a couple of years later.
Steering response was not particularly quick, but, of course, noticeably faster than with the Town Car. Body roll was suprisingly low...I had expected a little more of the tipsies, and was surprised at how flat it cornered. This car, while clearly not a Mazda Miata or Honda S2000, will give a fairly good account of itself on winding roads.....chalk that up to a shorter wheelbase, stiffer suspension, AWD grip, larger wheels (my test car had the optional 19" wheels, while 20" are also available) and lower-profile tires than the Town Car. And the flip side of all this? Well, of course, you guessed it.......you can kiss the Town Car's limo-smooth ride good-bye. Better handling almost always comes at a price in ride comfort, and this car is no exception. Mind you, the MKS is not rough-riding by any means, but where the Town Car simply glided over bumps silent as a feather, in this car you feel them and hear them. Still, it was not what I would call uncomfortable, and the roadability and wet/snow traction of this car is so far superior to the Town Car that I could live with a slightly less-than-perfectly-smooth ride. Noise level, as befits a luxury car, was quite low, although you do slightly hear some thumping over bumps, and the annoying exhaust drone, while not loud, cuts into the otherwise serene peace and quiet on acceleration.
Brakes? No problems. The 4-wheel discs have most of the safety and electronic aids that are expected in a car of this class (some, of course, derived from Ford's partner Volvo), and have smooth, even response, minimal pedal sponginess, and, while not Porsche 911-strong, a reasonable amount of deceleration power.....I, of course, didn't hit the pedal too hard, seeing as they were new brakes, and I didn't want to activate the Emergency Brake Assist, which I knew that all Volvo-designed brake systems (and some others) had. Brake Assist activates the anti-lock system full-force if it senses that you want to make a panic stop. I also didn't want to take a brand-new car back to the dealership with warped brake rotors, which sometimes occur with heat build-up from panic stops. The brake pedal itself was well-designed and well-placed, with none of the hang-ups I sometimes get shifting my big size 15 clown-shoes back between the brake and gas pedals.
VERDICT:
By now, you've probably guessed that I had mixed views.....and feelings about this car. And you would be right.....I do. I'll get the sad part out of the way first...I will miss the Town Car and its silky ride, durable full-frame, towing ability, and soft, plush seating comfort. There are VERY few cars still like it today, and with it will go virtually the last of its kind.
But, with the setting sun, comes the promise of a new dawn.....and, as the sun rises once again, it has brought a lot of nice new things with it in the MKS. Gone may be the magic-carpet ride, but it is replaced with a nice combination of steering, handling, roll control, and reasonable ride comfort to go with it. The interior trimmings of the MKS, especially the dash trim, are superb.....some of the best I've seen in a Ford product. Interior space efficiency, despite the smaller exterior size, is excellent. Underhood layout and accessability are excellent for this type of car. The 3.7L V6 actually gives better response than the Town Car's old 239 HP 4.6L V8, and with more gears in the transmission to use that power.....with the promise (?) of a V8-powered MKS later. And, perhaps best of all, with the AWD option, wet or snowy roads are no more a concern for sliding and wheel-spinning, though, of course, with any vehicle and any drive-system, you still have to drive with common sense.
Yet, as with any car, there is still room for improvement. The roofline, IMO, needs to be restyled to make rear visibility better and allow a larger trunk-lid opening. The NAV/climate/stereo system, IMO, is too complex and needs to be simplified. The transmission shifter needs a more secure and less-vague feel to it. The engine exhaust needs a more effective muffler.....it chuffes and drones too much for a car of this class. Put a REAL spare tire and wheel in the trunk (though I'm afraid, like I said above, that this will just fall on deaf ears). And let's see some paint colors that are good for more than just the mortuary parking lot....luxury cars do not HAVE to be painted like hearses.
http://www.lincoln.com/mks/home.asp
In a Nutshell: A smaller, firmer-riding, better-handling replacement for the Town Car, but with nice interior trim and far better wet/slick road traction.
The Lincoln MKS is a car I have been waiting not only to drive, but to actually see, close-up, in person. Lincoln had one displayed at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show last January, but it was up on a turntable, and they didn't allow us to climb up and inside of it. The MKS was being displayed as the eventual replacement for the Town Car, and the Lincoln staff there fed me a boatload of P.R. stuff about it (what do you expect from marketers at an auto show?)......how much better the MKS was going to be than the Town Car, how much more advanced it was.....on and on. I was genuinely impressed with the MKS's interior (what I could see of it on the turntable), but pointed out that its larger wheels, much lower-profile tires, and AWD unsprung-weight could not possibly equal the Town Car's smooth ride. They said I would be surprised when I got a chance to test-drive it (I was not, of course.....I knew it all along). I also noticed that the Town Car's hood ornament, vinyl roof option, and white-stripe tire option was gone from the MKS.
So, obviously, it is not a new Town Car. Then, of course, what IS it? Well, that is why I am doing this review. As we know, it is the Town Car's replacement. And, while it does not ride as silky-smooth as the Town Car (no surprise there, despite the B.S. from the people at the show), and does not have the Town Car's rather ostentatious exterior trim, it indeed IS a better car in a number of ways, particularly with the optional All-Wheel-Drive winter Traction (you guys know I'm a firm believer in AWD). The old Town Car, unless you put chains or studs on it, was about as useless in snow as trying to breed dairy cows with an ox. In the future, AWD is going to be expected pretty much across the board as a prerequisite option for luxury cars (and for many non-luxury cars as well).
The MKS was developed from the same platform as its sister Ford Five Hundred/Taurus and Mercury Montego/Sable (two cars, BTW, that I have a high opinion of, and rank among my favorite domestics), so, of course, I had high expectations for the MKS. Two versions of the MKS are currently offered in the U.S. Market...a base, front-drive MKS and, of course, the AWD version. Both use a transversely-mounted 3.7L V6 (an enlarged version of the 3.5L used its Ford/Mercury sisters), and the same 6-speed automatic transmission, although the MKS, unlike the Ford/Mercury, has a slotted auto-manual Sport-Shift gate. Ford used a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) for early versions of the All-wheel-drive Five Hundred and Montego, but has since dropped that unit and uses a conventional stepped 6-speed automatic for this line of cars.....the MKS, of course, benefits from the prior experience of this transmission in its two lower-priced sisters. Lincoln says that a V8 version of the MKS (probably with the ubiquitous 4.6L) or a turbo V6 will arrive by the end of the year, but I found the V6 to have plenty of power for all normal driving...more on that below. While the literature does not make direct reference to it, I believe that, as with some other Ford products, the AWD is derived from the Volvo Haldex system, a good but rather complex system, as opposed to the simpler Subaru and Audi systems.
I had been looking forward to an MKS review and test-drive for some time, and while I obviously miss the Town Car's full-frame, limo ride and traditional luxury-car attributes, there is a lot to like about the MKS, and, of course, as with all cars, some things to dislike as well. This was a very interesting test-drive for me....and, though I had mixed feelings, overall, I was not disappointed.
Details coming up.
Model Reviewed: 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
Base Price: $39,655
Major Options:
Ultimate Package (includes Technology Package, Navigation Package and a number of other features) $5715
Adaptive Cruise Control $995
Destination/Freight: $800 (automakers are raising destination fees because of the high price of fuel and
the expense of getting new cars to the dealership)
List price as reviewed: $47,065
Drivetrain: AWD, 3.7L Transverse-mounted SOHC Duratec V6, 273 HP @ 6250 RPM, Torque 270 @ 4250 RPM, 6-speed Automatic transmission with manual Sport-Shift.
EPA Mileage Ratings: 16 City, 23 Highway
Exterior Color: Tuxedo Black
Interior: Black Ultimate Leather
PLUSSES:
6/70 Drivetrain/Roadside Assistance and 4/50 Bumper-to-Bumper warranties better than on sister Ford/Mercury products.
Better handling and less body roll than its Town Car predecessor.
Seamless, Volvo-derived Haldex AWD system gives it all-weather capability.
Quiet ride except for some exhaust and bump-impact noises.
Fairly good response from 3.7L V6.
V8 model (or turbo V6?) available by the end of the year.
Well-designed brakes.
Good underhood access.
Clear, easy-to-read gauges.
Excellent, Surround-Sound stereo.
Good interior space efficiency/headroom/legroom.
Excellent interior trim....much better than other recent Lincolns.
Good interior hardware, with a couple of exceptions.
Solid, slick-feeling interior buttons/controls.
Mammoth-Cave trunk space (but with a small opening).
Fairly comfortable seats.
Fairly nice paint job.
Choice of using regular or premium gas with no engine problems.
MINUSES:
Firmer ride than the Town Car it replaces.
Too much exhaust drone for a luxury car.
Slit-like, Peek-a-Boo rear visibility.
Relatively small trunk opening.
Flimsy glove box lock.
Feature-laden but overly complex NAV/Screen system.
Climate-control buttons/***** hard to decipher.
well-chromed but flimsy, lightweight-plastic grille.
Mini-spare tire not worthy of this class of car.
Odd-feeling steering wheel.
Vague, rubbery transmission shifter
Head restraints marginal for tall people.
Tinny-closing hood.
OK but slightly weak air/conditioning.
Funeral-home paint colors.
New design with unproven reliability, although sisters Taurus/Sable are proven.
EXTERIOR:
Walking up to the MKS, especially from the front, one can easily recognize the signature Lincoln waterfall grille and identify it as a Lincoln product, but that's not the case in the rear....the rear-end styling could be mistaken for any number of European, Japanese, or Korean designs. The car is noticeably shorter than the Town Car it replaces, though not that much narrower. The Ford/Mercury versions of this platform look very similiar to each other on the outside, but there is little indication, from the MKS's exterior styling, that it was, in fact, derived from that same platform. I was quite surprised how much different the MKS looked from both its Ford and Mercury sisters....I was expecting more uniformity. The front, roofline, and rear styling of the MKS are much sleeker, more raked, and more streamlined than its more conservatively-styled sisters.....this causes a problem with the trunklid, as I outlined in the CARGO/TRUNK section below.
Sheet metal quality, on the outside, seemed OK but was not the best I've seen. The doors opened and shut reasonably solid, as did the trunk. The hood, in contrast, shook a little as it closed, and shook the two front fenders with it. Paint quality was pretty good (which was better than average for a Ford product). The paint job was smooth, with only a very small amount of orange peel, was evenly applied, and had a fairly good luster. Unfortunately, the paint colors, like on other Lincolns, were right out of Murphy's Funeral Home, though the Cinnamon and Light Ice Blue didn't look too bad. Lincoln, on the MKS, doesn't offer the beautiful White Pearl that is so nice on other luxury cars.....the two shades of white offered on this car are the much less attractive White Suede and White Chocolate Tri-Coat. All of the other colors are dark and/or dull.
Exterior chrome was mostly plasticized rather than real chrome, but nevertheless was superbly finished....you can't tell the difference unless you really look and feel closely. The chrome finish on the plastic was excellent, to say the least. The logos seemed to be be real chrome, rather than plastic. Though the chrome on the signature Lincoln waterfall grille was also superbly done, the grille itself felt like flimsy, dime-store plastic. The exterior trim, despite the plastic, felt solid and well-attached, and the twin outside mirror plastic housings didn't have the paper-thin feel so common on many Ford products....they looked and felt more like something from Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti. A new, "Easy-Fuel" capless fuel-filler system is supposed to make fillups a little easier....as this was, of course, a dealer car, I didn't get to actually fill it up and try it myself. On the left B-pillar, just above the driver's door handle, is a lighted number push-code for keyless entry.....that can be used if the key is not in your presence, or if it is not operating properly.
UNDERHOOD:
Lift the well-finished but not particularly solid-feeling hood, which has the thick insulation pad and hold-up struts expected in a car of this class, and underhood access/working space, with the 3.7L V6, was far better than that of the typical upmarket car today. While the top of the engine was the ubiquitous large plastic cover that blocks most upper components, there is room to reach lower components in front between the block and radiator. And, while many upmarket vehicles seal other things off under covers and panels, in the MKS, the battery, master cylinder, fluid reserviors, reserve coolant tank, dipsticks, and other features are all exposed and easily accessable. As with most cars, however, you'll have to go undeneath to reach the oil filter.
Of course, we'll have to wait until the V8 (?) version debuts to see how well Lincoln manages to cram the larger engine in there and see how it affects underhood access (as far as I know, the V8 will also be transversely-mounted like the V6). Cadillac, Pontiac, and Chevy, though, have managed to do FWD transverse-mounted V8's for years, though it can cause significant torque steer.
INTERIOR:
Quite an impressive interior, overall. My test car was black leather with chrome-lined Ebony wood, though Cashmere/Ebony and Light Camel/ Olive Ash are also available (sorry, no cloth option). I especially liked the Light Camel with the light Olive Ash wood.....that, as in other Lincolns, is a stunning combination (aluminum trim is available if desired). The leather itself, while gorgeous colors, was not as smooth as the leather in Lexus, Infiniti, and Jaguar products....it had a slightly grainy look and feel somewhat similiar to BMWs and Audis. The seats themselves were fairly comfortable...not as soft as in the Town Car, but not park-bench firm like in so many other cars today. Side bolsters gave a little side-support (this car, of course, is not meant to be a hard-cornering sports car), and almost every drivers' seat adjustment is power. The head rest, however, even all the way up, did not quite cover the back of my head. Front seats, as many other luxury cars, are both heated and cooled....but the small buttons activating that are hard to see and push.
The primary gauges are right out of the Ford parts-bin, and are the same four circles that most Ford-designed passenger cars have, but there's nothing wrong with that...they are all clear and easy-to-read. For some reason, though, Lincoln didn't put in the pleasant, light ice-blue back-lighting that Ford and Mercury uses....the MKS has white panel lights instead. The steering wheel has a rather odd feel in your hands if you grip the upper part of it....the wood in the rim is only on the outer part, so your fingers feel a combination of wood and leather at once...takes a little getting used to.
Interior trim is superb......WAY above that of just about any other Ford product, though little-brother Lincoln MKZ's is also impressive, and yes, better then the Town Car it replaces. Interior chrome, wood strips, brushed-metal vent housings, all have a precision-finished and precision-assembled look to them. Twin chrome strips bordering the Ebony-wood trim help it contrast from the black leather. The dash is covered with a thick, padded, imitation-sewn leather cover (I think it is vinyl). Everything in the trim feels solid, well-finished, and classy. Controls, stalks, and ***** also have a slick, precise feel, although some of the small climate-control buttons are too small to use and decipher easily. Turning the climate system completely off was also awkward and difficult until you got a little used to the complex controls. The NAV screen in the middle of the dash is quite complex, but has an astounding number of different functions......you can even get local movie theater listings if desired. (The NAv system, despite the lack of an I-Drive controller, is so complex, and has so many functions, that I won't try and explain them all here ). The stereo sound, with the Surround-Sound System, is excellent.
Only the glove-box lock, inside, seemed weak and flimsy....all of the other hardware, though some of it was out of the standard Ford parts-bin, seemed at least reasonably solid. And the interior, despite the car being smaller outside than the Town car, was quite space-efficient in contrast (perhaps a sign of the Town Car's antiquated RWD design). Headroom, front and rear, despite the sunroof housing and raked roofline, was fine for a person my size if the seats were adjusted down, as was front/rear footroom. But the steeply raked rear roofline made for a significant interior problem.....the rear window, while quite large, lies down at such an angle that one has little more than a slit, Peek-a-Boo rear vision from the driver's seat. Fortunately, on NAV-equipped cars, that problem is minimized, because the screen defaults to a rear-camera view when you shift into reverse, with green/yellow/red color bars showing the distance of objects behind you while backing up.
CARGO AREA/TRUNK:
The sharply raked rear roofline, besides causing slit-rear-vision inside, also cuts WAY back into the trunk lid's available space, making for a rather small opening when you lift the lid itself (It is interesting to note that the MKS's two sister cars, the Taurus and Sable, have a less-raked rear roof line and correspondingly larger trunk lid). Once past the small opening, however, it's the Mafia's dream....stuffing in bodies is a piece of cake. All three cars...MKS, Taurus, and Sable (being off the same platform), have enormous trunk space by modern standards, virtually as much as the Town Car itself. As befits a luxury car, the trunk area was well-finished with plush carpet and liners for the walls, though the compact spare tire, in the usual place under the trunk floor's pull-up panel, was not befitting a luxury car at all. I think this may be something that we, as car buyers, are just going to have to put up with from now on. Automakers seem determined not to put in real spare tire/wheel assemblies any more, force compact/temporary spares on us, and, even worse, use compressed-air bottles or no spares at all, especially with run-flat tires. The rear-seat does not fold down for added space (the trunk, of course, is big enough even without that feature), but, like many cars these days, a rear-seat pass-through is provided for very long items like skis, fishing poles, etc....
ON THE ROAD:
Given my first impressions of it at the D.C. Auto Show, and what I have read about it in the meantime, on the road, this car was pretty much what I expected it to be. As befits a newly-designed car of this class, with the key in your pocket, simply push a START button and the 3.7L six comes to life with a luxury-car smooth, quiet idle, although this engine is not quite as smooth under power and acceleration as the 4.6L V8 in other Ford products. The power level itself, however, is fine for all normal driving, and the car will easily get out of its own way (The promised (?) V8 version coming will, of course, probably offer even more power and smoothness). The engine, though, has a rather annoying, nasal-sounding exhaust drone under acceleration that cuts into the otherwise quiet and well-sealed-off noise level. You can use either regular or premium gas.....I see no reason to pay extra for premium in this car, as Lincoln's own figures only add 1 or 2 extra HP/torque if you use premium.
The versatile, 6-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and seamlessly under light throttle, but is slightly firmer under load and when the air conditioning operates.....a performance tweak (The air-conditioning itself, while adequate for a humid, Washington D.C. 85-90 degree day, is OK but not GM/Lexus strong). The transmission has two features I don't like, though. One is the rather flimsy-feeling auto-manual shift-lever motion, and the other, like with some Mazda and BMW auto-manual shifters, is that the shift action is opposite of that in the majority of cars.....you nudge the lever forward to downshift and pull it back to upshift. And you cannot manually get sixth gear, at all, to save fuel, until the engine/transmission computer decides you are going fast enough. Straight manual transmissions, of course, allow you to have complete gear control, but Lincoln tried marketing a straight 5-speed manual back in 1999 with the V6 Lincoln LS (remember that?), and it was a sales flop, only to be dropped a couple of years later.
Steering response was not particularly quick, but, of course, noticeably faster than with the Town Car. Body roll was suprisingly low...I had expected a little more of the tipsies, and was surprised at how flat it cornered. This car, while clearly not a Mazda Miata or Honda S2000, will give a fairly good account of itself on winding roads.....chalk that up to a shorter wheelbase, stiffer suspension, AWD grip, larger wheels (my test car had the optional 19" wheels, while 20" are also available) and lower-profile tires than the Town Car. And the flip side of all this? Well, of course, you guessed it.......you can kiss the Town Car's limo-smooth ride good-bye. Better handling almost always comes at a price in ride comfort, and this car is no exception. Mind you, the MKS is not rough-riding by any means, but where the Town Car simply glided over bumps silent as a feather, in this car you feel them and hear them. Still, it was not what I would call uncomfortable, and the roadability and wet/snow traction of this car is so far superior to the Town Car that I could live with a slightly less-than-perfectly-smooth ride. Noise level, as befits a luxury car, was quite low, although you do slightly hear some thumping over bumps, and the annoying exhaust drone, while not loud, cuts into the otherwise serene peace and quiet on acceleration.
Brakes? No problems. The 4-wheel discs have most of the safety and electronic aids that are expected in a car of this class (some, of course, derived from Ford's partner Volvo), and have smooth, even response, minimal pedal sponginess, and, while not Porsche 911-strong, a reasonable amount of deceleration power.....I, of course, didn't hit the pedal too hard, seeing as they were new brakes, and I didn't want to activate the Emergency Brake Assist, which I knew that all Volvo-designed brake systems (and some others) had. Brake Assist activates the anti-lock system full-force if it senses that you want to make a panic stop. I also didn't want to take a brand-new car back to the dealership with warped brake rotors, which sometimes occur with heat build-up from panic stops. The brake pedal itself was well-designed and well-placed, with none of the hang-ups I sometimes get shifting my big size 15 clown-shoes back between the brake and gas pedals.
VERDICT:
By now, you've probably guessed that I had mixed views.....and feelings about this car. And you would be right.....I do. I'll get the sad part out of the way first...I will miss the Town Car and its silky ride, durable full-frame, towing ability, and soft, plush seating comfort. There are VERY few cars still like it today, and with it will go virtually the last of its kind.
But, with the setting sun, comes the promise of a new dawn.....and, as the sun rises once again, it has brought a lot of nice new things with it in the MKS. Gone may be the magic-carpet ride, but it is replaced with a nice combination of steering, handling, roll control, and reasonable ride comfort to go with it. The interior trimmings of the MKS, especially the dash trim, are superb.....some of the best I've seen in a Ford product. Interior space efficiency, despite the smaller exterior size, is excellent. Underhood layout and accessability are excellent for this type of car. The 3.7L V6 actually gives better response than the Town Car's old 239 HP 4.6L V8, and with more gears in the transmission to use that power.....with the promise (?) of a V8-powered MKS later. And, perhaps best of all, with the AWD option, wet or snowy roads are no more a concern for sliding and wheel-spinning, though, of course, with any vehicle and any drive-system, you still have to drive with common sense.
Yet, as with any car, there is still room for improvement. The roofline, IMO, needs to be restyled to make rear visibility better and allow a larger trunk-lid opening. The NAV/climate/stereo system, IMO, is too complex and needs to be simplified. The transmission shifter needs a more secure and less-vague feel to it. The engine exhaust needs a more effective muffler.....it chuffes and drones too much for a car of this class. Put a REAL spare tire and wheel in the trunk (though I'm afraid, like I said above, that this will just fall on deaf ears). And let's see some paint colors that are good for more than just the mortuary parking lot....luxury cars do not HAVE to be painted like hearses.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-10-09 at 03:26 PM.
07-30-08, 08:15 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I still haven't forgotten those of you who want the 2009 Hyundai Genesis and Acura TL reviews...the new TL's haven't gotten in yet, and the only Genesis models in stock, locally, are V6's. I'm going to hold out for a Genesis V8...due in a few weeks.
07-30-08, 10:00 PM
#3
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Great review - don't know that this is a Towncar replacement though, is it?
07-31-08, 04:16 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
The Town Car will be available awhile for a few limited limo-fleet and general-public sales, but is clearly on the way out. Ford considers it yesterday's car for yesterday's buyers. I don't necessarily agree.
When the TC does go, this will be the new Lincoln flagship.
07-31-08, 04:25 AM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
OK. Maybe so. The Lincoln people said that a V8 version was in the works, but, given the issues of space limitations under the hood (which, of course, is smaller than a Town Car's), gas prices, consumer preferences, and the upcoming CAFE laws, Ford may have cancelled that project for a turbo v6 instead. Either way, it is likely to be a more powerful version of the present car, though the smoothness and refineness of a V8 would have been nice.
I'll amend the review to include a possible turbo V6 and a question mark (?) for the V8 version. Thanks.
I'll amend the review to include a possible turbo V6 and a question mark (?) for the V8 version. Thanks.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-31-08 at 04:32 AM.
07-31-08, 04:43 AM
#7
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Wow, good review. This is a HUGE car for the price, what 203 inches in length, the size of a LS/7/S class. I think the lower the price, the better for this car. What I do see is it attracting people who do want an American car as its a solid effort.
Lincoln though had a great car in the Lincoln LS that sold poorly and was discontinued. This is actually the same price as that outgoing car.
I hate the new Lincoln MK names. Silly.
I see you can't get any new colors Mike
Lincoln though had a great car in the Lincoln LS that sold poorly and was discontinued. This is actually the same price as that outgoing car.
I hate the new Lincoln MK names. Silly.
I see you can't get any new colors Mike
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07-31-08, 05:08 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Thanks.
There are slightly less-expensive, FWD versions available, but, for many areas, I think AWD is worth the added cost and lower drivetrain efficiency.
It HAS to be a pretty-good sized car, by its very role in the marketplace. You can't expect to replace the Town Car/Crown Vic/Grand Marquis with something the size of a Chevy Aveo.
The V8 LS version, yes, was roughly the same price. As I remember it, the V6 LS models were cheaper, especially with the ill-fated 5-speed manual. Lincoln never sold the manual with the V8 LS......curious, since the car was designed to compete with the BMW 5-Series. Perhaps the manual-transmission models would have been more succssful with the V8. I mentioned this to Ford marketers several times, but it fell on deaf ears.
Agreed. Cadillac and Acura have also converted to the same confusing, alphabet-based nonsense. 
Yes..........I don't expect Corvette or Dodge Viper colors on a car like this, but, IMO, it is not asking too much to have a couple of non-mortuary shades. The Cinnamon paint job I pictured with the review, however, is not bad.
This is a HUGE car for the price, what 203 inches in length, the size of a LS/7/S class. I think the lower the price, the better for this car. What I do see is it attracting people who do want an American car as its a solid effort.
It HAS to be a pretty-good sized car, by its very role in the marketplace. You can't expect to replace the Town Car/Crown Vic/Grand Marquis with something the size of a Chevy Aveo.
Lincoln though had a great car in the Lincoln LS that sold poorly and was discontinued. This is actually the same price as that outgoing car.
I hate the new Lincoln MK names. Silly.
I see you can't get any new colors Mike
07-31-08, 07:25 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
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07-31-08, 07:50 PM
#12
i like it, but 47 grand seems a bit steep to me, i mean id rather have the es350 even though the materials and build quality is questionable, and id MUCH rather have a passat vr6 and save the 10 grand and grab me either an old alfa 164 L or spider haha
Last edited by RXGS; 07-31-08 at 07:53 PM. Reason: theres no 174
08-01-08, 05:23 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
2. Whatever happened to the 4.0L from the Lincoln LS? I always thought that was a good engine.
08-01-08, 05:26 AM
#14
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08-01-08, 07:12 AM
#15
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Ah, I see the FWD variant is rated for 17/24. How large is this sedan? It seems bigger than a GS, but smaller than an LS. I guess its a deal when you get alot of car (not power) in comparisson to the price of an S, LS, 7 series. I dunno, Ill wait for the turbo version, which is supposed to be efficient but this doesnt look too promising.