2007 Lincoln MKZ Review

Specifications

Hold on a minute. I think there’s something that needs to be defined intoday’s automotive world, and one that’s been waiting to be addressed for quite some time. This subject, which is of great importance, is the definition of American luxury. Of course, it seems like a simple enough answer. Every culture has a key statement or two of what luxury is to them. The Brits like stuff that’s tweedily retro, with plenty of wood, leather, and instrument gauges pinched from a grandfather clock. The Germans, alternatively, like a mix of retrospective and modernist styles, in darker tones that are more serious, and have a penchant for displaying their finest technology on their sleeves. The Swedes, of course, are more modern still, with their touch-feely ergonomics and fascination with contorting plywood in curious ways. And perhaps it’s just me, but I find that the interiors of Japanese luxury cars, while well crafted, have little soul and therefore don’t stick well in my memory. Perhaps they had a computer define what luxury was, or some scientists in a lab.

But back to the topic at hand, what about the Americans. When I thinkof American luxury, I seem to draw a big blank in terms of things that are contemporary. Sure, there are numerous buildings that offer modern, luxurious, and very American appeal - some of the world’s nicest looking houses can be found in the US, as well as some of the globe’s nicest furniture, and there’s a lot of activity on the fashion front too, but what about one of the most important luxury statements, automobiles? The last time I checked, the vehicles parked out front of these houses weren’t made by American brands, so maybe it’s not just me. The last time I ‘felt’ something from an American luxury car was from a ’60s era Lincoln Continental, or Cadillac before the ’70s and CRT-obsessed ’80s rolled around; it was something about that sense of quality, the thick leather, the shiny (real) metal and that sheer, stark look. I think Lincoln has managed to recapture much of that with the MKZ.

There is skepticism to a certain degree. Americanluxury doesn’t have to be built in America. I mean, while the iPod Nano and Herman Miller’s finest chairs were designed in the States, they’re both assembled somewhere else. On that same token, when Bentley couldn’t keep up with orders at its Crewe factory (it’s since been upgraded) its Continental lineup was assembled in VW’s Dresden factory that builds the slow-selling Phaeton. German luxury or British? There’s no question, being that the coupe, convertible and sedan are as British in character as any Bentley in previous memory. Much the same (although at a much more approachable price point), the MKZ is a product of American design, but it’s stamped out in the same Mexican factory that previously built the Ford Escort, and currently turns out the MKZ’s twin siblings, the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. Somehow, though, that image doesn’t exactly exude American luxury, especially to UAW bigwigs that could only justify driving an American-made luxury car (Hmmm… the Acura TL is made in the U.S.A. - Ed).

Perhaps American luxury can be defined in the way that a car looks.The MKZ isn’t as bold as the Chrysler 300, which, by the way, is also a very good candidate for the American Luxury poster child. The Lincoln is actually rather plain looking, but it’s a clean sort of plain, comprising a three-box design with some glittery chrome draping the new waterfall grille, and new lower valances. The big taillights have ornamental LEDs visibly set into the upper flanks of the lens, which sit on the big, high surfaced trunk lid. A pair of chrome-tipped exhaust pipes finishes the whole package off. On several occasions when approaching at night and watching the interior bask in soft white lighting, and the flood lamps from under the side-view mirrors light up the pavement below, the car looks elegant, and expensive.

One day, with sufficient sums of money and time, I would eventually like to perform a case study. What would happen if you showed a picture of the Cadillac CTS to the typical Cadillac owner? Would they cringe? Would they recoil at the transformation that took away their slab sides and sharply creased edges? If you note, modern Cadillacs with their by-fangled Art and Science design do not look anything like Cadillacs from just a few years back. By comparison, if you showed a picture of the MKZ, it would not only stand a much better chance of being identified as a Lincoln, but being approved of one as well.

One thing that I, as well as many others have expressed acute disappointment with, is Ford’s change of heart with Lincoln’snaming scheme. Editor Trevor Hofmann agrees with me that the triple letter names that adorn new Lincoln products just don’t fit the brand character very well. The Mark Zee doesn’t roll off the tongue with the same elegance as Zephyr. And despite the fact that Lincoln picked it up from a train in the ’30s (and a classic Lincoln that followed), and was the only name ever to be used for a Ford, Lincoln and Mercury product, it still sounds great. Maybe Alan Mulally’s next Bold Move will to be revert Lincoln’s naming scheme, as he recently did with the blue-oval brand, by bringing back the well-known Ford Taurus nameplate in place of Five Hundred anonymity.

When I drove the Zephyr last year, the two main criticisms I had with thecar were that it didn’t have enough power, and the ride was too soft and squishy. Lo and behold, both of these problems were promptly addressed with the new MKZ. The mill that resides under a hood that’s as long and wide as a Saskatchewan prairie plain is the new Duratec 35 engine, an advanced 3.5-liter DOHC V6 with variable valve timing and a dual plenum intake manifold that give the Lincoln some deep breathing lungs. And what a difference it makes. Where the Zephyr forced you to feel every second of your journey, the MKZ is surprisingly quick thanks to 263 horsepower; a 42 horsepower gain. There’s also more torque – 44 lb-ft more – accessible in areas where the old 3.0-liter mill didn’t have the will. The new engine results in more grunt low-down in the rev range where most North American drivers want it. At the same time, this engine does things you would never expect from a Lincoln, such as rev. Nail the throttle off the line and the dainty needle rapidly swings to the other side of the tach, accompanied by a high-pitched wail that sounds more European or Asian than the traditional US of A thundering V8. Whoa, nelly! The MKZ also packs a brand new six-speed automatic gearbox, but strangely for this class it doesn’t have a manual mode. Ford doesn’t seem to think that its customers would use it, and they may be right, but with this kind of engine it’s definitely deserving of one. An O/D lockout exists if you want to prevent it from dropping into lazy sixth, but when engaging twistier segments of road, the transmission can often be found in a gear that’s just too high for the situation.

Surely then, the depth and meaning of what American luxury is can’t be foundin how it handles, because most examples of American luxury simply didn’t in years past. OK, most new Cadillacs are quite nimble, Chrysler’s 300C (especially in SRT8 form) is capable too, and the old Lincoln LS was lauded for deft handling, but front-drive Lincolns of yore could hardly have been deemed athletic. This wasn’t the case at all with the MKZ. In fact, it handles very well, and this isn’t just within the context of other Lincolns. This is against the competition. Ford got off to a great start by basing it off the CD3 platform that also underpins the Fusion. The heft of the MKZ’s steering is outright surprising, as is its accuracy; you don’t expect these sort of things from this type of vehicle. Neither would you expect the degree of roll suppression that it offers. It’s not quite at a level that would have sports cars working up a sweat to keep up, but the MKZ is no Buick, Olds, or Plymouth. It hangs on to the road with proficiency, despite the moan of protest from the energy-efficient tires, and when equipped with the optional all-wheel drive system it feels planted and secure. Borrowed from the Edge/MKX crossover twins, the all-wheel drive setup is an active system that shifts weight around, though it doesn’t necessarily need wheel slippage before kicking in. The system will shift power to the rear if it detects a full-out start, for instance.

If there’s one aspect of the MKZ that shows an indication of what Americanluxury is, it can be found inside. Here, it’s a world apart from the cookie cutter luxury sedans that it competes against, such as the Acura TL and Lexus ES that all look so characterless from behind the wheel. The MKZ’s cabin is upright and symmetrical, loaded with simple but heavy-handed geometrical shapes that create strong contrast. Chrome-ringed gauges shine brightly, complementarily opposed by the glossy stripes of wood that form a belt-line around the cabin. The satin, nickel silver trim is another nice touch, and its textures don’t feel plasticky at all. But not all is ideal, as there’s a slight aura of cheapness with the final fit and finish. The motors on the ten-way power seats grumble to life, and the door locks loudly clack open and shut. The THX sound and navigation system, however, provides powerful, clear sound, and a simple to use interface, but the voice controls sound like they’re emanating from deep inside a child’s plastic toy. Still, if you’re able to ignore these small foibles the MKZ is a world apart from the ordinary, a world rich in 1960s American style.

If you’re used to old-school American luxury you’ll need to change the way you drive yourcar. Rather than the casual one-hand over the top of the steering wheel, you’d best firmly grip that wheel on its wooden inserts, wrapping your thumbs around the spokes. At first, it’s a bit odd, but this position becomes comfortable after a while. And you thought that upright dashboard takes you back in time? The MKZ’s simple instruments that light up in a cool white, as do the rest of the backlit switches and buttons, fit the theme to a T. I’d like to see more of that cool white ambient lighting pouring down from the ceiling, floor wells and perhaps even the door bins, as this would further improve its nightlife style. It’s a little something to think about for a mid-life update.

I found the heated and cooled leather-trimmed seats to be on the uncomfortable side for my body; the upper half of the seatback felt like it was pushing me forward. I spoke to a seat engineer,who mentioned this as a relatively common complaint, and it is due to the plumbing in the seat cushion. Models without the ventilation don’t suffer from this problem.

After weighing out all the pros and cons, there is something about the MKZ that reminds me of what Lincoln once was; more than Fords with wood trim, and more than just the Navigator; as this has been its star model for far too long. Even with this, a front-wheel drive V6-powered vehicle, there’s an air of elegance about it, an air that simply can’t be disputed. But after spending some serious time with the new Lincoln, I’ve unfortunately come to the conclusion that I still have yet to find a clear definition of what American luxury is, although Lincoln’s work with the MKZ has put the brand on the path of redefining it. What surprised me the most though, was that this is a Lincoln that drives as well as it looks. Times really are changing.