2009 Lincoln MKS Review

The made-in-Chicago 2009 MKS from Ford Motor's Lincoln division is the sort of flagship car that once was a serious rival to Cadillac, when those automakers dominated the U.S. luxury car market in the 1950s and '60s, with virtually no foreign competition.

Lincolns actually were winning race cars in the early 1950s, competing against fast foreign sports cars in the long, grueling Mexican Road Race. The automaker went decidedly upscale with models such as its fabulous 1956 Premiere, which had show-car styling, and 1968 Continental Mark III, a styling gem with the industry's longest hood. It nearly matched sales of Cadillac's superb new Eldorado through 1971.

Mercedes-Benz began seriously elbowing into the American luxury car market in the early 1970s -- followed by Japan's posh Acura in 1986 and Lexus and Infiniti in 1990. All ate into Lincoln and Cadillac sales, ending their glory days.

Lincoln draws on its colorful heritage by giving the MKS such items as a "double-wing" grille, inspired by the 1941 Lincoln Continental's, although the low front end can call for careful parking. The beltline below the windows kicks up slightly over the rear wheels -- another modern tribute to classic Lincoln design. But this is definitely a handsome, modern-looking car with its sculpted hood, fast-raked windshield and sleek roof line. Dual chrome exhaust outlets are a sporty touch.

The MKS is built at the Ford Assembly Plant on the South Side, where the full-size Ford Taurus and similar Mercury Sable sedans are produced. The MKS shares components with the Taurus/Sable but has its own 3.7-liter V-6, which produces 273 horsepower. It's a larger version of the 3.5-liter 260-horsepower Taurus/Sable V-6. There's no MKS V-8, which some older luxury car buyers might expect, but a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 with about 350 horsepower is scheduled for 2010.

The smooth 3.7 V-6 provides strong acceleration, making one wonder if a twin-turbo V-6 or V-8, is really necessary. It works with a responsive six-speed automatic transmission, which has a manual-shift feature.

The MKS comfortably seats five tall adults, with an especially roomy backseat. The front-wheel-drive version costs $37,665. The all-wheel-drive version is $39,555. Those prices let Lincoln undercut rivals with fewer standard features.

Lincoln emphasizes MKS high-tech items. They include Ford's Sync, which offers voice control for cell phones and MP3 players, voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic updates, front-obstacle detection, rearview camera, keyless entry and starting and adaptive cruise control. A capless fuel-filler system allows filling the gas tank without removing a gas cap.

The quiet lush-life interior has heated and cooled power front seats and heated rear seats. Safety features include front side- and curtain-side air bags, traction control, antiskid system and anti-lock brakes.

Foreign rivals are offered with standard rear-wheel drive, which car buffs and older luxury car buyers like. However, my test all-wheel-drive MKS drove much like a rear-drive auto.

The MKS is aimed at such older buyers, but also at Generation X members, born between 1965 and 1981. However, it seems as if younger buyers will be more drawn to the mid-size Lincoln MKZ. The large, aged rear-drive Lincoln Town Car now is mainly targeted at fleet buyers.

Ford Motor plans to spend as much introducing the MKS (about $100 million) as it does to usually launch its top-selling Ford F-Series pickup truck. But, with truck sales decidedly off, the automaker feels it must spread the word more about Ford Motor's new autos.

Estimated MKS fuel economy is 17 mpg city and 24 highway with FWD and 17 and 23 with the heavier AWD setup. Premium fuel is recommended, but Lincoln says 87-octane gasoline is acceptable.

The MKS shares no sheet metal with the Taurus/Sable. That's good news for Lincoln, which shares sheet metal for its MKZ and MKX crossover vehicle with Ford brand cousins.

Thanks mostly to the MKZ and MKX, Lincoln sales rose nearly 10 percent in 2007 from the previous year to 131,487 vehicles, although sales through June this year fell to 56,894 units from 73,333 in the same year-ago period because of stiff fuel prices and no economy car model. (Sales of other luxury brands, except Mercedes, also fell.) The MKS recently went on sale, and Lincoln intends to sell about 19,000 MKS models this year and approximately 36,000 next year.

An all-independent suspension helps provide good ride and handling. My test car's steering was precise, but called for some slight corrections to keep it in a perfectly straight line during expressway cruising. (It may have had an alignment problem.) Handling is good for the large 4,127-4,276-pound sedan, which has a solid, massive feel.

It's easy to get in and out, with large handles on wide-opening doors. Backlit gauges can be quickly read, but sound system and climate controls are rather small. Cupholders are nicely placed, but cabin storage space is just adequate. The trunk has a rather high opening, but is spacious and has a lid that opens smoothly on struts, as does the hood. A yellow outside hood release is easy to find quickly, without bruising fingers.

In all, the MKS is generally quite impressive, although sales would likely be helped by lower gasoline prices.

2009 LINCOLN MKS

Prices: $37,665-$39,555

Likes: Imposing look. Roomy. Strong V-6. Available all-wheel drive.

Dislikes: No V-8. No rear-wheel drive. Low front end. Steering a bit touchy.