First Test: 2013 Lincoln MKZ

First Test:

2013 Lincoln MKZ

The Car That Might Save Lincoln Comes Wearing Fancy Footwear

This started out as a relatively straightforward story about the 2013 Lincoln MKZ and whether we think the MKZ is up to its Herculean task of convincing the car-buying public that it’s more than just another warmed-over Ford. Then the following four words came into play: Michelin Pilot Super Sport. So what are sports car tires doing on an entry-level luxury sedan like the MKZ? Good question, but whatever the reason, the sticky rubber certainly helped generate some damn impressive test numbers. Try 106 feet to stop from 60 mph (1 foot better than the 2013 Mustang GT!), 0.91 g on the skidpad (just 0.03 g shy of the Mustang!), and a 26.5-second time in our figure eight.  While its sub-110-foot braking figure can be attributed in part to the cheater tires, the MKZ’s handling number isn’t that inflated. We recently tested a 2013 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD with the same 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo-four with 240 

horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic as the MKZ we just tested. While the Ford didn’t come with the fancy Lincoln Drive Control chassis system (it actively adjusts the suspension, steering, transmission, and traction and stability control), the Fusion managed a solid 0.84 g on the figure eight on more pedestrian Continental ContiProContacts. The Super Sports also helped the 200-pound-heavier Lincoln slightly beat the Fusion’s acceleration figures with times of 6.6 seconds in the 0-60 sprint and 15.0 seconds through the quarter mile. Of course, there’s a downside. In this case, excessive tire noise. Had Lincoln fitted our MKZ with more conventional tires -- our friends at Tire Rack list the Michelin Primacy MXM4 as the MKZ’s standard rubber -- the ride would certainly have been quieter and the test results more conventional. Still, the AWD MKZ is easily the best-driving Lincoln in some time, and possibly ever. It’s no BMW 3 Series or Cadillac ATS, nor should anyone expect it to be, given its luxury cruiser leanings, but the suspension has a good amount of front roll stiffness and the steering has more weight to it than expected, though there’s not much feel to it.

Before any of this can happen, the driver may be puzzled by the need to push a button on the left side of the center stack to put the MKZ into drive instead of operating a lever. While not conventional, it adds to the cabin’s functionality. Leaving out the shifter allows for better use of space in the center console – its place is taken by an elegant-looking cover for the cupholders – and the idea will likely work better in the age of computer-shifted transmissions than it did the last time someone tried it, back in the 1950s. There are also shifter paddles on the steering wheel, presumably because everyone else is doing it. To the right of the shift buttons is the 8-inch MyLincoln Touch screen. It doesn’t work any different in the MKZ than it does in any other product from Dearborn, and we believe it is still in need of a more powerful processor.  Visually, the MKZ is more differentiated from its Ford sibling than any other modern-era Lincoln. The new horizontal split grille is a huge improvement over the old model’s vertical design, though it looks better in pictures than it does in person. From the side, the dash-to-axle ratio is decidedly that of a front-drive midsize sedan, though things get more pleasing as your eye moves rearward. The tail is easily the best-looking part of the car, but given how the glass slopes, you expect it to be a liftback like the Tesla Model S rather than a sedan with a conventional trunk. That stylish swooping rear negatively impacts rear-seat headroom, limiting it to just 36.6 inches. The north end of my 6-foot, 3-inch-self became lodged firmly in the headliner when trying to sit upright. With 37.0 inches of legroom in the back, there’s some space for slouching, but only if the driver is on the shorter side. Yet, things certainly could be worse -- the Cadillac ATS provides a similar 36.8 inches of headroom in the back but just 33.5 inches of legroom.

Aside from Lincoln Drive Select, major features on the Lincoln that aren't offered on the Ford include the power-adjustable tilt and telescoping steering wheel (which can also be heated), heated rear seats, LED headlamps, and a THX sound system. There are also two individual options on the MKZ that aren’t available on the Fusion Titanium: the 3.7-liter V-6 engine (a $1230 option) and the panoramic sunroof (a cool $2995). The loaded Fusion Titanium we had at Car of the Year stickered at $37,670, and the similarly loaded MKZ we had rang in at $45,220. Essentially, the all-wheel-drive MKZ’s price starts where the top-level Fusion’s ends. Despite being a generally good car with a stylish, albeit somewhat polarizing design and something of a fun-driving character, dollars -- as in too many -- will likely keep the MKZ from accomplishing its massive task. It’s overpriced in a ruthlessly competitive segment, and while it’s certainly more than just another warmed-over Ford, unless the dealer has a firewall (figuratively speaking, of course) between the Ford and Lincoln sides, the Fusion will always be lurking, ready to jack the sale. The MKZ also lacks a strong unique selling proposition other than that killer sunroof. Perhaps Lincoln should run with this idea, thanks to the Pilot Super Sports: “Stops faster than a Mustang!” It has a good ring to it and nobody else is doing it.