Lincoln was listening in 2008 when it first launched the MKZ luxury sedan. It had just enough luxury and elegance to be labeled ‘entry-level’ luxury, and now we have a more refined, truly luxurious and elegant model for 2010.

Increased luxury and power are readily apparent and available in the 2010 Lincoln MKZ, as customers are pampered with signature high-end features and a faster-accelerating and noticeably quieter luxury interior. The 2010 model boasts a wide range of exterior and interior refinements-including premium Bridge of Weir leather-wrapped seats-as well as a new sport version for those customers desiring an even more engaging driving experience.

The award-winning 3.5 liter DOHC Duratec engine powers the 2010 MKZ, delivering 263hp at 6,250rpm and 249lb.ft. of torque at 4,500rpm while still remaining among the leaders in fuel economy in the segment with 18mpg/city and 27mpg highway for the front-wheel-drive MKZ.

The 3.5 liter uses a compact, lightweight DOHC valvetrain for peak power and smooth operation at high rpms. This all-aluminum engine also incorporates intake variable cam timing for smooth idle and an impressive broad torque curve with good power. The six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission, which is front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive is standard on all 2010 MKZ’s. Powertrain performance is improved dramatically with 0-60mph dropping from 7.7sec. to 7.1sec.

The engine-and the MKZ itself-is quieter. Nearly every piece of the sound deadening package was redone. The MKZ engineering team also concentrated on the engine mount subsystem, finding the sound that balances sportiness and luxury. A high 10.3:1 compression ratio and aluminum cylinder heads designed for high air flow and optimized combustion help complete the package, supporting the engine’s ability to deliver great performance and fuel economy along with low emissions.

The six-speed transmission is outfitted with lower early gears for better acceleration and taller high gears for better highway mileage. The new standard SelectShift automatic provides the driver with manual gear selection for enhanced sportiness. Downshifts are locked out to protect the engine from over-revving. The ‘enhanced overdrive cancel’ mode locks out the fifth and sixth gears, allowing shifts at higher speed for more engine braking and downshifts for ‘grade assist’ functionality.

The 2010 MKZ’s fully independent suspension was completely revised and uniquely tuned for ride comfort. The team changed the rear suspension’s lower control arm point to move the roll center closer to the center of gravity, which improves ride-handling characteristics. The turning circle has been reduced as well. Also added is a new hydraulic variable-flow steering pump to the power-assisted rack & pinion system that changes the flow rate at lower speed to give better response and parking ease.

The MKZ’s optional AWD system that I tested has been retuned for better traction and lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The new system uses an electro-mechanical clutch and employs two basic modes of torque transfer-preemptive torque (before wheel slip) and slip-control torque (after wheel slip). This dual system gives you more confidence in any situation, while the suspension has been specially tuned to be more neutral when cornering. Driving around slow city traffic, merging into fast moving freeways and when cornering on the back roads was seamless and smooth with all four-wheels adding torque.

The AWD system works in harmony with brake traction control to deliver more confidence to MKZ owners. Ford’s AdvanceTrac with electronic stability control-which is standard in the 2010 model-keeps you in command at all times.

New for 2010 is MKZ’s ‘sport package’ with special sport suspension tuning with higher rate coil springs and thick front/rear stabilizer bars, 18in. Euroflange polished wheels/performance tires, a unique darkened grille, darkened headlamps, and an interior with contrasting piping and special appliqués.

Refinements to the powertrain are complemented by improvements to cabin noise levels.
Ford research shows the 2009 MKZ beating the current model year Lexus ES350 and Acura TL in key interior quietness such as road noise at 30mph. For the 2010 model year, the MKZ is even quieter. In addition to reengineered resonators on the air-induction system that improves overall powertrain sound quality, the 2010 MKZ benefits from NVH improvements that include a new acoustic laminated windshield that features a layer of sound-absorbent vinyl sandwiched between two sheets of glass to soften noise levels, improved body/door sealing to reduce wind noise, new expandable stuffers in the fenders and pillars, constrained layer damping material on the entire floor to reduce road noise, and an all-new acoustic headliner to further deaden interior noise.

These measures prove their worth in wind tunnel testing when the MKZ was subjected to 80mph gusts at varying degrees of yaw (to simulate head/cross winds), and bested both the current model year Lexus ES350 and Acura TL across the board for the lowest recorded loudness-regardless of yaw variation.

The new 2010 MKZ also offers segment-exclusive features such as a first-in-class Blind Sport Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), which makes navigating traffic and parking lots safer and easier. BLIS tracks vehicles in the blind-spot zones on either side of the car using two multiple-beam radar modules behind the rear fenders. Indicator light in the outside rearview mirror on both sides of the car warn you when a vehicle enters the defined blind-spot zone, extending from the side mirror to 10ft. behind the vehicle and 10ft. away from the car. CTA uses the BLIS radar sensors to alert you of approaching traffic while in reverse and backing out of a parking spot. CTA tracks up to 65ft. on either side of the car and warns you through both audible and visual alerts.

In addition to this new technology for midsize sedans, MKZ offers SYNC with 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report, Next-Generation Voice-Activated Navigation, keyless entry, Easy Fuel Capless Fuel-Filler System, THX-branded audio and adaptive HID headlamps that make the new MKZ one of the most highly-technologically advanced luxury sedans on the market.

The MKZ also features new, more contemporary styling including the split-wing grille and thinner wraparound headlamps for a wider, sportier look plus added elegance with a chrome strip surrounding the grille and lower air-intake. Its chamfered front fascia also shares a family resemblance with the all-new Lincoln MKS, with a sculpted hood and ridges flowing into the A-pillar. In the rear, the MKZ features a new decklid with wider LED taillamps accentuating the width of the car and separated by the Lincoln star. The 2in. round, polished stainless steel exhaust tips give drivers behind you a hint of the performance potential of the car a head of them.

Inside, MKZ’s cabin reflects an even more upscale look featuring high-quality soft touch dashboard, with genuine aluminum, chrome and wood depending on the trim package selected. The thinner wood trim pieces are encased in chrome for a more elegant look and feel. The new instrument cluster is more elegant and detailed, and there is new welcoming lighting, chimes, tuxedo stitching on luxury leather seats and Bridge of Weir leather. The MKZ leather is unembossed, allowing the natural beauty and character of the grain to shine through. The leather is milled for up to 12-hours to ensure a buttery soft hand, and Bridge of Weir uses a chromium-free tanning process which makes it easier to recycle. This new design with higher grade materials and controls really lifts the important interior to world-class status.

The integrated DVD player is capable of reading CD-Audio, MP3 CDs, DVD, DVD-Audio and DVD-ROM (for digital map updates). A music jukebox function stores more than 150-hours of music. The screen can be customized with personal photos.

The reverse camera system mounts a small camera on the decklid that is activated when the MKZ is shifted into reverse, giving you a clear view behind the vehicle. The video image is displayed in the navigation screen on MKZ’s equipped with that option or in the self-dimming rearview mirror on vehicles without navigation. Ambient lighting is displayed around the footwells, cupholders, door map pockets, door release handles, door and instrument accents and scuff plates-plus special ‘Welcome’ and ‘Farewell-sequential lighting.

The optional THX II premium certified audio system with 5.1 surround sound is provided by a 12-channel amplifier that delivers 600-watts to 14-strategically placed speakers, including two subwoofers. A center channel speaker array features THX Slot Speaker technology, which allows for a wider sound image and better control of how music is distributed throughout the MKZ’s acoustically engineered cabin. In addition the system features a 10GB drive jukebox, allowing MKZ owners to store up to 2,400 favorite music tracks. The THX II system is one of the world’s unique and best sounding music systems.

Other features for the 2010 MKZ include rain-sensing wipers, a new cabin air filter, adaptive HID headlamps, and SOS Post Crash Alert System which activates the horn, emergency flashers, automatically unlocks doors and turns on the interior/puddle lamps when an airbag is deployed. The system even activates the emergency flashers when a spinout is detected.

Standard equipment not mentioned above includes power windows/door locks with front express up/down, dual map lamps, overhead sunglass holder, thick-pile cut carpeting/floor mats, leather-wrapped/tilt/telescoping steering wheel with cruise-control and audio redundant controls, grab handles above each door, pull-down center console in the rear, 60/40 split folding rear seat to expand the luggage capacity of the trunk, traction and stability control.

The new MKZ contains a full complement of standard safety features including front/rear crush zones, steel beams in each door, front and side airbags, side-curtain airbags for the first and second row seats, tire pressure monitoring system, and 5-seat belts with load limiters and pretentioners up front.

The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ felt like an all-new model with more elegant styling, quicker acceleration, a smoother ride with better handling and a world-class interior making the car more competitive against the M-B C-Class, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, Lexus IS, Infiniti G, and Cadillac CTS. I was really impressed with the new MKZ.

COPYRIGHT:2009:HARVEY SCHWARTZ

SPECIFICATIONS

Price: MSRP $34,115
Type: Midsize Sedan
Where Built: Mexico
EPA Class: Midsize Cars

Dimensions

Exterior
Length: 189.8 in.
Width: 72.2 in.
Height: 56.9 in.
Wheel Base: 107.4 in.
Curb Weight: 3796 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 38.7 in.
Front Hip Room: 54 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 57.2 in.
Rear Head Room: 37.8 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 55.8 in.
Rear Hip Room: 53.5 in.
Front Leg Room: 42.3 in.
Rear Leg Room: 36.7 in.
Luggage Capacity: 16.5 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5

Performance Data

Base Number of Cylinders: 6
Base Engine Size: 3.5 liters
Base Engine Type: V6
Horsepower: 263 hp
Max Horsepower: 6250 rpm
Torque: 249 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 4500 rpm
Drive Type: AWD
Turning Circle: 37.5 ft.
0-60mph: 7.1 seconds

Fuel Data

Fuel Tank Capacity: 16.5 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: 18/28/21 (City/Highway/Combined)
Range in Miles: 462

2009 Lincoln MKZ “Midnight Black Special Edition”

After a successful launch in 2008, the 2009 Lincoln MKZ continues setting new standards for entry-level luxury sedans by offering a new interior design treatment that smartly blends basic black with MKZ’s sophisticated Lincoln styling and richly appointed interior.

The new Midnight Black MKZ Special Edition package includes a black-themed interior with satin nickel and chrome accents, including large pieces of light-colored, real maple wood inserts on the dashboard, instrument panel, steering wheel and door trim. Black, premium-leather-perforated front bucket seats up front and rear seating surfaces are trimmed with contrasting piping and have the Lincoln Star is stitched into the head restraints.

This new package adds even more luxury, comfort and refinement to the MKZ’s already excellent interior. I really enjoyed the more comfortable and supportive front buckets, and who doesn’t like butter-soft, premium black leather. Black dashboard and door trim pieces are all high quality with a soft-touch. The chrome-ringed instrument cluster is easy to see and understand. The brushed nickel center stack features Lincoln’s signature clock and easy to use dials and buttons. All are fully illuminated for safe nighttime driving.

A serious contender in the entry-level, mid-size, luxury segment, the new 2009 MKZ boasts a number of best-in-class interior features and award-winning technologies that treat consumers to levels of comfort and convenience at a value in the segment.

These features include SYNC-Ford’s industry-exclusive, voice-activated hands-free, in-car communications and entertainment system. It was developed in collaboration with Microsoft, and fully integrates mobile phones and media players into the vehicle using Bluetooth technology and USB connectivity. You’ll also find an optional touch-screen, voice-activated navigation system; standard SIRIUS satellite radio; the Reverse Sensing System assists you with rear parking by sounding an audible gauge of distance from objects in the rear; First-In-Class standard 10-way power front bucket seats with two-driver memory; First-In-Class standard climate-controlled front seats that provide climate-controlled heating and A/C with butter soft, perforated leather seating surfaces; Best-In-Class interior space with best-in-class rear seat legroom for comfort and ease of entry for rear passengers (all four-doors have grab handles above); Class Exclusive standard 60/40 split rear seat is as functional as its form, and MKZ excels at each with the inclusion of the easy-to-use, rear spring-assisted, split bench seat that allows for greater trunk storage when necessary; and finally, the largest trunk in its class with 15.8cu.ft. of storage space.

Topping off this comfortable and luxurious interior is the available, award-winning THX II audio system that uses the latest in patented THX technologies to bring the home theater surround sound experience to the open road. The system uses a 12-channel amplifier to deliver 600-watts of power to a total of 14-speakers, including two subwoofers, strategically placed in the cabin. The system’s processor analyzes bandwidth, peak audio levels and coverage uniformity to deliver a smooth spectral balance and wide dynamic range. Multi-channel equalization and digital signal processing match the speaker placement to the cabin acoustics to assure this high level of performance.

With the push of a button, the system can be configured for three specific listening modes-Driver, Front Seats and All Seats-ensuring that all passengers enjoy optimal sound.

The system also features a fast-loading six-disc changer that reads CDs in normal audio, MP3 compressed or text formats. The AM-FM tuner is compatible with the Radio Data Broadcasting System (RDBS) and displays participating radio station call letters, formats and song titles.

Sound-deadening materials are placed strategically around the cabin to keep outside noise to a minimum to more fully enjoy the sounds.

The unitized welded steel body and chassis uses high-strength steel and aluminum for added torsional rigidity and stiffness, resulting in less noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

The exterior styling is understated but pure Lincoln in heritage with the signature Lincoln chrome and aluminum grille, well-formed headlamp clusters behind clear lenses and available with HID lamps, a lower air-intake surrounded with a chrome strip that helps channel cooling air into the engine, a lower-bumper with integrated round fog lamps that are optional but highly recommended for safer nighttime driving.

The aluminum hood is tightly drawn over the engine bay and features four tasteful creases. The rear glass falls gently into the high-mounted trunk lid that features a large Lincoln Star in the middle with two uniquely styled, wrap-around, LED lamp clusters at the sides. Just below the rear bumper are chrome-tipped, dual exhausts nicely spaced apart.

The silhouette is very sporty with steeply raked windshield ‘A’ pillars, flared fenders, aero-styled side-view mirrors, and lower side extensions. The beltline features a wide chrome strip. The flared fenders are stuffed with 17X8in. 8-spoke machined & painted aluminum alloy wheels that are wrapped with 225/50VR17in. high-performance all-season tires. These tires were chosen to match the fully-independent suspension tuning.

Power is generated by Ford’s Duratec 3.5 liter DOHC, all-aluminum, VVT V6 engine that generates 263hp and 249lb.ft. of torque. That’s plenty of power to easily maneuver around slow city traffic, to merge easily, and pass slower moving vehicles on the freeway. The MKZ can quickly respond to your inputs thanks to the premium six-speed automatic transmission. A torque-based electronic throttle control works with the electronically controlled transmission by adjusting throttle plate movement to tailor torque to the timing of each shift enabling the transmission to deliver smooth, barely perceptible gear changes.

The MKZ gives back an engaging, performance driving character thanks to the careful engineering and calibration on the chassis, steering boost curve, coil spring rates, 24mm front/18mm rear anti-roll bars, and damping force of the front short/long arm (SLA), and rear multi-link suspension.

The rack & pinion steering system is right-on with feedback from the road and excellent on-center feel. Utilizing the car’s stiff structure, the MKZ mounts the steering gear to the front perimeter subframe for reduced NVH. This setup allows you to better experience the car’s relationship to the road via the steering wheel, whether you are parking or driving at high-speeds.

The MKZ comes with standard front-wheel-drive and optional all-wheel-drive. The intelligent AWD system is tuned with an emphasis on luxury performance and confident all-weather driving. The system actively and seamlessly delivers torque to all four wheels, even before wheel slippage occurs. An active on-demand coupler delivers the precise amount of torque needed to the rear wheels. Paired with standard traction control, intelligent AWD can transfer torque front-to-rear and side-to-side. The 2008 MKZ that I tested last year came with AWD and I would highly recommend it if you live where the winters are snowy.

Quickly and safely slowing the MKZ down from speed are large, power-assisted,
4-wheel disc brakes. Up front are 11.9in. vented discs clamped with dual-piston calipers, and 11in. solid discs clamped with single-piston calipers, in the rear. Braking control and stopping distance is enhanced with standard ABS and electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

The MKZ comes with a number of highly advanced safety technologies, including standard AdvanceTrac electronic stability control. AdvanceTrac can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure oversteer and understeer by monitoring the vehicle’s steering wheel angle versus actual yaw. When the system senses wheel slip-the difference between your intended and the actual path-engine torque is reduced and braking is applied at individual wheels to help keep you tracking safely on your intended path. You can off course shut the system down so it doesn’t get in your way during spirited driving, or when you are in need of wheel slippage in certain situations.

Additional standard safety systems include front/side airbag protection up front and air curtains for both first and second rows; Ford’s personal safety system which includes safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors, driver-seat-position sensing and crash-severity sensing; Ford’s Belt-Minder system that chimes for six seconds every 30-seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, which ever comes first; and LATCH lower anchors and tethers for child seats.

Standard MKZ features not mentioned above includes intermittent speed-sensitive wipers/ dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, auto lamp on/off delay head lamp controls, cruise-control, dual map lamps, sunglass holder, front center console with dual cup-holders, two-tier storage bin and armrest, map pockets behind both front seats, HomeLink garage door opener, power-adjustable/heated sideview mirrors, power windows/express up/down in front, power door locks, manual tilt/telescoping steering column, leather-wrapped steering wheel with redundant audio and cruise control buttons, rear seat reading lamps, rear flip-down center armrest with dual cup-holders, and tire pressure monitoring system. Options not mentioned above include power moonroof, a self-dimming rearview mirror comes with the DVD based navigation system.

After a week test drive I was impressed with the smooth, cut-from-a-block of metal styling, power and performance along with an interior that features state-of-the-art automotive high-technology convenience and entertainment with luxurious features not found in other mid-size, entry-level sporty luxury sedans. The base price starts at a reasonable $32,155.00, and $38,190.00 fully loaded.

COPYRIGHT:2008:HARVEY SCHWARTZ

Price: MSRP $34,585
Type: Midsize Sedan
Where Built: Mexico
EPA Class: Midsize Cars

Dimensions

Exterior
Length: 190.5 in.
Width: 72.2 in.
Height: 57.1 in.
Wheel Base: 107.4 in.
Curb Weight: 3672 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 37 in.
Front Hip Room: 54 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 57 in.
Rear Head Room: 37.4 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 55.6 in.
Rear Hip Room: 53.6 in.
Front Leg Room: 42.3 in.
Rear Leg Room: 36.7 in.
Luggage Capacity: 15.8 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5

Performance Data

Base Number of Cylinders: 6
Base Engine Size: 3.5 liters
Base Engine Type: V6
Horsepower: 263 hp
Max Horsepower: 6250 rpm
Torque: 249 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 4500 rpm
Drive Type: AWD
Turning Circle: 39 ft.
0-60 mph: 6 seconds / 5.7 seconds

Fuel Data

Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.5 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway/Combined)
Automatic: 17 mpg / 24 mpg / 19 mpg
Range in Miles:
Automatic: 297.5 mi. / 420 mi. / 332.5 mi.