2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD Review

We have the feeling that Lincoln is heading in the right direction. After selling mile-long luxobarges for decades, Ford's luxury brand is now producing vehicles that are better suited to today's reality, but it also had to change how people perceived them. If Cadillac succeeded in attracting a younger, techno-minded clientele, Lincoln can.

The MKZ will please both young professionals and older luxury sedan buyers alike.

And they're doing it right now.

The Town Car is now reserved only for fleets, the Mark LT pickup is discontinued, and the Navigator is selling at a snail's pace. That's good, because they all seem to represent the 'old' Lincoln. The 'new' Lincoln is offering the MKX and MKT crossovers, the MKS sedan, and the MKZ sedan that we're driving right now.

Unextreme makeover
For 2010, the MKZ gets new front and rear fascias, including what is now the corporate face of Lincoln, the waterfall grille that was first shown on the MKR Concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. The taillights are slimmer and stretch a little further towards the centre of the trunklid.

Although it's not a major redesign compared with previous model years, including the first year of production under the name Zephyr, it will keep the car looking up-to-date for a while. We really like the overall shape and size of the MKZ; not too big, not too small, not too dull, not too extroverted.

Rapid transit
The 3.5-litre V6 that equips every MKZ develops 263 horsepower and 249 lb-ft of torque. That's plenty of muscle to get the AWD version up to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, and the 6-speed automatic does a good job of keeping fuel economy low on the highway; our average of 10.3 L/100 km is not bad at all.

Dynamically, the MKZ is tuned for comfort, but it doesn't mean it can't hang on when the going gets rough. The car's highway ride is especially pleasant, and on country roads, the car feels reassuringly agile despite its 3,800-lb (1,724-kg) curb weight suggests.

The 3.5-litre V6 that equips every MKZ develops 263 horsepower and 249 lb-ft of torque.