I remember a time when big American cars were the be all and end all of the automotive world. It was the time of hat-wearing drivers, our uncles and grandfathers drove this kind of car. Today, the image has all but disappeared, as most big American cars are in a transition phase. Cadillac has already overhauled its line up, and the Town Car has been relegated to rental fleets and specialized services.
Lincoln is no exception. It has a strong sense of identity with its utterly unique grille. The cascading waterfall that passes for a grille is not exactly discrete, but it gets the job done: these cars aren’t mistaken for Limited versions of Ford products.
The MKS is still a generously proportioned car, but the effect is mitigated by the roofline and shorter trunk. It has a certain charm, so much so that it attracts both brand faithfuls and neophytes. But it will prove especially seductive to the 40 to 65 year-old crowd.
American luxury - redefined
Lincoln maintains an appropriate level of luxury for the times. The huge, never-ending bench seats – quite handy for certain, ahem, activities at the drive-in – have been replaced by plush bucket seats offering exemplary comfort and excellent support. They aren’t Recaro, but at least when you tackle a curve you don’t have to hold on to the steering wheel for dear life. The driving position is fairly straight, ensuring excellent front visibility. However, the width of the B pillar and the big headrests do impair rearward visibility. The additional small side mirrors are quite practical, but the engineers should have included a blind spot monitoring device as a more contemporary solution.
Lincoln no longer defines luxury as artificial leather and fake wood trim running the length of the dash. No, today it’s about electronic gadgets galore, like satellite radio, navigation, SYNC and virtually anything else the competition can dream up.
On the safety front, the endless expanse of hood is not the only thing absorbing impacts any more. Driver’s can now count on radars, reverse cameras, collision warning systems and a veritable festival of airbags.
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| The MKS offers everything luxury and performance aficionados could ever ask for, at the reasonable price of $52,999. (Photo: Lincoln) |
Lincoln is no exception. It has a strong sense of identity with its utterly unique grille. The cascading waterfall that passes for a grille is not exactly discrete, but it gets the job done: these cars aren’t mistaken for Limited versions of Ford products.
The MKS is still a generously proportioned car, but the effect is mitigated by the roofline and shorter trunk. It has a certain charm, so much so that it attracts both brand faithfuls and neophytes. But it will prove especially seductive to the 40 to 65 year-old crowd.
American luxury - redefined
Lincoln maintains an appropriate level of luxury for the times. The huge, never-ending bench seats – quite handy for certain, ahem, activities at the drive-in – have been replaced by plush bucket seats offering exemplary comfort and excellent support. They aren’t Recaro, but at least when you tackle a curve you don’t have to hold on to the steering wheel for dear life. The driving position is fairly straight, ensuring excellent front visibility. However, the width of the B pillar and the big headrests do impair rearward visibility. The additional small side mirrors are quite practical, but the engineers should have included a blind spot monitoring device as a more contemporary solution.
Lincoln no longer defines luxury as artificial leather and fake wood trim running the length of the dash. No, today it’s about electronic gadgets galore, like satellite radio, navigation, SYNC and virtually anything else the competition can dream up.
On the safety front, the endless expanse of hood is not the only thing absorbing impacts any more. Driver’s can now count on radars, reverse cameras, collision warning systems and a veritable festival of airbags.
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| The dash now benefits from an aerodynamic as well as ergonomic shape. (Photo: Lincoln) |