2013 Lincoln MKS - Fast American Luxury
September 12, 2012
By: Anthony Murdoch
For 2013, Ford (Lincoln) significantly updated their MKS, which like its Taurus sibling, was in dire need of better brakes, something which I am thankful to say, has been done. With bigger rotors in the front as well as the back, the MKS now has the stopping power, more or less, to go with the absolute insane power from the 3.5 twin turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine, which is rated at 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.
The MKS is in essence, Lincoln's flagship sedan. Make no mistake, this is a heavy and large vehicle, but I have to say I found it to be refined, comfortable, and modern in ways which Lincoln's in the past could have only dreamed of.
My test car came loaded to the gills with a $61, 213 before tax price. With discounts, this MKS will set you back around $52,000 all in, which I have to say is not bad considering all of the technology you get, along with the mind-blowing performance of that turbo motor.
Back to the motor, the EcoBoost, which is Ford fancy/marketing speak for a turbocharged and direct injected engine. It is the difference maker here. It's an option on the MKS, the standard engine being the 3.7 V-6, which makes a respectable 306 horsepower. Off the line the MKS screams to redline, with the 6-speed transmission shifting gears quickly and smoothly. This engine revs and revs, and the power never stops. It has been some time since I have been sucked back into my seat with a fear and feeling of, "you better slow down or your going to get a ticket!" You learn to restrain yourself, as the power is way more than is really needed, but in my books that's a good thing!
There is a sport setting on the gear selector, which engages a mode where the suspension firms up, the throttle sharpens up, and the gear changes quicken, and the steering firms up. This mode is what you want for everyday sporty driving. The ride is firm yet still compliment. One thing to note is that you can select via the information screen on the left pane next to the speedometer the suspension setting in both Drive and Sport. I had it in Sport in Sport, it only lets you go back to Normal in this mode if you want, or three modes in Drive. Normal, Sport, or Comfort. I tried the comfort setting a couple of times, but I found the ride to be way too float-like over bumps. It reminds me of what the old land yacht Ford's from the 70's and 80's feel like when driven. Great for a straight smooth road, but not my cup of tea.
As you can imagine, this car has all of the latest gadgets and then some to keep the driver entertained for a long time. Equipped with Ford's Mytouch system, which I found to be a little bit better, but still slow at times, the MKS is literally a computer on wheels. It has Collision Warning, Adaptive, Cruise Control, Continuously Controlled Damping, all-wheel drive, heated steering wheel, massaging seats, and the list goes on and on.
About the seats. They are first class comfort. I never once felt a back ache, and the massage function is great for the back after a hard days work. I used it all the time. I also found myself using the heated steering wheel along with the heated and cooled seats. September weather in Calgary can be cold in the morning and then hot in the afternoon. This is the time of year when one literally can use all of these functions! Crazy!
The MKS is very well built, both inside and out. There is nary a hard plastic surface anywhere inside, and all of the controls work with a well built feel to them, save for the overhead driver lights and sunroof controls which seem to be standard Ford items, exactly the same as you would find in an F-150. They look and feel cheap in this car.
Fuel economy over the course of my time with the MKS was pretty decent, especially considering the amount of power this car has. I averaged 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres. This is not that bad considering that more than half of the time I was dipping into the power reserves. Actually, this motor can get a lot better fuel economy on the highway. It can also use a lot more if you dip into the power as well. I think it actually is quite efficient given the overall scope of power it makes.
All in all, I enjoyed my time in the MKS. It is a luxury car with a sporty edge. Lincoln has come a long way, and it is good to see that it is distinguishing itself a little bit from its Ford cousins. I think if it keeps on the current path it is going, it might just have some really cool and sporty rides to rival BMW and the like one day. Time will tell, but for American luxury at least, the MKS scores a good a good old 10 out of 10.
By: Anthony Murdoch
For 2013, Ford (Lincoln) significantly updated their MKS, which like its Taurus sibling, was in dire need of better brakes, something which I am thankful to say, has been done. With bigger rotors in the front as well as the back, the MKS now has the stopping power, more or less, to go with the absolute insane power from the 3.5 twin turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine, which is rated at 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.
The MKS is in essence, Lincoln's flagship sedan. Make no mistake, this is a heavy and large vehicle, but I have to say I found it to be refined, comfortable, and modern in ways which Lincoln's in the past could have only dreamed of.
My test car came loaded to the gills with a $61, 213 before tax price. With discounts, this MKS will set you back around $52,000 all in, which I have to say is not bad considering all of the technology you get, along with the mind-blowing performance of that turbo motor.
Back to the motor, the EcoBoost, which is Ford fancy/marketing speak for a turbocharged and direct injected engine. It is the difference maker here. It's an option on the MKS, the standard engine being the 3.7 V-6, which makes a respectable 306 horsepower. Off the line the MKS screams to redline, with the 6-speed transmission shifting gears quickly and smoothly. This engine revs and revs, and the power never stops. It has been some time since I have been sucked back into my seat with a fear and feeling of, "you better slow down or your going to get a ticket!" You learn to restrain yourself, as the power is way more than is really needed, but in my books that's a good thing!
There is a sport setting on the gear selector, which engages a mode where the suspension firms up, the throttle sharpens up, and the gear changes quicken, and the steering firms up. This mode is what you want for everyday sporty driving. The ride is firm yet still compliment. One thing to note is that you can select via the information screen on the left pane next to the speedometer the suspension setting in both Drive and Sport. I had it in Sport in Sport, it only lets you go back to Normal in this mode if you want, or three modes in Drive. Normal, Sport, or Comfort. I tried the comfort setting a couple of times, but I found the ride to be way too float-like over bumps. It reminds me of what the old land yacht Ford's from the 70's and 80's feel like when driven. Great for a straight smooth road, but not my cup of tea.
As you can imagine, this car has all of the latest gadgets and then some to keep the driver entertained for a long time. Equipped with Ford's Mytouch system, which I found to be a little bit better, but still slow at times, the MKS is literally a computer on wheels. It has Collision Warning, Adaptive, Cruise Control, Continuously Controlled Damping, all-wheel drive, heated steering wheel, massaging seats, and the list goes on and on.
About the seats. They are first class comfort. I never once felt a back ache, and the massage function is great for the back after a hard days work. I used it all the time. I also found myself using the heated steering wheel along with the heated and cooled seats. September weather in Calgary can be cold in the morning and then hot in the afternoon. This is the time of year when one literally can use all of these functions! Crazy!
The MKS is very well built, both inside and out. There is nary a hard plastic surface anywhere inside, and all of the controls work with a well built feel to them, save for the overhead driver lights and sunroof controls which seem to be standard Ford items, exactly the same as you would find in an F-150. They look and feel cheap in this car.
Fuel economy over the course of my time with the MKS was pretty decent, especially considering the amount of power this car has. I averaged 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres. This is not that bad considering that more than half of the time I was dipping into the power reserves. Actually, this motor can get a lot better fuel economy on the highway. It can also use a lot more if you dip into the power as well. I think it actually is quite efficient given the overall scope of power it makes.
All in all, I enjoyed my time in the MKS. It is a luxury car with a sporty edge. Lincoln has come a long way, and it is good to see that it is distinguishing itself a little bit from its Ford cousins. I think if it keeps on the current path it is going, it might just have some really cool and sporty rides to rival BMW and the like one day. Time will tell, but for American luxury at least, the MKS scores a good a good old 10 out of 10.
|
|
|
|
