There are several cars in the Ford stable that have had substantial redesigns for 2010 – for example, the Ford Fusion comes to mind. On the other end of the scale is the Lincoln MKZ, which had neither a true redesign nor an official launch for its 2010 incarnation. Instead, the car received several small changes that amount to more of a small tweak in its design.
On the exterior, Ford has given the 2010 Lincoln MKZ the same grille as on the MKS sedan, the one with the split “bow-wave.” But what about the interior of the car? The MKZ is being positioned as a luxury sedan, so they added some upgrades, right? In a word – no. The interior of this model is pretty much the same as it was before, except with the addition of a new navigation system. You do have some options with the interior, which can come trimmed with wood, aluminum or leather.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “What about the engine? Surely they goosed the engine a bit?” Nope – the Lincoln goes on with the same 3.5-liter V-6, just as before. It has the same 263 horsepower and same torque, although it’s now coupled to Ford’s “SelectShift” automatic transmission. This improvement did make the 0-60 mph go down to 7.1 seconds – a small victory in what could have been a major overhaul.
In the options package, Ford is still offering an all-wheel drive model, and Lincoln has reset the car for a small rear wheel base, making the handling a bit more neutral in the corners. But many reviewers feel that, overall, the cornering is much better with the Sport package, which includes putting stiffer springs and stronger stabilizers on the car, making the handling much more responsive than before.
The damping is sharp and not at all sticky as it was before. And the brakes will let you know that they’re there – in fact, they’ll pull rather hard when you step on them. But the biggest problem facing the MKZ is the steering, which is painfully limp and very noticeable. There’s a dead spot in the center that has a give of over 30 degrees before you see a change in direction, which can make cornering a bit interesting, to say the least. The hum of the engine isn’t as soft as its competitors from Lexus or BMW, but the Lincoln is very silent at speed, as is befitting a luxury car.
The gas mileage comes in at a respectable 27 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in the city. Again, it’s not bad – but it’s nothing to write home about, either.
Yes, there are some improvements with the 2010 Lincoln MKZ, which will hit the markets at a starting price of $34,965. But despite what Ford says, these slight changes won’t make the MKZ a competitive luxury car. There are better luxury cars on the market, which – of course – begs the question of why they didn’t do more. In case you haven’t heard, these are some tough times for the whole auto industry. And with the Lincoln MKZ, Ford has a stable seller and a mid-level performer that they can rely on. And in this market, why should anyone mess around with something that’s working for them?
