As flagships go, the new 2009 Lincoln MKS has taken a long time to find its way into port. The MKS not only replaces the long-running Town Car, it changes the formula along the way. For the first time in its 90-year history, Lincoln’s top-step sedan is based on a front-drive architecture.
Derived from the front-drive Volvo S80 platform, the MKS uses a V-6 engine initially developed for the Ford Taurus nee Five Hundred and Mercury Sable, but bumped up to 3.7L. The all-wheel-drive system and six-speed automatic transmission are essentially carryover from the Taurus as well, with one significant difference: Lincoln product planners allow drivers to manually select gears via SelectShift. Slide the gear selector to the right from the Drive setting, and you can select gears as God and BMW and Mazda intended—forward for downshifts, back for upshifts.
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On the road, the Lincoln performs a lot like the current Ford Taurus. The seating position is high and upright, some might say commandingly so. In a straight line, this Lincoln does as all have done since 1917, wafting along with stately grace, begrudging the cabin clatter from only the deepest of potholes and most obstreperous roadway imperfections. With a 7.0-sec flat 0-to-60-mph time and 15.2-sec quarter mile (at 91.8 mph), the MKS is surprisingly quick given the 4300-lb curb weight and sedate feel off the line.
With a competitive set that includes the Acura RL, Lexus GS 300 AWD, Saab 9-5x, Cadillac STS, and its own Ford stablemate—the Volvo S80—it’s clear Lincoln’s flagship faces challengers from all sides and all around the world. For those interested in traditional smooth-riding American luxury, your ship has come in, and it’s called the 2009 Lincoln MKS.
