2018 Lincoln MKZ Review: Not (Quite) Your Daddy’s Lincoln
Entry-level luxury with a surprisingly feisty powertrain. This, in a nutshell, is what you get with the 2018 Lincoln MKZ - which is actually a Ford Fusion-based mid-size sedan but with a significantly upgraded interior, all premium materials and sophisticated tech. That Fusion connection surely reflects the fact that Lincoln’s target with the MKZ is the younger, possibly first-time buyer of a luxury-class vehicle. This in itself is quite a change from Lincoln days of old.
Sporting a restyled front end and equipped, in its Reserve edition, with a muscular 400-hp V6 that is one of the more impressive motors to be found in the category, the car is undeniably worthy of the Lincoln name. The base model comes equipped with a 4-cylinder turbo that is responsive enough in its own right. My tester was an all-wheel drive Reserve and I found myself enjoying its positive acceleration and effortless passing ability more than I’d anticipated. No, this is not your Dad’s Lincoln, even if its interior is more staid than some of the sportier entries in the segment.
First time in, I did lose a few minutes trying to figure out how to put the car in gear! Don’t look for a gear knob or shifter. The buttons are placed vertically on the left side of the central console. It’s a change I’m not convinced is an improvement. I never quite rid myself of the reflex of grabbing for a non-existent gear shifter when wanting to shift; when pulling up to a parking spot on a busy street to parallel park, it could get downright annoying. I guess you’d get used to it before long, though after a week I had not.
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