Road Test
First Drive: 2007 Lincoln MKZ Sedan
Saddle up them horses
We like the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan plenty. They stand as true competitors to the 2007 Toyota Camry. We also wrote nice things about their non-identical triplet, the Lincoln Zephyr. So why review the 2007 Lincoln MKZ when the 2006 Zephyr full test posted here in June? Isn't the MKZ just a Zephyr with a different chrome badge on the trunk lid?
By and large, yes, with one major caveat — the Lincoln MKZ is the first Ford vehicle powered by the manufacturer's all-new 3.5-liter 24-valve V6. This engine is expected to see plenty of action, powering one-in-five new Fords by 2010.
More ponies
To date, the top engine in the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr was the 3.0-liter V6 Duratec engine. While a capable workhorse, this mill is not known for its refinement. When you push it hard, the feeling is coarse. And its 221-horsepower output is adequate, but falls short of the current three-plus-liter V6 engines that power its competitors.
In the transition from Zephyr to MKZ, the 3.5-liter replaces the Duratec. This change brings an additional 42 horses and 44 pound-feet of torque, yielding totals of 263 hp at 6250 rpm and 249 lb-ft at 4500 rpm. Stab the accelerator and the 20-percent power gain makes itself known. Thrust comes on smoothly, and builds intensely as the tachometer swings past 4000. Unlike the Duratec, the 3.5-liter likes to rev. There's no harshness. No thrash. No clatter. Just plenty of power and a purposeful growl that is loud enough to add some aural thrill to the acceleration, but not so loud that it detracts from the MKZ's luxurious intentions.
The new engine
The improvement this engine represents is significant. "The 3.5 is a foundational engine for us," says Tom McCarthy, managing engineer on the project. "We wanted this to be a great starting point that still had great potential going forward." McCarthy's team focused on three key areas of development for the engine: structure, combustion process and airflow.
Here's a quick lesson on engine development (stay with me): Having a solid structure helps an engine be quieter, smoother and more reliable. An advanced understanding of combustion affects everything from idle smoothness to power to emissions. Airflow is important because engines must move air efficiently to make power efficiently.
Features of Ford's new 3.5-liter include an aluminum block that shows considerable evidence of structural ribbing, a forged-steel crankshaft, and four-valve combustion chambers with a compression ratio of 10.3:1. Curiously, McCarthy is quick to point out technologies not on his engine. "To meet our performance goals, we didn't need to employ 'add-on' technologies like variable exhaust-valve timing, manifold swirl valves or active management (of the intake system)." By pointing this out, the Ford engineer takes a gloved swipe at competitive engines that utilize such features to match his engine's output. His comment also hints that much more "power density" (his engineeringspeak) resides within the compact dimensions of the 3.5-liter — no larger than the existing Duratec V6.
Premium power, not fuel
While McCarthy's technical points are interesting to other engineers, most drivers will find them academic. His next point wasn't: "Unlike so many competitors, our 3.5-liter produces its peak power on regular 87-octane unleaded fuel." He noted that the 3.5-liter V6 powering the 2007 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 350 requires 91-octane fuel to hit its advertised hp of 268. With the cost differential being approximately $0.20/gallon between regular and premium, savings of three bucks per fill-up gets your attention.
Regarding fuel economy, official EPA estimates are not available, but Lincoln is thinking that matching the Zephyr's 28-mpg highway mark is quite possible. Combined with the MKZ's 20-gallon tank, this Lincoln can run a long way between feedings.
Running the fence line
Whether equipped as a front-driver or with the optional all-wheel drive, this is not the car for impressing neighborhood kids with smoking burnouts. However, acceleration from rest is fluid and rapid. Lincoln estimates that the incoming MKZ will hit 60 mph a full second quicker than the outgoing Zephyr, which likely means mid-six-second times.
While off-the-line acceleration is important, this engine hits its stride on the highway, where the MKZ could easily gallop into triple-digit territory. The feeling is much more Bavarian than Michiganian. Unlike our test Zephyr, the MKZ's six-speed automatic transmission shifted when it was supposed to, without drama, hesitation or electronics-induced confusion.
The MKZ also features tauter suspension calibrations compared to the marshmallowy Zephyr. Like the engine, the chassis performs well at speed. Abundant cornering grip is available. Off the line, however, the suspension still softly shifts rearward before any significant forward motion occurs. For a car that handles well, this initial softness is out of character, and still feels too Lincoln Town Car. The braking system for the MKZ is carried over unchanged from the Zephyr, with unexceptional, if effective, pedal feel and stopping performance.
The wrapping around the engine
In an unusual move so early in a car's lifecycle, Lincoln chose 2007 to freshen the MKZ's styling. The '06 Zephyr looked like a Fusion in a zoot suit. With its new grille and front fascia, updated 17-inch aluminum wheels and other nuanced updates, the MKZ looks more refined.
As with the Fusion and Milan models we've tested, the body panels on the MKZ fit tightly and align evenly. The car's interior panels also fit well, but look better in dark tones such as the Dark Charcoal fitted to our test car. The lighter interior highlights an abundance of disparate surface textures and colors. This is unfortunate, as the "Sand" interior pallet features beautiful maple wood trim and has an airy feel that makes an already large interior feel larger.
Driving forward
When pressed to reveal more about future variants on the 3.5-liter, Ford engineer McCarthy told us to expect versions featuring direct-injection, turbocharging and hybrid technologies in displacements ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 liters. He also acknowledged that the engine could easily be adapted to a rear-wheel-drive configuration.
This fall, you'll also be able to find the 3.5-liter V6 in the all-new crossovers from FoMoCo, including the Edge, the Lincoln MKX and the Mazda CX-9. While we'd be happy to shout, "This new engine changes everything. Ford leapfrogs the competition by a decade," we can't. It doesn't. But it does prove what Ford can and will produce. The Zephyr wasn't a strong enough entry-lux sedan. The 2007 MKZ will be, as long as Lincoln keeps its price (to be announced in September) close to that of the outgoing Zephyr.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation. Photo location courtesy of Grosse Pointe Hunt Club.
By and large, yes, with one major caveat — the Lincoln MKZ is the first Ford vehicle powered by the manufacturer's all-new 3.5-liter 24-valve V6. This engine is expected to see plenty of action, powering one-in-five new Fords by 2010.
More ponies
To date, the top engine in the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr was the 3.0-liter V6 Duratec engine. While a capable workhorse, this mill is not known for its refinement. When you push it hard, the feeling is coarse. And its 221-horsepower output is adequate, but falls short of the current three-plus-liter V6 engines that power its competitors.
In the transition from Zephyr to MKZ, the 3.5-liter replaces the Duratec. This change brings an additional 42 horses and 44 pound-feet of torque, yielding totals of 263 hp at 6250 rpm and 249 lb-ft at 4500 rpm. Stab the accelerator and the 20-percent power gain makes itself known. Thrust comes on smoothly, and builds intensely as the tachometer swings past 4000. Unlike the Duratec, the 3.5-liter likes to rev. There's no harshness. No thrash. No clatter. Just plenty of power and a purposeful growl that is loud enough to add some aural thrill to the acceleration, but not so loud that it detracts from the MKZ's luxurious intentions.
The new engine
The improvement this engine represents is significant. "The 3.5 is a foundational engine for us," says Tom McCarthy, managing engineer on the project. "We wanted this to be a great starting point that still had great potential going forward." McCarthy's team focused on three key areas of development for the engine: structure, combustion process and airflow.
Here's a quick lesson on engine development (stay with me): Having a solid structure helps an engine be quieter, smoother and more reliable. An advanced understanding of combustion affects everything from idle smoothness to power to emissions. Airflow is important because engines must move air efficiently to make power efficiently.
Features of Ford's new 3.5-liter include an aluminum block that shows considerable evidence of structural ribbing, a forged-steel crankshaft, and four-valve combustion chambers with a compression ratio of 10.3:1. Curiously, McCarthy is quick to point out technologies not on his engine. "To meet our performance goals, we didn't need to employ 'add-on' technologies like variable exhaust-valve timing, manifold swirl valves or active management (of the intake system)." By pointing this out, the Ford engineer takes a gloved swipe at competitive engines that utilize such features to match his engine's output. His comment also hints that much more "power density" (his engineeringspeak) resides within the compact dimensions of the 3.5-liter — no larger than the existing Duratec V6.
Premium power, not fuel
While McCarthy's technical points are interesting to other engineers, most drivers will find them academic. His next point wasn't: "Unlike so many competitors, our 3.5-liter produces its peak power on regular 87-octane unleaded fuel." He noted that the 3.5-liter V6 powering the 2007 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 350 requires 91-octane fuel to hit its advertised hp of 268. With the cost differential being approximately $0.20/gallon between regular and premium, savings of three bucks per fill-up gets your attention.
Regarding fuel economy, official EPA estimates are not available, but Lincoln is thinking that matching the Zephyr's 28-mpg highway mark is quite possible. Combined with the MKZ's 20-gallon tank, this Lincoln can run a long way between feedings.
Running the fence line
Whether equipped as a front-driver or with the optional all-wheel drive, this is not the car for impressing neighborhood kids with smoking burnouts. However, acceleration from rest is fluid and rapid. Lincoln estimates that the incoming MKZ will hit 60 mph a full second quicker than the outgoing Zephyr, which likely means mid-six-second times.
While off-the-line acceleration is important, this engine hits its stride on the highway, where the MKZ could easily gallop into triple-digit territory. The feeling is much more Bavarian than Michiganian. Unlike our test Zephyr, the MKZ's six-speed automatic transmission shifted when it was supposed to, without drama, hesitation or electronics-induced confusion.
The MKZ also features tauter suspension calibrations compared to the marshmallowy Zephyr. Like the engine, the chassis performs well at speed. Abundant cornering grip is available. Off the line, however, the suspension still softly shifts rearward before any significant forward motion occurs. For a car that handles well, this initial softness is out of character, and still feels too Lincoln Town Car. The braking system for the MKZ is carried over unchanged from the Zephyr, with unexceptional, if effective, pedal feel and stopping performance.
The wrapping around the engine
In an unusual move so early in a car's lifecycle, Lincoln chose 2007 to freshen the MKZ's styling. The '06 Zephyr looked like a Fusion in a zoot suit. With its new grille and front fascia, updated 17-inch aluminum wheels and other nuanced updates, the MKZ looks more refined.
As with the Fusion and Milan models we've tested, the body panels on the MKZ fit tightly and align evenly. The car's interior panels also fit well, but look better in dark tones such as the Dark Charcoal fitted to our test car. The lighter interior highlights an abundance of disparate surface textures and colors. This is unfortunate, as the "Sand" interior pallet features beautiful maple wood trim and has an airy feel that makes an already large interior feel larger.
Driving forward
When pressed to reveal more about future variants on the 3.5-liter, Ford engineer McCarthy told us to expect versions featuring direct-injection, turbocharging and hybrid technologies in displacements ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 liters. He also acknowledged that the engine could easily be adapted to a rear-wheel-drive configuration.
This fall, you'll also be able to find the 3.5-liter V6 in the all-new crossovers from FoMoCo, including the Edge, the Lincoln MKX and the Mazda CX-9. While we'd be happy to shout, "This new engine changes everything. Ford leapfrogs the competition by a decade," we can't. It doesn't. But it does prove what Ford can and will produce. The Zephyr wasn't a strong enough entry-lux sedan. The 2007 MKZ will be, as long as Lincoln keeps its price (to be announced in September) close to that of the outgoing Zephyr.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation. Photo location courtesy of Grosse Pointe Hunt Club.
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