2007 Lincoln MKZ Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published September 25, 2009

2:42 min

Full Test: 2007 Lincoln MKZ Almost every car gets a makeover at some point in its life, but the 2007 Lincoln MKZ represents a makeover worth remembering. Launched only a year ago as the Zephyr, the new MKZ has received some truly worthwhile changes. But the real question is whether it can now measure up to its entry-level luxury sedan competitors. Lincoln has dropped in a reworked 3.5-liter version of last year's Duratec V6, resulting in a healthy upgrade to 263 horsepower. While our all-wheel-drive test car's 7.7-second dash to 60 mph is only decent, the engine feels more forceful than this number indicates. There's even a faint snarl from the exhaust as you reach the quarter-mile mark in 15.7 seconds at 89.6 mph. The MKZ's double-wishbone suspension has been stiffened enough to keep body roll under control. Factor in a fairly smooth ride and powerful disc brakes, and you have the essentials of a capable daily driver. Overall, the MKZ is improved but definitely not perfected. The pothole-absorbing suspension can feel almost nautical on the freeway. And though the automatic transmission upshifts smoothly, it occasionally kicks down unexpectedly at low speed. Finally, the MKZ's ungainly 40-foot turning circle recalls classic Lincolns�in all the wrong ways. Even the Michelin Energy MXV4 tires deliver a mediocre 0.76g on the skid pad and a relatively unimpressive 130-foot stopping distance from 60 mph. On the inside, the rectilinear Lincolnesque dashboard seems out of place, and the faux-metallic trim looks, well, a little too faux. The MKZ instrumentation is an aesthetic highlight with its cool, crisp presentation, but much of the dash is overrun by flat-faced, look-alike buttons. In the end, the way in which Lincoln has skimped on the MKZ's presentation handicaps this car against its primary competitors in the entry-level luxury category, the Acura TL and Lexus ES 350. While the Lincoln can match these stalwarts in driving quality and passenger comfort, they feel expensive in all the ways the MKZ doesn't. This leaves the Lincoln MKZ to compete primarily in terms of price. While the sticker price of a base-model Acura TL or Lexus ES 350 starts at about $34,000, the base Lincoln comes in very close to $30 grand, which makes it a fine choice for drivers who are willing to accept less refinement for a lower price. Still, that begs the question: Aren�t luxury sedans supposed to be about offering more, not less?