There are faces only a mother could love, and then there are faces even a mother couldn’t love. The Lincoln MKS’s face fits into the latter category. Oddly, Lincoln has chosen to make their big sedan’s nose even more offensive for the 2013 model year. Why oh why.
If only the MKS was a top-of-the-class car in some other way. Lincoln says their 355-hp twin-turbocharged V6 offers the performance of a V8 and the fuel economy of a V6. But at 355 horsepower, it’s down on the V8-powered Infiniti M56 by 65 horsepower. Rated at a combined 20 miles per gallon, the EcoBoost-powered MKS is two mpg down on the Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic, a V6-engined car, and only one mpg up on the V8-engined 429-hp Hyundai Genesis. In other words, the Lincoln doesn’t even live up to its main claim to fame.
Stare at the MKS from the rear-three-quarter and it’s not a bad looking car by any means. Unfortunately, there’s nothing else special about the Lincoln MKS. In fact, there’s something particularly awful about the Lincoln MKS: a great deal of ugliness going on up front.
Alternatives: Living on a deserted car-less island because the MKS’s ostentatious nostrils tainted your opinion of all cars everywhere. Waiting for the Cadillac XTS. Stepping down in prestige (and up in price) to the Ford Taurus SHO.
Base USD/CAD Price: $41,500 / $47,500
It Sucks, But… you can put a lot of bodies in an 18.7 cubic-foot trunk if your name is Tony Soprano or Domenico Clericuzio.
Sales Stats: In Canada, where the Lincoln brand is basically the MKX brand, the MKS accounted for only 8% of all Lincoln sales through the first eleven months of 2011. MKS sales were down 35% in that time period. The MKS was worth 14% of all U.S. Lincoln sales between January-November, a more appropriate figure given that the MKS represented 17% of available Lincoln models for most of 2011. Monthly and yearly sales figures for the Lincoln MKS can be viewed here.
Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4×4 – Ford Focus Titanium Hatchback – Jeep Wrangler
Kia Rio 5-Door – Land Rover LR4 – Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Honda Crosstour – Lincoln MKS – Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
Nissan Versa Sedan – Toyota Corolla CE
I could overlook the face of the MKS, ugly as it may be, it is distinctive. The side and rear look good though. The car is the right size for a business type person. The worst impression you can get is opening the driver's door and sitting in the Lincoln. The seat is too damn hard. Like a park bench. For a Lincoln to be a Lincoln the seats must be ultra comfortable and of a high grade leather or fabric. For the sporty pretentions good and adjustable side bolsters would still keep you from sliding around. The cheap plastic dash pales by comparison to the 2013 Ford Focus ! For God's sake, follow Chrysler's lead and seriously upgrade the interior.