2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost Review

By Chuck Giametta

2010 LINCOLN MKS ECOBOOST
It’s Lincoln’s show

What are you driving? Lincoln’s flagship luxury sedan powered by parent-company Ford’s hot new EcoBoost V-6 engine. It has V-8-style muscle and V-6-stingy fuel economy: 355 horsepower and a 17/25-mpg city/highway rating. The thoroughly modern twin-turbo 3.5-liter is the heart of this car, but not its whole story. Lincoln wisely complements the EcoBoost V-6 with a host of performance enhancers, including special suspension, steering, and transmission calibrations. This full-size four-door also comes with all-wheel drive (AWD), better to harness the EcoBoost’s power; base MKS models make do with a 270-horsepower V-6 and front-wheel drive. Every MKS is essentially a gilded version of the recently redesigned Ford Taurus. The cars share basic dimensions, engineering, and powertrains, though the MKS has its own styling touches highlighted by Lincoln’s new signature, a glitzy winged grille. The MKS EcoBoost has a counterpart in the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO, and this platform also underpins the 2010 Ford Flex and 2010 Lincoln MKT crossover SUVs. Lincoln’s letter names, by the way, are aimed at promoting brand identity. The idea is to subjugate individual models to the Lincoln marque – think of your neighbor who says, “I drive a BMW,” not, “I drive a 328i.” Loosely interpreted, “MK” harks to Lincoln’s great Mark-series models of decades past, while “S” stands for sedan.

How much does it cost? Base price of the 2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost is $48,495, including Lincoln’s $825 destination and delivery fee. For that you get the EcoBoost V-6, AWD, and a six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddles so the driver can replicate manual gear changes. Like every 2010 MKS, our test car came with perforated-leather upholstery, heated and cooled front bucket seats, and a heated rear bench seat. Xenon headlamps that turn with the steering, keyless entry with pushbutton starting, rear obstacle detection, and Ford’s Microsoft-developed Sync system for hands-free Bluetooth and USB connectivity also are standard. Options on the test card were the Rapid Spec 201A package ($3,500). It adds a classy dual-panel moonroof with a pane that opens over the front seats and a fixed section over the rear; plus voice-activated navigation with real-time weather and traffic, a rearview camera, and a THX 5.1 surround-sound audio system. Also on the test car was Ford’s Adaptive Cruise Control/Collision Warning with Brake Support ($1,310). This cruise control maintains a set distance from traffic ahead and the system can also sense a potential collision with the vehicle in front. It protects a red-light warning on the windshield and if the driver doesn’t respond, it sensitizes the brakes to stop the car more quickly when the driver does brake. The test MKS also had Ford’s Active Park Assist ($535), which employs ultrasonic sensors to gently back the car into a parallel parking space. Including destination and delivery, total manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Tuxedo Black Metallic 2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost in the driveway this week was $53,930.

Is it worth it? Yes. There’s lots of brainy engineering and high technology here, and Lincoln is correct: you’ll need a V-8 to match MKS’s V-6 EcoBoost performance. Key domestic-brand rivals are the Cadillac STS with AWD and a 320-horsepower V-8; it rates just 14/21 mpg and starts near $70,000. The Chrysler 300C with AWD and a 356-horsepower Hemi V-8 rates a more competitive 16/23 mpg and runs in the mid-$40,000s fully equipped. Compared to the MKS, the STS has the edge in cabin-materials quality, the 300C in interior roominess. But both are aged designs that aren’t as fast or nimble as an MKS EcoBoost. Pit the MKS against luxury imports of similar spec, and Lincoln wins on price, places in performance, and shows for interior space if not actual comfort. Of course, the Lincoln is at its core a really nice Ford. It isn’t going to equal the craftsmanship and component quality evident in bespoke premium sedans like the Audi A6 4.2 quattro, Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic, or BMW 550i. But those cars run $60,000 and up, sometimes way up. Spending more than $50,000 on an MKS EcoBoost means more than rewarding Lincoln for fashioning a fresh take on American luxury: it’s an investment in a luxury car that can reward you with scintillating performance.

What’s to like? Aside from a Mustang GT, the 2010 EcoBoost MKS is arguably the best-driving car Ford Motor Company makes. We’re impressed and frankly, surprised, that Lincoln acted quickly to improve the MKS on the heels of a rather inauspicious model-year 2009 debut. Structural fortifications and new sound deadening make the 2010 version noticeably more solid and refined than the 2009. The suspension was also reworked and forms a more capable foundation for the EcoBoost enhancements, which include larger stabilizer bars and a special front subframe. The result is newfound sense of absorbency, control, and nailed-to-the road confidence at high speeds. The 2010 MKS EcoBoost has impressive grip and balance in turns. The natural feel and linearity of its specially tuned electric steering compares with the best from any nation. And after it rolls the big MKS smartly off the line, that EcoBoost V-6 delivers right-now thrust to surge past dawdling highway traffic. I submit this is in fact a more successful performance-oriented full-size sedan than the Taurus SHO. Both are large cars, among the longest on the road, and hefty, at some 4,300 pounds each. The SHO has 10 more horsepower, but no advantage in torque. The EcoBoost V-6 and its attendant suspension/steering/transmission upgrades do yeomen duty but aren’t enough to justify Ford’s hype about Taurus SHO as a rampaging sports sedan. Ah, but in the MKS, EcoBoost insurgency is a pleasant surprise, transforming a tame luxury car into a tantalizing indulgence.

What does it need? A beautiful body. The bold nose is nice, but it’s the only element of this design with any personality. The MKS is otherwise a collection of corners, plains, and seams that never coalesce into a fluid statement. A car this good ought to have styling that conveys presence. The top-flight nav and Sync systems deserve a more decorous setting, too; the dashboard is orderly but undistinguished. Likewise, interior décor should complement the well-finished seats; the materials need to be an obvious step above what you can get in a Taurus for thousands less. It’s odd to criticize a car this size for lacking rear-seat comfort but it’s precisely because this Lincoln is so large that it needs a back seat with better thigh support and footwells that don’t squeeze size 10s. A more commodious trunk would address a similar conundrum. More nooks and bins would solve the interior-storage shortage. The audio system has 14 speakers and hard-drive capacity for 150 hours of recordings but lacks musical clarity, brightness, and separation. And Lincoln needs to knock some sense into the rain-sensing wipers; our test car’s system refused to operate in intermittent mode, leaving the windshield a drape of droplets and us fiddling frequently with the wiper stalk.

What’s Ford’s opinion? “A philosophy of ‘guilt-free luxury’ means Lincoln MKS strives to use materials and processes that reflect the finer things in life but not at the expense of the world around them.”

What do you say? Performance and poise are entirely convincing; only the Cadillac CTS rivals the 2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost for driving satisfaction among American premium sedans. With smarter styling inside and out, you could relish this car without reservation.

What’s next? Detail changes to trim and materials are about all we’ve come to expect in the second, third, and fourth years of a car’s lifecycle. But the genuine advances Lincoln made under the MKS’s skin for 2010, in just its second model year, is a terrifically encouraging sign. Some reports hint at new body work as early as calendar 2011 or early 2012, giving the MKS a different look for model-year 2012 or 2013. Here’s hoping for beauty that matches its brains and brawn.

Vital statistics
2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

• Base price: $47,760

• Price of test car including options and destination fee: $53,930.

• Size: 204.1 inches long, 112.9-inch wheelbase, 4,398-pound base curb weight

• Engine: 355-horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6; all-wheel drive

• Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/ 25 highway (EPA ratings)

• Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 6/70,000 powertrain

• Safety ratings: maximum five-star rating for occupant protection in government crash testing  

Automotive journalist Chuck Giametta has covered the auto industry for more than 20 years as a newspaper reporter, Executive Auto Editor of Consumer Guide books and magazines, and as Managing Editor of Iguida.com. This test vehicle was provided by the manufacturer.