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Drive of Lincoln MKS

11K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  CateraMV6 
#1 ·
MKS Observations

Observations after three day drive:

MKS with Ultimate Package

$45,175.00 MSRP including $800.00 delivery

Tires: Goodyear Eagle RS-A P255/45R19 100V
19” wheels

Pros:
Styling; handling; high seating position; light steering; materials; workmanship; technology: navigation system and audio system; beautiful wood and very supple leather; minimal side blind spots; rearview camera works even on the brightest days; very few interior hard plastic pieces; smooth shifting transaxle; low engine noise except under hard acceleration (sounds like a V-6; no mistaking the sound for a V-8); some torque steer under hard acceleration, but the steering wheel snaps back as if the stability control system somehow takes control—does it?; charges an MP3 player when connected to the USB port.

Cons:
Harsh ride (probably will dissuade some or even many current Lincoln owners from buying the car); some road noise; significant engine & a/c compressor vibration at idle felt mostly through the steering wheel (minimal transmission through dash top, pedals, and shift lever; I remember the first fwd Lincoln Continental [1988-1994] had very little or no vibration from its 3.8 L V-6); tinny sounding exterior door handles; small trunk opening; steering wheel too constricted in both tilt and telescope; feel of top of steering wheel at seam of wood & leather (better if the steering wheel were entirely wood at the top); speedometer view blocked at low steering wheel positions; no rear load-leveling system; no turn signal arrows in outside mirrors; no folding rear seat backs; some interior pieces in black when they should be the same color as the interior; needs more wood accents inside; Jukebox cannot record homemade MP3 discs to the car’s hard drive (I did not try to download MP3s directly from my laptop or from my portable music device; these may work).

The ride quality is the only deal breaker for me. The car is harsh over bumps to the point where I think many current luxury car owners (especially those coming from a Town Car or a Cadillac DTS) will drop the MKS from consideration because of it. Had a '06 Q45s that I thought had a harsh ride and the MKS is significantly more bone jarring than the Q. Think of the MKS ride more along the lines of the Infiniti G35 or Audi A6. The smaller wheeled base models may have a slightly more compliant ride.
 
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#3 ·
Re: MKS Observations

THANKS for the review, Kgm777!!!

Pros' question:
"...some torque steer under hard acceleration, but
the steering wheel snaps back as if the stability control system takes control"

maybe just the way I reading your Pro-comment but
what about ^that^ is good?

&
"...As to ride quality ...I think you're going to see Lincoln scrambling to recalibrate the suspension settings in an effort to please more customers."

re: wheel size & suspension
thought I read that only the opt. 20" have the handling-oriented/harsher setup...
(kinda wonder if the one you drove had 19"s on a 20" setup???)
Tho it bothers me a bit to think someone may have to testdrive each wheel configuration to choose their preference...
might you eventually take time to do that?
&
would love to see L-M have something like Caddy's MagneticRideControl
where Lincoln's would be intelligent/auto &
Merc's would driver-selectable

then_________
Cons:
- no turn signal arrows in outside mirrors;
- no folding rear seat backs;
- some interior pieces in black when they should be the same color as the interior; needs more wood accents inside"

Imho these could be very deliberate Intro-choices,
and subject to running-changes (pre-MCE or for the EB)...
Which cars have those arrows IN their aux. mirrors?
(think it might be part of Volvo's side-sense/lane-depart option)
((not sure I'd like them - but I'm not a Lincoln demographic member))

&
- what color combo did you spend the most time in?
- what combo would you choose?

TY-again!
 
#4 ·
Re: MKS Observations

LMdealer received one within the last 2 days and she is on the street corner like she should be. Showing her sexy curves to every driver going by. I looked twice and made sure she was the MKS and was excited to know she was. I hope he takes some good pictures in to show all.
 
#5 ·
Re: MKS Observations

"Harsh ride???"

I am a bit surprised by this remark. The MKS I drove had a mildly firm feel to it, but I felt Lincoln made a perfect compromise between sport and luxury. It certainly is no Town Car and it certainly is no Mustang GT either. People may expect a certain bias in on direction perhaps. I personally loved the ride.
 
#6 ·
Re: MKS Observations

I guess that the ride issue probably has very much to do with what kgm777 expects from a luxury car. The MKS is certainly a step ahead in ride and handling for Lincoln, but some "traditional" Lincoln owners may translate the new driving dynamics as harsh.

This is harsh fun. I feel the MKS ride as firm, secure and even a bit encouraging (can't wait to drive an Ecoboost equipped one) and dnot harsh at all.
 
#10 ·
Re: MKS Observations

The ride is harsh after stepping out of a Town Car, Cadillac DTS, Mercedes Benz E or S Classes, or Lexus LS. It will be fine for those who want an Infiniti or BMW type ride. Also harsh when compared to the previous Continentals or even Marks.
 
#11 ·
Re: MKS Observations

2B2,

The DTS has arrows in the rearview mirrors, but also horrendous blind spots behind all pillars.

The car was Cinnamon with the Light Camel leather. As to my preferences, black gets too hot in the summer sun. I might prefer White Suede with the Light Camel although I would need to see it in person first.
 
#12 ·
Observations after three day drive:

MKS with Ultimate Package

$45,175.00 MSRP including $800.00 delivery

Tires: Goodyear Eagle RS-A P255/45R19 100V
19” wheels

Pros:
Styling; handling; high seating position; light steering; materials; workmanship; technology: navigation system and audio system; beautiful wood and very supple leather; minimal side blind spots; rearview camera works even on the brightest days; very few interior hard plastic pieces; smooth shifting transaxle; low engine noise except under hard acceleration (sounds like a V-6; no mistaking the sound for a V-8); some torque steer under hard acceleration, but the steering wheel snaps back as if the stability control system somehow takes control—does it?; charges an MP3 player when connected to the USB port.

Cons:
Harsh ride (probably will dissuade some or even many current Lincoln owners from buying the car); some road noise; significant engine & a/c compressor vibration at idle felt mostly through the steering wheel (minimal transmission through dash top, pedals, and shift lever; I remember the first fwd Lincoln Continental [1988-1994] had very little or no vibration from its 3.8 L V-6); tinny sounding exterior door handles; small trunk opening; steering wheel too constricted in both tilt and telescope; feel of top of steering wheel at seam of wood & leather (better if the steering wheel were entirely wood at the top); speedometer view blocked at low steering wheel positions; no rear load-leveling system; no turn signal arrows in outside mirrors; no folding rear seat backs; some interior pieces in black when they should be the same color as the interior; needs more wood accents inside; Jukebox cannot record homemade MP3 discs to the car’s hard drive (I did not try to download MP3s directly from my laptop or from my portable music device; these may work).

The ride quality is the only deal breaker for me. The car is harsh over bumps to the point where I think many current luxury car owners (especially those coming from a Town Car or a Cadillac DTS) will drop the MKS from consideration because of it. Had a '06 Q45s that I thought had a harsh ride and the MKS is significantly more bone jarring than the Q. Think of the MKS ride more along the lines of the Infiniti G35 or Audi A6. The smaller wheeled base models may have a slightly more compliant ride.
Interesting comments on the harsh ride. Every review that I've read said the ride was smooth, & soaks up bumps very well; including this review:

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/COL14/807240336/1015/BUSINESS01

"The suspension cushions bumps admirably. The ride is smooth and comfortable....."

But, each person (and car) is different.

Thanks for the review. I hope to have one soon, too.
 
#13 ·
It;s hard to understand how people can have such radically different evaluations of a car's ride quality. Let me suggest one possible explanation though. I drive a lot of rental cars and usually go out of my way to request brand new cars. It's my little hobby of evaluating cars. REcently I had a brand new Hyundai Azera, a low mileage Pontiac GXP V8, and then a month later the latest 2009 Hyundai. Both of these Hyundai models have had excellent review that praised their ride quality, yet my experience with both felt the ride was a "deal breaker," just like this review of the MKS above. Both these cars were almost shockingly harsh, while the Sonata also had a lot of unpleasant, crashing suspension noises on rough surfaces. None of this appeared in reviews. What was going on?

On a hunch, I checked the tire pressures. Both cars had tire pressures of 45 to 55 PSI, way over the recommended maximums and clearly high enough to make the ride rock hard. After resetting them to about 34 PSI all around. This completely transformed the ride quality of both cars. I later told Hertz how irritating this was and asked if they were doing it on purpose to extend tire life or gas mileage. Nope. They said it was being done in preparation for shipping the cars on trucks and trains. Apparently those "destination" trips are pretty rough on the cars and for some reason they believe that the cars bounce around less in the carriers with the high pressures. ?? Hertz says they try to check the pressures before releasing new cars, but due to cost cutting and reduced personnel all around, new cars don't get the kind of prep they once did and easily slip through with the high tire pressures.

I don't see why this would be any different for a dealership, which faces all the same problems. Before declaring how any new car rides these days, I would recommend personally checking the tire pressures.
 
#14 ·
Ok I thought I would throw in my opinion about the MKS's drive since LMdealer let me drive the fully loaded MKS.

I drove the MKS both around our local city and on the highway and was extremely impressed with how she drove. I tried the voice activated menu's and the impressive cruise control system, plus the backup camera was neat too.. Everything was just impressive and was amazed that I was not in an imported 100k auto. I am lost for words to describe how she was.
 
#15 ·
Thats strange as I got a chance to take the MKS on a 30 mile test drive over a variety of winter conditioned roads, with many potholes and the car performed much better then my initial expectations. It was smooth and I couldnt feel much of anything from the road surface on my seat, it was as good as a towncar in my book. It was directly compared to a Lexus GS350 and that car had what I would consider a harsh suspension, too bumpy for this size car. I think the MKS I drove had the 18" tire option, and the only complaint I had was wind noise but that was coused by all the exterior camo that was on it.
As for speed it wasnt as quick as I expected considering its 270hp it seemed a bit Grannyish, everything happened with a delay from downshifting to steering imputs but in a car like that thats exactly what I would expect.
And also you cant compare a traditional McPherson suspension with springs/shocks to an air ride of the towncar.
 
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