2019 Lincoln MKZ

The Lincoln MKZ is one of those cars we wish more people bothered to test drive, because they’d discover this is not just another cushy domestic luxury sedan. It can certainly be one of those, but Lincoln has done a good job baking some European driving feel into a car that at one point would have been this brand’s volume seller.

More on that shortly. First, let’s talk about what’s new for 2019.

MKZ Reserve models now get a standard rear window sunshade, 19-inch satin finish aluminum wheels, multi-contour front seats with active motion and adaptive cruise with stop-and-go.

A windshield wiper de-icer is standard across the line, there’s a new steering wheel with what Lincoln calls Cascata trim and, in driver assist technology, all trims now come standard with blind spot monitoring, lane keeping system and rain-sensing wipers.

New options include a package that bundles a panoramic sunroof, premium LED headlights and a 20-speaker sound system.

About that volume seller comment: Once upon a time, mid-size sedans were a big deal in the luxury car segment, but that position has since been usurped by crossovers in the compact and mid-size categories. For Lincoln, that means the MKC and MKX are more where it’s at, and we’d encourage you to go look at our buyer’s guide entries for those models.

As before, the MKZ comes with a choice of three powertrains. There’s a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder good for 245 hp and 270 lb-ft, a 3.0L turbo V6 shared with the Continental that cranks out a big 400 hp and 400 lb-ft, and a hybrid that mates a gas engine with an electric motor for a total of 188 hp.

The gas engines use a six-speed automatic transmission and AWD, while the hybrid gets a continuously variable transmission and front-drive.

Notable drivetrain options include a torque vectoring rear differential available as part of a driver’s package with the 3.0L engine, a setup that we think would let this car (almost) keep up with the likes of the BMW 550i and Audi S6. The MKZ is more likely to be shopped against cars like the Buick LaCrosse and Lexus ES, however.

Fuel consumption estimates are 12.1/8.4 L/100 km (city/highway) with the 2.0L turbo engine and 14.0/9.2 for 3.0L cars. Hybrid models are rated 5.7/6.2 L/100 km.