2012 Lincoln MKS - Quality Review

See more photos

Shopping for a new Lincoln MKS? MSRP: $41,500 - $48,390

GET A FREE PRICE QUOTE

You'd expect the MKS to turn its big exterior dimensions into something extremely cozy for the long haul--and you'd be right.

Like few Lincolns before it, the MKS plays the big-car role convincingly, but it also provides the support drivers want for sporty driving and highway slogs alike. There's hardly a flat seat cushion to be found here, and none of them are tufted.

A linebacker of a four-door, the MKS has a long wheelbase that translates into lots of leg room for both front and rear-seat passengers. Those in front get bucket seats that take the best lessons from Volvo; they can coddle with a top layer of softness, and stand firm underneath as the hours and miles pile on. The seats are heated, too, and ventilated, which almost makes up for the nagging active headrests that sit too far forward for our tastes. In tandem with the headrests, we think the MKS' steering column should telescope out a few more inches, since it can force bigger drivers into a closer seating position than they'd like.

The rear seats don't give up much other than control over the radio. They're also very supportive, and heated too, and the seatbacks are angled ideally for catnaps. You'll honestly wonder how the same company that built Town Cars with their bolt-upright backrests came so far. Three across is not much of a problem, and two adults can be as distant as they might be after a couple of decades of marriage.

Small-item storage is all over the place. Ford fits enough niches to hide iPhones and netbooks in the MKS, with cup holders for every seating position and a couple of spare water-bottle slots in the doors. The trunk’s large, but caution on its opening—it’s shaped somewhat awkwardly, which limits its utility.

We’ve noted in the Styling section at the marvelous look of the MKS cabin and dash. We’ll reiterate here that this interior is among the best executed by Ford, period.