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QUALITY | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
cool and classy… a comfy, roomy place to live
Motor Trend
there’s a ton of space inside
Edmunds
large, well-bolstered seats with just the right degree of firmness
Car and Driver
back seat passengers will feel lucky, as the MKS has more rear interior room than cars like the E-Class and 5 Series
Motor Trend
It’s silent as a coffin and steady as a rock
Jalopnik
Even among large sedans, the 2013 Lincoln MKS is big. And you'd expect those exterior dimensions to give way to something very cozy for the long haul.
That's true, to a degree. The MKS is a very comfortable, quiet sedan inside, playing the big-car role convincingly, it also provides the support drivers want for sporty driving and highway slogs alike. It puts the brand's floaty ride traditions aside, thankfully. But considering that exterior, the interior space is surprisingly limited.
The long wheelbase does translate 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.
Back seats tend to be a bit claustrophobic, as well as limited in headroom, but they're also very supportive, and heated too. 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, and Lincoln has made its opening larger, with a lower lip for easier lifting in the 2013.
About the only other thing we aren't big fans of is the absurdly wide center console in front, as well as the new (and mandatory) capacitive sliders for climate control and volume. To everyone but the designers, we ask: What was wrong with knobs?
Although we haven't yet driven the 2013 model, we expect the addition of continuous damping (with three modes) to make a significant contribution to ride quality over rough surfaces. There's also active noise control to help keep the cabin quiet.
Conclusion
The cabin of the 2013 MKS is awash in high-dollar trim, and the front seats are hours-long comfortable, but the interior feels small considering the exterior.
