2017 Lincoln MKZ delivers luxury, and lots more

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo reviews of the latest motor vehicle models also can be seen on The Sacramento Bee’s website at www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

This review first appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California – Luxury sedan buyers aren’t necessarily a picky lot … All they want is everything.

Over the past generation, that means a lot of folks have been turning to Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Infiniti models.  Fair enough.  But if you’re looking for a made-in-America luxury liner built to spoil you, the extensively redesigned 2017 Lincoln MKZ is worth some of your attention.

You want it all your way, and then some?  Fear not.

High-power performance is definitely in the cards with a twin-turbo, 3-liter V-6, with 400 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque.  This power plant gets the four-door car going in a hurry, and the power curve flows smoothly and effortlessly when matched to an all-wheel drive system.

Prefer something a little more fuelish and sedate?  The MKZ has that covered too with a hybrid version equipped with a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine, plus an electric assist.  That will get you an estimated 41 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

The starting price range among the MKZ offerings is generally in the $35,000 to $45,000 ballpark, and you’ll be happy to know that Lincoln does not hold back on the perks for that kind of money.  My recent week in the 2017 MKZ included pretty much wall-to-wall leather, a 10-way power driver’s seat, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, an incredibly diverse driver’s seat comfort/lumbar system, a power trunklid and heated/cooled front seats.

The tester’s option package added heated rear seats/steering wheel, LED adaptive headlamps and a primo, blast-me-out-of-my-seat Revel Ultima audio system.

My ride looked sharp with a classic Lincoln grille, eye-grabbing 19-inch wheels and dual chrome exhaust tips.

The MKZ is a midsize sedan, but frankly, it handled with the four-footed firmness of a full-size model.  It was rock-steady on sharp corners, and very little noise reached the interior cabin, even when I asked the max from the car.

The warning systems seemed a bit touchy, in my view.  I was startled several times by audio/video warnings that indicated I was too close to vehicles on either side of the car.  For my money, I wasn’t even close.

Lincoln talked up a revised, more-functional interior, and I noticed.  Various controls were easier to find, and use.  More complex adjustments – like the myriad seat configurations – were easier to figure out in this 2017 model.

During my time behind the wheel of the MKZ, I mentally ticked off comparisons of various features it shares with other luxury sedan models from manufacturers abroad.  I came to the conclusion that the MKZ stacks up just fine against all those other foreign competitors.

What about prestige, you ask?  Well, this is a Lincoln, which as far as American nameplates go, is pretty high up there.  Maybe shoulder to shoulder with Cadillac, depending on your passions.

So, yes, this nicely done 2017 MKZ is an American contender, offering a lot to a consumer segment that wants it all.