Used 2015 Lincoln MKS

The 2015 Lincoln MKS luxury sedan looks the part of a luxury car, with clean lines, an impressive grille, and plenty of high-tech gadgets filling the interior. While Lincoln may have Audi and BMW aspirations for its biggest sedan, the reality is that it’s not quite up to the sophistication levels of those cars. Instead, it hits cars like the Acura RLX, Chrysler 300, Cadillac XTS, and the Hyundai Genesis – which is still some pretty good company to keep. The Lincoln MKS lets buyers choose between two V6 engines, one of which is the excellent EcoBoost V6 which comes coupled with all-wheel drive. Add cool electronic interfaces such as touch-sensitive climate controls, and the MKS is luxury done Lincoln style.

The standard 304-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine in the 2015 Lincoln MKS is a good one, delivering its power smoothly through a 6-speed automatic transmission, and pulling this big 4-door with authority while still managing decent fuel economy. But if you’re looking for real power, you’ll want to step up to the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. With an additional 61 horsepower, it gives the Lincoln MKS a real kick in the pants, delivering nearly V8 levels of acceleration. The MKS’s adaptive suspension system improves cornering and emergency response, but maintains a comfortable ride. While the MKS is no sport sedan by any measure, it’s certainly more fun to drive than a Lexus ES, with precise steering and firm, assuring brakes.

Although we like the uncluttered appearance they give to the cabin, the Lincoln MKS’s touch-sensitive controls take a little getting used to. Once they and the MyLincoln Touch infotainment system are mastered, it’s easy to adjust your climate settings, find your favorite radio stations, and get comfortable. Steering-wheel-mounted controls duplicate many of the functions on the dash, and, along with the redundant LCD screens on either side of the speedometer, help keep your focus on the road ahead. The comfortable seats come standard with heating and cooling, and can be covered in expensive, but luxurious Bridge of Weir leather.

Like many big luxury cars these days, the 2015 Lincoln MKS boasts a big, expressive grille. It’s by far the most daring external design feature on a car that’s otherwise fairly tame, but still attractive. While we like the adaptive HID headlights, contoured hood, and details like the lip on the trunk lid, the MKS looks a lot like the Ford Taurus in profile. Still, the twin tailpipes help give the MKS a feeling of power, and we particularly like the 19-inch wheels on EcoBoost versions, and the blackout appearance package that includes 20-inch wheels and darkened grille and headlights.

ACTIVE PARK ASSIST
If the thought of parallel parking paralyzes you with performance anxiety, then the "Active Park Assist" system on the Lincoln MKS will help. By using the parking sensors, it measures an available parking space and then does the bulk of the work to park the car.

CLIMATE-CONTROLLED SEATS
Heated and cooled seats are a godsend when temperatures swing to the extremes, and the 2015 Lincoln MKS is one of the few cars where they come as standard equipment across the board. Rear passengers get heated seats, also standard.

As expected of a premium sedan, the 2015 Lincoln MKS comes with a long list of standard equipment, including SYNC connectivity and communication system, adaptive HID headlights, 12-way power front seats, leather seating surfaces (with front-seat heating and cooling), automatic high beams and automatic climate control…and yes, the SecuriCode keyless entry keypad, which Lincoln swears its customers love. For a taste of sportiness, push-button start and 19-inch cast aluminum wheels also come standard. On the safety front, blind-spot monitors, rear-view camera and Lincoln’s Forward and Reverse Sensing system are also standard.

There are a decent number of upgrades available for the 2015 Lincoln MKS, including Active Park Assist, all-wheel drive, a navigation system, heated rear seats, 20-inch wheels, and HD Radio. Also available is a remote-start system, a power rear sunshade, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, multi-contour massaging front seats, THX II Certified Audio with 16 speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer, and a dual-panel moonroof. Advanced driver assist technology is also available in the form of adaptive cruise control, and Lane Keep Assist and Alert.

Lincoln MKS buyers can choose between two different V6 engines. Standard is the 3.7-liter V6 that puts out 304 horsepower and 279 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. The upgrade from that is the EcoBoost twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, which makes a robust 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard on the EcoBoost models, and available on the 3.7-liter models. Surprisingly, the more powerful EcoBoost has about the same fuel economy as the all-wheel drive 3.7-liter engine, making it a bit of a no brainer if you’re looking to upgrade to all-wheel drive anyhow. Both engines can run on regular unleaded gasoline and are teamed to a SelectShift 6-speed automatic that can be manually shifted.

3.7-liter V6
304 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
279 lb-ft of torque @ 4,050 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/28 mpg (front-wheel drive), 18/26 mpg (all-wheel drive)

3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (EcoBoost)
365 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
350 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg