2009 Lincoln MKS AWD

American sedans were once the yardstick of the industry. Capacious, stylish and powerful, they set the benchmark for what could be done on four wheels and a budget. But fifty years have passed since that was the case, and now German and Japanese cars are the standard against which all others are measured, or at least that was true until General Motors unveiled the all-new Cadillac CTS. That car’s build quality, balance and style have come to be widely regarded as on par with most cars in its class, despite significantly undercutting its rivals on price. Now Ford has stepped up with the all-new 2009 MKS sedan, and it’s clear that they’re swinging for the fences. Is the Lincoln MKS Ford’s CTS?Put simply, yes. It’s a good car in just about every measurable way, and falls short mostly in ways that are easily forgiven. Due to a minor scheduling snafu at Ford we got to spend nearly three weeks in the MKS, ensuring that foibles that might have seemed minor in our usual one-week stay would have plenty of time to come to light. For the most part, however, they didn’t.It’s worth noting here that I'm not an inveterate fan of American-made machinery; if anything I'm enamored of the precision engineering and excellent performance bargains of the Japanese. But the MKS does nearly everything as well as the in-class cars the Japanese have to offer and then some. It even takes the Germans on in their own territory and comes out even in many cases, and ahead in some. Those are strong words, but this is a strong car. For the $45,570 sticker price of our fully-loaded example, only the CTS can offer it any real competition. There are better cars, to be sure, but they’ll cost significantly more.

And you’ll be using it at every opportunity. The non-branded THX-certified audio system in the MKS can take standard stereo fare and turn it into a genuine experience. Crisp, clear and clean, the tone and quality of the sound emitted by the multi-channel surround setup is impressive. The best feature of the very well-balanced stereo, however, is its ability to deliver solid bass, clear treble and a minimally murky mid-range all at levels that allow for comfortable conversation amongst all passengers.Once you’ve grown used to the voice commands, it’s easy to appreciate that they aren’t limited to the entertainment system. Everything from the climate control to the nav system can be controlled by a single button press and a series of guided voice commands. While it may take a few seconds longer to do by voice, it keeps both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road, and that ought to be worth a few seconds in anybody’s book. Interfacing with the touchscreen side of the navigation, information and climate control system is just as easy, however, thanks to a sensitive touch panel and a very high-resolution and easy-to-read screen.Overall, the MKS is a luxurious large mid-size sedan with more style and as much sport as most offerings in the category for the past decade, American or otherwise. It has its weak spots, but so does each of its primary competitors, and at the price of the MKS, forgiveness isn’t reserved for the rich