Ford Flex

Lincoln is brave. Embarking on a ride and drive in Manhattan is no small undertaking. Yet, last Thursday they invited a group of regional media to test out their two newest models on the mean streets — the 2010 MKZ and the 2010 Lincoln MKT. Lincoln has upped their game and are not shy about showing it with product as they determine their niche in the marketplace.

Is the MKZ an Acura TL or Lexus ES 350? I’m not sure that it has to be. The current climate is making people reexamine their driving habits, so who’s to say how the roads are going to look after this skimming? It’s a changing marketplace that no pie chart can claim to predict with any degree of certainty. While price is certainly a factor, it feels like Lincoln is stil a period of reinvention. Let’s say that they’ve produced a contender in the toughest of times.

Perhaps Lincoln’s confidence in the wily East comes from a quickly revised redesign, including a more sedate and familiar body shape than the 2007 version, creating symmetry to the MKS. Once upon a time Lincoln flirted with calling MKZ Zephyr, heir apparent to a Ford legend. They’ve back pedaled into letter titles so the Z name is where we are — slightly confusing with the more elite MKS, but everything takes some getting used to in product title.

The addition of noise isolation technology shined on stretches of the Van Wyck, land o’ blaring horns and bumps. While the MKZ has Ford Fusion under pinnings in the 3.5 liter V6, the handling feels different, particularly in the steering column.

MKZ’s interior is fly — white stripes create clean edges, smart dash and a tastefully assorted instrumental panel. Materials were unobtrusive, no overshooting here in an effort to appear fancy. Think premium, not luxury — a solid position for a toned-down era. Also worth noting is that MKZ runs on regular, unleaded fuel.

I drove through tony Greenwich through the New York tri-state region until the lunch change. Worth noting that in the chic suburbia of Armonk, MKZ got love from the residents and workers at Mariani Gardens who had never seen such a Lincoln.

After lunch, I climbed behind the MKT, part II. Here we have another precarious mood — testing out a new car after a long morning. But Lincoln seemed to know what it was doing. I had no preconceptions other than the dozens of vehicles I’ve romped around in this tough category. MKT had a clean slate.

First impressions: The MKT crossover vehicle might not bear an exterior resemblance to the Ford Flex, but if I closed my eyes, I could channel Flex — and this is a good thing. We’ve been fans round these parts since our associates’ close dealings on Flex turf. The similar stride are due to the fact that MKT and Flex share an underbody.

MKT is a versatile performer, power is where it needs to be and the EcoBoost is a feel good trait on the AWD vehicle I tested. (It’s not standard, but it’s the way to go.) Most importantly, the interior was comfortable. I feel like this kind of vehicle is designed for long days behind the wheel, and nothing on the inside seemed to get in my way. Sometimes what you don’t notice speaks to a vehicle’s confidence. Clean and smart.

Navigating through Columbus Circle back to the homebase at the Essex Hotle, people gave MKT respect, the telltale mark of an appreciated new design. Lincoln passed the New York City nail biting test.

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