Quick Spin
What Is It?
A hybridized Lincoln MKZ or a Lincoln-ized Ford Fusion hybrid—either would be an accurate description of the 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Indeed, if you know anything about Ford’s excellent Fusion hybrid (a 2010 10Best winner), very little about its new-for-’11 entry-luxury twin will present any surprises. The MKZ hybrid drives its front wheels only and is powered by the same combination of a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder and an electric motor, with a total system output of 191 hp. Likewise, it features the same CVT and achieves the same impressive EPA fuel-economy ratings of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.
The Lincoln’s dash mimics the Fusion’s nifty customizable instrument cluster, with its cool virtual plant growing leaves as a reward for economical driving—although the Lincoln version additionally sprouts up to five flowers. Each flower is progressively harder to cultivate, and they remain in the display until the fuel-economy monitor is reset or the car crashes into a VW New Beetle, at which point they will be transferred to the Beetle’s dash-mounted vase. Besides its distinct Lincoln styling, the MKZ hybrid comes standard with an array of luxury features including genuine wood and leather trim and Lincoln’s version of Sync (not the new MyLincoln Touch system, however).
How Does It Drive?
When we recognized the Fusion hybrid as a 10Best winner in 2010, we noted that “you can drive it for fun (a hybrid first) or for mileage…which is also fun.” This applies verbatim to the MKZ hybrid. As with the standard MKZ, the hybrid’s road manners are benign. Considering it’s an efficiency-minded car with low-rolling-resistance tires, however, the hybrid offers a surprising amount of feedback through the steering wheel. The regenerative brakes feel as natural as the nonhybrid MKZ’s standard binders—not great by normal-car standards but pretty good for a hybrid—and the transitions among full-electric, hybrid, and gas-only propulsion are utterly seamless. In other words, the hybrid drives like the standard MKZ. Sure, it gives up 72 hp to the V-6 model, but the hybrid’s acceleration is more than adequate.
How Does It Stack Up?
Compared with its only apples-to-apples competitor (for now), the Lexus HS250h, the MKZ is easily more pleasant to drive and quieter over the road. Whereas the HS250h’s noisy powertrain, chintzy interior, and meager fuel economy of 35 mpg city and 34 mpg highway render it somewhat unimpressive as a Lexus or a hybrid, the MKZ hybrid’s library-like ambience, solid build quality, and excellent fuel economy make it the easy choice between the two. Compared with the Fusion hybrid with which it shares so much, though, the difference is slimmer.
What’s the Cost?
In a world where efficiency costs money, the fact that Lincoln is charging the same $35,180 for the base MKZ hybrid as it is for the base V-6 MKZ is a genuine—and pleasant—surprise. The 2010 Lexus HS250h starts at $35,525, and the last Fusion hybrid we tested (loaded with extras) came in at $32,555. Options for the MKZ hybrid include a THX 5.1-channel surround-sound system and navigation, which are bundled with other odds and ends for $3595. If you want it all, more or less every available option—navigation, THX, sunroof, adaptive headlamps, ambient interior lighting, blind-spot monitors, a rearview camera, rain-sensing wipers, chrome-clad wheels, and more—is wrapped in one kitchen-sink package for $5695. At about $41,000 fully loaded, the MKZ hybrid tells a value story that is almost as impressive as its economy story.
