Cars.com's Mike Hanley takes a look at the 2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost AWD. It competes with the Hyundai Genesis and Audi A6.
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(upbeat music) <v Announcer>Cars.com Auto Reviews. Hi, I'm Mike Henley with Cars.com, and I'm here with the 2010 Lincoln MKS. The MKS gets a big bump in horsepower for the 2010 model year with a newly optional EcoBoost twin turbo V6 engine.
This engine delivers impressive performance in this sedan, but it also gets better gas mileage than its base V6 sibling. The MKS debuted for the 2009 model year and it looks about the same for 2010, though on EcoBoost models you can customize the look a little bit with an EcoBoost appearance package, which is what this model has. It includes lower body cladding, a small rear spoiler, unique badges, and 20 inch chrome wheels. Lincoln likes to say that the EcoBoost V6 offers V8 power and V6 fuel economy, and it delivers on the fuel economy part as this car gets 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway. And that's better than the less powerful base engine in this car. But if you're expecting lots of low end V8 like torque, you might be a little let down. But once you get up to higher speeds, this engine delivers impressive performance. It makes 355 horsepower and it definitely increases the MKS's overall appeal. Now this EcoBoost V6 is only offered with all wheel drive. Inside the MKS features a lot of premium surfaces, which enhance it's appeal. In this model features a two-tone color scheme with this brown and black leather. It's part of the optional EcoBoost appearance package I mentioned earlier. And it drew mixed reviews. Some people liked it. Some people didn't so much. Other elements that are part of that package include illuminated sill plates, special floormats, and stitched Lincoln logos on the head restraints. The MKS has standard heated and cooled leather front seats, which have soft, comfortable cushioning. And visibility from the driver's seat is good forward, but over your left shoulder, when checking your blind spots, it's a little restricted by the B pillar. And the rear window is kind of small on this car, too. Like the front seats, the back seat of the MKS has soft cushioning that's comfortable. And there's enough room for adults, but considering the overall size of this car, the backseat is not especially large. Heated seats in the back, though, are standard, which is nice. And there's this center arm rest, too, which you can fold down. And if you need to carry something longer inside the car, there's a pass through to the trunk behind the armrest. The MKS has a sizable trunk. It's just over 18 cubic feet. But there are two things that make it less usable than it could be and that's the size of the opening, which isn't that big, this is just a small bag right here. And then also, the floor of the trunk itself isn't very flat. There's a lot of ledges. So, when you have a larger piece of luggage to fit in there it may not lay completely flat. And this is especially evident when you compare it to competitors like the Audi A6 which has a nice rectangular trunk. Choosing an all wheel drive EcoBoost MKS over a base all wheel drive model adds about $5,000 to the cost of car, bringing its starting price to about $48,000. That puts it up against competitors like the Infinity M and Lexus GS, as well as the value priced Hyundai Genesis. But this car's power and fuel economy go a long way towards making the MKS a credible alternative in the luxury car class. <v Announcer>For more car related news, go to cars.com, or our blog, KickingTires.net.
