Lincoln was founded in 1917 by none other than Henry M. Leland, and just a few years later it was bought by Ford. You know why I say none other than? Because Leland also founded Lincoln’s primary competitor at the time and that was… come on, remember your history… Cadillac. When Leland left GM’s Cadillac (which Cadillac was once Henry Ford motors inc. – before they kicked ford out and renamed it) he went and joined Lincoln to build aircraft motors during the First World War, and when that ended the company was re-tooled to build Luxury Automobiles.

Unfortunately the company hit some rough times and was bought by ford in the process (and they also acquired Mercury, but that’s a different story). Soon after Lincoln became one of the two top Luxury car sellers in the United States, rivaled only by Cadillac. Throughout the thirties they remained successful and introduced several innovative designs, along with using the V12 in response to Ford using the V8. Soon came the most important and essential car to be made – the Lincoln Continental. The car itself has been manufactured three times, from 39 to 48, 56 to 57, and finally 61 to 2002 – when it was finally retired.

An interesting side not about the Lincoln brand is that it has been manufacturing cars for U.S. Presidents since about 1939, and has built presidential limos for about every president. Currently sales of the Lincoln are strong, but recently they have dropped from the number one spot, being relegated to number two status or less due to the increasing luxury imports from Asia.

The last year they held the title as being the absolute best selling in the U.S. was 1998, after which is was no longer. The company plans five new models, with two of them being released already, they are supposedly going to be better than any already produced and will hopefully regain Lincoln’s market share.

The MKS Tech Specs
Under the hood, you will find a very nice engine, which is also the same as the MKZ’s- a 3.5 liter V6 that offers a healthy 273 horsepower.  This engine comes with a 6 speed automatic select shift that either comes with all wheel drive or front wheel drive.  There are plenty of standard features available in this vehicle including LED tail lamps, SYNC hands free communications and entertainment system, six airbags, disc brakes with ABS, traction control and even a post crash alert system.

The Interior is very nice with quality materials and an easy to work console.  The dashboard is also laid out very nicely with easy to read gauges.  The styling again is very nicely done and it is made to appeal to younger buyers that may not have considered the brand before.  Overall, the MKS is quite a good looking and performing car and with a price in the mid to high 30’s, it is much less than other luxury vehicles on the market.

Tech Specs for the 2009 Lincoln MKZ
If you could buy a full size Mercedes or Lexus for less than 35K, it would be a steal, but this is exactly what the MKZ offers- exceptional luxury, great styling and features and rock solid performance for less than 35K USD.

The MKZ offers a 3.5L V6 engine that provides plenty of performance, to the tune of 273 horsepower which is quite enough horsepower for a luxury vehicle.  Matched to this engine is a 6 speed automatic transmission that is either front wheel drive or all wheel drive.  It should also be noted that there are plenty of great features such as 17 inch alloy wheels, stability control, traction control, parking sensors and heated/cooled seating.  As far as the interior is concerned, you will find plush seating for the entire family.  And while this car looks great on the outside, the higher quality materials on the inside definitely raise the value of the vehicle.  Add in a THX sound system and a whole bunch of electronics that are extremely easy to use and intuitive to control, you have definitely got a winner.