2009 Lincoln MKZ

The 2009 Lincoln MKZ offers an impressively long list of standard performance and luxury features, an entertaining driving experience, an affordable price and, something offered by few others in its class, optional all-wheel drive.

Safety Standouts

The midsize 2009 Lincoln MKZ starts around $32,000 with fully equipped AWD versions going for about $40,000. To put that in perspective, the Lexus ES350 has a base price of about $34,000. And that doesn’t include several features that are no-cost standards on the MKZ. Fully loaded, the Lexus comes within shouting distance of $45,000. The ES350 does not offer AWD.


Conventional all-wheel-drive systems simply move torque to the rear when the front tires spin, or to the fronts when the rears slip. However, the Lincoln’s AWD system can also transfer torque from side to side to make sure the tires with the highest grip get the most power. The computer measures such things as vehicle speed and how much the driver is turning the steering wheel and pressing the gas pedal to make sure power is used most efficiently. Even if only one tire has grip, the Lincoln’s AWD will keep the MKZ moving forward.


Also aiding the driver in maintaining control is the newly standard for 2009 electronic stability control. Called AdvanceTrac, this system helps prevent the car from spinning out on slippery pavement. Other active safety features standard on the 2009 Lincoln MKZ include all-speed traction control and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. In addition, the MKZ has a total of six standard airbags, which include full-length side-curtain bags that help prevent head injuries in side impact.


The 2008 model MKZ earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating in 40-mph frontal offset crash tests and its second-best rating in side-impact tests. In Federal government crash tests, the MKZ earned the top five-star rating in frontal and side impacts for the front-seat passengers. For rear passengers, the MKZ scored a four out of five.

Performance & Interior

Only one engine is available in the MKZ, but it’s a potent 3.5-liter double-overhead-cam V-6 that features aluminum-alloy block and heads and four valves per cylinder. This V6 from the Duratec engine family makes a peak of 263 horsepower at 6,250 rpm, while peak torque of 249 pound-feet occurs at a very usable 4,500 rpm. It’s mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. The government rates MKZ fuel mileage at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for front-wheel-drive models and 17/24 for the heavier AWD versions.