The Lincoln brand has rich history of luxurious automobiles. Like the rest of Ford, Lincoln has suffered from neglect in its premium sedan product line. Lincoln variants of Ford products like the MKZ mid-sized sedan and MKX crossover are positive changes, but Ford realizes that Lincoln needs more unique vehicles to distinguish it from its sister divisions.

Lincoln's next new product, the MKS will bring some much-needed new blood to the Lincoln showrooms. Built alongside the Taurus and Sable sedans, the MKS features a 270-hp V6 and optional AWD. The MKS will compete with a wide variety of products from the Buick Lucerne to the Lexus ES, and thus offers a long list of luxury and convenience features, at a MSRP just shy of $40k.

Another interesting change to the Lincoln lineup for 2008 is the SYNC system. SYNC is a technology developed by Microsoft to ease the inclusion and use of technology devices like phones and mp3 players in the automobile. The SYNC system is an inexpensive option, and it is only available on Ford products in 2008.

The Lincoln Mark LT full-sized truck is discontinued after 2008.

• What's new for Lincoln
• Lincoln for 2008
• Read more on Lincoln
• Official Site
• Parent Site

Performance

For many, the way a car performs is a key criterion for which car to purchase. Our Velocity Index helps determine which vehicles are the best all-around performers taking in to consideration a balance of factors such as acceleration and handling.

For more information, view our new car performance guide.

What would we drive?

Based on our Velocity Index analysis, the 2009 Lincoln MKZ seems to provide a good trade-off between price and vehicle performance.

Fuel Economy

Fuel economy has long been a key decision factor when buying a new vehicle. While the EPA estimates may accurately predict your mileage with a given vehicle, they are useful for broad comparisons of vehicles. Note that many trucks and large SUVS are too heavy to be required to specify their fuel economy.

For more information, view our new car fuel economy guide.

What's popular

Here are the five cars that draw the most attention from our readers.

• 2009 Lincoln MKS
• 2009 Lincoln MKZ
• 2008 Lincoln Mark LT
• 2008 Lincoln Navigator
• 2008 Lincoln MKX