Lincoln MKZ V6
The Lincoln MKZ featured a V6 engine in its luxurious Reserve trim level, available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Written by Mary Alice Morris
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The Lincoln MKZ was a mid-size luxury sedan in production for model years 2006 to 2020. Its last model year offered the MKZ in two trim packages. The base came standard with an underwhelming 4-cylinder engine, but the higher-end Lincoln MKZ Reserve had the option of upgrading to its arguably overpowering twin-turbo V6.
With seating for up to five, a roomy trunk, a spacious interior, and high-end standard features, the Lincoln MKZ V6 is an enticing option for anyone looking for a luxury cruiser. Available upgrades send the MKZ’s luxury status over the top, with add-ons like massaging front seats, full LED headlights, and a 1,200-watt, 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system. These options, however, like the twin-turbo V6 engine, were only available on the Reserve trim.
Because the last generation of the Lincoln MKZ opted for a 3-liter twin-turbo V6 over its former available 3.7-liter V6, we’ll focus on the 2020 model, which finalized the revised build generation that was begun in 2013. If you want to learn more about this powerful, plush sedan, we have everything you need to know and more (like finding
cheap car insurance
for the MKZ!) below.2020 Lincoln MKZ Reserve V6
Starting price:$43,495
Engine: 3-liter twin-turbo V6
Horsepower:350 hp @ 5500 rpm for front-wheel drive; 400hp @ 5500 rpm for AWD
Torque:275 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
0 to 60: 5.1 seconds
With the V6 engine for the Lincoln MKZ only available as an option on the
Reserve
trim, it naturally came along with some opulent features. Real wood interior trim and leather upholstery envelop ambient interior lighting features, a power-adjustable steering column, and an integrated navigation system. Other features of the 2020 Lincoln MKZ V6 include:
- Entertainment options: An 8-inch touchscreen display connects drivers to Apple CarPlay and Android Audio, plus navigation systems and the Sync3 operating system. An upgrade is available with the MKZ Reserve V6 to enjoy a top-of-the-line Revel Ultima sound system.
- Safety features: The Lincoln MKZ offers a lot of great standard safety features across its trim levels, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, a forward-collision warning system, and automatic emergency braking. There also was an available adaptive cruise control system.
- Comfortable ride: The front captains' seats are heated and adjustable (10 ways), and both of them offer power lumbar and reclining adjustments. The seat trim throughout the car is premium leather, and there is plenty of cubby and storage space to tuck away phones, purses, and luggage.
The Lincoln MKZ V6 also featured optional multi-contour seats that had a massaging function and available driver assistance upgrades.
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How’s the fuel economy?
The fuel economy of the Lincoln MKZ V6 depends on whether you’re driving a four-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive model. If you go with the front-wheel drive, you’ll get 18 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway.
With the four-wheel drive, you sacrifice some efficiency for a lot more power. The four-wheel-drive model gets 50 more horsepower than the front-wheel-drive V6, and in exchange, only loses 1 mpg for both the city and highway driving estimates—landing at 17 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway.
Which Lincoln MKZ models have a V6?
In its first-generation lineup, the Lincoln MKZ came standard with a 3.5-liter V6 available in front-wheel or all-wheel drive, for the 2007 through the 2012 model years. Then in 2013, the MKZ was overhauled when Lincoln replaced the standard V6 with a 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
A 3.7-liter V6 engine was available as an upgrade option until that was scrapped in the 2017 model year for the 3-liter twin-turbo V6 that powers the Lincoln MKZ Reserve.
How fast is the Lincoln MKZ V6?
The Lincoln MKZ Reserve V6 is powerful and fast—and critics have pointed out that it might be a little too fast for its build.
The 2020 Lincoln MKZ Reserve was somewhat notorious for causing drivers to experience the phenomenon of torque steering, in which a too-strong torque causes the vehicle’s steering to be disrupted. This could cause the car to pull toward the left or right as the torque overpowered the tires. This sensation wasn’t as pronounced in the four-wheel-drive option.
Still, if the driver could control the steering, the Lincoln MKZ V6 could reach a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds. Here’s how that stacks up to other mid-size luxury sedans:
While the Lincoln MKZ V6 beats almost all of those mentioned above, the handling under high torque presents a real drawback.
Key Takeaway The Lincoln MKZ Reserve V6 has a fair claim to being built for speed, but when you factor in the torque steering, it might be best to cruise for comfort.
Which is better: MKZ Reserve or MKZ Hybrid Reserve?
Along with the base MKZ and the MKZ Reserve V6, Lincoln also produced an
MKZ Hybrid Reserve
in 2020. The MKZ Hybrid Reserve withers in terms of speed and power compared to the MKZ Reserve V6. The little 2-liter, 4-cylinder gas/electric hybrid only gets 188 horsepower compared to the MKZ V6’s 350. Its torque tops off at 129, but at least that means you wouldn’t run into the torque steering issue that we see with the MKZ V6.
However, despite the drawbacks, the MKZ Hybrid Reserve still delivers all the same standard luxury features and available options as the V6, along with the added bonus of better gas mileage. The hybrid gets 42 mpg in the city and 39 on the highway, blowing past EPA estimates for the V6.
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FAQs
Does the Lincoln MKZ come in a V6?
It’s no longer in production, but the Lincoln MKZ did have a V6 available for each of its model years. The first generation had a standard V6 before switching to a 4-cylinder standard engine in the 2013 production year. From 2013 to 2020, the V6 was available as an option.
Are the older V6 builds more powerful than the newer 4-cylinders?
Lincoln’s older standard V6 engines, which stopped in 2012, were more powerful but still comparable to the newer 4-cylinders. For example, the 2012 Lincoln MKZ V6 had 263 horsepower, compared to the 2020 base level Lincoln MKZ 4-cylinder, which had 245 horsepower.
Does the Lincoln MKZ have AWD?
The Lincoln MKZ offers options for front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive across its trim levels.
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