Lincoln MKZ provides soundtrack for the open road

The 2010 Lincoln MKZ has finally broken away from its siblings -- the working man's Ford Fusion and up-and-coming socialite Mercury Milan.

At least that's the plan for this midsize premium sedan.

Putting a hundred miles on this car was easy. It's comfortable, quiet and gives you a spirited ride.

The bulletproof 3.5-liter V-6 pushes 263 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. It doesn't feel like a rocket, but it improves the car's overall performance and the 0-60 mph time by a half second (down to 7.1 seconds).

The low-to-the ground body and continually improving steering gives the MKZ some guts on the road. It's responsive and well mannered on both highway and twisty roads.

But this car is much more about living in a bubble than bolting off the line. The outside world goes mute on a Sunday afternoon as you bathe in Bono singing "A Beautiful Day" in THX glory.

You want to (and I did) create a soundtrack to forget about my worries and just drive. Now, everyone should have a playlist for driving. Random play is for suckers. A good play list cuts down on distractions, gives you time to thump the steering wheel into submission if the beat is right, and Lincoln's THX II certified surround sound stereo system makes sure it's right.

It is not new, but its 600 watts pumping through 14 speakers. This system includes THX Slot Speaker technology, which creates a wider sound image and better distributes music throughout the cabin. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it's fun, and loud.

"I want everything," Cracker.

Lincoln tries to, and comes pretty close to giving the driver every amenity he could want.

This is the nouveau riche approach to luxury. Pile on as many amenities as possible and let the sheer quantity overwhelm the buyer.

The MKZ has a list of features longer than the Detroit City Council's rap sheet.

First, there is the voice-operated Sync, which allows the driver to keep his hands on the wheel while playing his iPod, operating the navigation system, ordering pizza, or just about everything else inside the cabin. The 2010 MKZ features the newest generation of Sync and includes 911 assist (it'll call 911 for you if there's an accident) and Vehicle Health Report (it checks the car's vitals and lets you know if everything is good to go). Then there is the Sirius Travel Link, which can help a driver locate the cheapest nearby gasoline (and get directions), as well as check out the weather, find movie listings and loads of other information.

"Sexyback," Justine Timberlake.

The MKZ's interior isn't to Timberlake levels yet, but it has been upgraded with better materials and a quieter cabin. (Later this summer, Lincoln will introduce an Executive Appearance package with genuine swirl walnut wood trim and accents, upgraded floor mates, and more luxurious leather seats.)

But really, the regular interior is pretty nice. Here's one gripe: The silver plastic surrounding the center stack. So many other areas feel luxurious and look nice, but this batch of plastic feels cheap. If you're going to make the instrument panel look clean and refined, offer crisp ambient lighting and high-tech features, you'd think the center stack trim wouldn't look so cut rate.

"Tiger Bomb," The Presidents of the United States of America.

This song doesn't have anything to do with the MKZ, but I really like it and know all the words and I wanted to avoid using a Kid Rock "catching walleye from the dock" reference.

"A face in the crowd," Tom Petty

Midsize cars often have a difficult time standing out from the competition. Lincoln added a number of changes to the exterior of the MKZ to help give it a more regal look.

It gave the MKZ a new front end, deck lid and LED tail lamps.

The new tail lamps really help the MKZ stand out, especially at night, with a long red horizontal line drawn nearly all the way across the back. When you approach an MKZ from behind, you want to know what it is.

The front looks a little more aggressive, but the changes are not nearly as noticeable as the back end.

"Million dollars," Barenaked Ladies.

Perhaps the biggest gripe I have with the MKZ is its starting price -- $34,965. That feels steep, and it's certainly a price that pulls the MKZ away from the Fusion and Milan.

But if I had a million dollars, I'd probably put an MKZ in my driveway, if just for the Sunday drives.

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