Kimatni D. Rawlins’ Automotive Rhythms (AR) is an autoblogospherical venture born in the dawn of the gangsta era, specifically designed to get Kimatni D. Rawlins behind the wheel of press cars, preferably at a luxurious, all-expenses paid press junket. The over-ripe fruit of Rawlin’s writing: unflaggingly glowing reviews of… whatever. TTAC has long resisted criticizing Automotive Rhythms because we respect the cultural importance of… no that’s not it. Something about fish and barrels. Anyway, either Rawlins has checked his package or the Lincoln MKS sucks. Or, perhaps, both. Mind you, Kimatni’s still pulling his punches. And his prose still just kind of sits there. And the usual factual inaccuracies rankle. But there is some sting in this tale. “The interior falls way short of what Lincoln luxury should be. Our ‘Black Ultimate Interior’ was a mix of fake wood trim, dark plastics and basic leather which was tucked under the seats like bed sheets. When I tried to adjust the seats, the plastic frame hosting the seat adjusters could be pushed out exposing the ugly finish of the leather and the foam which makes up the seat cushion… At first sight the vehicle will reel you in like fishing poles and pitch you the world. But keep in mind, looks can be very deceiving!”
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The funny thing about the first time I’ve read a review about this car (recent issue of C/D) is that there was a Hyundai Genesis review three or four pages ahead of it and the proximity made for a poor man’s comparo.
You know its bad for the Detroit 3 when Hyundai makes a better car (at least dynamically)…for $3-4 grand less.
take it from a drummer…it’s spelled rHythms. ;-)
It’s not that this is a bad car. If it were 2004, it’d have given the Acura TL a run for it’s money.
doctorv8:
You beat this drummer to that exact same comment.
doctorv8:
D’oh! Text amended.
Rode in one last week, Detroit to Cleveland. Nice ride, good passing power, quiet, etc etc. Everything a generic pseudo-luxury sedan should be. But that trunk, who signed off on that tiny opening? The guy I was with had to twist and shove just to get a car seat in there. Stupid.
This car is a joke, no question. But they have to get their facts straight. The wood is quite real, and from what I understand the leather is of the highest quality (from some famous Scottish outfit that I can’t recall the name of right now). In fact this is the first review I’ve seen that hasn’t gushed over the MKS leather.
And I am quite looking forward to a biturbo, AWD MKS after massive depreciation on the used car market.
Bridge of Weir, IIRC.
The car has plenty of flaws, no question, but the leather is not one of them!
Ach, would it be Connolly leather? Surely not in a Lincoln?! I’d be shocked. That’s Rolls Royce and Bentley class leather.
Bridge of Weir as the doctor says, and it’s not among the car’s many shortcomings.
Those would be the coarse-sounding engine, so-so steering, subpar body control for this class of car, some of the interior plastics, and lack of a clear brand identity.
Drove one the same day as a Genesis V6, and the Hyundai blows it away in performance, handling, ride, and perceived quality.
Hate to tell you this, but Connelly went belly-up some years ago. Now the queen has to get her purses from a much more plebian source.
Bob
RF, nicely written.
This car looks akward to me, both in pictures and in person. And the rear end of the car, mostly the tail lights and the trunk remind me of the Hyundai XG350 of a few years ago. And that car wasn’t a very fresh design.
relton: “Connelly went belly-up some years ago. Now the queen has to get her purses from a much more plebian source.”
What a shame. Made of nauga hides, I suppose?
these are very striking cars to me, visually. And for a Lincoln, that’s doubly impressive.
You’re right on the money, Farago. I worked with Kimatni about a decade ago, when his outfit was called African Americans on Wheels.
All we had to do was give him the vehicle, the free goodies to trick it out, some “consideration” from our diversity program money, and he was ours! It was fine for what it was. He’s no worse than the syndicated hacks that have replaced real automotive reviewers at too many media outlets. I just wish the grammar and poor fact-checking didn’t have to make his final product so awful.
FYI Connolly went out of business along with most of the other British automotive suppliers quite awhile ago.
Let’s see how the sales are on Wed.
Strong sales around Detroit.
I do think the exterior styling is a strength aside from not being identifiable as a Lincoln.
The whole car is a joke. Wrong engine (missing 2 cylinders), Wrong drive type (not RWD or rear biased RWD), Wrong platform (the seven time failure that is the D3), wrong looks (last gen TL headlights, Korean rear end, and a” I really I hope I don’t stand out” greenhouse), wrong name (what exactly is a MKS?), wrong features…err…gimmicks (SYNC over adaptive suspension, or auto leveling suspension) and wrong price ($48K?? who are they kidding?)
The MKS is the culmination of everything that is wrong with Ford. A flagship is supposed to be the absolute best of the best. And, clearly, the Lincoln Taurus…is no flagship.
Now, if the Hyundai Genesis had a Lincoln badge on it, then we would have a flagship.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, P71.
Any site like this that has a Lifestyle section is a complete joke tbh.
Michael Karesh- how was the audio system? I’ve heard some good things about it.
P71- If the Genesis was a Lincoln, everyone would say it wasn’t good enough.
P71- If the Genesis was a Lincoln, everyone would say it wasn’t good enough.….
There is quite a bit of truth to that statement, but what did Lincoln do to deserve that rap? Hmmmmm.
relton : “Connelly went belly-up some years ago. Now the queen has to get her purses from a much more plebian source.”
50merc : What a shame. Made of nauga hides, I suppose?
It’s “Bridge of Weir” leather from “Bridge of Weir Leather Company, Ltd.” in Scotland. It’s the same company that supplied leather upolstery for the Ford Model T and the Continental Mark II.” No, it’s not Connolly, but Bridge of Weir is still in business.
I wonder if this vehicle can be priced at five grand less. Leather is pretty important, and interior styling and exterior styling. I like the car ok, but its a bit of cash, and the competition is interesting also. I feel the car has a bit of personality in it. Volvo and Ford personality and Camry.