Test drive: 2006 Lincoln Zephyr

The Lincoln Zephyr occupies the top shelf of Ford's sedan trifecta, above the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. Unique styling, a softer ride, and more appealing options set the Zephyr apart. Which begs the question: Is the Zephyr a proper Lincoln, or is it just a tarted-up Fusion? $28,995 base, $34,140 as tested. Fuel economy: 20/28 MPG city/highway.

First Glance: Looks great, if you can avoid the back...

If you remember the last version of the Lincoln Continental, which died a quiet death in 2002, the toothy grin of the Zephyr's grille may look familiar. In profile, the Zephyr is pleasingly swoopy. (Now there's a great quote for a Zephyr ad. "Dynamially brilliant!" says Car and Driver. "A Lincoln for the new millennium!" raves Motor Trend. "Pleasingly swoopy!" shouts About Cars.)

I spent most of my time admiring the front and side of the Zephyr, mainly so I could avoid looking at the back. The oversized taillights totally spoil the Zephyr's aura of class and sophistication. They seem to fix the world behind with the mindless empty stare of the clinically insane. ("Mindless... empty... clinically insane!" boasts About Cars.) All joking aside, a more restrained taillight design -- something smaller and simpler -- would retain the Zephyr's dignity and tie the whole design together.

Continued below...

In the Driver's Seat: Lincoln accoutrements in a smaller package

Things start looking up once you get behind the Zephyr's wheel. Soft beige leather, wood trim and chrome switchgear give the Zephyr the rich, warm feel that a proper Lincoln ought to have. This isn't a cheaper Lincoln, the interior seems to say; it's simply a smaller Lincoln. Standard features include power-adjustable leather-lined seats, dual-zone climate control, and MP3-compatible stereo with CD changer.

The two coolest options are the 14-speaker (!) THX-II stereo ($995) and the navigation system ($2495). If you've been to the movies, you've probably heard of THX. I don't know how many Zephyr buyers will also be audiophiles, but even my tin ears could hear the difference between the THX system and lesser car stereos. Even AM radio sounded better. It was the navigation system that impressed me the most, though. It's easy to program and calculates routes quickly. And while most systems simply give you directions (i.e. "In a quarter mile, turn left"), the Zephyr actually pronounces street names ("In a quarter mile, turn left on Magnolia Boulevard"). Awesome! ("...cheers About Cars!")

On the Road: Praise for the handling, curses for the transmission

The Zephyr's suspension is tuned for a softer, more comfortable ride than the Ford Fusion or the Mercury Milan, yet the Zephyr handles surprisingly well when pushed. It's particularly tolerant of ham-fisted maneuvers such as a panicking driver might make when faced with a sudden emergency. No matter how hard I jerked at the wheel or stabbed at the brakes, I couldn't upset the Zephyr's composure -- it always stayed under control. Now that, my friends, is safety.

Open the Zephyr's hood and you'll find a 3.0 liter V6 that produces an adequate-but-not-awe-inspiring 221 hp. It drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic -- not that you'd know, since there's no manual mode. In fact, there's no way to manually select a lower gear at all. The shift pattern is P-R-N-D-L. If you want to downshift manually, all you can do is shift to L and hope the transmission's electronics are thinking along the same lines you are. You'll probably be doing that quite a bit; as with most Ford automatics, if you simply floor the accelerator while on the move, there's an interminable delay before the transmission downshifts.

To sum up: Comfortable? Yes. Safe? Very. Fun to drive? Not particularly.

Journey's End: A proper Lincoln -- but is that what the buying public wants?

So back to the original question: Is the Zephyr a real Lincoln or just a wannabe?

Despite the similarities to its less-expensive brethren, I say the Zephyr is indeed a proper Lincoln: Comfortable, quiet and plush, just the sort of car that will appeal to traditional (read: older) Lincoln buyers looking for the economy and easy handling of a smaller car. But how many traditional Lincoln buyers are still out there?

The entry-level luxury market is moving towards sportier cars like the Cadillac CTS and the Lexus IS, priced at or slightly above a comparably-equipped Zephyr. Not concerned with the fun factor? The Lexus ES330 is more expensive, but stronger resale values, better fuel economy and last-forever build quality make it cheaper to own in the long run.

If the Zephyr's price were lower, my opinion would be higher. The base price of $28,995 is reasonable enough, but considering the list of standard equipment, a well-equipped Ford Fusion SEL or Mercury Milan Premier is a better deal. Add the options that make it stand out, and you're talking $34,000 or more. At that price, the Zephyr starts to look a lot like a Fusion in fancy clothes.

I bet Lincoln won't be quoting that in their ads.