2013 Lincoln MKZ Video

Despite being Lincoln's best-seller, the current MKZ doesn't have a lot of pizazz to help draw new customers; the 2013 Lincoln MKZ doesn’t have this issue at all. Derived from the radically styled MKZ Concept, the 2013 Lincoln MKZ looks unchanged from its concept variant. It even adds more gee-whiz features like a massive glass roof option. The interior features a concept-like push-button gear shifter that’s definitely cool, but backseat head- and legroom isn’t stellar for the class, according to Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek.

Are Sedans the Forgotten Family Car?

With no minivans in sight and spending a day checking out crossover after crossover at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, I had to ask myself whether there were other family-friendly vehicles I'd overlooked. I naturally pictured minivans, crossovers and SUVs.

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But wait, what about the good old family sedan? There are plenty of updated four-doors to choose from here at the auto show, and sedans, from subcompacts to midsizers, have been getting roomier.

So, why don't I think of sedans as family cars? Why have they dropped off my radar?

2013 Lincoln MKZ: Photo Gallery

It seems like weeks ago that we got our first glimpse of Lincoln's new stunner of a sedan. That day-old haze is easily cleared when checking out photos of the MKZ on the show floor in New York.

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In the gallery below, there are shots of two elegant paint schemes and, yes, the giant glass roof that slides rearward. We'd still say the grille could use some work, but otherwise this is one well-executed car design.

2013 Lincoln MKZ: Up Close

Most concept cars lose their show-worthy features in the translation to a production model. Lincoln's 2013 MKZ is not one of those cars. It's nearly identical to the concept we saw at the 2012 Detroit auto show in January.

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Lincoln is shooting for full luxury status with the MKZ's recent redesign, and features carried over from the concept will help buyers take notice. These are most evident in back, where stylish LED taillights run the width of the rear and exhaust outlets with classy-looking bezels accent the bumper.

Lincoln Sticking with MK-Lettered Nameplates

Like them or not, the Lincoln brand's nameplate nomenclatures of "MKT," “MKZ," "MKX," and "MKS" are here to say, according to USA Today.

Last year, Ford CEO Alan Mulally intimated that the carmaker was considering a switch from the MK naming to something more traditional, like Continental.

For the hopeful, those dreams have officially been dashed. At the 2012 Detroit auto show, Lincoln introduced the MKZ Concept, indicating the Zephyr name probably wouldn't be revived.

Jim Farley, Ford's marketing chief, also hinted that the names would stick. "What I've learned in my career is it's product that matters, not the name," Farley told reporters at the show. In a separate interview, Mulally also told reporters he had come to terms with the current naming structure at Lincoln.

No word on if this spells the end of the only model still holding a proper name at Lincoln: the Navigator full-size SUV.

No change: Lincoln Is Stuck With Alphabet Soup Names (USA Today)

Lincoln MKZ Concept: Photo Gallery

Lincoln thinks a fresh new design direction is just what the brand needs to stay relevant in the luxury-car segment; many of the cues Lincoln is thinking of using are represented on on this thinly veiled concept version of the next-generation MKZ.

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Looks like big changes will come to the MKZ's grille, which ditches vertical slats for horizontal ones that help emphasize the car's width.

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect

Nearly a month from today will mark the return of America’s — and maybe the world’s — most important auto show. Thirty-six all-new vehicles are set to debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After a two-year hiatus, Nissan and Infiniti will be at the show. At the same time, Suzuki, Land Rover and Jaguar will be leaving.

New vehicles at the show will include the 2013 Toyota Prius C, which will be the most fuel-efficient and most affordable Toyota hybrid available, according to the automaker.

Hybrids Surge on Cars.com, Trucks Suffer

Yesterday, we illustrated how higher gas prices can affect consumer preferences on Cars.com and ultimately real-world car purchases. After analyzing the last 30 days of search data, we see that hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles are the biggest beneficiaries of the sudden rise in gas prices, and heavy-duty trucks, large luxury cars and SUVs are the biggest losers.

Out of the 15 vehicles that have seen the most improved search traffic over the last 30 days, eight are hybrids.

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid saw an 1,836% increase in traffic month-over-month on Cars.com. The Sonata Hybrid originally hit dealerships in January, according to Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson, but the car was delayed soon thereafter over impending legislation requiring noisemakers in hybrids and electric vehicles. Miles says the Sonata Hybrid has a noisemaker, but owners have the option to turn it off, which is similar to the system in the Nissan Leaf. Hyundai modified the system in the hybrid so it doesn’t have an option to turn off the virtual engine sound anymore. The car went back on sale sometime this week.

2011 Kia Optima Earns Five-Star NHTSA Rating

The 2011 Kia Optima received an overall rating of five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new crash-test rating system, the agency announced today.

Read Cars.com's Full Review of the 2011 Kia Optima

The Optima’s overall composite score is composed of a five-star frontal, five-star rollover and a five-star rating for the combined side pole and barrier tests. The side barrier test is an area where other vehicles have shown weakness with the safety agency’s new testing format. The side pole test simulates a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side.

Incentives on Defunct Mercury Brand Tick Upward

Retail production of Mercury vehicles ceased nearly a month ago, and now Ford is getting down to the business of ridding itself of any leftover inventory for the defunct brand. The remaining Mercury dealerships are on a deadline to move the metal before the end of 2010 when their Mercury franchise agreements will be terminated.

To flush out the remaining inventory, Ford has increased retail incentives for the Mercury brand drastically for November. Until this month, the 2010 and 2011 Milan, Milan Hybrid and Mariner all offered $2,000 cash on the hood, which was the same as its Ford counterparts. Now all three have up to $3,500 on the hood, nearly 60% more money back than what’s offered on the identical Ford Fusion and Escape. The 2010 and 2011 Grand Marquis now get upward of $5,500 cash back.

The aggressive incentives are supposed to help Ford expedite the shutdown of Mercury by the Dec. 31 deadline, according to Automotive News. Ford spokesman George Pipas told Automotive News that there are fewer than 10,000 Mercurys left in the inventory, which amounts to a 35-day supply. Currently there are nearly 4,000 Mercurys on sale on Cars.com. Below you’ll find the remaining deals on all Mercury and Lincoln inventory. Most of these incentives are good until Dec. 31.