Overview

The all-new Lincoln Zephyr is a near-luxury sedan that makes Lincoln-grade luxury and styling affordable to more people than ever. It's a welcome addition to the Lincoln lineup, as Lincoln's sustained focus on large luxury cars and SUVs has left the brand conspicuously absent from the highly competitive near-luxury segment.

With its youthful appearance and tidy packaging, the Zephyr provides some balance to the other vehicles in the Lincoln showroom. This newcomer also adds an offering with a distinctly American character to the near-luxury segment, which has been dominated by sporty imports for decades.

With a base price of less than $30,000, the Zephyr enters 2006 as the brand's entry-level model. Based on the proven front-wheel-drive mechanicals of the Mazda6, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, the Zephyr offers a smooth ride, a spacious interior and bold new styling that is certain to be echoed on future Lincoln products. Furthermore, the price undercuts that of most of its near-luxury competitors.

Zephyr's appeal lies in its combination of style, interior comfort and price. While it costs several thousand dollars more than the aforementioned sedans with which it shares much of its underpinnings, the Zephyr adds value by way of premium materials, a quiet, smooth ride, high feature content and impressive refinement.

Inside and out, it feels very much as a Lincoln should, and thus should appeal to folks who are attracted to Lincoln but, until now, haven't been able to afford one.

Model Lineup

The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr ($28,995) is offered in a single trim level, with a 220-hp V6 engine, front-wheel drive, and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Its long list of standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, a six-speaker sound system with in-dash six-disc CD player, cruise control, leather upholstery, 10-way power driver and front passenger bucket seats with heating feature, dual-zone climate control and genuine wood trim.

Options include a THX II Audiophile sound system ($995), a touch-screen DVD-based navigation system ($2,495), which includes the THX sound system, a power sunroof ($1,200), cooled front seats ($495), which includes perforated leather upholstery, Xenon HID headlights ($495), and chrome aluminum wheels ($895).

Active safety features include anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and traction control. Passive safety features include front seat belts with pretensioners and load-limiters, dual front air bags, front side seat-mounted torso air bags, front- and rear-seat curtain air bags and an inertia-based fuel cutoff switch that stops the flow of fuel in the event of a serious accident to prevent fuel spills and fires.

Walkaround

The Zephyr is the smallest of all Lincolns, fitting in the midsize category along with the slightly larger, rear-wheel-drive Lincoln LS. The Zephyr is based on the same platform as the Mazda6, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, but has many Lincoln styling cues to maintain a distinct visual identity.

In front, the Zephyr features a broad waterfall grille flanked by quad headlamps. Fog lamps are standard. The hood cuts down low across the headlamps and grille, creating a stern, determined appearance without resorting to the angry look found on so many other cars in this segment. Particularly interesting are the scalloped parking lamps, which cradle the lower part of the headlamps, looking very cool when illuminated on their own.

As a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the nose is long, but not unattractively so. The bodysides are clean and clear of frivolous ornamentation. All Zephyrs ride on 17-inch wheels; eight-spoke silver painted wheels are standard; chrome wheels are optional.

The Zephyr's rear end is dominated by large, high-mounted taillamps that incorporate fast-illuminating LED brake lights on the outer portion and conventional bulbs in the middle with prism-like reflectors. The trunk is tall, with some sculpting in the decklid to house the Lincoln badge. The bumper has subtle cutouts to accommodate twin chrome exhaust tips.

Interior Features

To sit inside the Zephyr, you would be hard-pressed to find evidence of parts sharing with any less-expensive sedans in the Ford family. Front seats offer comfort for people of most body types, thanks to standard 10-way power adjustments for both the driver and front passenger, including lumbar support. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes. There is no shortage of elbow and legroom for front seat occupants.

The center console features generously sized, chrome-ringed cupholders and an armrest that slides forward to accommodate drivers that may have moved his or her seat forward on its tracks. Outward vision through the windshield is good in spite of the tall dashboard. Vision out the sides is decent, aided by big, heated outside mirrors. The rear shelf, however, is so high that it blocks a fair amount of rearward vision through the mirror and increases the size of the blind spots.