The automotive press has always been fond of the Mazda6, primarily because it is more entertaining to pilot down a twisty road than a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. But no one has confused it with a luxury car. Yet someone at Ford, in seeking to provide luxury brand Lincoln with more competitive products, decided that the Mazda6 should provide the basis for a new Lincoln Zephyr.

The first Lincoln Zephyr, introduced in 1936, was inexpensive compared to the rest of the marque's products, yet was powered by a V12 and dressed in an innovative streamlined body. The Chrysler Airflow came first, but the Zephyr's design was much more widely liked. The V12, on the other hand, acquired a reputation for unreliability, and the Zephyr was discontinued following the war.

The name was resurrected for Mercury's version of the thoroughly blah Ford Fairmont. I personally despise how Detroit likes to devalue brand names by passing them down the vehicle hierarchy, and this is an excellent example.

With the Zephyr name returning to Lincoln for 2006, I wondered which Zephyr the new car would most be like. Just a rebadged mainstream car? Or one worthy of a premium marque? I took not one but two test drives to find out, the first in the also new Mercury Milan. If the two cars were little different, I'd have my answer.

Note: For 2007 the Zephyr received a new 3.5-liter V6 and a new name, the MKZ. MKZ review here.


Styling

Nothing about the Zephyr's styling suggests its Mazda6 origins. No basic dimensions are shared, much less any sheetmetal. Compared to the Mazda, wheelbase is up two inches, overall length four, and width two, to yield a sedan roughly the size of the current Honda Accord. Interestingly, the Mercury is an inch longer than the Lincoln.

The Zephyr and Milan share exterior door panels, but still manage to look sufficiently different that no one will confuse the two. The Mercury looks very European, in part because its front end strongly resembled that of European Fords. The headlamps do not wrap into the fenders, and thus miss a chance to disguise the length of the front overhang. The headlamps on the Lincoln do adopt this automotive analog of the french-cut bikini, resulting in a more balanced appearance. The Lincoln's hood also doesn't slope as much, lending the car a more massive front end. As a result, it looks larger than the Mercury even though the tape measure says otherwise.

The Zephyr is clearly the more upscale of the two designs, and is more distinctive than Lincoln's previous attempt at a more international product, the foundering LS sedan. The strong rectalinearity of the design vaguely recalls Lincolns of the early 1960s through the 1980s, with more contemporary proportions. The car has an understated elegance. Perhaps too understated. I'm not sure most people will even notice the car. It's no Acura TL or Cadillac CTS in the attention-getting department. So I'd call it a partial success.

While I doubt anyone will confuse the Zephyr with a Mazda6 from the outside, they certainly won't once inside the car. Despite using the same controls as the Milan, no one will confuse its interior with that car's, either. What they just might confuse it with is the interior of a Town Car. What we have here, folks, is a bold attempt to meld Lincoln's traditional interior cues with an otherwise thoroughly contemporary interior. I personally have little clue how this will play out. People might appreciate the interior's clearly Lincoln flavor. Or they might think it old-fashioned. I personally feel both ways about it.

The strongest traditional cue is a flat-faced, flat-topped, very square instrument panel. Though in actuality this instrument panel is little if any higher than that in the Milan, it feels much higher. I felt a bit buried behind it, even after raising the seat an inch or so.

Additional Lincoln cues include satin trimplates on the center stack, console and window switch surrounds and satin buttons. If you've seen a recent Lincoln SUV, you know the look. Classy, and definitely more upscale than the Milan's much more mainstream interior, but perhaps a bit strong for my taste. Especially when combined with genuine blonde maple trim. Dark-colored wood is also available for those seeking a less brash aesthetic. In the end I admire the interior's boldness and distinctiveness, but doubt I could ever feel at home in it. Owners of other Lincolns seeking a more efficient and maneuverable vehicle, on the other hand, will likely love it.

Materials are clearly a step above those in the Milan, and generally in line with the $30,000 price.

Accommodations

I've already mentioned the somewhat buried driving position. Even in the Milan you sit lower relative to the instrument panel than in the Mazda6. The view forward is still fairly open, if not quite expansive. Since luxury cars tend to have lower driving positions, and a lower driving position does make a car feel more substantial, I suppose this is fitting if not to my own taste.

The Zephyr's front seats feel plusher than those in the Milan. But the cushion is smaller, such that its bolsters were beneath my legs rather than to the sides of them. A bit uncomfortable. Like the Cadillac Catera, the Zephyr might be targeted towards women, and these seats might have been sized for them. The seatbacks in the two cars are much more similar; both provide a fair amount of lateral support. Where the Mercury has a driver's side manual lumbar adjuster, both front seats in the Lincoln have 10-way power adjusters, including lumbar and recline.

Despite the Lincoln's and Mercury's greater length, they offer only a half-inch more rear legroom than the Mazda. And even this small advantage is squandered by the poorly shaped rear seat cushion both share. This cushion is so flat that I could not keep myself from slouching a couple of inches. This might have been done to enable the seat to fold flatter. But many cars, including the Mazda6, have rear seats that are both comfortable and foldable.

At least the seat folds. The trunk is large, and this enables even larger items to be carried. When the seats are folded the opening is wide but not very high owing to a beam beneath the package shelf.

On the Road

A Lincoln should not only look different than a Mercury or Mazda. It should also drive differently. This has largely been achieved. Even before leaving the dealership parking lot I could readily tell that the Zephyr has a significantly plusher, more insulated feel than the others. The Lincoln weighs 135 pounds more than the Milan, and additional sound deadening material likely accounts for much of this difference.

Once underway the Lincoln continues to have a softer, looser character than the Milan, but is still far removed from the land yachts of yore. When pushed, the car grips the road well, lean in turns remains moderate, and the chassis maintains its composure. Steering feel suffers a bit from the Zephyr's additional dampening, but isn't entirely absent. A reasonable compromise between a traditional Lincoln and a contemporary luxury-sports sedan. A Lexus ES, for example, leans more and loses its composure much more readily, while an Acura TL or Infiniti G35 is tighter and sportier.

Stability control is not available on the Zephyr. This highly recommended safety feature is standard on most competitors.

Ride quality is better than in the Milan, and much better than in the Mazda, but isn't quite to Lexus levels. Noise levels compare similarly.

The Milan and Zephyr will get a new 3.5-liter V6 good for about 255 horsepower in 2007. Until then, it and the Milan make do with the latest incarnation of the Duratec 3.0-liter V6 introduced nearly a decade ago. This engine is good for 221 horsepower, but lacks the smoothness and sound quality of more recent designs. Acceleration is acceptable, about the same as in the Mazda, but trails an Acura TL or Lexus ES.

Lincoln Zephyr Price Comparisons and Prices

Compared to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, the Zephyr costs about $4,400 more. Adjusting for feature differences cuts this to about $2,800. This amount is about half the premium Toyota charges for a Lexus ES over a Camry, so I suppose it's reasonable.

Compared to the Lexus ES, its most obvious competitor, the Zephyr is about $5,200 less expensive after a $1,000 rebate. Between the two, I'd take the Lincoln. But then I dislike the exterior styling and handling of the Lexus more than I like its superlative interior.

The Zephyr is about $3,200 less expensive than an Acura TL. Here I'd go with the TL, but then I prioritize handling over ride quality.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Zephyr (and later the MkZ):

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Zephyr.php

Last Words

The Zephyr is clearly more Lincoln than Mazda, if anything too much so. Previous Lincoln owners seeking a more efficient, more maneuverable car will find much to like. And those who prioritize luxury and ride quality might find the midsize Lincoln an afforable alternative to a Lexus ES. But enthusiasts will likely find the instrument panel too traditional and the chassis a bit over-insulated. Luckily for Lincoln, most buyers in this segment likely fall into the Lexus rather than the Acura camp.

I'm not far from four stars on this one, especially given the price. Once the 3.5 arrives I'll be sure to retest it.

A Note on Lincoln Zephyr Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Zephyr rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Lincoln Zephyr reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Zephyr--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Acura TL review
Cadillac CTS review
Lexus ES 350 review
Lincoln LS review
Lincoln MKZ review