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"With the Lincoln Town Car now a part of the division&amp;#039;s history, the role of flagship sedan has fallen to the 2011 Lincoln MKS, which has been slightly updated for the new model year but essentially retains all the same mechanical bits introduced last year\u2014most notably the optional direct-injected twin-turbo 355-bhp 3.5-liter V-6. (The base engine remains a 274-bhp normally aspirated 3.7-liter V-6 with either front- or all-wheel drive.)   The pumped-up 3.5 provides the muscle of a traditional V-8 but differs from past tradition in that it&amp;#039;s transversely mounted and drives all four wheels. While the face of the car\u2014the bow wave grille\u2014recalls Lincoln of yore, this D-platform sedan, which shares its underpinnings with the Ford Taurus, Flex, Explorer and Lincoln MKT and MKX, comes across as more of a crossover than a true long and low sedan.   The rather slab-sided body and tall height take a little getting used to, especially if you&amp;#039;re accustomed to a lower slung conventional sedan. While the trunk is quite large, the lift-over is high. And while the seating position gives you a good view of the road, at times I felt like I was stepping up into the cabin rather than settling down into the seats. The MKS is a large car, spanning 204.1 in. and riding on a 112.3-in.wheelbase. As such, there&amp;#039;s plenty of room for five inside and the quality of the trim and fittings is good for a top-line sedan. The controls are fairly straightforward, although the navigation system proved to be a bit balky at times (and in need of an update, as a gas station programmed into the Points of Interest turned out to be closed).   Power is what you expect from Lincolns and the twin-turbo V-6 delivers it in abundance through a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic. I never felt caught out in passing maneuvers and the car easily hauled its 4276-lb. weight along at 70 mph on the freeway without breaking a sweat. Our test car was equipped with the $2995 EcoBoost appearance package which included 20-in. polished aluminum wheels shod with 245/45R-20 rubber. The car is quite nimble for its size and the paddle-shift feature worked well, especially when holding a gear rather than automatically upshifting near redline.   Despite car&amp;#039;s weight, all-wheel drive and high-output engine, we saw a tick over 20 mpg in our long weekend of driving in and around the California&amp;#039;s Bay Area and Wine Country, which is about right given the EPA;s official ratings of 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway.   The 2011 Lincoln MKS, as the top car in the division&amp;#039;s line, commands a fairly hefty price tag. Base price starts at $48,160, and our test car topped out at $56,485. With its contemporary looks, spacious interior and V-8 levels of performance, Lincoln has finally turned the page and moved on from the Town Car with the MKS. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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