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Climbing into the cockpit of the MKS, its wide expanse of dashboard receding toward the windshield creates a sensation of lavish roominess. Our test car had a gleaming swath of dark wood running from one end of the dash to the other, its finish so bright indeed that we weren't sure whether to believe it was real wood. It was.The instruments were laid out handsomely, with softly cushioned surfaces and hand-stitched leather seams everywhere on the dashboard, as befits a luxury car. The steering wheel was wrapped in leather, with wood highlights, and its girth and grip felt perfect. Big buttons on the center stack made operating the HVAC (heating/air conditioning) and audio systems easy. What felt less perfect was the switchgear, which lacked the tactile elegance and reassuring sturdiness one might have hoped for in this car. Instead, the buttons and switches and A/C ducting adjusters felt generic, as if they might be found on any Ford product, high or low. Otherwise, the appearance and materials in the MKS cabin were fittingly swank. The MKS profits from the sporting feeling of fine leather seating. The front seat cushion and particularly the backrest provide steadying lateral support. Long-range driving comfort is good and the fit and quality of the leather is excellent. Visibility is similarly excellent from the driving position. The proximity of the headrest to the back of the head was a minor annoyance for some of us; it's placed there for improved safety and cannot be adjusted. The stepped gearshift controlling the six-speed automatic is simple and straightforward, though we were rarely moved to use it. Just ahead of the shifter is a panel on the center console with word Lincoln written bold. It looks for all the world like the cover of a stowage compartment, and its slightly misaligned cut lines encouraged the suspicion. In many another deluxe entry, this panel would've popped open to offer handy storage. In the MKS, no such luck. The HVAC system provided generous torrents of cooling air. The navigation system features a bright, eight-inch screen. We found the navigation system a good companion to our test drive, winding through the tortuous, ever-changing two-lane blacktop of the Virginia backcountry. The industry-leading Lincoln connectivity allowed us to monitor the local weather in real time, locate gas stations and otherwise stay in touch with the outside world. Returning to the traffic-challenged environment of Washington, D.C., furthermore, we were easily able to sort out the traffic jams ahead in real time and find the least annoying route to our final destination. Excellent. Touching the screen on a traffic jam revealed the cause. The navigation system operated in both three-dimensional mode and map view. The three-dimensional view is fun for impressing friends (and prospective buyers), but not particularly useful and somewhat confusing to interpret. The premium-quality THX II sound system and satellite-radio accessibility of our Ultimate Package-equipped MKS furnished our deep-country drive with superb concert surround-sound. And using Ford's voice-activated Sync system, we were able to order changes in programming without ever moving our hands from the wheel. While parked, we watched clips from quot;Star Warsquot; crisply displayed on the screen and the fly-bys of the small, fighter ships were incredible over the 5.1 surround sound with crisp base and crystal highs. Likewise, the acoustical guitar and percussion on a live recording of the Eagles playing quot;Hotel Californiaquot; was amazingly crisp and clear. These are benefits of the quality of the system and the quality of the sound-deadening of the cabin. Second-row riders will enjoy the MKS as much as those in the front row. The rear seats offer capacious ease of entry and segment-leading spaciousness. The rear-seat cushions, while soft and comfortable, are not terribly supportive, but the rear seatbacks more than make up for this l
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