The Lincoln MKZ is the luxury version of the Ford Fusion which, in turn, borrows much of its engineering from the Mazda6 sedan. The Fusion (not shown here) is a bit larger than the Mazda6 and feels a little less sporty, as well. The Fusion's steering and suspension are adjusted to offer a slightly more relaxed driving feel than the sporty "Zoom-Zoom" Mazda.

The Lincoln Zephyr, as it was called in its first year of production, was tuned to be even softer-feeling than the Fusion. In its second year, Ford slightly reworked the MKZ. Besides giving it a larger V-6, the MKZ's steering and suspension were made to feel more direct while still allowing the car to give a smooth, luxury ride.