When the road is open and flat, it glides along in a shroud of deceptive heaviness. The solid, sturdy feel masks the sensation of speed, so use of the cruise control is important.

Sporty it is not, but the MKS doesn't feel overweight or clumsy, either.

Otherwise, the suspension can feel slightly stiff to borderline floaty- depending on what you happen to be driving over. MKS is consistently comfortable in most situations, though it can become noisy or choppy over rough surfaces as the big wheels pound along.

Sporty it is not, but the MKS doesn't feel overweight or clumsy, either. There's plenty of grip and the car can be tossed about, it just doesn't say 'thank you' to the driver in the process. Brakes are powerful and pedal feel is notably good.

The new American luxury sedan interior
The interior of the new MKS alone will sell many shoppers on the entire car. Chrome and wood trim work with gunmetal colored plastics towards a fantastic executive look that's beautifully shaped and very well assembled.

Leather covers everything- even the door handles and dashboard. Front seats are heated, chilled and come with a memory function too. Space is abundant at each seat, as is storage capacity- and there's a magnificent level of roominess and sophistication imparted. MKS makes many of its competitors look downright plain inside.

Its powerful THX stereo is tied into a high-tech infotainment system that does a plethora of jobs- including handling phone calls, text messages, navigation functions and even managing music files for the on-board hard-drive. It all displays through a crisp, high-resolution screen.

The voice-commanded interface is the most high-tech of its kind- but plan an afternoon with the owner's manual first to avoid frustration.

The backup-camera is a must because of the narrow rear window and limited rearward field of view. It's even got assist-markers to help line up parking spaces, but the display is a little too blurry to be trustworthy. An enormous turning radius doesn't help things in parking lots, either.

The interior of the new MKS alone will sell many shoppers on the entire car.