The Porsche 924-based Rooster Juice team would seem to be in good shape for Arse Freeze-A-Palooza acceptance, based on the video you're about to watch. Even though I'm not exactly the biggest Weezer fan in the world (to put it mildly), I had to watch this beautiful little film several times, just to catch all the jokes. Good work, Rooster Juice... and I suspect you've made enough of an impression on the shadowy Emeryville cabal that chooses the winning entries that we'll be seeing you at Thunderhill this November.


While you're here, might as well watch some footage from the Official Judge Murilee GrilleCam™, which the members of the Police Brutality MN12 Lincoln were kind enough to install in their extremely fast (though not particularly reliable) race car:


Here's some video from the S.O.B. VW Golf, a team we hammered with 128 penalty laps in spite of their donation of sombreros to keep the LeMons Supreme Court cool in the South Carolina sun.

Just click on any of the thumbnail images below to jump to the original post about that car or truck.

1919 Ford	1924 Ford	1932 Ford	1945 Ford
1950 Ford	1950 Ford	1954 Ford	1955 Mercury
1956 Lincoln	1956 Ford	1960 Mercury	1960 Ford
1961 Ford	1962 Ford	1963 Ford	1963 Ford
1964 Ford	1964 Mercury	1964 Ford	1965 Mercury
1965 Ford	1965 Ford	1965 Mercury	1965 Ford
1965 Ford	1965 Ford	1965 Ford	1965 Ford
1966 Ford	1966 Lincoln	1966 Ford	1966 Ford
1966 Ford	1966 Ford	1966 Ford	1967 Ford
1967 Mercury	1967 Ford	1967 Ford	1968 Mercury
1968 Ford	1968 Ford </td	1968 Ford	1969 Mercury
1969 Ford	1969 Ford	1969 Lincoln	1969 Ford
1969 Mercury	1969 Ford	1969 Ford	1970 Ford
1970 Ford	1970 Lincoln	1970 Ford	1970 Ford
1971 Ford	1972 Lincoln	1972 Mercury	1973 Mercury
1973 Ford	1973 Ford	1973 Mercury	1973 Ford
1973 Ford	1974 Ford	1974 Ford	1974 Ford
1975 Ford	1975 Mercury	1976 Ford	1977 Ford
1977 Lincoln	1977 Ford	1977 Ford	1979 Ford
1979 Ford	1986 Ford	1986 Ford	1987 Merkur

When you're done here, you can follow the links below to see the rest of the Down On The Street 450 (actually more like 491 by now) celebration:

When you're done here, you might check out our favorite VW ads, then go right on with the Datsun, Toyota, Renault, General Motors, British Leyland, and Chevrolet ads.

1990 Ford Festiva	1932 Ford Model B	1980 Ford Pinto
1984 Ford LTD	1977 Ford Capri	1979 Mercury Zephyr
1980 Mercury Cougar	1982 Ford Granada	1992 UK Fords
1983 Ford F Series	1958 Lincoln	1970 Mercury Monterey
1955 Ford	1986 Ford Taurus	1991 Ford Escort RS2000
1984 Mercury Topaz	1981 Ford Escort	1973 Lincoln/Mercury
1978 Mercury Cougar XR7	1974 Mercury Comet	1969 Australian Fords
1991 Ford Escort GT	1978 Ford Granada	1969 Ford Torino
1989 Ford Taurus	1984 Ford Ranger	1989 Ford Taurus
1986 Ford Sierra XR4	1997 Mercury Grand Marquis	1970 Mercury Comet
1970 Ford Pinto Squire	1986 Mercury Sable	1980 Mercury Capri
1984 Ford Tempo	1977 Ford Thunderbird	1971 Ford Torino
1978 Ford Futura	1972 Ford Pinto	1982 Ford Cortina
1981 Ford Capri	1963 Fairlane Squire	1990 Mercury Topaz
1965 Ford LTD	1968 Ford Torino GT	1966 Lincoln Continental
1978 Fords	1975 Mercury Cougar	1990 Ford Falcon

Why you should buy the 2010 Lincoln MKZ:
You need a car that looks nice and gets you where you're going comfortably. You used to drive a Mustang GT, but now that you've got a kid and a respectable job, you need to step it up. You fancy yourself a Lincoln man, but aren't ready to pay MKS bucks nor do you need the space. You think your buddies paying a premium for German brands are idiots and besides, you don't need the razor sharp performance or the maintenance bills. You own a very nice JCPenny suit.

Why you shouldn't buy this car:
Wrong-way-drive cars make your skin itch, even if they do an excellent job of pretending they aren't. You consider luxury cars to be as much about the emblem on the grille as the car behind it. You aren't swayed by "Buy American" sentiment in the face of stiff competition and a somewhat dear price tag, (in any case, this car hails from Mexico). You already test drove a Fusion and don't see what the big deal is about the Lincoln version. You still think Lincoln is an old man's brand.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Trash: No
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: Yes
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: Yes
Golfing Grandparents: Yes
Sheiklets: No
Very Serious Businessmen: Yes

Also Consider:
• 2010 Buick LaCrosse (No, really)
• 2009 Audi A4
• 2009 Cadillac CTS
• 2009 Lexus IS350
• 2009 Acura TL
• Staring slack-jawed at the sticker price

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Lincoln
• Model: MKZ
• Model year: 2010
• Base Price: $34,115
• Price as Tested: $38,444
• Engine type: 3.5L Duratec V6 engine
• Horsepower: 263 @ 6250 RPM
• Torque: 249 @ 4,500 rpm
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic w/sequential shift mode
• Curb Weight: 3598 lbs (FWD) / 3796 lbs (AWD)
• LxWxH: 189.8" x 72.2" x 56.9"
• Wheelbase: 107.4"
• Tires: P225/50VR17
• 0 - 60 mph: V6: 7.1 seconds (Manufaturer quoted)
• Top Speed: NA
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway (MPG, Estimated): 17/24 (AWD V6), 18/27 (FWD)
• Jalopnik Fuel Economy: 25 MPG (city/highway mix 60/40%)
• NHTSA crash test ratings: Front: five stars; Side: Five Stars; Rollover: N/A

Also see:
• 2010 Lincoln MKZ, Part One
• 2010 Lincoln MKZ, Part Two

Exterior Design: ***
This updated version of the MKZ is handsome without being obnoxious. This is only the second generation for the entry level Linc, so it still feels a bit awkward in the enty-luxe segment, but it's much more believable than the previous model. The slimmed down tail lights and smoother front end make it a convincing pretender in the luxury segment, though we're not yet entirely sold. Take those as constructive criticism, cause it's a rather handsome car, though you can easily see its Fusion heritage.

Interior Design: ****
There's really little for want in the new MKZ's interior. A few niggling fit and finish issues hopefully tied to early fleet builds aside, this car is bolted down tighter than the deck of an aircraft carrier. The wood and chrome trim flows beautifully into sturdy and appropriately finished plastics, the gauges are handsomely designed and everything possesses a simple but functional harmony that's fitting for the segment. The well-appointed seats are covered in Bridge of Weir leather and both heated and cooled and provide enough power adjustments to accommodate nearly anyone. Order the high-contrast interior and it really pops with piping and seat inserts.

Acceleration: ***
A 7.1 second 0-60 MPH puts the MKZ in the adequate but not noteworthy portion of the price segment. We're talking $34k to $42k, so it's a very, very crowded field and 7.1 isn't something to write home about. Quicker would be welcomed, but the balance of fuel economy means we're not going to complain too much. That recently announced 2.0 liter turbo Ecoboost would certainly make things more interesting.

Braking: ***
Brakes are strong, and they come with ABS and electronic brake force distribution. Repeated stompings produce mild fade, but if you're punishing your brakes in this car, may we politely suggest something sportier?

Ride: ***
The MKZ rides the line between a comfortable luxury tune and one which provides enough feel so you know what's going on at the wheels. It doesn't get upset when extended rough pavement presents itself, you'll know it's there, but you won't be dodging it in the interest of comfort. It's right on par with the excellent ride we've seen with recent offerings from Lincoln, composed and smooth, but without the distant feeling from some of the more established competition.

Handling: ***
Toss the MKZ into a corner and it'll obey till you get really silly, then it understeers. It's somehow not particularly controlled and yet really fun to drive. Our FWD model reminded us of the first gen Focus in its predictable, nimble handing and FWD competence.

Gearbox: ***
Unfortunately the four-pot and manual transmission are not available on the MKZ as they are with the Fusion, but the six-speed automatic mated to the 3.5 liter V6 isn't too shabby. Yes it makes it a bit more of an old man's car, but it's snappy with the upshifts, downshifts in the manumatic mode are somewhat okay and in general it's as transparent as a modern autobox could hope to be.

Audio: ***
The sound system is suited for the car, it does everything you ask in relative competence without making you feel like there's any undue effort required. It's clear when you want clarity, booming when you want bass, easily tuned, the satellite radio system works flawlessly when you get tired of the contents of the in-dash CD changer.

Toys: *****
We've yet to find a better all-around toybox than that offered by Ford. Their optional navigation/satellite radio/Sirius Travelink/Sync system makes systems on cars costing tens of thousands more seem years behind. That has nothing to do with this being a Lincoln, that's just the Ford system in general. Of course it also comes with the de rigeur superfluous backup camera, heated and cooled seats, iPod hookup through USB and aux in.

Value: **
As we mentioned yesterday, the MKZ lives in the $34k to the $42K price range, which buys you an awful lot of car elsewhere. We'd have a hard time picking one of these over the cheaper and larger 2010 Ford Taurus.

Overall: ***
The MKZ is a solid improvement over the previous version. It wears better styling, noteworthy improvements inside and under the hood and it's generally a nice car to live with, but so are its competitors. The MKZ is one of the few cars we were genuinely sad to see leave the driveway, if only for its competence, decent fuel economy, brilliantly executed technology and lack of annoying foibles, but we're not sure we'd feel the same way if we'd paid for it. As a marker on the path to the reborn Lincoln, it points in the right direction. Bottom line is, this car makes a great Ford and a nice, though questionably priced, Lincoln. Nice, unfortunately, will not cut it in this segment.

Also see:
• 2010 Lincoln MKZ: Part One

We're at the time of year when school is out, every teenager who's going to get a high school diploma has done so and they're either getting started with an embryonic career or waiting till the fall and the start of college. They've all been deemed proficient in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic, but let's be perfectly honest, they're not prepared for the real world in any noteworthy way. A college graduate, as soused as they may be when they pick up their sheepskin, has been put through a different type of wringer, more strenuous, more focused on something useful to society. Well, unless they majored in communications.

For Lincoln, a brand struggling to find its place in the world for quite a long time, the 2006 MKZ represented a basic level of competency in the entry luxury segment. It made all the right moves: leather, navigation, shiny chrome, et cetera, but it didn't really have what it took to make it against the competition. It was your basic high-schooler setting out to take on the world. It was okay, but for the price it was a a tall order. Now it's 2010. It's gone to college, matured a bit and is more comfortable in its role, but that doesn't means it's not still wet behind the ears.

The MKZ adopts styling fully realized on the MKS and MKT. On those vehicles its bold and polarizing and, let's be honest here, if the brand wants to make waves in the lux market and leave its old-man-and-the-car image behind, Lincoln has to be bold. On the MKZ, the styling wears a bit awkwardly. Not quite as jaunty as the sportier Fusion, not as serious as the MKS. It's a car whose looks are highly dependent on color. It's spectacular in pearl white, a little funny looking in green or brown. The optional satin finish wheels go a long way to make the car play in the big-boy leagues. If you get past the baleen grille, it's quite handsome in proportion, and the rear has a far more finished appearance than the original.

When the rubber hits the road, the MKZ fits perfectly into the segment, its 3.5 liter V6 and six-speed automatic provide smooth power delivery which is not for want. As with its Ford Fusion platform mate we're not talking drag strip stunner, but in a straight line the car will accelerate to 60 MPH in 7.0 seconds, which is pretty respectable. At freeway speeds the car is dead silent, dangerously silent actually. It's not uncommon to look towards the instrument cluster only to find thoroughly illegal speeds. The ride is a good balance between comfortably soaking up road imperfections and providing flat enough cornering to raise the pulse of any mid-level manager who buys this car.

As with any car in this segment, the primary focus of the car is the interior. Leather seating comes in everything from a sedate black to a snazzy white-on-black contrasting mix which looks extremely nice. French stitching classes up the joint while adding a bit of durability for the long term. If there's one thing Ford products show mastery in, it's the electronic gadgetry. The MKZ comes with Sync, Sirius Travelink, aux inputs, MP3 integration, hands-free phone operation, heated and cooled front seats and other various goodies. The good news is all that "base" tech is invisible if you have no use for it and flawless in operation if you do. As far as electro-doo-dads, Ford really does have its ducks in a row.

It all sounds pretty good doesn't it? A mid-size sedan with comfy seating, well-executed features, decent power delivery and segment targeted handling, but here's the dubious part: assembly quality. This is always the terrible balance in evaluating press cars. With a couple thousand miles on the clock, the possibility of serious abuse at the hands of fellow hacks is definitely real and we have to balance it against what we see in the rest of the car. Most cars get a pass at small imperfections, but the MKZ just had too many issues to ignore. The hood didn't align properly at the cowl, the bumper cover continually popped out of flush just below the headlights on both sides after rough pavement driving and the ignition didn't even come close to lining up with the surrounding plastic. They're outliers on an otherwise extremely well assembled car, but we're leery of dismissing these issues as abuse related. Judge for yourselves at the dealer if you're so inclined.

For sure, Ford sent the MKZ to a mid-level private school where it made high marks. It's part of a more competent Lincoln as of late, one attempting to move up in its class, make a name for itself rather than just coasting along with a C-. If you've got your heart set on a Ford product, we'd be hard pressed to recommend it against the newly-minted Taurus as the MKZ starts at $34,240, and a well appointed one enters Taurus SHO territory at $37,255. Otherwise, there may be better options out in the marketplace than this.

You might notice that there's no Vanishing Point Challenger, no Two Lane Blacktop '55 Chevy or GTO, no Road Warrior Falcon, no French Connection Pontiac LeMans, and so on; you can go anywhere to find those admittedly deserving machines in a Top Movie Cars list… but you're in for something a little different when your Rambler clanks into my drive-in!

Fee Waybill's 1968 Plymouth Sport Satellite
Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, 1981. Just look at this evil '68 Satellite, driven by the character played by Tubes mastermind Fee Waybill in the nearly-forgotten punk classic starring Diane Lane.
Stacey Keach's 1972 AMC Matador
Up In Smoke, 1978. Some folks might try to tell you that Cheech's '64 Impala is the automotive star of this all-time Malaise Era classic, but those same guys will sell you a bag of "Acapulco Gold" that turns out to be oregano. Sergeant Stedenko's unmarked Kenosha sedan, take a bow!
Isaac Hayes' Cadillac Fleetwood
Escape From New York, 1981. An apocalyptic Caddy with chandeliers on the fenders, in jail, being driven across a mine-studded bridge by Isaac Hayes? Why the hell didn't Cadillac issue a chandelier-equipped Escape From New York Edition Cadillac?
Barbara Stanwyck's 1937 LaSalle
Double Indemnity, 1944. It's taking all my willpower to avoid stacking this list with nothing but film noir cars- for example, the cop '49 Ford stalking Sterling Hayden in the opening sequence of Asphalt Jungle- but there's no way we can neglect this LaSalle, which features in the greatest post-murder-victim-body-dump 'car won't start' sequence in cinema history.
Robert Mitchum's 1950 Ford
Thunder Road, 1958. That ol' dope-smoking Bob Mitchum won't let the '57 Chevy-drivin' revenoors catch his triple-carbed Ford, no way! You'll get some nice closeup shots of the triple-carbed overhead-valve Ford V8 in this excellent car movie.
All 250 Vehicles In The Final Sequence Of Used Cars
Used Cars, 1980. The greatest Malaise Era movie of all time! You'll see everything from an early Bronco to a Fiat 128 burning rubber in the final ten minutes of this Kurt Russell classic.
Mel Gibson's 1994 Chevrolet Caprice
Conspiracy Theory, 1997. A movie in which Crazy Mel delivers the line "It's time someone lifted the festering scab that is the Vatican" is already starting off on the right foot, but his awesomely evil Caprice cab sets a new standard for scary movie taxis.
Harvey Keitel's 1972 Imperial LeBaron
Mean Streets, 1973. What do low-level mob associates drive in Early Malaise New York City? Exactly. Spoiler: this car doesn't get a happy ending.
Reese Witherspoon's 1967 Dodge Coronet Wagon
Freeway, 1996. This movie features cynicism galore, a nightmarish Danny Elfman soundtrack, Brooke Shields sticking a gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger… and this beautifully wretched Coronet wagon, the crapping out of which starts Witherspoon's character on her Red Riding Hood-esque adventures. Murilee says check it out!
Bette Davis' 1947 Lincoln
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane, 1962. Yeah, so I like my movies dark and cynical- you got a problem with that? Davis' character, Baby Jane Hudson, uses this reminder-of-past-glory luxury machine to haul her crippled sister to her death on the Santa Monica beach.
Ronald Reagan's 1959 Ford
The Killers, 1964. Man, imagine having an actor become governor of California! Watching The Great Communicator- in this case, playing a criminal mastermind plotting a mail-truck heist- hoon this gigantic boxy Ford down a dirt road while wearing the same exact suit he wore as President… well, I'm shopping for '59 Fords now!
Dick Rude's 1976 Toyota Corolla
Repo Man, 1984. I'm going to go on record stating that Repo Man is the Greatest Car Movie Of All Time, and that choosing one car to honor in this list was quite difficult. I've read the screenplay many times, and it's telling that Alex Cox specified the exact year, make, and model of every car to be used in the film (and, in most cases, those are the cars that were used during the production). The red Eldorado? The Government Agents' Matador? The Malibu? I'm going to give the honor to the "get sushi and not pay" gang's very punk Toyota… and that reminds me that I've committed a grievous mistake by omitting the Torino from Suburbia in this list. Well, next one!
John Lurie's 1965 Dodge Coronet 440
Stranger Than Paradise, 1984. What's the best possible car for a pair of small-time gamblers to drive from New York to Cleveland to Florida during the winter in 1984? Jim Jarmusch knows!
Rodney Dangerfield's 1966 Mulliner Park Ward Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III
Caddyshack, 1980. What car best epitomizes bad taste and conspicuous consumption, Middle Malaise Era style? Sure, a Zimmer might have worked just as well, but a Mulliner Park Ward Silver Cloud is just as horrifying and ten times as expensive!
Matt Dillon's 1965 Cadillac Fleetwood
Drugstore Cowboy, 1990. When you're ripping off drugstores for that good pharmaceutical-grade junk during the Nixon Era in the Pacific Northwest, there's no better ride.
Billy Bob Thornton's 1940 Dodge Coupe
The Man Who Wasn't There, 2001. Of all the Coen Brothers' films- which show excellent taste in vehicular selection- I settled on this one as my favorite. Tough choice, and I almost went with the '85 Cutlass Ciera in Fargo, or the detective's Beetle in Blood Simple.
Roger Sloman's Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
Nuts In May, 1976. This annoying little car is so perfectly suited to Sloman's fingernails-on-chalkboard character that it's impossible to imagine him driving anything else.
Gloria Swanson's Isotta-Fraschini
Sunset Boulevard, 1950. Wicker bodywork. Leopard skin upholstery. 800 feet total length. Best of all, a golden telephone to speak to the driver!
Burt Reynolds' 1972 Citroën SM
The Longest Yard, 1974. A drunk-driven SM being chased by Malaise Era Mopars, with Burt Reynolds at the wheel and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio. Enough said!
Ömer Simsek's Opel Manta
Manta, Manta, 1991. As any longtime Jalopnik reader knows, we have a sick love for the Opel Manta, otherwise known as "the German Camaro." Here's one of the many, many gorgeous Mantas from the German film Manta, Manta.
Image source: Automobilsport

Let those effete snobs in Europe sneer at our Brougham Editions, faux heraldic crests, and acres of rich pleather upholstery- we know they're secretly envious! With that in mind, here are the Eldorados, Continentals, Electras, Imperials, and all the other multi-ton classic American luxury machines we've seen so far. When you're done here, be sure to check out the non-Big Three Americans, the Germans, and the wagons of the 450 DOTS Celebration.

1937 Cadillac	1956 Imperial	1956 Lincoln	1957 Chrysler	1960 Cadillac	1960 Cadillac
1962 Chrysler	1964 Imperial	1966 Lincoln	1966 Cadillac	1967 Imperial	1969 Cadillac
1969 Cadillac	1969 Cadillac	1969 Lincoln	1969 Cadillac	1970 Cadillac	1970 Lincoln
1971 Imperial	1971 Buick	1972 Lincoln	1973 Buick	1973 Buick	1974 Buick
1976 Cadillac	1977 Cadillac	1977 Lincoln	1978 Cadillac	1979 Cadillac	1984 Cadillac

The 1995 Lincoln Sentinel concept was originally first up for auction back in April, when O.C. Welch Ford Lincoln-Mercury in Hardeeville, South Carolina tried to unload it from their personal collection for $80,000. With a foul-mouthed economy the concept didn't sell the first time around which drastically lowered the buy-it-now price by $31,500.

Unfortunately the car for auction isn't a full runner, rather a non-functional rolling chassis with a waterline interior (industry speak for an exterior only model), but regardless of its inability to be driven, you can still have quite a bit of fun adding this to your collection. (Hat Tip To Josh!)

Check out the Ebay auction HERE.

[Ebay Motors]

We're happy to add Mr. Gray's shots to Jalopnik Car Photography Canon, which includes the work of such photographers as Dave Glass, Martin Taylor, Andrew Bush, Troy Paiva, and Paul Novak. Here's what Mr. Gray has to say about his American Cars project:

As the project grew, I realized I was approaching the parked cars in the same way a photographer would shoot a portrait. Whether gleaming and restored, or beat-up and deteriorating, each car had its own character and story. The American landscape serving as backdrop is also part of the story of these cars, which were mostly produced here in the U.S. before the decline of Detroit's big automotive companies. I photographed the cars as I found them, using mostly medium format cameras, as well as some large format and digital cameras.

[Kevin Gray Photography, Order prints from Etsy]

One would have to be a better approximator of wheel diamaters than I to precisely state the size of its multi-dubs, but let’s just call them boop boop a doobs for the time being.

The Navigator is parked on Clapton Road in the London borough of Hackney, which became famous in the early 00’s as the most crime-ridden street in the United Kingdom. Taking the baton of Murder Mile from Ledra Street in Cyprus, the locale is described in an Observer article from April 2001:

Many of the Clapton Road shootings have stood out because of the levels of ruthlessness and brutality involved. Gunmen have pursued their victims in broad daylight, finishing them off at point blank range in front of streets packed with witnesses.

‘The bodies were still in the car up until midday,’ said one shopkeeper who asked not to be named.

There hulks the big Linc, menacing in the harsh light of a flash fired off at night. And nope, it did not have a handicapped permit on display.

Photo Credit: Máté Petrány

In addition to the most expensive to insure list, the folks at Insure.com put together this list of the least expensive cars to insure. Come join us on this journey to find out what makes these econo-boxes so damn cheap to own that it'd almost be a crime to not consider them for your next purchase. Almost.

[via thecarconnection, edmunds, insure.com]

20.) Dodge Grand Caravan

Price: $22,725
Cost To Insure: $960
Curb Weight: 4321 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.3 liter V6
HP: 175
TQ: 205

Driver Stereotype: Soccer Mom

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The ability to blend into the suburban landscape has allowed the Grand Caravan to slip seamlessly to and from soccer games, the grocery store and at times, Mexican border crossings without detection.

19.) Chevrolet Impala
Price: $23,790
Cost To Insure: $959
Curb Weight: 3555 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 211
TQ: 214

Driver Stereotype: Vanilla ice cream-favoring used car salesmen

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Sharing its appearance with multitudes of non-descript cop cars causes the surrounding public to drive very, very carefully around the Impala lessening the likelihood for any direct accidents and adding to the overall value of driver safety.

18.) Mazda B-Series Truck
Price: $16,060
Cost To Insure: $957
Curb Weight: 2999 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.3 liter inline-four
HP: 143
TQ: 154

Driver Stereotype: Has poor credit

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Based on the long-in-the-tooth Ford Ranger, the B-Series Truck shows its age with strong, virtually unbreakable bones.

17.) Lincoln Town Car
Price: $46,385
Cost To Insure: $955
Curb Weight: 4345 lbs
Engine Displacement: 4.6 liter V8
HP: 239
TQ: 287

Driver Stereotype: Mafia fat cats

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Carefully driven due to multiple dead bodies in the trunk, the Town Car rarely sees an insurance claim except for the frequent bloody interior replacement. Typically these are burned to the ground near the docks without much concern for an insurance claim.

16.) Suzuki Forenza
Price: $11,134
Cost To Insure: $954
Curb Weight: 2756 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 127
TQ: 131

Driver Stereotype: Molly Maid employee

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Not much can happen to a car when it spends the majority of its life sitting outside of large Hollywood mansions all day.

15.) Honda Accord
Price: $20,905
Cost To Insure: $951
Curb Weight: 3230 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter inline-four
HP: 177
TQ: 161

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Toyota

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The sedate Accord lulls drivers to a meditative state causing perfect driving habits and extreme awareness, lessening any sort of slip ups.

14.) Jeep Wrangler
Price: $20,710
Cost To Insure: $939
Curb Weight: 3782 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 202
TQ: 237

Driver Stereotype: Obnoxious Dave Matthews Band-listening, bandanna-wearing frat boys

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Wrangler was specifically built for douchebag frat boys and therefore features a virtually indestructible body and chassis making repairs all but non-existent.

13.) VW Passat
Price: $28,300
Cost To Insure: $936
Curb Weight: 3344 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 200
TQ: 207

Driver Stereotype: Grown Dub boys

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Considering the Passat never moves due to repetitive electrical problems it is never put in harms way, allowing for a much lower insurance premium.

12.) Mazda Mazda5
Price: $17,995
Cost To Insure: $929
Curb Weight: 3417 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.3 liter inline-four
HP: 153
TQ: 148

Driver Stereotype: MX-5 driver's family car

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Typically driven by MX-5 drivers when they've got their kids in toe, the Zoom, Zoom nature of the Mazda5 allows for quick maneuvers to escape from the rest of the crazy drivers out there.

11.) Scion xB
Price: $15,750
Cost To Insure: $881
Curb Weight: 3020 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter turbo inline-four
HP: 158
TQ: 162

Driver Stereotype: E-tards

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The typical driver of a Scion xB never really leaves the rave, instead spends hours upon hours upon delicious hours licking the glass repeating, "The snozberries taste like snozberries."

10.) Chrysler Town & Country
Price: $26,355
Cost To Insure: $871
Curb Weight: 4387 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 244
TQ: 240

Driver Stereotype: Self fulfilling prophecy

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: A perceived level of luxury is exhibited by the typical Town & Country driver, causing them to drive even more carefully back and forth from their kids Montessori schools and cricket matches. See Caravan to see the lesser of the ChryCo minivan driver's habits.

9.) Mazda Tribute
Price: $19,730
Cost To Insure: $913
Curb Weight: 3276 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.5 liter inline-four
HP: 171
TQ: 171

Driver Stereotype: I haz no care for Zoom, Zoom

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Tribute drivers lurk quietly in traffic with hardly anyone ever taking notice, not even enough to ram them from behind.

8.) Saturn Vue
Price: $23,280
Cost To Insure: $911
Curb Weight: 3689 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter inline-four
HP: 169
TQ: 161

Driver Stereotype: I'm a new kind of car company

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Brought over as the Saturn version of the Opel Antara, most people avoid the Vue with the expectation that the Euro-wannabe driver won't speak English causing an annoying, pain-in-the-ass insurance swap.

7.) Smart ForTwo
Price: $11,990
Cost To Insure: $881
Curb Weight: 2315 lbs
Engine Displacement: 1.0 liter inline-three
HP: 70
TQ: 68

Driver Stereotype: Tries to out-smug a Prius driver

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Like the annoying fly that you just can't swat and kill, the ForTwo manages to avoid all conflict by being small and zippy, plus nobody seems to want manslaughter charges for when the driver gets squashed after a 10 mph accident.

6.) Honda Odyssey
Price: $26,355
Cost To Insure: $871
Curb Weight: 4387 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 244
TQ: 240

Driver Stereotype: Does not drive for the thrill of driving

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Odyssey drivers are busy reaching around and smacking the shit out of their kids, leaving very little time for accidents, so they generally avoid them.

5.) Kia Rio5
Price: $13,325
Cost To Insure: $870
Curb Weight: 2438 lbs
Engine Displacement: 1.6 liter inline-four
HP: 110
TQ: 107

Driver Stereotype: Typically doesn't care about cars

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Rio5 is so ugly that most drivers avoid any physical contact with them in fear that some of the ugly will rub off. Score one for Kia.

4.) Kia Sedona
Price: $21,245
Cost To Insure: $857
Curb Weight: 4365 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 250
TQ: 253

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Odyssey

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: This thing is so boring that they should have named it the Kia Sedative. It rarely leaves the driveway unless absolutely necessary, dramatically reducing its potential for road carnage.

3.) Hyundai Entourage
Price: $23,995
Cost To Insure: $848
Curb Weight: 4400 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 250
TQ: 253

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Odyssey/Sedona

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Should be renamed to Hyundai Ento...zzzzz. See Kia Sedona.

2.) Kia Sportage
Price: $16,695
Cost To Insure: $840
Curb Weight: 3230 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 140
TQ: 136

Driver Stereotype: High school band geek

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Typically the Sportage is doing exactly the opposite of what its name implies, instead it spends its life carting tubas and other brass instruments between Mom's house and band practice which coincidentally is just down the street. Also, the lack of party invites virtually eliminates any sort of under-the-influence driving.

1.) Hyundai Santa Fe
Price: $21,695
Cost To Insure: $832
Curb Weight: 3727 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.7 liter V6
HP: 185
TQ: 183

Driver Stereotype: Not concerned with brand image

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Santa Fe, while having an unbelievably ridiculous name, is actually quite attractive limiting surrounding driver's desire to crash repeatedly into it. For complete opposite, see Kia Rio5.

If ever there was a Lincoln we could call "hot rod, " this is it, but not in the way you might imagine. The MKS with EcoBoost boasts the same interior refinement and space, amenities and electronic wizardry, pleasant road manners and a price point starting at $47,760 — about ten grand more than the base MKS, but only about $4,000 more than an equivalently-optioned non-EcoBoost MKS. For that added price, you'll get some tasteful upgrades to the already handsome exterior with a subtle lip spoiler at the back, smoked headlights, a chin spoiler and nice wheels.

That sweet twin-turbo V6 moves this thing off the line like a scalded monkey and the transmission stays out of your way when you want it to. The first time you smash the happy pedal and get that whoosh of power you know this is a velvet hammer. Accelerating all the way up to the car's tire-limited 135 MPH top speed is effortless, with the engine providing no hint of protest. Loping along at that speed, burning fossil fuels at 9.5 MPG, it feels planted, with the only drama of speed communicated through the windows. Even at this speed, it's silent as a coffin and steady as a rock. But when you then start exploring the other car's other limits, your brow begins to furl.

Toss it hard into a sweeping corner and accelerate, it's balanced with a hint of understeer, but while the tires aren't protesting the chassis is. It feels... unsettled. You feel as if you're about to oversteer even if the car's understeering. Drop down from a panic stop and the ABS calibration is absolutely perfect, no pulsation, no loss of traction and you're stopping so hard the car leaves behind two perfect tire tracks and a breeze of sublimated rubber blows by as you come to a halt. But the pedal is mushy, there's no real feel in it and the travel before it engages is too long.

We really wanted this car to be an 550i fighter, but it isn't. It's a very big car with a very bad-ass engine which doesn't quite tackle corners with the aplomb we'd like. Don't get us wrong here, it does everything very well. The powertrain is perfect for the segment — fast when you want it fast, quiet when you want it to be quiet and loud when you want it to be loud. It tackles corners respectably and the brakes do their thing, but it doesn't feel right. The MKS is super fun in a straight line, and delightful in the corners to about 80%, but after that it gets spooky, and that final 20% is what makes legends. Which this MKS sadly isn't. But, what it does mean is there's hope that the Taurus SHO and the expected lower weight, suspension tuning and 10 more ponies we'll be seeing later this year will show us the final 20% we're looking for.

The new MKT presents us with a tremendous decision to make. We're bound by the car-guy creed to hate all things "crossover" and love all things "awesome wagon," so naturally the MKT, like the Ford Flex upon which it's based, makes it difficult to draw a bead on where our preformed opinions should lie. We like the Flex, but the combination of too-small back seats and a relatively dear pricetag make it a tough proposition as a middle-class family standard. The MKT has its sights firmly set on a higher class of customer.

The MKT ups the fancy quotient in a number of ways, first and foremost is the inclusion of Ford's much anticipated TwinForce EcoBoost twin-turbocharged direct-injection V6, the same high-end motor in the Lincoln MKS and the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and hopefully in everything else Ford makes pretty soon. It offers better fuel economy, a mesa-flat torque curve and a much higher hell-yeah quotient than the base model 3.7 Duratec which we found profoundly adequate and nothing more.

The other avenue of differentiation is the styling, it's received a thorough revision inside and out. Since Lincoln is Ford's top-shelf brand, the car is predictably pulling from the parts bin marked "expensive." The body has so far been one of the most controversial pieces of the MKT. As opposed to the Flex's super-sized Mini Clubman form, the MKT goes about things with the nose coined on the MKS flowing to a bustle-back hiney. We'll be the first to say the shape doesn't translate well to photography. We like it, but we like wagons. The front is perhaps the toughest part to get on-board with, it's a little buck toothed, but it's handsome in person, try it in white.

The interior will be less polarizing. The various woods are flawless, the gadget load is heavy and the leather is supple. Other cars offer all the stuff this Lincoln does, but not all at once and definitely not with the same level of integration with the flowing shapes. It's gadget-heavy with Sirius Travelink, Bluetooth, power-whatever-you-want, acres of skylight, heated and cooled seats front and rear and the list goes on.The second row is akin to any first class airliner, especially with the optional mini-fridge/freezer. If there's any chink in the MKT's armor it's a third row that's still too small. Legroom isn't so much the problem as it is headroom. At six feet tall, I found the ceiling to be about six inches too low. We will say the other amenities are top notch all the way back, not like some three-rows (we're looking at you, Mercedes R-Class).

But what about the drive? What about that EcoBoost? We have good news to report. This thing is a rocketship. The MKT launches hard off the line and you're bumping up against the 120 MPH speed limiter before you can say "EcoBooooooooooost!" It's been a long wait to get behind the wheel of an EcoBoosted car and the MKT was a strange pick for first ride, but man, this engine is a gem. Zero turbo lag. None. Instant power at any RPM as the torque curve basically goes flat from 800 RPM all the way to 5500 RPM, this thing is a monster of a V6. In cruise control at 65 MPH we observed about 24 MPG, which is pretty standard V6 performance, but keep in mind this is producing a very V8-like 355 HP. It'll also run happily on 87 octane because of the direct injection. We do have one complaint to make to Ford though. Where did you put the turbo whine? You have two turbos so there should be twice as much of that zesty whistle, and yet there is none. So sad.

When you're talking great engines from domestic automakers, they usually get paired with stinkers for transmissions. Not so here. The MKT gets a brand new six speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters actually capable of doing their job as advertised. Pop it into manual mode and you hit the rev limiter and the gear selection stays put, not to say it's lightning fast on the change once you do tell it to swap cogs, but it is acceptable.

We hit the twisty stuff at Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds and, by golly, the MKT actually handles. Well even. Drop it into manual mode, pop it in third and it drives like it isn't a huge crossover. Even plowing it through rough roads and heaves the car is well behaved. Body roll and wheel control are surprisingly good, jounce and rebound are damped for a nice mix of smooth ride, and good road feedback. We might even say this traditional suspension is better behaved than GM's active system in the 2010 Cadillac SRX. And did we mention the EcoBoost? It powers the 4,924 lb car out of corners with real urge

With a price point somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 to $55,000 and a well equipped model coming in around $50k, it's placed pretty well in the luxury crossover/three-row SUV market. The MKT will also be available with the standard 3.7 liter V6, but there's no reason to buy it, the EcoBoost is worth the extra $3,005. So we're back to the initial problem, is it a crossover or a wagon? We're going to declare the Lincoln MKT a wagon, because doing so makes it okay to daydream about the torque curve and the fantastic interior. Now excuse us, we need to draw little hearts in our notebooks around the EcoBoost logo.

A few weeks ago we took a jaunt out to Mobsteel's Brighton, Michigan shop where they do all of their design, fabrication, and paint work. We met with their boss-man, Adam Genei, to shoot the breeze and talk hot-rod-Lincolns. Unfortunately we visited during the week ahead of Autorama, so there weren't many customer cars on the floor and the cars they did have were getting the spit shine in anticipation of the show. Mobsteel specializes in building menacing hot-rodded Lincoln Continentals out of whatever good chassis they can find. The suicide door Continentals are a car with few peers in the badass, vintage luxo-barge category, so it's not much of a stretch to give them some attitude.

The cars are given a complete soda blasting and any rusty cancer is replaced with panels from donor cars or hand fabricated pieces, The engines are completely rebuilt or replaced for reliability and given a significant massage in the horsepower department. Each car is made to order and the customer decides, suspension setups, interior design, audio equipement and exterior design details, everything gets sketched out and mocked up, then tossed into the waiting car. All of the work is strictly kept clean though wtih original equipment quality, and above all made intimidating. You come to Mobsteel to buy their kind of car, not a flamed and tubbed machine built for flash.

Perhaps more fun than the lustworthy Lincolns floating around were the other personal project cars and junk these guys had hanging around. They were in the midst of cleaning up their bagged and suicide-doored, blacked out, customized Ford Flex which we've seen lurking around Ford exhibits at recent auto shows. They've also got some personal projects floating around like an old Chevy Panel van with the original 300 CI straight six which fired up as if new and a mega-cheap flat track Yamaha being pieced back together. The van is due for a full customization and we were discussing paint themes for it, maybe something with clowns and balloons and ice cream. Maybe some ice-cream truck music.

Out back they've got a little Lincoln junkyard which they use when they need replacement parts, that dark blue '63 runs like a champ and will apparently do some pretty impressive burnouts. We're talking about a shop specializing in Lincolns here, but these loons run a dead stock blue and wood-panel Ford Country Squire they bought for $500 as their shop car — the dual-opening rear end still works flawlessly. That alone earns massive Jalopnik points.

Sure, Mobsteel is a business like any other, but talking to the guys working there and seeing the what they do, it's as much about the joy of creating something awesome as it is making money. Let's just say we walked away doing some thinking about our own project cars.

When we saw a F—-, L—-—-, or M—-—- roll up into the BS Inspection area, we'd cover the corporate emblems with special "REDACTED" stickers. That way, the F—- M—-- C—-—- doesn't have its image damaged by the hoopty machinery on the track! And, yes, that's an IRS-equipped L—-—- M—- V—- you're seeing.
Things are about to get pretty crazy here and I can't promise many live updates for a while, so check out this site for some live race coverage!