Lincoln Mkz Hybrid

Reporting from Sacramento -- The "Bordeaux red" 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, with heated leather seats and a $39,975 price tag, wasn't intended to be an airport taxi. Taxpayers bought the car last year to serve as state Sen. Sam Blakeslee's full-time ride - a perk granted to California lawmakers at public expense. But the San Luis Obispo Republican soon had a change of heart. With many Californians hurting during a tough economy, his office tried to cancel the request. According to state records and interviews, the local dealership scoffed.

Lincoln is several weeks away from introducing its all-new MKZ sedan, which means you can expect bits of information to begin trickling out now. Like today. Ford's luxo-nameplate announced Monday morning that the hybrid version of the 2013 MKZ had been rated by the EPA at 45 mpg in the city, highway and combined. This should come as no surprise as the car the MKZ is largely based on, the 2013 Ford Fusion, was recently rated at 47 mpg across the board. This mpg rating means the MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury car available and is a much-needed arrow for Lincoln's quiver in its fight against Lexus.

Lincoln is several weeks away from introducing its all-new MKZ sedan, which means you can expect bits of information to begin trickling out now. Like today. Ford's luxo-nameplate announced Monday morning that the hybrid version of the 2013 MKZ had been rated by the EPA at 45 mpg in the city, highway and combined. This should come as no surprise as the car the MKZ is largely based on, the 2013 Ford Fusion, was recently rated at 47 mpg across the board. This mpg rating means the MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury car available and is a much-needed arrow for Lincoln's quiver in its fight against Lexus.

Reporting from Sacramento -- The "Bordeaux red" 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, with heated leather seats and a $39,975 price tag, wasn't intended to be an airport taxi. Taxpayers bought the car last year to serve as state Sen. Sam Blakeslee's full-time ride - a perk granted to California lawmakers at public expense. But the San Luis Obispo Republican soon had a change of heart. With many Californians hurting during a tough economy, his office tried to cancel the request. According to state records and interviews, the local dealership scoffed.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Base price: $35,180 Price as tested: $40,875 Powertrain: Sequential multiport electronic fuel injection, Duratec 2.5-liter DOHC, 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine, permanent magnet AC synchronous motor, electronically controlled CVT Maximum horsepower: 156 at 6,000 rpm Maximum torque: 136 pound-feet at 2,250 rpm Curb weight: 3,752 pounds Fuel economy ...

Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are producing the best hybrid vehicles, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. In its annual review of vehicles that run on gasoline and electricity, the organization ranked the Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion hybrid and Honda Civic hybrid as the top vehicles in the non-luxury segment of the market. The nonprofit group rated the Lincoln MKZ hybrid, built by Ford, and the Lexus CT 200h, a Toyota product, as the top luxury models. The rankings are based on a combination of fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions and the number of so-called options that buyers are forced to purchase when buying a hybrid version of a vehicle as opposed to how the standard gasoline model is sold.

Reporting from Sacramento -- Republican state Sen. Sam Blakeslee said Friday that he had reached into his own pocket to buy the luxury SUV originally purchased with public funds for his official use, including the commute between Sacramento and his San Luis Obispo district. After ordering the $39,975 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid with heated leather seats — one of the most expensive choices by a senator during these tough economic times, it turned out — Blakeslee apparently suffered buyer's remorse and wanted to drive something more modest.  But the dealership wouldn't take the car back.  So the Senate Rules Committee got stuck with the vehicle, using it as a high-end taxi to shuttle lawmakers to and from the airport.  A quick resale was ruled out because, like all new vehicles, the Lincoln lost a considerable amount of value as soon as it was driven off the lot. "To ensure a responsible resolution and no cost to the taxpayer, Blakeslee has personally bought the car from Senate Rules at the original purchase price," his spokeswoman, Erin Shaw, wrote in an email to The Times on Friday.

Cadillac, the upscale General Motors Co. brand, plans to come out with a luxury electric compact car — based on the decidedly blue-collar Chevrolet Volt. GM said Wednesday that the Cadillac ELR will use a drivetrain similar to what it developed for the Chevrolet Volt, which will enable the new model to travel some distance on only electricity before a gas motor kicks in to act as a generator and extend the vehicle's range. Such a system is known as a series plug-in hybrid vehicle, but others, including GM, call it an extended-range electric vehicle.

Driving eco is often equated with sacrifice ? smaller cars with higher price tags that trumpet under-the-hood efficiencies and skimp on in-the-cabin pampering. Efficient as they are, hybrids are the vegans of the automotive world. FOR THE RECORD: Auto review: A review of the 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid in the Nov. 4 Business section said that only one other luxury sedan hybrid exists: the Lexus HS 250h. There are other luxury sedan hybrids from Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. ? With its 2011 MKZ Hybrid, Lincoln aims to change that popular perception.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Base price: $35,180 Price as tested: $40,875 Powertrain: Sequential multiport electronic fuel injection, Duratec 2.5-liter DOHC, 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine, permanent magnet AC synchronous motor, electronically controlled CVT Maximum horsepower: 156 at 6,000 rpm Maximum torque: 136 pound-feet at 2,250 rpm Curb weight: 3,752 pounds Fuel economy ...