Lincoln has always been renowned in the automobile industry, as a manufacturer who takes the ultimate pride in the vehicles they put on the road. The 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is no exception. And at a starting MSRP price of $34,755, this luxury hybrid sedan isn’t completely out of reach. For those who are more interested in leasing a vehicle, this beauty can be obtained for $414/month, for two years, with $4,622 due when you sign the contract. Overall, while it’s not exactly the cheapest car on the market, you certainly get what you pay for, as the saying goes.

Think of the cost you’ll save just from driving around town in a new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. Able to get a wallet-saving 41 MPG in-town and 36 on the highway, this hybrid is sure to please all consumers. The 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is best-in-class in-city fuel economy, even beating out the Lexus HS250 Hybrid by 6 MPG. Not only does the MKZ Hybrid get great gas mileage, but it can also run for 700 miles between fill-ups. Compare that with the 500 miles between fill-ups of the Lexus HS250 Hybrid and it’s clear to see, that when it comes to overall fuel-economy, the MKZ Hybrid has the competitors beat.

Most hybrid vehicles have a top speed of 25 – 30 MPH when solely in electric running mode. However, the engineers at Lincoln have left the competitors in the dust once again, by engineering the MKZ Hybrid to have a top speed of 47 MPH in electric mode. This ensures that when you’re in those 35 and 45 MPH zones in-town, you won’t have to consume gas. All you’ll have to do is plug your car back in once you get home.

The engine under the hood likely won’t win you any drag races, but, as has already been said, it sure makes for great fuel economy. The 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is built with a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder hybrid engine and a Continuously Variable Transmission and a dual-overhead camshaft.

Inside the cabin, consumers have the choice of 3 different color schemes for the leather and wood standard trim. The seats are leather and are available in cashmere, dark charcoal and light camel. The leather, made by Bridge of Weir, is lavishly elegant, as well as environmentally friendly. The driver and front passenger seats are not only power-adjusted, but are both heated and cooled, for those hot summer days when the sun can tend to make the leather quite hot. The real wood, is also eco-friendly, and was harvested from sustained forests preordained for this type of use. Consumers have choices of wood from walnut swirl or olive ash. The SmartGuage with EcoGuide mounted behind the steering wheel shows the driver exactly how “green” their fuel consumption is. Two LCD screens on either side of the speedometer show your fuel economy in a very creative way. When you’re short-term, in-town driving is doing the best in terms of fuel consumption, vines and leaves on the right screen grow. When your long-term and highway fuel economy is at its best, flowers grow on the left screen. Lincoln also included a reverse sensing system, that tells you with a series of beeps when the rear of the car is approaching another object. As the beeps get closer together, the car is getting closer to the object. Overall, even the reviewers had great things to say about the interior of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, saying it has great technology and “infotainment,” comfortable seats and a great overall feel when behind the wheel.

What the reviewers didn’t like, was that for the price you pay, the feel of the overall drive, doesn’t feel top-notch or premium. However, depending on your specific needs, an optional sports suspension and all-wheel drive packages are also available. Overall, the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is competent, reliable, slightly pricey and very fuel-efficient. The best way to decide for yourself is to go drive one today.