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Months in fleet: three
Miles to date: 8978inline_mediumwraptextright31468371/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1001_2010_audi_q5_32_january_update0911_04_z+2010_audi_q5_3_2+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The truly cool thing about internal combustion engines is there's always another creative way to skin the power/efficiency/emissions cat. Fiat's Multiair technology is a prime example. Even though variable valve timing (VVT) was first used here thirty years ago (by Alfa Romeo), Fiat engineers invented a clever twist on the idea which is already in production for Europe and will surely be used future Chrysler engines.inline_mediumwraptextright32058999/features/news/1001_fiats_multiair_engine1001_01_z+fiat+multiair_engine.jpgTrue

I drew Lincoln's flagship when I requested something, anything, with all wheels driving to get me through an impending storm. I foolishly drove the MKS into the teeth of a Michigan snow squall to attend a Cadillac-LaSalle Club meeting in a town an hour away. Much to my chagrin, this car ate up the slippery pavement and wriggled its way through slow-moving traffic as if it were equipped with spiked treads. Actually, it was equipped with ordinary all-season radials instead of the real winter tires that are most appropriate for our crappy weather. While accelerating from stoplights and while cruising at the speed limit, this car demonstrated impeccable traction and stability. During heavy throttle indulgences, the 355-hp EcoBoost V-6 causes the front wheels to hunt and peck for the right path, but that's a minor fault considering the adverse circumstances I encountered. On several occasions, it struck me that a return to Colorado's Loveland Pass in the dead of winter would be the real acid test for the MKS (see 6versus8.com). With EcoBoost eliminating the loss of power attributable to altitude and an all-wheel-drive system where the front wheels do most of the work, I think this car climbing a snow-covered mountain might finally overcome BMW's 5-series (even one optioned up with awd).inline_mediumwraptextright32131146/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_lincoln_mks_ecoboost1001_01_z+2010_lincoln_mKS_ecoBoost+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue