2010 Lincoln MKT Review and Prices

Styling: The 2010 Lincoln MKT is a taffy-pull of a wagon, with a body at least six inches longer than any crossover competitor’s. It’s five inches longer than the Ford Flex, but has the same wheelbase. That span between front and rear axles largely determines a vehicle’s interior roominess. This one is long enough to furnish limo-like first- and second-row seating, but not quite long enough to make the third-row really adult-friendly. Among rivals, only the R-Class does that. “Crossover” describes a car-based vehicle with SUV attributes, but Lincoln doesn’t interpret that to mean the MKT must have high ground clearance. Instead, the MKT elevates the driver’s eye point above most traffic, but doesn’t make entering and exiting a chore or, vitally, have the high center of gravity that makes many SUVs feel top-heavy in turns.
The MKT ladles on Lincoln’s latest styling cues: a split “waterfall” grille, beveled shoulder lines, and full-width horizontal tail lamps. A rear-fender kick-up adds distinction, but can’t reduce the back end’s visual mass. Inside, things are modern yet sophisticated. The instruments have a cut crystal look and white LED lighting. Real stitching enriches the standard leather upholstery. The center console begins with a thin slanted panel – a la Volvo -- and flows through the second row as part of the six-passenger setup, which uses second-row buckets instead of the seven-passenger arrangement’s bench.       

Mechanical: The 2010 MKT shares its engines and basic engineering with the Ford Flex, though the Lincoln gets more sound-deadening material and a suspension tuned for ride isolation. Two MKT versions are offered. The “base” model comes with a 268-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 and either front-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive (AWD) designed to enhance on-road traction. AWD is standard on the uplevel model. This one has Ford’s new EcoBoost V-6, a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter with 355 horsepower. Lincoln says the EcoBoost delivers V-8 power with V-6 fuel economy. Both engines use a six-speed automatic transmission with manual gear selection via steering-wheel paddles.                

Features: A big portion of the MKT’s ceiling is glass, either dual stationary panels or optional power sliding panes. Heated second-row seats are standard; the optional buckets are cooled, too, and have a power lumbar adjustment and a power fold-down feature. Also available are rear footrests, a refrigerated second-row center console, and DVD entertainment with seven-inch screens in the front headrests (source playback is individual or simultaneous). Other features include sensors to warn of unseen vehicles either in adjacent traffic lanes (Ford’s Blind Spot Information System) or approaching from the sides when backing out of a mall parking space. Hands-free parallel parking is possible with Ford’s optional Active Park Assist. It uses ultra-sonic sensors to automatically steer the MKT into an on-street parking space while coaching the driver through conventional throttle and brake inputs. The available adaptive cruise control maintains a set distance from other traffic and includes a system designed to stop the MKT before it rear-ends another vehicle at low speeds.