When it comes to stepping up Lincoln, the brand has spent its entire time in existence being considered a brand that attempts to pass off Ford models with new badging on them. This has been all too familiar in the past several years, but with the new desires of the brand to stand out away from Ford several of the models have been remade to offer their own version of a great vehicle even if they share a platform with some of the Ford models we are used to seeing.
So far we have the Ford Fusion which is the basis for the Lincoln MKZ, the Ford Expedition which spurned the Lincoln Navigator, the Ford Escape which is the twin of the Lincoln MKC and now the Ford Edge which is the basis for the all new Lincoln MKX. While the Edge has its own version of greatness on the market, the MKX offers its own style and characteristics to set it apart from its platform twin.
What does the MKX offer that the Edge doesn’t? The Edge is made to be sporty, the MKX is a smooth luxury ride that gives you a place you want to spend more time and carry the entire family. This cabin is actually looked at as a living room on wheels to be a comfortable location for you to relax and enjoy the ride. Whether you love the 22-way power adjustable heated and cooled seats that are cushy and covered in leather or you enjoy the wood trim and contrasting colors that make this an elegant and sophisticated interior, there is going to be at least one comfort feature you enjoy on this SUV. Even the rear passengers enjoy seat heaters in this SUV and have plenty of legroom which is the result of Lincoln being smart enough to keep this at a five-passenger setup.
The seating is not all that will impress you with the MKX, there is also a panorama vista roof, a 19-speaker audio system, the SYNC with MyLincoln Touch system that brings in a navigation system, controls the audio and offers the features to control the climate and your phone. One interesting note is the lack of a shifter; the transmission is controlled with a push button that is just to the left of the center screen, leaving more space for cupholders and a storage area in the center console space.
Given the choice, the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine is the better of the two to choose. The other offering is a 3.7-liter V6. The smaller one gives you 335 horsepower which is 32 more than the larger one and 380 lb.-ft. of torque which is an impressive 100 more than the standard 3.7-liter engine. The fuel mileage is better with the EcoBoost engine as well as both will offer 17 mpg city/26 hwy but when equipped with AWD the EcoBoost wins out by only one mpg. This alone makes the EcoBoost engine the right choice, if it fits in your budget for the MKX.
As far as luxury SUVs stand, this MKX is the most luxurious model with this name so far. The powertrains are impressive and improved over previous models which puts this SUV now in direct competition with real luxury brands such as Lexus and Acura. No longer relegated to be a small step up over Ford, the Lincoln MKX could be the vehicle that carries the brand forward to be in line with the luxury models on the market. This new SUV is one you should consider for your own, especially if you like the size of the Ford Edge but want more luxury and features than the Edge can offer you.
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