2011 Lincoln MKX – First Drive Review « New and Used Car Listings

2011 Lincoln MKX – First Drive Review

We’ll forgive you for not believing us, but there are signs of life at Lincoln. First came the MKT, which, no matter your opinion on the boattailed exterior styling, proved the brand could do a decent interior. Next was the MKZ hybrid, which builds on its roots as the excellent gas-electric Fusion with a healthy dose of value and actual luxury. Now there’s the heavily revised 2011 MKX, a crossover that takes many of those vehicles’ best attributes and stirs in bleeding-edge technology. (Yes, these are still clearly rebadged Fords, but note that we said signs of life. We’ll have to wait until the next generation of Lincoln products, which we’re told are going to be more distinct, to see if the brand will ever fully regain its long-lost mojo. Baby steps.)

Elegant Inside and Out

Although the MKX was Lincoln’s first-ever crossover when it launched for 2007, its conservative, heritage-inspired interior and exterior styling—and matching driving dynamics—made it feel dated right from the git-go and failed in any meaningful way to set it apart from its cheaper Ford Edge twin. Fortunately, Lincoln received the “retro is so retro” memo in time for the 2011 mid-cycle freshening, which involved replacing or revising most of the exterior bits. Lincoln’s brash grille makes a statement up front, and the pretty, split LED taillamps look great at the rear. The redesign is successful not only because it looks good but also because it gives the MKX an identity.

A similarly drastic renovation awaits inside, with the biggest news being the first application of MyLincoln Touch, a screen-based info, audio, climate, and navigation network that does away with traditional-style buttons. In their place are touch-sensitive center-stack controls, as well as a pair of five-way switches on the steering-wheel spokes that each control a corresponding 4.2-inch LCD to the left and right of the big speedometer.

Having already used the virtually identical MyFord Touch system in the 2011 Edge, we found MyLincoln Touch to be pretty familiar. The little nubs and finger sliders Lincoln uses in place of button knobs are novel, but they do require more attention to use than conventional buttons; it’s hard to operate the system on feel alone, although muscle memory will make things easier for owners. We also wondered how the controls would function while wearing gloves and managed to test them out with racing gloves—perhaps the only time racing gloves will be worn in an MKX, ever—and, to our surprise, they worked. Well, most of the time. Expect lots of extra button touches if you live in colder climes.

It’s good, then, that MyLincoln Touch also responds to any of 10,000-plus voice commands. The driver can also use the right-side thumb controls on the steering wheel to control audio, nav, phone, and climate-control settings via the right LCD. (The left screen displays trip and vehicle information or a tachometer graphic.) It seems all the bases were covered, which is good because the 2011 MKX won’t be available without MyLincoln Touch. The SD-card-based navigation system, however, will be optional.

There is more to the interior redesign than the fancy center stack, and it all adds up to a pleasant place to spend time. The new dash and door panels show off classy stitching, and the glove-soft heated-and-cooled leather seats are available with contrasting piping. Genuine wood trim is offered in light or dark varieties, and real aluminum is available as an alternative. The cheap, sparkly plastic that Lincoln loved so much has been banished, as have most sources of interior noise. The MKX is seriously quiet even at speed, the better to hear the optional 14-speaker THX II sound system.

Competent but Not Particularly Fun

The MKX is improved dynamically, although it’s hardly a poor man’s Porsche Cayenne. A 40-hp boost comes from swapping last year’s 3.5-liter V-6 for a 3.7-liter unit with dual variable camshaft phasing and a true dual exhaust. It’s the same engine found in the 2011 Ford Edge Sport, and it mates to a six-speed automatic in both vehicles. With 305 hp at 6500 rpm—the engine gets rather vocal up there—and 280 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, the MKX now scoots with more zeal. Even with the 3.7’s higher output, fuel economy remains at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway for all-wheel-drive examples; front-wheel-drive models improve on their 2010 city and highway ratings by 1 mpg, now achieving 19/26.

In contrast to the Edge Sport with which it shares its engine, the MKX chassis setup favors luxury over sportiness. But the Lincoln’s steering and braking systems have taken and passed communications classes, delivering some idea of what’s going on. The ride quality is comfortable, too, even with the optional 20-inch wheels and their low-profile rubber. Another nod to the Lincoln’s cosseting nature: Where the Edge Sport offers paddle shifters to effect manual gearchanges, the MKX has only a rocker switch on the gear-selector lever.