The 3.5-liter V6 engine puts out 265 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. Floor the throttle and the six-speed automatic makes the best of the power for lively acceleration, despite the MKX’s 4420-lb. curb weight. The engine is on the loud side, with a sound that is several notches below this vehicle’s $44,000 asking price. The transmission’s six gears mesh well with the engine’s powerband, but there is no manual shift function, just an anachronistic overdrive on/off switch. It also takes its own sweet time downshifting, occasionally getting so confused in a power-on, power-off, power-on situation that it rolled in neutral for a second or so while the drivetrain computer decided what gear it should be in.