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2007 Lincoln MKX First Drive

Lincoln enters a hotly contested market with a cool new crossover

AS
by Autobytel Staff
February 21, 2007
7 min. Reading Time
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Lincoln MKX -- First Drive: The all-new 2007 Lincoln MKX crossover SUV made its strongest impression in the dark. The misty neon blue interior illumination was an unexpected surprise as we drove through a series of daylight-challenged tunnels and through fog and rain along the high-elevation Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s a small thing, but in a field packed with stiff competition, small things matter. The market is packed with crossovers like the MKX, which offer car-like ride and handling to consumers who need a large, all-weather multipurpose vehicle, but don’t want the truck-like feel and thirsty engines in traditional SUVs. The MKX brings classy styling and a solid dose of modern luxury at competitive price for today’s business-class market.

The Basics: Origins

Ford and its Lincoln division are banking heavily on the rapidly expanding crossover utility segment, which the company predicts will represent some 3 million vehicles by 2010. The 2007 Lincoln MKX is aimed at the heart of the luxury end of this growing marketplace. It is a derivative of the Ford Fusion platform, which itself is derived from the current Mazda6 sedan. This vehicle architecture was designed to accommodate both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Not surprisingly, the MKX offers upmarket style and trim compared to the Ford Edge – essentially the same vehicle in a non-luxury version – and is designed as a competitor against vehicles like the Lexus RX 350 and other luxury crossovers.

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The Basics: Model Mix

The 2007 Lincoln MKX comes in two trims, FWD and AWD, both powered by a 265-horsepower V6 connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. Major standard equipment includes leather upholstery, eight-way power driver and front passenger seats with lumbar, a six-speaker six-CD audio system, automatic headlights, fog lamps, and a comprehensive airbag system (front, front side-impact, curtains). The Ultimate Package features items such as adaptive headlights, ten-way power front seat adjustment with heating and cooling, driver seat/mirror memory, a power liftgate, reverse sensors and power folding second row seats. The Elite package groups a panoramic sun roof, DVD navigation, and a THX-certified sound system with SIRIUS satellite radio. Standalone options include a rear DVD entertainment system, rear heated seats and a trailer package.

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The Basics: Pricing

Front-wheel-drive versions of the 2007 Lincoln MKX start at $34,795, while AWD models sticker for $36,445. Both prices include a $675 destination charge. The Ultimate Package adds $1,995, while the Elite package adds $4,795 to the sticker. Note that the Elite and Ultimate options packages are separate; the Elite doesn’t include the features of the Ultimate, even though it’s priced higher. The rear-seat DVD entertainment system is a standalone option that goes for $1,295. Other options include the heated rear seats for $295, the trailer package for $295, and roof rails for $95, and a rear cargo management system for $65.

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What’s New: Outside

Short overhangs and pronounced wheel wells like those on the MKX can make a mid-sized model appear too stubby and aggressive, but this new Lincoln’s styling is graceful. A precisely rendered mesh chrome waterfall grille expands across the nose, framed by rectangular, exotic looking headlights. The same linear continuity exists at the rear, where a wrap-around taillight panel with high-visibility LEDs is accented with brushed-satin trim. The high beltline is accentuated by a sliver of chrome trim, and chrome adorns the top of the outside mirrors. The “utility vehicle” message is driven home with large wheel wells, an elevated ride height and bold wheel styling.

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What’s New: Inside

Designers sought relaxed elegance for the layout of the 2007 Lincoln MKX interior. Thick dash pad materials, heavier side glass and other sound-deadening materials keep noise levels down to luxury levels. The rectilinear center stack is cleanly executed and looks great, although the switchgear is unfortunately standard-issue Ford. The large center console includes an optional power point and auxiliary input jack for MP3 players. Heating and cooling is available for the front seats, as are heaters for the rear seats. The second row can also be ordered with a power folding mechanism, and can recline up to 15 degrees. Cargo capacity behind the second row is 32.6 cu. ft., expanding to 67.8 cu. ft. with the seats folded.

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What’s New: Under the Hood

The only engine available for the 2007 Lincoln MKX is a 3.5-liter V6 backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. The automatic shifts smoothly, but lacks a manual shift function, something many of its competitors offer. Its 265 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque drives the front wheels standard, with all-wheel drive an option. The fully independent suspension uses a MacPherson strut setup in front and a four-link configuration out back. Behind the 18-inch aluminum wheels and 245/60R-18 tires are four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS. Traction control with roll stability control is standard equipment on all Lincoln MKX models, supplementing the available AWD hardware. Tire pressure monitoring is also standard.

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What’s New: Safety and Technology

In addition to the usual array of airbags, anti-lock brakes and stability control, the 2007 Lincoln MKX features other safety devices, such as standard tire pressure monitoring. Optional adaptive front headlights are linked to steering inputs, “turning” around corners with the vehicle and illuminating up to 36 more feet of roadway than conventional headlights, according to Lincoln. DVD-based navigation is trilingual, providing voice directions in English, Spanish or French. The rear DVD entertainment includes an eight-inch flip down screen or, in models with the panoramic sunroof, screens in the back of the front headrests. The available 600-watt 14-speaker audio system comes with THX II-certification. The MKX also has four power points and an MP3 audio jack.

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Driving: Test Car, Location

We drove an all-wheel drive version of the 2007 Lincoln MKX on a 150-mile route that included some city and freeway driving, but was highlighted by a long stretch on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenery is breathtaking, with seemingly endless forests astride the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. The route also included a portion called The Dragon’s Tail, an 11-mile long tract of single-lane tarmac with 312 turns. The low-light visibility, as well as the narrow and winding shoulderless road gave us a perfect opportunity to experience the MKX’s adaptive headlamps, to power through tight corners at speed, and subject this new model to hard braking.

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Driving: Performance

The 2007 Lincoln MKX has plenty of power and torque to move its two-plus tons, and meets its mission with a sweet exhaust note that stays in the background except under hard throttle. The engine and transmission are identical to the Ford Edge, and the shift points and shift quality are generally the same. The MKX is a little heavier than the Edge, so it’s marginally slower, although you’d need a stopwatch to tell the difference. Since the transmission lacks a manual sport-shift control, so we just slid the shift lever through its gate and used the low gear to add engine braking to the competent four-wheel anti-lock discs.

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Driving: Ride and Handling

The 2007 Lincoln MKX handles like a mid-sized, car-based luxury crossover should. While the MKX and the Ford Edge share basic architecture, the luxury version has been tuned to have slightly lighter steering, and to give passengers a cushier ride. Still, the steering was plenty crisp, and the ride was by no means floaty. The front suspension subframe is mounted with hydraulic bushings to isolate vibrations. In the rear, compact stamped steel control arms and monotube shocks are mounted outboard and behind the wheel center to improve ride and handling. Traveling on rain-slicked and leaf-littered roads, we experienced nary a skid or slip thanks to the all-wheel drive system, which transfers torque front-to-rear and side-to-side before traction is lost.

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