Beneath the Lincoln MKT's somewhat controversial exterior styling, you'll find a highly accommodating and luxurious people mover. The interior seats six or seven in a three-row cocoon of supreme comfort. You'll find a choice of two well-regarded V6 engines and available all-wheel drive.
What's New for 2014
On the heels of styling tweaks to the 2013 model that included a redesigned grille and fascia, the only changes for 2014 models are new exterior colors and some rearranging of package options.
Choosing Your Lincoln MKT
The Lincoln MKT comes loaded with features including leather seating in the first and second rows, tri-zone climate control, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, a rearview camera, and a power tailgate.
With a power-operated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and adjustable pedals, it's easy for drivers to find a good fit. Audio entertainment is provided by a 10-speaker AM/FM/CD/aux system controlled via the touch-based Sync system and 8-inch screen.
The immediate choice for buyers is between two trim levels defined by their engine of choice:
EcoBoost
The EcoBoost uses a smaller but more powerful twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 with 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. It can hustle the MKT from zero to 60 mph in less than seven seconds. It earns EPA ratings of 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. All EcoBoost models come with all-wheel drive.
Although luxuriously outfitted even in base form, an MKT can get even more luxurious with options like a heated steering wheel, refrigerated console, navigation, THX II audio, a dual-screen DVD rear-seat entertainment system, second-row bucket seats, and power-folding third-row seats.
Safety and driving-oriented options include adaptive cruise control, active park assist, lane-keeping assist, a blind-spot monitoring system, and inflatable seat belts in the second row.
The EcoBoost isn't much more expensive than the Base MKT, so we'll take its performance enhancements even if it does cost us one or two mpg at the gas pump.