2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Road Test Video

2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Dec 16, 2009

3:13 min

The 2010 Lincoln MKT with Ecoboost seems born for success. After all, it's heavily based on a vehicle that Inside Line has praised time and again – the 2010 Ford Flex, a winner of an Inside Line Editors' Most Wanted Award.

The MKT rides on the same chassis as the Flex, with a 117.9-inch wheelbase. It gets its power from the same 375-horsepower, twin-turbo, direct-injection EcoBoost V6. It also posts an identical EPA fuel-economy rating of 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

But the MKT does differ from the Flex in certain respects.  And it's these differences that cause the Lincoln to stumble.  

The Lincoln features a more steeply raked windshield and a more sloping roof than its Ford sibling. These changes help give it a more sophisticated look, but unfortunately, they have a negative impact on functionality.  

The raked windshield moves the front seat farther back, while the sloping roofline and hatch demands the third-row seat be moved farther forward. The necessary scrunching chops away a full 2.5 inches of middle-seat legroom relative to the Flex.

Unlike the Flex, the rearmost seat of the Lincoln MKT is decidedly a kids-only proposition, surely a mistake in a car that’s too expensive for most families.

Cargo space feels the pinch too, but only to the tune of an 8 to 10 percent loss, as the MKT retains the Flex’s ingenious fold-flat split third seat. Maximum capacity drops from 83.2 to 75.9 cubic feet, which is still reasonably good. The space available when all seats are in use drops from 20 to 17.9 cubes.

Then there's the nav system. It's standard on the Flex Limited, but on the MKT, it's available only as part of a $4,000 package.  

The MKT has a few things going for it. Sprinting from zero to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, it's a tenth quicker than the last boosted Flex that we tested. It also has options that aren't available on the Flex, such as adaptive cruise control and a blind-spot warning system.

And although it’s available on the Flex as well, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the MKT’s excellent self-park system. It’s easy to use and is likely to prevent scraped bumpers.

Overall, though, it's hard to recommend the Lincoln MKT over the top-of-the-line Flex Limited. It costs $7,000 more, ($11,000 more if you want Navi) yet doesn't measure up when it comes to functionality. What it comes down to is the badge and the styling. You’re paying to say you drive a Lincoln instead of a Ford.

Inside Line would like to say you’re getting more car for your considerably boosted sum of money when you sign up for the MKT. But the undeniable fact is that the 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost isn’t as desirable or functional as our relaxed and happy friend, the Ford Flex.