2010 Lincoln MKT Quality Review

The 2010 Lincoln MKT marks a return to true luxury for the Lincoln brand, but reviews read by TheCarConnection.com still find fault with the interior layout of the MKT Lincoln.

The MKT Lincoln is the first ever three-row crossover from Ford's luxury division, and Cars.com reports that it arrives "with seating for up to seven people." The MKT Lincoln's standard layout will be "front bucket seats, a second-row bench seat and a two-person third row," according to Cars.com, but The New York Times asserts that "buyers can forgo the three-place second-row bench seat for an optional two-bucket layout with heated and cooled cushions." Up front, the 2010 Lincoln MKT offers extraordinarily comfortable seating, and Autoblog reviewers declare that the "seats are...outstanding, with nice, long lower cushions that provide excellent thigh support." Car and Driver characterizes the MKT Lincoln's seats as "cushy but not particularly supportive-it is a cruiser, after all." The middle row of the 2010 Lincoln MKT is a pretty comfortable place to cruise; Cars.com says it offers "lots of legroom and comfortable seats." Unfortunately, the two-place third row is another story entirely; The New York Times laments the fact that the MKT Lincoln features "a sloping roof at the rear that sharply limits third-row headroom, essentially rendering it a kiddie zone." Other reviews read by TheCarConnection.com unanimously agree, and one Jalopnik reviewer gripes that, "at six feet tall, I found the ceiling to be about six inches too low." The 2010 Lincoln MKT isn't the best people-mover on the market, but the seating for front and second-row passengers is well above average.

As a versatile wagon-like crossover, the 2010 Lincoln MKT offers quite a bit of usable storage space. Once again, the MKT Lincoln isn't the class leader, but it is certainly competitive. Cars.com reviewers break out the rulers and calculate that "the MKT has 17.9 cubic feet of cargo room," while folding the third row gets you "39.6 cubic feet of space." Edmunds reviewers head for the comparison book, pitting the 2010 Lincoln MKT against the Buick Enclave; the latter "has a bit more cargo space," as the MKT "checks in with 76 cubic feet of total capacity."

You could point to a lot of features and styling elements that help justify the 2010 Lincoln MKT's base price, but reviews read by TheCarConnection.com almost invariably turn to the top-notch interior materials. Cars.com feels that "the improvement in terms of materials quality when compared to the two-row MKX crossover is dramatic," and Edmunds raves that whichever trim level you choose, "you can expect stylish design and top-quality materials." Car and Driver reviewers don't even have a production-ready model, yet they still find that "build quality [seemed] very good, and the materials, from the Scottish leather and genuine wood trim to the soft-touch plastics, feel competitive in the segment."

Another aspect of the MKT Lincoln that helps add to its aura of luxury is the eerily quiet and isolated interior. Reviewers from nearly every publication surveyed by TheCarConnection.com mention the hushed noise levels, and Autoblog says occupants can "cruise in comfort at speeds well beyond 100 mph" while maintaining normal conversation levels. Car and Driver calls the interior of the 2010 Lincoln MKT "serenely quiet, even at triple-digit speeds, thanks to heaps of sound deadening," and The New York Times simply deems the MKT Lincoln "uncannily quiet."