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2007 Ford Edge by Bengt Halvorson
(10/30/2006)
Ford builds a bridge between the Country Squire and Mustang.
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Unique,
handsome styling; smooth-sounding engine.

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Tranny lacks
manumatic control; no third-row option.

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Lincoln
badge adds little to the experience — for now.
You need utility, but a
new upscale SUV seems stale, done, “so 1996.” So you’re probably shopping for a
ritzy crossover vehicle then, something like a Lexus RX or a Nissan Murano —
something front- or all-wheel-driven, something
with nice luxury touches, something not too expensive.
Add
Lincoln to the list, while you’re at it,
because the new MKX takes on those crossovers with a dash of American style
covering a well-conceived cabin, a strong powertrain, and good road manners.
It’s in some ways identical to the new Ford Edge — mechanically similar, mostly
— but in terms of style, it’s a cut above.
The mid-size MKX is Lincoln’s first crossover.
It replaces the Ford Explorer-based Aviator, which never sold well and as
TheCarConnection said, looked too much like the larger Lincoln Navigator. The
MKX joins the also-new MKZ sedan and ’07 Navigator as an integral part of
Lincoln’s
three-pronged strategy to get back into the thick of the luxury-car catfight for
customers — a fight it’s been sitting on the sidelines of for at least the past
couple of years.
The MKX is a much more appealing vehicle than the
gussied-up Explorer/Aviator ever was. It offers five-passenger seating, a
standard 265-horsepower V-6 (among the most powerful in this price and class; it
also runs on regular 87 octane unleaded), a six-speed automatic transmission and
a dramatic, panorama-style Vista Roof. It comes in either front- or all-wheel
drive, just like its target competitors from Lexus and Nissan.