2018 Lincoln MKX Review

Name: 2018 Lincoln MKX Review
Brand: Lincoln
Price: 15985 USD

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Edmunds' Expert Review

byTravis Langness^{Reviews Editor
Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.}

Pros

Quiet interior with spacious rear seating
Comfortable ride quality
A lot of features for the money
Strong turbocharged V6 engine option

Cons

Thick roof pillars and a small rear window impair rear visibility
Interior quality isn't as high as that of many European rivals

What’s new

The MKX is unchanged for the 2018 model year.

Vehicle overview

Shopping for a luxury crossover SUV? You might like the 2018 MKX. Lincoln redesigned the MKX a few years ago with an eye toward quality and luxury. It offers a quiet interior and a lot of features for a respectable price.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2018 Lincoln MKX Premiere 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$204/mo

$196/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

The MKX is related to the Ford Edge SUV. There are many similarities, but overall we like how Lincoln has upped the MKX's luxury credentials. It's quiet on the highway, the seats are very comfortable, and the suspension ably soaks up bumps and ruts. Essentially, the 2018 Lincoln MKX checks all the luxury SUV boxes.

It's true that European SUVs have more prestige attached to them. But if you're looking for a high-class way to transport your family, the MKX is a solid pick.

Notably, we picked the Lincoln MKX as one of Edmunds' Best Used Luxury SUVs for 2018.

Edmunds' Expert Rating

7.6 / 10

Trim tested

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2016 Lincoln MKX Black Label (turbo 2.7L V6 | 6-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Lincoln MKX has received a few minor revisions, including the upgrade to the newer, far better Sync 3 infotainment system. Overall, our findings remain broadly applicable.

Scorecard

Overall	7.6 / 10
Driving	8.0
Comfort	8.0
Interior	7.0
Utility	7.5

Driving

8.0

The optional turbocharged engine gives the MKX impressive acceleration. While it isn't the fastest of its group, you'll appreciate the power up an on-ramp. Our test vehicle had optional performance-oriented tires that helped improve braking and handling results.

Acceleration

7.5

The optional twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 makes the MKX one of the most powerful vehicles in the segment. It may feel fast, but its 5.9-second 0-60 mph acceleration isn't quicker than other performance-minded competitors.

Braking

7.0

The MKX returned consistent emergency braking stopping distances during testing with no detectable pedal fade or odor. The front exhibits only minor nosedive, and stopping power is easy to modulate through the brake pedal for routine driving.

Steering

7.0

The grip from optional performance-orientated all-season tires imparts agility and accuracy back through the steering wheel. It builds effort naturally right off center. But road feedback is nonexistent.

Handling

7.5

The optional performance tires on our tester do their job well, allowing the MKX to turn harder and faster than you'd expect. Stability control intervenes smoothly, making this SUV feel composed and confident on curvy roads.

Drivability

9.5

This SUV feels powerful and smooth. Controlling the gas pedal is rewarding, and low-speed gear changes are nearly imperceptible. Adaptive cruise control smartly slows the MKX down and can be easily changed to nonadaptive mode, too.

Off-road

6.5

While available with all-wheel drive, the MKX has tight clearances that limit its off-road ability. Drivers can't lock the power split between axles, and hill start and downhill assist features are not available.

Comfort

8.0

The MKX delivers what you'd expect from a compact luxury SUV, provided you option it. The front seats offer massage, heating, ventilation and multiple adjustments. The ride is well-controlled despite the large-diameter wheels, and the cabin stays quiet in town and on the freeway.

Seat comfort

8.5

Soft front seats limit long-distance fatigue, while heating and cooling functions work quickly. Wide-ranging adjustments in the optional seats fit different body types.

Ride comfort

8.0

The MKX's ride quality is balanced between firm and soft. You'll feel bumps, but it's never harsh.

Noise & vibration

7.5

The cabin mutes wind, tire and road noise to a minimum. The V6 is quiet around town, but it lets itself be heard when you're accelerating up to freeway speeds.

Interior

7.0

The MKX is pretty easy to get in and see out of, and front and rear legroom is spacious. But headroom is only average, and the driving position could be better.

Ease of use

6.5

Minor annoyances add up and hurt the luxury experience. Your elbows sit at slightly different distances and heights, and the button-style gear shifter just isn't as convenient to use as a traditional lever or stalk.

Getting in/getting out

8.5

A tall roof, large door openings and narrow door sills mean there are few obstructions while getting in or out. The seats are at a just-right height so you can slide right in.

Roominess

7.0

Headroom is segment competitive until you order the panoramic sunroof. It cuts rear headroom to the point where passengers of average height will brush their hair against the roof. Front and rear legroom is spacious.

Visibility

7.0

A tall seating position and large windows make it easy to see your surroundings. A standard rearview camera and the optional 360-degree camera aid parking.

Quality

6.5

The Black Label interior trims add a premium feel, but our tester exhibited some quality issues that were decidedly unexpected in a luxury car: The sunroof creaked over driveways, and foam on the driver seat worked itself free of its cover.

Utility

7.5

Cargo capacity is better than most. The interior has numerous cubbies and storage options, including a deep center console. A cubby with a USB port has a cover to secure items when parked.

2018 Lincoln MKX models

The 2018 Lincoln MKX is a five-passenger crossover SUV. It comes in four trim levels: Premiere, Select, Reserve and Black Label. Feature content grows as you work your way up the trim-level ladder, but the MKX has a decent amount of equipment at the base level.

All MKX models come standard with a 3.7-liter V6 (303 horsepower, 278 pound-feet of torque) paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard as well, with all-wheel drive optional. A turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 (335 hp, 380 lb-ft of torque) is an optional upgrade offered on all four trims.

Standard equipment highlights for the Premiere trim level include adaptive suspension dampers (all-wheel-drive models only), 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights, remote engine start, keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, simulated leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, 60/40-split second-row seat with power-folding seatbacks, driver-seat memory functions and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Standard interior tech includes Lincoln's Sync 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, two USB ports, and a 10-speaker audio system with a CD player and satellite radio.

The Select model adds LED daytime running lights, power-folding side mirrors (with driver-side auto-dimming), a hands-free liftgate, leather upholstery and a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel.

A couple of optional packages available for the Select are worth considering. The optional Select Plus package adds a navigation system plus blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems. The Climate package adds heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic windshield wipers and automatic high beams.

The Reserve trim level adds 20-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, mobile app compatibility and the contents of the Select Plus package.

Finally, the Black Label variant builds upon the Reserve's features with trim-specific 20-inch wheels, LED headlights, upgraded leather upholstery, rear parking sensors, a simulated-suede headliner, the contents of the Climate package and a 19-speaker Revel Ultima surround-sound audio system with HD radio. Each Black Label MKX gets a choice of three design themes (Indulgence, Modern Heritage and Thoroughbred), each of which alters the trim and the color of the upholstery, headliner and carpeting. This trim also grants access to Lincoln's Black Label program, which offers vehicle maintenance, detailing and some travel perks.

The Reserve and Black Label versions offer several separate packages, including Technology (front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system and automated parallel parking), Driver Assistance (adaptive cruise control, adaptive steering, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning and mitigation) and Luxury (adaptive LED headlights and the Revel Ultima audio system).

Stand-alone options include 21-inch wheels, 22-way-adjustable front seats, a trailer tow package, a 13-speaker Revel audio system (Select and Reserve), inflatable rear seat belts, and a rear-seat video entertainment system with dual displays.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4/5Above Average

#6 out of 29 among Luxury Midsize SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Lincoln MKX from 2008-2022.}

$489/yr

vs. $602/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

1.04x/yr

vs. 1.09x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

9.5%

vs. 9.4%
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2018 Lincoln MKX.

5 (62%)

4 (12%)

3 (8%)

2 (4%)

1 (14%)

4.1

47 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

Love this vehicle

Chris A, 04/19/2018

2018 Lincoln MKX Premiere 4dr SUV AWD (3.7L 6cyl 6A)

Overall, I'm 6 months in and love this vehicle! The quietness of the interior, performance, people/cargo hauling capability, park-ability, fuel economy (24 hwy), and beautiful lines are all a treat. I'm biased maybe, but I really like how this vehicle looks. The lines are simple, unique, elegant. That and the size is just perfect, being easy to park, yet taking 4 people in roomy …

2017 Lincoln MKX is a winner

JohnC, 04/11/2017

2017 Lincoln MKX Select 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6A)

I purchased a 2017 Lincoln MKX a week ago and it surely is a pleasure to drive. It has all the safety features including backup camera, warning on cars in other lanes, collision alert, and even will call 911 if the airbags deploy. Since it is push button start and push button transmission a lot of space was made available for storage between the front seats including two "pass thru" …

Buying American better than ever

dldibona@gmail.com, 12/12/2017

2017 Lincoln MKX Black Label 4dr SUV AWD (3.7L 6cyl 6A)

For the last 15 years we had Acura MDX's. Very disappointed with the Acura Dealer's arrogance and decided to look at other manufactures. The Lincoln Dealer listened to what we wanted and the MKX has everything we wanted. Great ride, performance, sound system, cargo space and styling. Excellent interface with the car and driver. Aggressive lease rates and an excellent warranty. We leased …

2017 MKX is a awesome ride! I highly recommend!

Peter G, 08/01/2017

2017 Lincoln MKX Reserve 4dr SUV AWD (3.7L 6cyl 6A)

I looked all the SUV's from entry level to top level from all brands. This included , Acura, VW, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Subaru, Lexus, Toyota, Nisan, Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Honda, etc.. None of them had the the full package at this price point. The technology, ride, luxury and performance. Some were close, like the new 2018 Audi. There are some really aggressive rebates and pricing so don't pay …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Lincoln MKX, so we've included reviews for other years of the MKX since its last redesign.

See all 47 reviews of the Lincoln MKX

Write a vehicle review

2018 MKX Highlights

Trim:

Premiere

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$39,035
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	20 MPG
Cost to Drive	$204/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	37.2 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the MKX models:

Forward Collision Mitigation: Alerts the driver to a potential forward collision and can automatically apply the brakes.
Blind-Spot Monitoring: Warns of vehicles in the driver's blind spots. Combined with rear cross-traffic alert.
MyKey: Limits certain parameters for secondary drivers through a programmable key system.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover15.4%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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