2017 Lincoln MKT Review

Item: 2017 Lincoln MKT
Author: Edmunds

“The Lincoln MKT has some appealing qualities, but a dated design dulls its overall appeal.”

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by Brent Romans

Edmunds Editor

Edmunds expert review

The 2017 Lincoln MKT is a solid option for consumers shopping for a six- or seven-passenger luxury crossover or wagon. It comes with plenty of upscale features, and its available turbocharged V6 delivers potent acceleration. But the MKT's dated design limits its overall appeal.

Lincoln's MKT is related to the Ford Flex, and both vehicles have been around for many years now without a full redesign. As such, the MKT's cabin doesn't look particularly rich or upscale compared to what you'll find in fresher rivals. The MKT's angled rear window also puts the squeeze on headroom and the amount of gear you can carry behind the seats. Overall, we think you'll be happier with some other rival three-row luxury crossovers, but if you're mainly interested in getting a well-equipped and reasonably priced crossover, the MKT will likely satisfy.

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What's new for 2017

The 2017 Lincoln MKT is unchanged.

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Trim levels & features

The 2017 Lincoln MKT is a large luxury crossover wagon with three rows of seats. It's offered in two trim levels: MKT and MKT with EcoBoost. Seven-passenger seating is standard, but optional second-row captain's chairs reduce capacity to six. The base MKT has a 3.7-liter V6 (303 horsepower, 278 pound-feet of torque), and the MKT EcoBoost gets a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 (365 hp, 350 lb-ft of torque). We like the added power of the EcoBoost, but either way you'll be getting plenty of standard features.

The base MKT, which is front-wheel-drive only, comes with features such as 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive xenon headlights, automatic wipers, keyless ignition and entry, remote engine start, a fixed glass sunroof, rear parking sensors, a power liftgate and a rearview camera. Inside, you'll find tri-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power front seats, heated 60/40-split folding second-row seats (outboard only), 50/50-split folding third-row seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, driver-seat memory settings and retractable manual second-row sunshades. Technology features include the Sync 3 infotainment system, an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone app integration, and a 10-speaker sound system.

The MKT EcoBoost trim level is equipped similarly but adds adaptive suspension dampers and standard all-wheel drive.

With the EcoBoost, you can also add extra optional features. We recommend the optional Elite package, which provides a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, power-folding third-row seats (including a tailgate seating feature), a heated steering wheel, a navigation system and a 14-speaker premium audio system. The optional Technology package (available only in combination with the Elite package) includes adaptive cruise control, a forward collision warning system, a lane departure warning/intervention system and an automatic parallel-parking assist system.

Stand-alone options for the EcoBoost model include 20-inch wheels, heated and ventilated sliding second-row captain's chairs (reducing capacity from seven to six passengers), a second-row refrigerator console (between the captain's chairs), a panoramic sunroof (power) and a rear-seat entertainment system.

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Driving

The base MKT's acceleration is underwhelming. We prefer the stronger power and more buttoned-down feel of the MKT EcoBoost. The turbocharged V6 has plenty of grunt for passing, and the EcoBoost's exclusive adaptive suspension improves this big wagon's agility without degrading ride quality.

Comfort

The MKT earns high marks for its comfortable ride quality and supportive front seats. Opt for the heated and cooled second-row captain's chairs, and the rear-seat occupants will have it just as good. Third-row seats are another matter entirely, however, and lack sufficient head- and legroom.

Interior

The MKT's interior design does little to inspire or impress. The materials quality is fine, but the all-black dash and dated, commonplace look to the center control layout are far from luxurious.

Utility

The MKT has just 17.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the third-row seats. Fold the second- and third-row seats down, and you end up with a more useful 75.9 cubic feet of storage. But either way, the MKT's sloped rear hatch makes it tough to load bulkier items.

Technology

We like the Sync 3 infotainment system that features a large touchscreen and an easy-to-use interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow you to easily incorporate many of the apps on your smartphone right into the in-dash display screen.

Edmunds expert review process

This review was written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.

We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.