Lincoln MKT driven and admired

So, last week your humble blogger was among several that were given a First Drive of the new Lincoln MKT. Is it a wagon, is it a truck? It's Lincoln's answer to the high fuel costs of the Navigator and Escalade, as well as competition for Acura MDX and Audi Q7.
And Lincoln has done their homework. I'm not a fan of big SUVs and I'm a huge fan of Station Wagons, so I'm impressed and overwhelmed by the MKT.

Impressed with the quality feel and level of luxury that is everywhere in this people mover.

From the wood accents to the soft touch dash materials and the butter leather interior.

Also impressed with the EcoBoost V6's 355 hp and Kansas flat torque curve. I didn't bother the with steering wheel paddle shifters, didn't need to, since the new 6 speed automatic shifted smoothly and never hunted for gears no matter the driving situation. Our half day in the new Lincoln took us on almost every type of road you could imagine and at one point I was going to complain about the slight body roll I experienced around tight twisty country two lanes, until I realized that I was doing almost twice the posted speed limit. This is a big vehicle, cavernouse interior and a substantial pressence on the road, but never did it feel like a truck.

I haven't received the promissed images from Lincoln's marketing folks, but luckily I had my trusty digital camera. So I can show you a glimpse of the cabin. But you need to sit in it to really appreciate the luxury and comfort. I couldn't find anything not to like. All the usual tech gear and automatic everything of course.

Between the Syn and largest Nav screen in class, this is a tech junky's playground.

But even non-tech people will appreciate and be able to use all their toys.

The USB port for your flash drive, MP3 player or my suggestion a portable hard drive, is at the bottom of the center console, which is as big as the boot on my little Mazda.

The DVD screens for the kids allow you to play the same movie on all screens or 2 different movies with headset connections. And the soccer team will have easy access to the third row, especially if you opt for the elecric self folding middle seats. Back strain will be a fond memory for many reason, including the power liftgate and easy load height. A totally flat load floor in 7 seat configuration makes hauling large loads easy as pie.

Try as I did, I couldn't find anything to hate about this. I personally have no use for all the room, but I'm calling my buddy with the Navigator and telling him that he needs this.

I almost forgot the 20 mpg we averaged during our half day and that's with two heavy footed drivers who really wanted to find fault in the worst way. I was really happy with two of the colors offered as well, the burgundy on top and this very nice blue. I drove a black MKT as well.

I'd love to hate this, but after driving it I just can't.

Lincoln MKZ review

So, today MFD made it to the big time, actually snagging an invite to a manufacturer's presentation for the media. And here's my first impressions of the Lincoln MKZ, formerly Zephyr. While I thought the Zephyr was a better name, the new MKZ is a better car.

24 media types, including little old me, were given the keys and set loose with Lincoln's "entry level" offering.
And let's just start off with this, the new MKZ goes way beyond just a mid-cycle refresh.

To puncuate that there was a 2009 MKZ right there for side by side comparision. And while the old MKZ was already nice, the changes are subtle and startling at the same time. And entirely new front clip, which allowed powertrain engineers to retune the engine, as a result of improved under hood heat management. And it also lowers the cd from .34 to .32. For you non-technical types, like me, that means it slips throgh the air just that much better. And it looks so much meaner too!
And there's little that feels "entry level" inside either. All of the interior panels are completely new. Nice soft touch materials, new guages with a very nice lighting feature. Of course the guage cluster moves with the wheel, which means that anyone, no matter how tall or short ( like me ) can see the speedo and set up a comfortable driving position.
A very clean center stack with reasonably easy HVAC and Audio controls, flows int a very useful center console. Everything felt just right. It was easy to set the power seat, mirrors and wheel for any driver. The seats were very supportive and comfortable. Our travels brought us from Queens Botanical Garden through bumper to bumper traffic, then up to quaint Westchester villages on a mix of highway and twisty back roads.
The navigation screen, which I needed for some of these winding county lanes, was at the perfect height for viewing, with no problems viewing, no matter which way the sun was shining.

Overall, I'd say the MKZ was a fun drive, but comfortable enough to shuttle grandma or the kids anywhere. I was satisfied with the power of the V-6, even without EcoBoost. And while I'm usually a shift for myself kind of guy, I was impressed with the automatic's smooth seemless shift and lack of hunting. It's what you'd expect in the class. And about this point I'd be begging for a nice 6 speed manual, but I could live with this. Not only that I could enjoy it.

TheCarConnection's review of the 2008 Ranger, with permission

Readers will know of my love for the Ford Ranger and my hopes that a new Ranger will come in the next few years. But with permission of TheCarConnection I'm linking to and reposting a detailed review they did of the 08 Ranger.

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UPDATE, edited to comply with Fair use, see the review at link in title

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Reason Why:
The most direct competitors for the Ranger are the GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado compact trucks. The Ranger has a smoother V-6 engine, but the GM twins have an optional five-cylinder engine with more power. The Canyon and Colorado also offer a true four-door model with a back bench seat, though it's uncomfortable for long trips. The Mazda B-Series is a version of the Ranger that Ford supplies to its Japanese partner; you may prefer the B-Series' styling.
The Bottom Line:
The 2008 Ford Ranger’s best, highest use is as an inexpensive work truck or off-road play toy. Anything else exposes the flaws in its seating, its fuel economy, its available features and in its performance.

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Marty Padget, the Executive Editor wrote the above. And there are even more detailed information available on their sidebar. I'm trying something new here. Since I don't have access to new vehicles to review them, I spoke to TheCarConnection and I'm trying this out.

There could be more coming as we develop a relationship over the coming weeks, I'll keep you updated if this works out.