2007 Lincoln MKX Review

With the 2007 Lincoln MKX, the company makes its entry into the crossover market. The vehicle carries an MSRP of $34,795 to $36,445 and is as forward or all-wheel drive. The engine is a 3.5-liter V6 with an automatic transmission with six speeds. Estimated fuel economy is 18 city and 25 highway for the FWD and 17/24 for AWD.

The MKX has a standard audio combo with MP3 playback capability and a changer in the dash with a capacity for six discs. This system can be replaced with a 600-watt unit playing across fourteen speakers that includes a subwoofer. An overhead system for DVD-playback can be placed at the second row including an eight-inch screen, a remote control, and wireless headsets. Additionally, a DVD-based navigation unit with touch-screen is available.

The vehicle makes use of head lights that are adaptive, a system for stability control, and all-wheel disc brakes. Child seats are held in place by the LATCH anchoring system and the locks on the back doors are rated as child safe. A comprehensive array of air bags deployed by sensors to rate the severity of a crash protect occupants. These bags include two in the front, bags mounted in the seats to shield against side impact on both rows, and bags in the curtain postion covering the outboard seats. The 2007 Lincoln MKX offers 31.8 cubic feet of space for cargo, which can be expanded to 69 cubic feet with the second-row seats in the folded position.

2007 Lincoln Town Car Review

The 2007 Lincoln Town Car is available in four trim levels: the Signature ($43,045), the Signature Limited ($45,910), the Designer Series ($47,645), and the Signature L ($51,515.) All are equipped with a 239 horsepower, 4.6 liter, 16-valve V8 with an automatic transmission with four speeds and overdrive. Estimated fuel economy is 17 mpg city and 25 highway.

Headroom in the Town Car series is 39.4 inches in the front and 37.4 in the rear. Legroom is 41.7 and 39.6 respectively. In the trunk you'll find 21 cubic feet for cargo. The front seats, upholstered in leather, fold according to the 40/20/40 arrangement. The driver enjoys eight levels of adjustment. Both front seats recline and have lumbar support.

The vehicle's interior is trimmed in leather with accents in satin nickel. The tilt steering wheel, also leather wrapped, includes integrated controls for speed, audio, and climate. Two audio options are available, a 300-watt Soundmark system with SIRIUS Satellite Radio or a 190-watt version, also with satellite radio.

The 2007 Lincoln Town Car can be outfitted with a navigation system that is both voice and touch screen controlled. The unit, combining GPS tracking with DVD mapping, will guide the driver on a turn-by-turn basis and provide graphic maps. (Note that this system is not an option in either Alaska or Hawaii.)

2008 Lincoln Navigator Review

The 2008 Lincoln Navigator (also available as the Lincoln L) is a full-sized SUV classed as a luxury model, which features a 5.4-liter V8 (3 valve) producing 300 horsepower. The six-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is approximately 7 percent more fuel efficient on the highway than standard four-speed automatics. (Available in 2 and 4WD.) MSRP range on the Navigator is $47,755 to $53,655.

Items that were optional on previous models have gone standard for the coming model year including the powered liftgate, powered folding third row seats, SIRIUS satellite radio, THX audio (fourteen speakers), and front seats that are both heated and cooled. A nice technological addition is a rear camera system that activates when the Navigator is placed in reverse. Additionally, the running boards can be powered, deploying when a side door is opened.

The Monochrome Limited Edition Package is also new for 2008, offering exterior accents that are body colored including the cladding on the lower body side, the lower grille, and the heated mirrors (that fold and have puddle lamps.) Although the front grille is still a rather flashy grid, the monochrome package does tone down the overall look of the Navigator, giving the vehicle a more polished, "classy" appearance. (Less of what some reviewers are calling "bling.")

Four exterior treatments are available in the monochrome package: White Chocolate Tri-coat, Black Clearcoat, Vapor Silver Clearcoat metallic, and Stone Green Clearcoat metallic. Inside the carpet and floormats are black with a choice of Stone or Camel seats featuring leather inserts in black as well as black piping. Look for a Lincoln logo to be stitched into each headrest. (The trim is Ebony wood.)

Additional options include the Elite Package, Trailer Tow Package, chrome aluminum wheels (20-inches), Premium Leather Seats, Rear Seat DVD, powered moonroof, and a chrome hood accent.

2008 Lincoln Mark LT Review

The 2008 Lincoln Mark LT pickup is available in two and four wheel drive with an MSRP range of $28,340 to $41,440. This four-door, luxury truck has room for five and relies on a 5.4-liter V8 (three valves per cylinder) producing 300 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. (An automatic transmission with four speeds and overdrive is standard.)

For the most part the 2008 is a carry over from the previous model year. New options include the capability for remote start and a rearview camera, a feature appearing on more and more vehicles as a matter of not just convenience but safety. On the LT the camera is mounted on the bezel of the tailgate handle with the display appearing the rearview mirror. (Sirius satellite radio, once an option, is now a standard feature on the Mark LT.)

The LT has an overall length of 223.8 inches and a height of 73.5 inches. Double wishbones are used for the front suspension with a coil-over-shock format. In the rear look for outboard shock absorbers and leaf springs. The Mark LT has a standard bed measuring 5.5 feet with an option for a long 6.5 foot bed. The 2WD model can tow 8,900 lbs., the 4WD 8,600.

Inside the LT's cabin, ebony wood is used as trim and an auto-dimming rearview mirror on the driver's side is a standard feature. DVD-based navigation is optional. Leather covers the seats, which are finished with pleats and include an insert with a quilted pattern. The instrument cluster is augmented with contrast stitching. (Available colors for the cabin include Pebble with Light Parchment, Black with Dove Gray, or Black with Ebony.)

In addition to its elegance and powerful performance, the 2008 Lincoln Mark LT features a full array of safety features included anti-lock all-disc brakes with electronic systems for brake-force distribution. In the front, dual airbags are deployed according to sensors that read crash severity and the presence or absence of a passenger. Although technically built on a Ford F-150 crew-cab body, don't expect an every day work pickup. The Mark LT more than lives up to its luxury designation.

2008 Lincoln MKZ Review

The 2008 Lincoln MKZ four-door, mid-sized luxury sedan has room for five and is available as both a FWD and AWD model. The MSRPs range from $30,175 to $32,045.

The FWD has a 3.5-liter V6 engine under the hood generating 263 horsepower. (Expected fuel economy with the unit is 19 mpg around town and 27 on the road.) For the AWD Lincoln used a 3.5-liter V6 producing 263 horsepower. (Eighteen miles per gallon in town, 26 on the highway.) Both models are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.

For the coming model year Lincoln has added a host of standard features to a vehicle already known for sophistication, comfort, and convenience. Those features include Sirius Satellite Radio, premium leather upholstery, and heated and cooled driver and front passenger seats. Lincoln Sync, the exclusive Ford system of voice-activated communications and entertainment powered by Microsoft, heads the list of technological standard items. Sync employs both Bluetooth and USB connections to maximize the handsfree experience. Additionally, systems are in place to assist with rear parking and to monitor tire pressure.

The audio unit is an award-winning THX II system with a twelve-channel, 600-watt amplifier producing sound across an array of fourteen speakers and two subwoofers. The system can be programmed to play for three zones: driver, front seats and all seats and employs a six-disc CD changer as well as an AM/FM tuner. The Pioneer Navigation System uses touch-screen controls and includes voice-activation in the 2008 models.

The 2008 Lincoln MKZ is outfitted with an impressive range of safety features including an airbag array with units in the side position as well as curtains for the first and second rows. Air bag deployment is controlled by a system for occupant classification with weight gauges. Overall the MKZ is a high-performance, full-featured, and technologically advanced luxury sedan that sets a high standard for the competition.