As you recall, before BlogHer I had the enjoyable opportunity to visit the Chicago Ford Plant and find out more about a company that I had previously thought was "middle of the line" and "dependable" but learned is actually "innovative" and even "luxurious." I learned quite a lot during my visit with Ford and was thrilled that they reached out to me last week to ask if I might be interested in test-driving a 2010 Lincoln MKT.
Of course!
During the driving portion of our pre-BlogHer visit, I had eyed the Lincoln MKT, noticing it had the third row of seating that is so valuable to me and my team-sport-playing kids. Several years ago we rented a van when my in-laws came into town so we could all travel in the same car. Shortly thereafter, we purchased a minvan, considering that it would be ridiculous to continually rent vans when we needed to transport more than just our family. At that time, I looked at both SUVs and minivans.
As my husband can attest, I really really wanted the prestige of some of those SUVs. I eyed them lovingly, but their poor gas mileage gave me pause. I checked out a high-end hybrid SUV but the reviews were poor, and the technology wasn't up to par yet, such that it's MPG wasn't very impressive. The safety and the gas mileage of the minivan I selected far surpassed those SUVs that just looked tough.
And so, when I saw the Lincoln MKT in Chicago, I immediately snapped a photo of the interior of the car, showing the third row. Hooray! A luxury car with the three rows I want!
But what about the safety and gas mileage concerns I had about SUVs?
Well, the Lincoln MKT is lower to the ground than SUVs, although now that I've had the car for a day I see it is a bit higher than some other cars, it is definitely lower than those flippy SUVs. When I received my little "welcome pack" with the car, I learned that the 2010 Lincoln MKT has the "Safety Canopy™," Ford's exclusive side-impact protection system. This is a side-curtain airbag that protects front and outboard rear passengers in the event of a rollover or a side-impact crash.
And then the gas mileage? Well, the Lincoln MKT has Eco-Boost™, which combines gasoline direct injections with twin turbochargers and a smaller displacement engines to match the power and torque of a V8 but with the fuel-economy of a V6.
So let's review -- the 2010 Lincoln MKT has the third-row seat I want, along with safety and gas mileage features not found in SUVs. It looks classy and has the fun Ford features that I learned about while in Chicago (more on those later...) - so YES! I'd love to try one out for a few days.
For Further Information:
- Learn more about the Lincoln MKT's Safety Features
- Watch the Lincoln MKT EcoBoost™ Demo.
| My written and photographic impressions of the Lincoln MKT:
- Why a Lincoln MKT? - Don't Wreck the Lincoln MKT! - My Family's First Impressions of the Lincoln MKT - The Father Test - My Dad's Take on the Lincoln MKT - Is the Lincoln MKT Kid-Friendly? - My Lincoln MKT Test-Drive Recap - My Lincoln MKT Flickr Set |
Disclaimer: Ford lent me a 2010 Lincoln MKT to use for a few days. I am not receiving any compensation other than the use of the vehicle and possible promotion of my posts on The Ford Story website. The opinions stated above are my own. The Ford Facts stated above are taken either from the Lincoln website or from the "welcome kit" I received upon agreement of the review test-drive. If I have misinterpreted the materials, I will immediately correct at Ford's request; otherwise, this content is my own.
