Both my parents weren't fans of the Lincoln MKT's appearance. My dad called it a "boat," "masculine," "a batmobile," "heavy," and "strong." I responded, "Yeah, it kinda looks like a hearse," but explained that I had an impression that it was the type of strong upper-class car that "high-end older people" would feel comfortable with (especially given the old-fashioned dashboard dials.) I thought it was perhaps a car a chauffeur would drive rather than a "soccer mom." My mom laughed, saying the MKT is "Ug-ly!" and disagreed with my thought that this particular model would work in the "old people" market. She thought the target was more a teenager boy who wanted a look of power. Neither of my parents could see someone like me in a car that had the MKT "look." (Interestingly on the aspect of design/appearance, it kind of resembles the Honda model that has gotten a lot of negative comments.)

On the positive side, it appears that the design of the car was very intentional, and great care was taken to achieve the Lincoln folks' desired result. The "Lincoln Lines" are everywhere, as is the "Bat" look; clearly lots of thought went into how to sculpt the exterior and interior to be distinctive and recognizable.

Once they got in the car, though, my parents were happy. Both felt very comfortable. (I told them about the slowly inflating and deflating bags in the driver's and passenger's seats.) Mom loved the navigation system and REALLY loved the backing-out assist, the side-mirror blind spot monitor, and other safety indicators. She loved the pull-down hook for hanging dry-cleaning and the pull-up shades.

My dad examined the car thoroughly, and worried about the "gap test" on one panel as it approached another, but that may have been caused by the angle of the sun. When he opened the trunk, there was a strange outpour of water. When I had first examined the vehicle (after it had been off awhile) this hadn't happened (or at least I didn't notice if it did) so my dad wondered if it was perhaps condensation from the A/C. My dad didn't like the black around the rearview mirror, but noted that in bright conditions it is probably a good idea. He thought it might hide electrical components, but said that it decreases the scenic view for the person in the passenger's seat.

My parents both loved the sunroofs. The rear sunroof doesn't fully open, but this is probably best for safety if children are in the back. Still, having a large piece of the roof open to light is a fun feature. While I found parts of the car "dark" - like the box around the rearview mirror, and difficulty seeing backwards, the open feel of the roof was refreshing. Both my parents didn't like the more "horizontal" appearance of the windows, which my dad says is showing up a lot in new cars these days. He said it makes a more "squat" feel. I can see where this might appeal to men who want to have that "low to the ground" feel. But I honestly didn't notice the window shape. I was thrilled by the sunroof, though.

While my parents were impressed with the many features of the MKT, they are concerned about so many computerized parts - what if they go wrong? Dad commented that it would be his preference to get a Japanese car because of the assumption that American-made cars have cruddy parts that would be more likely to break, whereas he says the folks in Japan "know what they're doing." Still, they gasped in awe when I demonstrated the active-park assist, and my mom kept commenting on how valuable the rear-assist and side mirror warning lights would be for her. Despite her grumbles about the appearance of the car, she said she'd like to have a car with the features of the MKT.

Both my parents loved the smooth ride. My dad laughed as he said it was smoother than my van. Hey, he had helped me pick out and purchase my van just a few years ago! He said it was much smoother than an SUV, and then mentioned a ride he had taken in a friend's car recently that he described as exceptionally bumpy. My parents loved the quiet. And they loved the warning sounds that pierced the quiet as necessary.

When I dropped them off at home, my parents seemed pleased with the MKT. They thought the features were fun, and the ride was comfortable. But I don't think they could get past the "Batmobile" look of it. And seeing my petite frame in the driver's seat made them laugh. But will they look at Ford-Lincoln autos next time they are in the market? I bet they do. No doubt they could find the "look" they are after in a Ford-Lincoln, but with the same features found in the MKT.

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. I should also note that as this vehicle is so new, it does not yet have an owner's manual. Therefore, I may raise questions that might be covered very well in the eventual manual. Similarly, my discovery of new features may only tell part of the story that the manual will explain in more detail.