Last after BlogHer, I had the pleasure of hanging out with the Michelin Man (and associated staff plus professional race-car drivers) to learn about tire pressure. I experienced some "closed course" action. It was definitely exciting. I learned quite a lot and was thankful for the experience.

This year I am fortunate enough to go on a plant tour with Ford. I will have the opportunity to discuss "What Women Want" as it pertains to automobiles -- what are YOU looking for in a vehicle?

I know what I want and will be eager to share it with the Ford folks. But I'd really love to hear what your thoughts are as well. I'll be checking comments here, of course, but also tweeting with "#FordBlogHer" - so watch for us on Thursday if you are interested in finding out what we're discussing.

I grew up in one of those homes with a dad who was really in to cars. He loves to renovate old cars, but not the traditional "hot rod" types that some hobbyists lean towards. I learned a lot from him, but more about appreciation of the cars rather than mechanics. (I didn't like an old Porsche he had because I thought it was funny looking and smelled kinda funny - at the time, I didn't appreciate what it really was!)

My dad loves to buy and sell cars. He likes "just looking" even more. Some of my favorite outings with my dad were going to garage sales or testing out used cars. Last year at our school auction, I was one of the few women who really enjoyed that the auction was held at a car museum.

My husband first said "I love you" over the decision to purchase a Ford Escort. (It was purple. We called it "the Grape.") Although it has since moved on as our family has grown, I remember our Grape fondly.

I'll explain a little more about my car-buying history at the actual event - and will recap here.

In the meantime - please jump in with your thoughts and/or join us on Twitter to discuss What Women Want... in a vehicle.

What are YOU looking for in a vehicle?

Last Wednesday night, I was in the Chicago Sheraton, feeling groggy. I stayed up late the night before to prepare for BlogHer, and ended up having to stay up late again to complete the work I couldn't while on the plane.

I was eager to attend the Ford event, but not sure exactly what to expect. I feared my foggy brain might not be able to generate ideas appropriately, or my sleepy senses might not do so well if we were to attempt actually driving the vehicles.

Thankfully after a few hours of sleep I was regenerated, and successfully made it to the Ford-sponsored breakfast at 7:30am (which is 5:30 California time.) It was fabulous to see familiar faces, and meet new people.

Right off the bat, a woman pointed a flip camera towards me and asked me to give my impressions of Ford. I'm not sure exactly what I said, but I know I stammered about how I felt Ford is a "middle ground" brand. It isn't the most expensive, it isn't the cheapest, but I think of it as being a middle class car. Although I said many of my friends drive Fords, I then slipped in that many of them drive BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexuses. Although it was a single sentence, I was parsing the definition of "friend" because there are my college buddies from all over the U.S. who drive a variety of cars, my friends from my "old neighborhood" and the friends (who are more acquaintances, to be honest) in my new neighborhood.

Yes, back in our "old neighborhood" there were many Fords. Many of them were trucks. When I think of reliable work vehicles, I think of Ford. But when I think of what people drive around in my new neighborhood, BMW and Lexus top the list. Most "other mothers" at my sons' school drive SUVs, most of them the aforementioned brands. Those who drive sedans or convertibles drive Mercedes. Although I know of a couple people who drive Jaguars, I think of those as being an "older person" car. I drive a Honda Odyssey. There are several Odysseys and Toyota Siennas in the parking lot, too. My husband drives a Toyota Prius; and yes, there are some Priuses around our neighborhood as well. But I really don't notice the American-made cars.

My neighborhood is one of affluence. It is a brand-conscious community. There is a feeling that foreign is better. (Which may be why Ford is so popular in Europe!) Before my visit with Ford, I couldn't picture myself purchasing a brand new Ford because I'd want to show people "Hey, I can afford a Mercedes." Sad, but true. My assumption was that Ford would be a "basic car" whereas one of those "fancy" brands would have the upscale features that I'd expect from a prestigious label. (After all, I've found that designer jeans really do make my rear look better.)

What shocked me the most about my visit with Ford was that the features available in their cars are not only innovative but luxurious. I never thought I'd attach the word "luxury" to Ford, but it is the honest truth.

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.

Sure, I'm predisposed to love the 2010 Lincoln MKT for the reasons I stated already: third-row seat, safety, Eco-Boost™, and luxury. It caught my eye in Chicago, so I already had favorable first impressions.

But what about my family? Here is what they said during our first day with what my sons later dubbed, "The very cool new car:"

My Husband:

"It is a tank!"

"Good thing it has parallel-park assist (Ford calls it "Active Park Assist") because it is a tank..."

My Husband is not a car-guy, but seemed happy with it during his brief once-over: "This is niiiice." He was particularly happy with 3rd row seats and noticed AC adapter in the back seat immediately. (Yes, this is important for long trips - to plug in the boys' DS systems and so forth.)

When I told him about the push-button start, he remarked "Yeah, I think they're all going that direction now." (He has a Prius.)

The Cat:

"This is so cool"

"Let's trade in the van"

"The windows go down ALL THE WAY" (In the van, they only go mid-way)

"I like it when you back up and we can see all the stuff behind us!"

Spliggle:

"This is super-awesome."

"It is so beautiful!"

He found the pull-up shade: "this is cool!"

"You can just go to the bank to order more money so we can get this!"

"Can we just give back the van and keep this one, please?"

"I'm going to miss this beautiful sparkley car when they come take it away." (pout.)

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 actual quotes from my family members, not from anyone at Ford-Lincoln.

When last you heard from me, I was excited about test-driving a Lincoln MKT. But then I fell silent. This is because right after I gave back the car, I went to Disneyland, and then participated in that annual ritual of Back-to-School where September completely crumbles away; plus I went to New York for a Project Runway event, and endured an entire string of those ever-annoying minimum days for Parent-Teacher conferences. So yes, life has been extraordinarily hectic. My delay in reporting back on my test drive is not for lack of enthusiasm.

Let's recap: I enjoyed seeing the MKT while at a special Ford Event in Chicago. I was therefore excited to borrow one for a couple days.

Before the car arrived, I saw a man in a turquoise Mustang drive up my court. He waved his arms around, beckoning towards my house. I knew my car must be on its way. Indeed, the driver of the MKT took it easy as he approached my driveway. It is an older road, and vehicles line both sides. I understand the driver's hesitation completely.
He parked in the middle of the court, hopped out, and gave me the keys. Then he and the Mustang-man drove away.

OMG, they just gave me a fancy car.

I opened it up, and looked around. I sat in it. I turned it on. I smelled that excellent new-car smell. I walked around it several times. I pulled it into my driveway, hesitantly, hoping I wouldn't do something wrong. I locked it, and locked it again just to make sure.

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

My dad and I bond over cars. He loves buying old cars, restoring them, and then selling them to start over again. When I was old enough to drive, we examined many cars to find the one that would be just right for me. Nearly every time I've bought or sold a car, my dad has been a major player. It was therefore a no-brainer that I'd bring my borrowed Lincoln MKT to his house to get his opinion.

I got a bit nostalgic as I drove the car over to my parents house because I took a route that I had taken many times with prospective cars. I did this on purpose: driving up a winding hill that provided opportunity to study handling, particularly while accelerating to get up the incline. The MKT wasn't fazed. This didn't really surprise me, because cars these days have enough engine power to handle hills, but it was certainly reassuring, since the MKT has the fuel-economy of a V6, so I was hoping to see the advertised power and torque of a V8. Indeed, it powered up the hill effortlessly, and didn't care that I was cranking the steering wheel back and forth.

When I arrived at my parents' house, I was surprised to see how big the MKT looked next to my mom's Cadillac. I always thought of their cars as being pretty big.

One of the main reasons I wanted to try out the Lincoln MKT is that it has a third-row of seats. I want something safe - unlike what I've heard about tall SUVs with third rows - and yet not quite as minivan-y as, well, my minivan. I want something edgier than a van, but safer than an SUV. The Lincoln MKT seemed to fit the bill.

At first we thought the third-row was only accessible by climbing over the partially-folded second-row seats. "This must be a kid thing," my mom remarked when I took the car on a test drive with my parents. Similarly, the seemingly crouched headroom in that row would support the kids-only theory. Although my dad said that it was "domed over" such that the hatchback would clear adults' heads. The seat itself has an extendable headrest that would indicate the ability for a taller passenger to sit back there. Late in my test drive, I found a button that automatically folds the second-row seat down and forward, which creates an aisle to the third row. In other words, the third-row need not be kid-only.

Unfortunately, this automatic feature can be a bit rough when there is someone seated on the other second-row seat. Since I discovered this button accidentally, we didn't know what would happen. My son leaned forward to get a better look - and was whacked on the head by the folding seat. Oops! And so, the seat-folding is best done before anyone enters the car.

Another word of warning: my son fell asleep while in the third row. It was very difficult to get him out.

Here is a recap of 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 Flickr Set

I definitely had a blast during the brief two days I had to test out the car, but my kids were the ones most impressed. They were truly sad to see the car go. They are typically change-adverse, so it shocked me when they told me to get rid of my van in favor of the MKT! Even three weeks later, they occasionally mention "the cool car" and ask "when are we going to buy one for ourselves?"

There were many features on the car that really impressed me, so I expect when I am in the market for a new car I will keep these in mind. I'm not sold on the MKT because I was uncomfortable with the lack of visibility in the back, especially when passengers are seated in the second or third rows. Realistically, I'd test other Ford-Lincoln models with similar features to see if another model might fit my personality and petite frame a bit better. Similarly, I'm willing to bet my parents take a closer look at Ford-Lincoln when they are ready for a new car, since they loved the interior and special features, but I know they won't get an MKT because they didn't like the exterior.

Thank you to Ford-Lincoln for providing me this opportunity! It is lots of fun to "try on" a different style and type of car, and has certainly reinforced the "wow" factor that I felt when I first learned of the more luxurious features and snazzy safety characteristics during my Ford Chicago Plant tour.

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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.