Our garage in 2015 contained my Fusion and the Subaru Forester as described in the previous COAL. My wife, now gainfully employed at Ford, was driving the Fusion while I had the Subaru. Meanwhile we had a teenager about to get his license, and looking forward to the day where we didn’t have to drive him and his brother to school, we were getting ready to add a third car to the stable.
We were going to play another round of automotive musical chairs. My wife would get the new car, which would have AWD and heated seats of course. I would keep the Subaru and son would drive the aging Fusion to school. The requirements on the new vehicle were clear: it had to be a Ford product and have enough back seat room for two growing teenage boys and their stuff. The Ford offerings with AWD we considered were the Escape (too small), Explorer (too big), and Edge (just right). I had some reservations about the Edge’s styling; with its bulldog stance and air of a bar-room brawler. But it drove well and had enough utility to fulfill our needs, so we decided to go for it. At the last minute I spotted an ad for a 3 year old black MKX, the Edge’s upscale sister car, for about the same price as a regular Edge of similar vintage. So we checked it out, and in true Lincoln fashion it was definitely upscale, with leather, heated and power everything, navigation, and a spectacular 14 speaker THX sound system with subwoofer.
Owing to Lincolns’ terrible resale value, we got a good deal on this black MKX and brought it home. Sitting in the evening twilight looking resplendent in all black with chrome wheels and that big toothy chrome grille, I started to appreciate the big Lincoln’s styling. It was a perfect complement to the black and chrome Fusion next to it in the garage. But my wife, after driving the MKX a few times, decided that she didn’t like the clumsy UI of its Gen 1 Sync system and the feeling of sitting in a bathtub, so she kept driving the Fusion. The MKX became my car, the second time in 18 years of marriage that the Mrs takes my car and I get what she no longer wanted.
Our garage in 2015, with the MKX at center stage
But this time I didn’t complain. The 2011 restyling did away with the original’s sad attempt at a retro-60’s style and brought a bold, confident in-your-face look that I appreciated. I enjoyed the powerful 3.7L Duratec V6 engine, which rocketed the car with a grin-inducing 307 hp, accompanied by a sweet multicam V6 harmony that encouraged you to go heavy on the right foot. The THX surround sound audio system was by far the finest mobile sound system I’ve ever heard, with bone-rattling bass and a concert-hall level soundstage that made any genre of music extremely enjoyable.
My dad was quite the penny pincher when it came to cars, so my childhood was spent in the backseat of “base”, “stripper” vehicles, with sticky vinyl seats, AM radios (when there was a radio), and no A/C. I inherited some of my dad’s thriftiness, moderated somewhat since I now usually went for the mid level trim on all the cars I bought. Granted, nowadays the difference between top and bottom trim levels is much less than in the 1970’s, but it was nice to finally have a top of the line, fully loaded model with all the bells and whistles to enjoy for a change. This Lincoln had all of that and more, including soft ambient lighting that you can adjust the color and intensity depending on your mood, heated front and rear seats, and a massive power moonroof.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxn6jlPcKfjoKF9J8KKmuokV8Zbs2Kzg1_
The audio system was by far the best feature on the MKX, but it came with that dreaded 1st generation Sync infotainment system that was so aggravating, finding the most inopportune times to reset itself for a software update and give the driver the black screen of death every few months. The worst part about these system resets is that they occur without warning, and you lose all infotainment functions – radio, climate control, navigation, and phone connectivity for 10 minutes. I had to deal with that on a regular basis, once getting terribly lost because of losing navigation due to an untimely system reset. Most ironically, there’s a badge below that dreaded infotainment screen proudly proclaiming “Sync, powered by Microsoft”. It was no surprise, then, that Ford eventually ditched Microsoft when it came time to upgrade their sync system and selected Blackberry instead.
Getting washed by the local fire dept
The Lincoln served as my daily driver for 6 trouble-free years. It was a fine commuter car and also a comfortable and pleasant long-distance cruiser. It was big enough to carry myself and a carload of teenage boys and their luggage to a church retreat on the other side of the state, and compact enough to cruise around town and slip into tight parking spaces. When the pandemic hit, the Lincoln remained mostly parked except for the occasional grocery run. With both kids home from college going to school online, and wife and I also working from home, we sought out Airbnb’s in more scenic parts of Michigan to relieve our growing cabin fever. The MKX was tasked to take us and our two over 6 ft tall boys plus mother in law and a week’s worth of luggage and groceries to the shores of Lake Michigan for a week on the beach, twice that summer. It was a tight squeeze but we could not have accomplished the same in the smaller Forester or Ford Escape which my wife was leasing at the time.
Saying goodbye to the MKX on trade-in day. Two cars in the background give you a hint on what replaced it.
Shortly after, I made a major life decision to take a job in California which would necessitate us moving to the Golden State once the company brought its employees back to the office. Around that time the ten year old Lincoln, with 138,000 miles on the clock, suffered its first major breakdown requiring new ball joints and steering tie rod ends. 10 years of Michigan potholes finally took their toll. It was an expensive repair and we decided at that time that we were not going to take it to California with us. The car’s 16 mpg would get pretty expensive in the land of $5.00 per gallon gas. It was time to say goodbye to my faithful MKX. The dealer gave us a very good trade and it cleaned up nicely when we brought it in. The MKX shimmered proudly in the bright sunshine, looking as good as the day I brought it home, and I felt a twinge of sadness as I signed over the title and watched the driver take it away. It was time for a new adventure with new wheels.
Happy you enjoyed the MKX. But in my opinion as a Traditional luxury SEDAN lover, this vehicle is LINCOLNS version of the decline of the entire auto industry! Yes it’s a Lincoln known for quality and size. But to me all of these vehicles are glorified trucks 🚚. The grille on the MKX always reminded me of a reptile. Have had three Lincolns, A 78 Town Coupe (which I never should have let go), an 89 Town Car Signature, and currently have beautiful low mileage 2007 Signature Limited (just turned 71,000 miles). FMCs biggest mistake (after the EDSEL (which was a good CAR at the wrong time) was discontinuing the CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS, and TOWN CAR. As I said, I am happy you enjoyed your MKX, but not MY cup of tea. Your fondness for the vehicle is much like mine, when as a kid, parents traded family beautiful BLACK DESOTO for a 62 Plymouth (one of the ugliest cars ever).DESOTO sat on dealers lot for several weeks. Each time we passed it, I wanted to get out and run 🏃♂️ to that car! Never could feel ANY affection for that 😪 Damned Plymouth. To each,his own, but this old dog 🐕 does not like new tricks!😎
They had to discontinue the panther because of new safety standards that it wasn’t able to meet. Lincoln’s real mistake was discontinuing the MKS. Even today, Lincoln could be importing a rebadged Taurus and Fusion from China. The higher transaction price of Lincoln over Ford would make the cost of importing and meeting current DOT regulations worth it.
Or if they don’t want tarnish the Lincoln brand with sedans they could resurrect Mercury with the Sable (Fusion) and Marquis (Taurus).
I’d say Ford was smart to eliminate its car lineup. People really aren’t buying sedans like that, and especially from FoMoCo. I’m sure their actuaries–who have a whole lot more data than you or I do–ran the numbers and determined it wasn’t economical to import the Chinese-market stuff, or to sell it here at all.
As for the MKS (I owned a 2014), it occupied the dreadful pseudo-flagship category. This category consists of cars that happen to be the biggest and nicest in their respective automakers’ lineup, but that don’t have what it takes to compete with the big names (S-Class, LS, 7 Series, A8, etc). Other examples of such cars include the S80, S90, RLX, Q70L, CT6 and the MKS’ successor, the Continental.
The thing they all have in common is that they are all very slow sellers, and that they’ve all either been discontinued, or soon will.
Lincoln absolutely should not have kept the MKS. It likely would only have appealed to livery markets, was awkwardly styled (the D3/D4 cars have very tall H-points), and couldn’t really be adapted to Lincoln’s latest 2017+ school of design. It would only serve to, as you said, undermine and tarnish the brand.
Resurrecting Mercury isn’t a good idea, either. Those would hardly be profitable or worthwhile sales.
We all have our own opinions, and with due respect to yours, I must disagree. See my post and response to others. Would not have any current American or import vehicle. Ugly glorified trucks or small characterless coupes or sedans! And PLEASE don’t even go to Electric s.
I mean, I agree with you that sedans are extremely appealing. It’s just that you’re in a minority demographic, and it does not bring the numbers. And automakers are, above all else, in the business of making money.
These days, with a shrinking number of sedans, the remaining sales are going to the strongest sellers. In the mainstream segment, that’s the Japanese brands. In the luxury segment, that’s the German brands.
If they thought it would make money–especially in the case of an already developed product that would only need light federalization–they’d do it, in other words.
See Jaguar for another car-centric brand that is having to contend with the recent demise of the sedan. The XJ was killed off after 2019, the XE is no longer sold in NA and is on life support everywhere else, and the F-TYPE will disappear after 2024.
What color combo was your ’78 Town Coupe? Was your ’89 Signature reliable? I had a ’94 Signature and a ’97 Executive. I loved them both, but especially the ’97. I’d love to have a ’79, an ’88 or ’89 and a 2006 – 2010 Town Car.
I actually bought the 78 as a second car, it was metallic brown with creme vinyl half roof and leather interior. Beautiful car, but had mechanical issues, especially troublesome carburetor on 460 engine. Body was perfect and loved it, but health issues prohibited further needed work. Should have kept it and waited. Later 89 Signature was all dark metallic blue 💙. That car got 24 MPG at 70 on interstate. Another beauty but 135,000 miles were taking a toll. Fortunately found 89 RWD FLEETWOOD Brougham deElegance. These two 89s were probably my favorites. Very happy with 2007 Signature Limited. Unique color CASHMERE draws lots of attention. But old school, prefer more chrome (especially BUMPERS) and squared off formal look. Still will not let this one get away. Last generation of REAL American Luxury Sedans. A recent article referred to these Lincoln Town Cars as the American ROLLS-ROYCE. 🏆
Yeah totally agree with you on what a ‘real’ Lincoln is. Something like this MK IV which I saw yesterday at lunch. But in these days when virtually every OEM including Lamborghini has to jump onto the SUV bandwagon in order to survive, you can’t really fault Lincoln for rebadging Ford models and selling them as their own.
Have you driven a Lincoln lately? They are much more than just a rebadged Ford and have been for quite some time now.
See my original post. I currently have beautiful low mileage 2007 Town Car Signature Limited. CASHMERE color is rare and gets a lot of attention! Last of the TRADITIONAL American luxury sedans .absolutely love it. Recent article called these the American ROLLS-ROYCE. Have previously had 78 and 89 Signature Lincolns as well as RWD FLEETWOODS, as well as Grand Marquis and 89 Crown Victoria LX. All were great cars. Wish the 2007 had chrome bumpers, but will not let this one get away. Biggest mistake FMC has made since the EDSEL was discontinuing Crown Vics, GRAND MARQUIS, and TOWN CARS. Yes TOWN CAR is a cut above! 🏆 👑 😎
OLD 🐕 DOG,hates new tricks. As Archie and Edith sang THOSE WERE the DAYS. Believe FMC got numerous complaints, especially from NYC and LA where TOWN CARS were highly used for livery service.
I’ve always liked the MKX because of its connection to the Ford Edge and therefore to the Mazda CX-9; the latter two of which were developed together when Ford and Mazda were a thing. I thought the Edge styling was cool.
Before I bought my CX-9 in 2019, I looked long and hard at the Edge SE, because like you I have a heavy right foot. Ultimately I decided that I should go for the third – row seat and more cargo room, although the CX-9 is tight for a big SUV; that’s the price of styling. Also, the extra 10 grand for the Edge SE seemed like too big an indulgence.
Now that the CX-9 is apparently getting a proper powerful V6 next year (which the car begs for; notwithstanding the generally excellent 2.5 turbo), I’m again tempted; but my practical side will most likely win again. My CX-9 has given excellent service and still has a long way to go.
The CX-9 is getting an I-6 mated to a hybrid drivetrain. I like the idea of an I-6 Japanese SUV but I’m not buying because of the hybrid configuration.
I read that too; but more recently I’ve read that the I-6 would be turbo – or supercharged only; with a separate hybrid would be a separate version. I hope not, because a pressurized I-6 might be too much to resist!
Yes people hate getting better gas mileage and better performance when it involves a reliable electric battery component that’s been proven in millions of cars for the last two decades + , I guess James is out 🙂
Both versions of the I-6 (regular turbo I-6 and high output turbo I-6) will have a mild hybrid component.
The Plug-in hybrid uses the 2.5 I-4 (non turbo)
They are actually on the Mazda website currently, you can build and price them.
Otherwise salvageable first gen Chevy Bolts are being junked because it costs over $20,000 for new batteries. I would only buy a Toyota hybrid because those batteries seem to last the life of the vehicle. The new electric vehicles wouldn’t be bad as a lease, but I drive too much for a lease to make sense.
What does the Bolt (a full EV) have to do with any of this? I do not intend to get into a drawn-out argument with you, however I have a pet peeve against blatant misinformation masquerading as facts so let’s talk about the Bolt:
1. The Bolt is a full EV, not a hybrid. Even in the hybrid world there are numerous different types of hybrids, such as full hybrids, mild, plug-in hybrids etc. that are vastly different from each other as is the electric motor configuration, placement, goal, power, battery size, battery cooling etc. Your brush is far too broad.
2. Every single Bolt ever built was recalled about a year ago and all 2017-2019 models received a brand new free of charge battery pack with a warranty courtesy of GM/LG while the 2020-2022 versions had some modules replaced.
3. Every Bolt has at a minimum an 8yr, 100k mile warranty for the battery and related components, and more/longer if it’s registered in California. As does every other EV and Hybrid on the U.S. market.
4. I have a VERY hard time believing that many (or any for that matter) Bolts have reached 100k miles AND that their battery failed out of warranty, requiring owner-paid replacement, and none have reached 8years of age yet But I’m happy to see genuine and verifiable evidence of the multiple Bolts you reference being junked due to that if you have it.
5. There are far more instances of Toyota hybrid batteries in fact not lasting “the life of the vehicle” as that life can demonstrably be well in excess of 300k miles, battery replacements (for any EV or hybrid) are a viable market, and there are numerous options in that regard should it be needed. Even in the case of the Bolt, there are likely to be numerous wrecks not affecting the (usually almost new at this point) battery, making them available for far less than a dealer supplied new one. Toyota does warrant their batteries for 10yrs, 150k miles which is nice.
I meant VOLT not Bolt. Sorry.
https://carbuzz.com/news/chevy-dealer-quotes-30k-to-replace-first-gen-volt-battery
–Yes people hate getting better gas mileage and better performance when it involves a reliable electric battery component that’s been proven in millions of cars for the last two decades + , I guess James is out 🙂–
–I do not intend to get into a drawn-out argument with you…–
Really?
“I meant VOLT not Bolt. Sorry.
https://carbuzz.com/news/chevy-dealer-quotes-30k-to-replace-first-gen-volt-battery”
You should read the full article you linked. It goes on to state that the Volt is generally considered to be a 300,000 miles car without needing major repairs Including battery) during that time. Its battery too was warrantied for 8yrs, 100k miles, for some reason GM decided to not support the car any longer hence the battery quote from apparently a third party supplier, not GM. I guess that’s a good reason to perhaps not buy a GM product, or they are so reliable that GM decided it wasn’t an item that would fail enough to warrant the corporate investment in a longer support period.
The oldest Volts date back to the 2011 model year. LOTS of cars less than twelve years old go to the junkyard every year for mechanical reasons. The Volt is rarer than most other cars in most junkyards.
“Really?”
There’s a difference between a drawn out argument and trying to give people actual facts (once) to counter misinformation. In this case it turns out the poster was talking about a completely different car, yet his argument still didn’t pan out since the linked article doesn’t talk at all about people junking their cars due to battery issues. In fact it claims the car is exceedingly reliable and in the aggregate appears to need far less repairs than most cars.
It’s kind of when you claimed in all seriousness last year that Denver didn’t have any taxicabs. You were simply wrong and someone called you out on it.
What Dolt at GM gave Chevy a Volt and a Bolt? 😉
I have wondered the same thing. It was a stupid thing to do. Two cars from the same automaker shouldn’t have names that both rhyme and sound similar.
Just try to be nicer.
I’ve ridden in Denver taxis, such a claim is obvious hyperbol.
Jim – I have nothing against hybrids. In fact, I think that hybrids are the best electric configuration right now because they both increase gas milage/reduce emissions and take range anxiety out of the equation for folks who need to go long distances regularly. In the future I think we we will be mostly pure EV at least here in the US but it will take a while to get there.
I tend to think in terms of pure gas engines because I’m old and remember the glory HP days of the 60’s. Combine that with my affection for the CX-9 and my preference is obvious; but it doesn’t mean I have anything against hybrids. I enjoyed your review of the CX-9 and all your others.
Both versions of Lincoln front end that ever graced this platform read in my mind as “Oldsmobile” from a distance.
I can attest to how much nicer it is to drive two hours in a vehicle with good audio. A car interior has little to no echo, so it’s an ideal place to play back recordings.
I might have missed it, but you didn’t consider the Ford Flex? I believe that was available with AWD until it was discontinued in 2019. I always thought the styling of those was interesting, although I never knew anyone who had one.
This Lincoln? I think that most of these that I see are operated as cars for hire. Around here, the limo companies run them as airport pickup/dropoff cars. Other than that, they seem rare. Personally, that grille kills the appeal of the car for me. It’s so overwhelming.
It sounds like your father had similar car-optioning inclinations to mine. One of the things that upbringing left me with is that I have never been seduced by a car’s audio system. Not that I don’t appreciate music in the car, but my feeling (I do realize that this is a “feeling” and does not necessarily have to make rational sense) is that high end manufacturer-installed audio systems are all over-priced and that if I really cared, I could install something aftermarket for less money that worked better. I know that in the 40 years since I formed that opinion, auto makers have figured out how to integrate audio systems in ways that I suppose aftermarket cannot touch, and also that smartphone integration has become important as an OEM feature. And in that regard, I think that Ford unfortunately fumbled with that “Sync” system. Unlike Microsoft’s main competitor at the time, nothing that Microsoft makes “Just works”…including Sync. At least that was my impression on the various cars I rented that had that thing.
I’m also curious about your wife’s feeling that driving the MKX was like “sitting in the bathtub”. That seems like an apt analogy to me, and if there were a car like that in my garage, it certainly wouldn’t have stayed there for long 🙂 So I’m glad you got 6 years out of it.
Looking forward to the continuing saga!
My wife couldn’t stand the thought of the Ford Flex. A shoebox on wheels was not her cup of tea. Mine neither, actually. Curiously, she thought the Edge was fine but something about the massive dash on the Lincoln gave her the feeling of being in a bathtub (or driving a tank). But I ended up liking the MKZ so we kept it.
Like Jeff observes in the Northeast, here in California these are almost all airport/livery cars; those aren’t that common here in any configuration, but the few I see (since the old Town Cars finally died off) are always black with the state license bumper sticker, almost all MKX, Navigator or Escalade, with the occasional Avalon or Tesla. So it was a good decision to sell it before moving here … you might get pulled over for not having a sticker 😀 . The first radio our family cars got was a used AM/FM Blaupunkt I installed in my parents’ Volvo when I was 15.
Wife taking the car she likes and hubby takes what’s left? This has a familiar ring. 🙂
I always kind of liked these, but have never driven one.
We have a 2012 MKX. Dead on reliable, approaching 250000 miles. Not a canyon carver, but stable and predictable An excellent highway cruiser. The 3.7 6F automatic and AWD is potent, and provides consistent 22 MPG. If you need more space, I’d suggest the MKT or Flex with the same powertrain, although both are tough to find, as the MKT is well liked in the livery world, and the Flex has something of a cult following.
As a Ford (Escape) guy, the snazzy Lincolns have long appealed to me, and so I’ve pondered what I’d get for spending the extra dollars. Perhaps, with new-car depreciation, the best strategy would be buying the gently-used Lincoln. Nice to hear of your overall satisfying years with the vehicle, though I get the Michigan-potholes reference……
Very nice write-up.
The Mazda-based CD3 platform underpinned both your Fusion and your MKX, so it’s no wonder you liked it so much. Really, the contemporary midsize SUVs (Edge, MKX) were crossover-ified versions of the midsize sedans (Fusion, Milan, MKZ). Basically, FoMoCo took the Mazda6’s platform, adapted it somewhat to create CD3, and built all their mainline midsize cars on it.
(Ford borrowed A LOT from its various subsidiaries and partners; I really should do an article on it).
The CX-9 was also closely related to the Edge and MKX and was on the altered CD3 version of the Mazda platform, but was lengthened in both wheelbase and cargo area, affording it a vestigial third row.
The original (2003-2008) MAZDA6 was, of course, the donor for the whole CD3 platform, so it was a bit different than the CD3 cars. However, when the MAZDA6 was redesigned and enlarged for 2009, it got put on CD3.
As for the infotainment, technically SYNC 1 was the voice-only variant that was in some of the late-2000s Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars, like the 2008 Escape and 2010 Fusion.
What you had was MyFord/Lincoln Touch, which was SYNC 2. SYNC 2 was indeed powered by Microsoft, based around the Microsoft Auto 4.0 system, formerly Windows Embedded Automotive and based somewhat on Windows C.E. It debuted in 2011, and I believe the MKX, Edge and Explorer were the first cars to get it. MyFord/Lincoln was indeed buggy, and earned the ire of many people, including some Ford execs. There’s a story out there of the time that Mark Fields, then-CEO of Ford, got upset and punched the screen out in his Edge. I had MyLincoln Touch in my 2014 MKS, and it was ABSOLUTELY a mitigating factor in how I ran that car into the back of a Buick Enclave.
The thing is, Microsoft didn’t really participate in the creation of My Ford/Lincoln touch. Ford just used their base OS, and its glitchiness was largely due to Ford’s poor implementation and their use of subpar and under-spec components. Ford did the “powered by Microsoft” badge and marketing to make themselves look better, and to make the system seem advanced and high-tech. When the system turned out to be a dud because of Ford’s bad development and design, Ford essentially threw Microsoft under the bus to, again, make themselves look better. By dramatically going to QNX and publicizing that fact heavily, they’d have you believe the problem was with Microsoft; it wasn’t.
SYNC3 was deployed circa 2016, and was far more robust, plus it offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And that’s the one that was QNX-based. I’m unsure what they’re using now, but I liked whatever I experienced when I test-drove a 2022 F-150 Platinum last year.
One last thing about the MKX is that it had a glaring mechanical flaw I’m surprised you didn’t experience. See, for whatever reason, Ford determined that on the Duratec V6 engines (3.5, 3.5TT, 3.7), the only way to fit the engine transversely was to move the water pump to the inside of the engine. Naturally, it’s expensive to repair, you don’t get an indication that it’s leaking, and if it does rupture, it destroys your engine. At this point, the safest thing is to replace it at or before 110K miles. Unfortunately, various transverse Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda cars with these engines have this issue. Fortunately, however, the longitude cars that had/have Duratec engines (Transit, F-150, Mustang) were not so afflicted.
That was a very comprehensive overview of the Sync system as well as the CD3 platform. Sounds like you work / worked for Ford at some time :). Indeed, my wife’s 2018 Escape which she leased (which I’m not doing a COAL on that since I got very little seat time in the car and we only had it for 2 years) had the Sync3 and it was much improved over Sync2.
Our MKX didn’t have the water pump issue that you mentioned. The engine felt bulletproof and was extremely reliable throughout the life of the car, so maybe we were lucky on that count.
Politely disagree on the mechanical flaw. The water pump is durable provided you keep up with cooling system maintenance. The original coolant will go 5 years/ 100k miles, then every 3yrs/50k thereafter. My ’08 Taurus X lasted 230,000 miles on the original pump. There is a sort of fail-safe in the design, where if the pump begins to leak, it will drip out behind the alternator. That’s exactly what mine did, and as a former tech I dropped the engine and trans out the bottom, changed the pump and timing chain set with a kit from Cloyes. The ’12 MKX is at 230k now, and no cooling system issues whatsoever. I plan to do the pump and timing set on that this summer as what I’d consider preventive maintenance. I know anecdotes are not evidence, just my experience. Of course this is an expensive proposition if you can’t do it yourself, but both cars have gone over 200k without it. I’d say we’ve gotten our money’s worth.
I bought a used ’17 Flex with 30K a couple of years ago. It really is a lower, FWD (or AWD) Expedition. I wanted a three row CUV with plenty of cargo space. Mine is really loaded and it’s a very comfortable road trip car. I have the base V6 and fuel economy is quite good averaging 20 mpg. overall, and on long trips usually between 22-24 mpg. but I’ve seen it as high as 28 mpg. I was looking for a Lincoln MKT, but those are even rarer than the Flex. Looks are a personal thing, I prefer the retro custom look of the Flex to the Baleen whale look of the MKT, but the Lincoln has a nicer interior.
I never thought of the Edge as a “Bar room brawler” it just seemed like a non descript mid size CUV. I was surprised to hear of the low fuel economy of your MKX, it seems that Lincoln’s smaller SUVs don’t get that much better mileage than the Navigators, which is why the Navs are so popular. My ’05 Navigator gets 18 mpg. in normal freeway use, I’ve even seen 20 mpg. on occasion, but I’m a super featherfoot hyper miler. Even though the Flex is only slightly larger than the Explorer, interior space is almost identical to the Navigator. The Flex has more legroom in the middle seat, while the Nav has more legroom in the third seat.
I’m thinking that my next Lincoln will be an Aviator, but the Nautilus might just fill the bill.
I get a chuckle out of people saying the sedan segment is dead in the USA. Everything Tesla sells is a sedan; they even sell a big hunchback sedan and call it an SUV. Tesla is the only US carmaker whose entire product line has a waiting list/time.
AMEN! 🏆. In another post I praised the demise of the GREAT AMERICAN Luxury Sedan. Someone responded that I was in a limited marketing group and that group was too small for manufacturers to be considered. Last Lincoln Town Cars were very popular. (Have beautiful low mileage Town Car Signature Limited that always draws attention). These cars were extensively used in cities like LA, NYC, and San Francisco as livery vehicles, as well as upscale drivers who wanted a classy car without going to a full Limo. Unfortunately, few current sedans are smaller, more cramped, and look like CRAP. 🤮
Tesla arguably sells only one true sedan: the Model 3. The Model S is a liftback with foldable rear seats. You’re gonna have to explain your reasoning as to why the X and Y crossovers are “hunchback sedans”.