2011 Lincoln MKX Reviews

2011 Lincoln MKX Standard features include four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system with Roll Stability Control, side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags

The good: The 2011 Lincoln MKX comes well-equipped with a cabin technology package that includes Ford Sync voice command, the MyLincoln Touch instrumentation, Bluetooth for calling and audio streaming, and an optional THX premium audio system that takes advantage of the wide array of audio sources. Basic Sync navigation is standard, but a more robust Flash-based voice-activated navigation system with traffic is also available.

The bottom line: The 2011 Lincoln MKX is a vehicle that shows a good deal of potential as a tech car, but its MyLincoln Touch cabin tech suite feels unfinished. Ford's Sync voice activation and command system is as good as it's ever been; touch-sensitive dashboard buttons and sliders add a sci-fi feel; and the slick graphics of the MyLincoln Touch system (a re-skin of the MyFord Touch system) are rather impressive. MyLincoln Touch beta?

The MyLincoln Touch system is divided into two parts that interact with one another. Sync enables you to perform simple tasks with the touch of a button and the sound of your voice. The system features five primary screens: a Home screen that is split into four quadrants for phone, navigation, climate control, and audio, and four function screens that correspond to these quadrants and are accessed by tapping colored bars in each of the screen's four corners. The MyLincoln Touch system makes two navigation options available to drivers. The second is an SD card-based navigation system that stores map data locally. Thanks to the great Sync integration and PBAP address book syncing via Bluetooth, the phone screen of the MyLincoln Touch system is one that you should never have to see past the setup and pairing process.

Below the touch-screen interface are the physical controls for the audio and climate systems. In place of volume knobs or fan control dials are a pair of touch-sensitive strips that you slide your finger along to adjust audio levels or airflow volume.

For 2011, the Lincoln MKX adopts the current Lincoln corporate profile, with a much more aggressive nose profile that apes the MKT. For the former, there’s an 8-inch liquid crystal display which contains controls to the vehicle’s info/entertainment system and climate control, activated purely by finger touch - hence the name. As befitting a current Lincoln product, a THX sound system is included, as is the latest version of the Ford’s SYNC voice command system, activated by buttons in the steering wheel, plus a new first – High Definition radio.

Thanks to a lower idle speed (600 rpm), fuel shut-off and a variable-displacement power steering pump, the engine is notably more thrifty than the old 3.5 and Lincoln claims best in class fuel economy at 19 miles per gallon city/ 26 highway on front-drive models.
Thanks to new tires mounted on standard 18-inch wheels, grip is noticeably better than before and even in base front-drive form, the Lincoln MKX feels surprisingly neutral