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Full Test: 2015 Lincoln MKC 2.3 EcoBoost AWD

9K views 114 replies 29 participants last post by  Ed753 
#1 ·
Lincoln's great escape.
Car & Driver
October 2014
By: Eric Tingwall


A decade from now, automotive gods willing and if everything goes according to plan, we might recognize this MKC as Lincoln’s great escape. That’s escape with a lowercase “e.” Because while the MKC is based on the Ford Escape, Lincoln has finally, gently broken free from its reputation for building overpriced, reskinned Fords. The rudderless luxury brand appears to be gradually learning the fine art of parts sharing that has been so successful for brands like Volkswagen and Audi.

Inside and out, the MKC makes very few overt references to the Escape, but the most meaningful distinction can be found in the driving experience. Whereas Lincolns past offered a softer, less controlled variation on a Ford’s typically competent dynamics, the MKC delivers the comfort and confidence expected of a luxury vehicle. The cabin is quiet and the ride compliant, yet at the same time, the nicely weighted steering is slack-free and the body control is firmly in check. The top engine, a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder shared with the Ford Mustang, is quiet and well-behaved in meting out its 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque.

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#6 ·
I had a long test drive yesterday in one of these and let me tell you, I love it. It was a wite 2.0T with the panoramic roof, and foot activated liftgate(apparently this is the base version here in P.R.!)It is lovely, power is adequate, interior is very well done(loved the leather used in the seats), and very quiet inside. Also, the service was excellent!
 
#20 ·
A remarkably dishonest test. A competent test would have compared it to the Cadihack SRX which IS its direct competitor despite the lies of the Cadihack supporters here.

This test really blows on another point - the starting price of the MKC is in the $30's - perhaps if this rag C/D had tested it with the 2.3 turbo in a fitting way, the value proposition would have been more evident - C/D added bloatware and then compared it with base models from Euro rivals which are stickered at a much higher price than the MKC (or SRX).

I never noticed Lincoln ever stating that the MKC was a sporty product. How can you bash a product for not even claiming it to be this - perhaps if C/D would ask Honduh how its "new" CRV is new when all it is is an MCE with a new front (ugly), new back (ugly chrome) and interior (hideous). That isn't all new unless you are from Total Recall Motors!

Save yourself the embarrassment and buy an MKC and eschew the great pretender, the SRX - a clunky eyesore with an interior fit for a catbox.
 
#21 ·
I just don't see luxury when I look at it. I think it's the same issue as Acura using the fwd chassis, in the end it looks like a fwd car and doesn't have anything about it's styling to say luxury. Audi somehow styles their cars to make me forget they are fwd, so it can be done. Where Lincoln and Acura fall down is that their styling is different from Ford/Honda, they just don't say luxury to me.
 
#23 ·
Despite some of the over the top love this thing is getting on this board the reviews I've read have been universally lukewarm. I don't get it. It's nice enough but blah. Close to 50K? No way. The RDX is way cheaper unless it's really gone up in price the last few years.
 
#25 ·
You are correct nferr. The MKC is arguably the best Lincoln badged vehicle currently available, but that isn't saying much as the brand's lineup ranges from truly putrid (MKS) to merely good (MKC).

Pricing for Acura RDX ranges from $35,990 for a FWD model to $41,090 for an AWD model with Technology Package.
 
#27 ·
^ I thought every mag/webzine has a _OfTheYear or 3
& many of them just need to be BOUGHT


anyway
my lists say the MKC starts at $33,900 tho with [BlackLabel] will probably reach to $55k
which imho
is less of a problem than Lincoln perfecting "potatochip packaging" in that it's darn hard to stop adding higher-trims & features/options until it's fully loaded...
 
#48 ·
I think the issue in the articles is the same as it is here.......................... The MKC is a great crossover who's biggest failing, according to journalists and most GMIers, is the Lincoln badge on the front. If that wasn't the case, the first paragraph or two of every article on it wouldn't be about how bad Lincoln was/is. It would be about the vehicle.

The vast majority of people who talk about how marginal or bad it is have never seen one in person, nor have they ever driven one. The funny thing is, these are the same people who will cry about Cadillac vehicles not getting their due because of prejudice against the brand.

If it had a BMW badge on the front, it would be the best thing ever.
 
#54 · (Edited)
I think the issue in the articles is the same as it is here.......................... The MKC is a great crossover who's biggest failing, according to journalists and most GMIers, is the Lincoln badge on the front.
Did you read the third party reviews mentioned throughout this thread? They clearly indicate that MKC is NOT a great product, merely a good one that's better than other Lincoln products of recent vintage.

One could place badges for the fifteen best global brands on the front of an MKC, and for the most part it wouldn't change the fact that it's ultimately an also ran in the luxury vehicle market.
 
#50 ·
Genuine question... was the current Cadillac SRX best in class when it came out? Did it make a big splash with the press and public and in reviews as significantly better than the competition? I ask because I truly don't know.

We all know that it was (and still is) a very popular vehicle, so I just wonder if the Lincoln 'needs' to be heads and shoulders above the rest to be a success. Not making excuses; obviously it's best to unequivocally beat the competition, but I just wonder if not doing so means it will flop. I suspect not.
 
#64 · (Edited)
Yes, that may be so.

Some include 'safety performance' as well.

Given the 4 - 5 - 4 = a mediocre 4 over all - @ the easy NHTSA .... never mind IIHS and then Informed for Life......shame on Ford for going cheap while missing the double opportunity to fix Escape.

And that's a shame in yet another way because the rest of the MKC is @ least adequate or better - said while excluding optioned up pricing from the remark or consideration.
 
#65 ·
So, if I can sum up this thread I'm biased because I don't think the MKC looks like a luxury vehicle, I'm just a GM fanboy. But I'd not be biased if I thought the MKC was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think the bias is with the Lincoln fans. The older styled BMW shown by Wenscoat does not look strongly luxurious, but BMW can get away with it because they are BMW, Lincoln does not have such a reputation and needs to do better. I'd say the same if the MKC had a Cadillac badge on it.
 
#69 ·
Lincoln's beaks and fronts are ( imo ) more than a far sight better than many other.

Positively pleasant in a good kinda' way as opposed to so many with an artificial gibberish.

Inspired by the dark side of PG 14 + 'apparently'.

You know like The Walking Dead coming across an Obgyn Ward.....

Even the more controversial ones are wearing well.

And with that, comes a good kind of uniqueness.
 
#77 ·
The interior of the X1 and X3 do nothing for me.
I don't really give a crap about the MKC. I just hope it gets GM to make a direct competitor.
 
#96 ·
How about the logistics, supplier chains, and tooling for all the unique parts, e.g. the MKC and it's unique engine and parts, plus the front track that cost 35 million alone? They spent 129 million and hired 300 add'l people to implement all that.
Now you're breaking down the expenses to the point that it applies to every single vehicle produced.
 
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