2008 Lincoln Mark LT

Those above a certain age will remember Ford's Ranchero and some other car-based pickups of many years ago. While their styling was appealing, their function was not. In trying to double as both car and truck, they ended up not very useful as either.


More recently, Lincoln had a better idea: a luxury SUV/pickup, which could be large, powerful and capable enough to function effectively as a plush, quiet, comfortable SUV on one day and a tough, cargo-carrying pickup the next. Lincoln's first attempt, the wood-sided Blackwood, chose fashion over function and had a cumbersome cover over its pick up box.


GM struck next with its Chevy Avalanche and, soon after, a Cadillac Escalade derivation. These use a unique "mid-gate" to extend the pickup bed into the cabin, but they are (partly for that reason) expensive.

New for 2008

Lincoln's second, and far better, execution of its luxo-SUV/pickup concept, the Mark LT, debuted in 2005 as a 2006 model and was honored as the Best Large Premium Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) in J.D. Power's 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Essentially the offspring of a loving marriage between the Lincoln Navigator SUV and a Ford F-150 crew cab, it offers a unique blend of Lincoln luxury with real pickup functionality and, with both 4x2 and 4x4 versions available, delivers outstanding payload and towing capacity. Its elegant interior provides room for five adults in premium, leather trimmed front captain's chairs and a three-across 60/40 split rear seat. An available 6.5-foot cargo bed adds 10 cu. ft. of capacity over the standard 5.5-foot bed.


Among the Mark LT's new-for-2008 features are SIRIUS Satellite Radio (standard with a six-month free subscription), a dealer-installed remote start system and a rearview camera, included in "Elite" and "Technology" option packages. Mounted in the tailgate handle bezel and activated when the truck is shifted into reverse, the camera provides a clear view of what's behind, displayed in the rearview mirror, which eliminates the need for an expensive nav-system screen for a rear camera display. It can prevent backing into or over things and is terrific for precisely aligning the truck to hook up a trailer.