Acceleration

4WD short bed	Class Average
6	5.2

Mark LTs with the 5.5-foot bed are the only ones made available for us to test. They have adequate acceleration and enough muscle for most towing and hauling chores, but highway-speed passing power and overall responsiveness is mediocre.

Fuel Economy

4WD short bed	Class Average
3	2.7

In Consumer Guide testing, we averaged 14.1 mpg. Mark LT uses regular-grade gas.

Ride Quality

4WD short bed	Class Average
4	4.7

Mark LT differs little from the F-150 SuperCrew. It's reasonably composed at speed and over big dips and swells. The long wheelbase and hefty weight take shocks out of pavement cracks and ridges. The chassis shows annoying jiggle and quiver over most bumps and ripples.

Steering/Handling/Braking

4WD short bed	Class Average
4	3.6

Ponderous in tight maneuvers, but Mark LT has accurate, nicely weighted steering and shows good control in most changes of direction. As in most every pickup, the tail hops in bumpy corners. Brakes feel strong and are easily modulated, but simulated panic stops induce much nosedive.

Quietness

4WD short bed	Class Average
6	5.5

Same subdued road and wind noise as in the F-150 SuperCrew, and similar engine characteristics: quiet cruising, but the engine does roar in rapid acceleration. Overall, though, Mark LT is quieter thanks to additional sound deadening measures.

Controls

4WD short bed	Class Average
5	6.3

Main gauges are unobstructed and attractively backlit in white, though the markings are too small to some testers' eyes. Controls for the audio and climate systems are slightly undersized. The turn-signal stalk includes windshield-wiper functions and is too short for convenient access. LT provides steering-wheel buttons for audio, climate, and cruise functions, but they're not placed or marked for easy use.

Details

4WD short bed	Class Average
5	5.2

Standard leather upholstery is no more impressive than in top-line F-150 models. LT puts a slightly tonier finish on interior panels, but they're a veneer over the same hollow-feeling, hard-plastic surfaces as in its Ford cousin. Glovebox and ashtray doors and the console-mounted transmission shift lever suffer from a particularly low-budget movement and feel.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

4WD short bed	Class Average
9	8.1

Ample headroom and legroom. The seats are firm and flat but comfortable. Tall step-in, but big doors allow easy entry and exit; still, we recommend the optional running boards. Outward visibility is unobstructed.

Room/Comfort (rear)

4WD short bed	Class Average
6	4.9

Copious head space. Legroom is good but not great. The poorly contoured seat has stingy thigh support and an uncomfortably upright backrest. An optional power sliding rear window is a welcome convenience. Entry and exit are awkward.

Cargo Room

4WD short bed	Class Average
6	5.3

The rear-seat bottoms tip up to increase storage, but seat-frame corners jut into cargo space. Generously sized map pockets can be found in all doors. The optional tubular bed extender enhances cargo-box utility, but the bed is bare metal; a factory-standard integrated bed liner would be in keeping with LT's upscale aspirations.

Value within Class

4WD short bed	Class Average
4	6.7

Lincoln shouldn't be faulted for taking advantage of a ready market niche with a gilded version of the solid Ford F-150 SuperCrew. It can be faulted for doing so little to upgrade the interior to truly premium levels of feel and function. Where it really disappoints is in denying the LT important features expected at this market strata: an antiskid system, curtain side airbags, all-wheel drive, and an engine distinct from that available in an F-150.

Total Score

4WD short bed	Class Average
58	58.2

Scores for all Large Pickup Trucks

Low Score		38
Average Score		58
High Score		70