This week we are reviewing the Lincoln MKC 2019 in Reserve trim that comes with the 2.3 Twin-scroll Turbo engine. The car we are testing has an approximate MSRP of $56145. Our vehicle was assembled Louisville, Kentucky.
Fun Factor:8
Can it Family: 8
Fuel-Friendly: 4
HWY-warrior: 8
Karaoke Friendly: 7
Baby friendly: 7
City Cruising: 4
This week we had the chance to test the Lincoln MKC, often when a large manufacturer does a spinoff of a premium product, the results are usually less than stellar. However, in this case, the MKC underlines what’s good with the Escape and makes it better in every way. Starting with the Turbo 2.3L producing an incredible 285hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. The engine is always ready to go almost as if it was running on energy drinks, never missing any power at any RPM. In our real-life test to 100km, we were able to reach in 6.05 seconds! Lincoln announces 6.5 seconds that’s almost half a second faster than advertised. The test was achieved with all season Pirelli scorpion tires (255/40R20) 89 octane fuel even if Lincoln recommends only 87 octane. The MKC overshadows the Q5 when it comes to driving dynamics and comfort. Even the Mercedes GLC comparably priced doesn’t even get close to the MKC in ride Quality. Yes, even the base Porsche Macan can only reach 100km/h in 6.7 seconds (without sport Chrono package) making the MKC a real German Luxury SUV rival. The only entry we would say is still king overall when it comes to fun is the X3. Yes, some will say that the Porsche Macan is fun too, however, considering the starting price costs to have as much as this fully equipped MKC, in no way is the Macan playing in the same leagues. Again if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary the MKC is your car. The stance of the MKC makes it look more expensive than it really is. Before making a choice towards the German brands, a serious test drive is in order as the MKC will question how sporty the competition really is.. Don’t forget that the MKC has the same engine as the base Mustang and is no slouch in the Mustang either.
The MKC is a luxury family hauler, great for long distance drive starting with extremely comfortable seats without being too sofa-like. They also come with heated & cooled seats in the front, and the backseats are also heated. The trunk will fit 2 larger strollers, and if you want to bring your mountain bike it will fit in the trunk, and you can still bring your child’s car seat without having to remove it.
Now the downside of having this much power in your hands is fuel consumption. On the HWY other Premium mid-size SUV consume similarly, however, in the city the consumption comes closer to an SUV that is much bigger than the MKC. What doesn’t help the gas consumption in the city is that the MKC doesn’t come with start/stop technology. Our results on the HWY were 8.6L per 100km, as for the city we were able to achieve a whooping 16.2L per 100km without being too aggressive. As for our combined result, we achieved 13.3L per 100km. These results were obtained by driving a distance of over 400km. Temperatures were oscillating between +2c and +14c. Lincoln announces the following has consumption for the MKC 9.3L per 100km on the HWY and 12.3L per 100km in the city.
The strong point of the MKC is surely the driving experience on the hwy. For starters it’s very relaxing to drive due to the low noise coming into the cabine. The suspension is tuned in a way where bumps feel almost inexistent. One feature we think should be improved is the driving assistant such as adaptive cruise control at night. In several situation we had to intervene and slow down the car as nothing the car did indicated that the car would slow down.
The upgraded sound system with THX sound good enough for everyday use. It does miss a little bit of precision when it comes to trebles & bass. The infotainment isn’t our favorite as Lincoln attempted to add too many items within the infotainment while most of the features are available as hard buttons already. Talking about the placement of these buttons they are in not placed in a non-ergonomic way. The result is that when using features like Apple Car play or Android auto will cause frustration in 2 ways. Either you switch back to the main menu and have to find the submenu you’re looking for, or you try to find the physical icon that needs to be pressed and having to look away from the road for a good second or 2.
Now is it easy to take out and install car seats in the MKC? Now for starters, the rear doors don’t open very wide, and the entry and exits of car seats can be done; however, it will need a little more fiddling around. Once the car seat is installed the ISOFIX ports are slightly hidden under the seat, making final installation easy without too much hassle. The MKC offers the option to have 2 cars seats in the second row, a small child may still sit in between seats how space will be limited. As for small children entering and exiting the car by themselves, it might be a slight difficult as the step to enter the vehicle is very small and the door lining doesn’t offer much support. As for older children entering and exiting will be as simple as a breeze.
You probably guessed it, the MKC is a little too thirsty in our mind to be viable as a car to be driven around the city. For a premium vehicle in this call, start-stop should be a standard feature. However, once the updated MKC is revealed to the world, we will know more about its features. If we can base ourselves already on the Escape that was just released the future will look bright for Lincoln. Parking is simple and can be done without too much hassle we did wish for a vehicle in the premium segment to offer a better camera and to offer a front-facing camera as well.
What did we like on the MKC and why would we buy one? Great engine, proper handling, comfortable ride & seats that feel comfortable even for long trips, sense of being in a premium product.
What did we like less on the MKC and why would we not buy one? High gas mileage in the city, adaptive cruise control can sometimes be hesitant to break.
