2006 Lincoln Mark LT

Program #2448

The idea of a luxury pickup truck may seem absurd, but there is no denying that Cadillac’s Escalade EXT and GMC’s Sierra Denali have found their niche. Lincoln, however, hasn’t been so lucky. Its crew cab Blackwood, complete with dare-to-get-dirty carpeted cargo bed, was a bust. But never say die - Lincoln is back for 2006 with a real pickup truck. This is the Mark LT. It’s still flashy, but boy can this Lincoln work!

And the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT can play in the mud as good as the next pickup. Unlike the Blackwood, Lincoln’s new Mark LT can’t be judged by its elegant cover alone. With virtually all mechanicals shared with the vaulted Ford F-150, including powertrains and four-wheel drive, the Mark LT should have no problem delivering on the total performance expectations of upscale truck buyers.

With its rigid, fully-boxed frame, the Crew-Cab only Mark LT sits on a 138.5-inch wheelbase, and measures 223.8-inches in overall length. Visually Lincoln has infused the Mark LT with as many glitzy family traits as possible. The Navigator-style waterfall grille is tall and dominant, with the Lincoln star taking center stage. A solid chrome band wraps the Mark’s body and follows with 18-inch chrome-plated wheels and optional running boards. Around back are Navigator-style taillights that sweep into the tailgate above a chrome bumper and bright exhaust tip.

The trendy Crew Cab 4-door body style wears a 5 1/2-foot bed with a torsion bar assisted tailgate. The available bed extender is great for longer loads. And, yes, 4x8 sheets of building materials will fit between the wheel wells. Plus, with a 1,620 pound payload capacity there’s little worry about what you can take with you in its bolted-to-the-frame steel bed.

Through four full-size doors, five adults fit easily into a luxurious, yet nicely understated cabin. Though not as ritzy as the late Blackwood, it’s enough to make a statement without shouting, and the materials quality is far superior.

The power and heated front captain’s chairs are covered in soft Nudo leather, as is the tilt-steering wheel, center console and rear seats. Real wood accents highlight the dash and door panels. And standard amenities include seat memory, heated mirrors, cruise, six-disc CD MP3 stereo, automatic climate control and keyless entry. Along with cruise controls, stereo and climate have redundant steering wheel switches, and our tester also had the adjustable pedals option.

The rear cabin is equally plush and offers seating for three adults on a split-bench. Plus the seats fold for carrying internal cargo. The power sliding rear window is a nice touch. Major options include a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, power sunroof, and rear obstacle detection. So what’s missing? A satellite navigation system and side curtain airbags. In this class of vehicle those are obvious omissions.

Hauling all this luxury to the horse rink is Ford’s 5.4-liter single-overhead-cam, 3-valve per cylinder Triton V8. It pumps out 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. Maximum trailer tow capacity is 8,900 pounds.

The V8 turns the rear wheels, or optional part-time 4-wheel drive system, through a 4-speed automatic transmission with console-mounted shifter. All push the Mark LT to 60 in an acceptable 10.4 seconds, and through the 1/4 mile in 17.6 seconds at 80 miles-per-hour. Like other Lincolns, the Mark LT accelerates and shifts gears in a smooth, refined fashion. Yet it pulls its weight like a true truck. You do, however, feel its weight and size in corners. But it’s still remarkably surefooted for a 5,677-pound 4X4 pickup.

The LT is solid and predictable. Feeling a bit more softly sprung than an F-150, there is a substantial amount of body roll. But responsive rack-and-pinion steering, a long travel coil-over shock front suspension, and solid axle rear with shocks located outside the frame, provided good stability and made fast slaloms a “rockin’” good time.

There is a fair amount of nose dive under hard braking, and stops from 60 were a little long at 141 feet on average. Still the 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Brake Force Distribution did stop us smooth and straight.

As to highway ride, the LT is hard to beat. It’s even quieter than the industry leading F-150. But can even deep pockets afford to run the LT? Well, EPA estimates for our 4x4 are 14 city/18 highway. We got a spot on 15 in our mixed driving loop. The V8’s better breathing 3-valve heads get the credit here.

Of course, if you can afford the Mark LT’s $39,995 base price, fuel use may not be an issue. Go for our 4x4 and the price jumps to $43,595. That’s a couple of grand more than a comparable GMC Sierra Denali Crew Cab.

While the Blackwood was a dud, we think gilded pick-em-up truck junkies will be more forgiving with the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT. Lincoln now understands that while great looks are important to luxury segment buyers, in a truck it’s great performance that carries the day.