2013 Lincoln MKT: Up Close

More 2011 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Shallower than the one that preceded it, the MKT’s new grille is more palatable, but the car’s ungainly profile remains. Some people like it, but if you hated it before, the rhinoplasty doesn’t change that. Like on the MKS, most of the grille — plus the lower bumper inlet — is closed off. Fewer openings usually improve highway aerodynamics, but it means most of the MKT’s grille is unnecessary. Bah.

This is the first time I’ve used airbag-equipped seat belts, first available on the Ford Explorer, now on the MKT and Ford Flex. They may be safer, but the bulky buckles and thick belts are harder to use. The buckle is enormous, and it’s in a fixed position on the belt, so you have to pull against retractors on either end to buckle, rather than one retractor up top with a buckle that runs wherever you need it to go.