2008 Lincoln Mark LT

The Mark LT is pickup truck serving a unique market: luxury truck. Lincoln introduced a Blackwood SUV/pickup crossover for 2002, though it didn't last long before the automaker discontinued it. Lincoln re-entered the segment with the 2006 debut of the Mark LT, which is derived from the Ford F-150 crew-cab model. A remote start and a rearview camera became available this model year. The Mark LT is a full-size, four-door, crew cab-style pickup with the choice of two lengths: a 139" wheelbase with 5.5-ft bed, or 150" wheelbase with a 6.5-ft bed. Both wheelbases are available in either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The Lincoln Mark LT was a carryover from 2007, but with the addition of standard satellite radio, one new exterior color and some package content adjustments.

Powering the Mark LT

The Mark LT of 2008 is equipped with a 5.4-liter V-8 that develops 300 horsepower. It uses Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V-8 f three valves per cylinder engine at 5,000 rpm and 365 pounds-feet of torque at 3,750 rpm. A four-speed automatic is the lone transmission offering. The rear-wheel-drive Mark LT has a towing capacity of 8,900 pounds; the four-wheel-drive model's rating is 300 pounds less.

Mark LT Design

The Marl LT is a lush looking pickup with features that bring it into the luxury class. Appearance cues are taken from the Lincoln family of passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, with chrome providing a unifying theme. It is used on the bumpers, mirrors, door handles and lower cladding. The waterfall grille feature's a Lincoln brand star. It is very obvious that the Mark LT is closely related to Lincoln's Aviator and Navigator SUVs. Box rail moldings and 20-inch chrome wheels are optional. The truck is built on a 138.5-inch wheelbase, and measures 223.8 inches long overall and stands 73.5 inches tall. There is an optional 6.5-foot cargo bed; the standard bed is 5.5-feet long. The Mark LT got an optional rearview camera for 2008. It is mounted in the tailgate handle bezel and displays video in the rearview mirror. Black sidewall tires are mounted on 18-inch, cast-aluminum wheels on both two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions; the former gets lower profile rubber, a set of P265/60R all-season tires, while the latter rides on P275/65R all-terrain tires. Fog lamps are standard. So is a chrome rear bumper, complete with a black step pad.

 Inside the 2008 Mark LT

The 2008 Mark LT can hold five, although it is more comfortable with just two adults in the back. Two drivers get memory privileges for the driver's seat and outside mirror settings. In the back is a 60/40-split, flip-up seat upholstered in leather look-alike with a fold-down center armrest. Leather-covered, tilt steering wheel is standard, too, as are central locking with remote key fob, on-board computer and Ford's power-rail, overhead console hardware. Luxury touches on this truck include genuine Ebony wood accents and soft Nudo leather seating surfaces. The seats feature French-style pleating and incorporate a quilted pattern insert. Contrasting-colored stitching is used atop the instrument cluster. Lincoln added an auto-dimming driver-side rearview mirror as standard equipment last year, as well as ebony wood trim in various places throughout the cabin. There is also an optional DVD-based navigation system. Sirius Satellite Radio is now standard and comes with a free six-month subscription.

Lincoln has trimmed the Mark LT with most of the features expected in a luxury-class vehicle, be it a car, a truck or whatever. Automatic air conditioning is standard, of course, as are cruise control and power windows and heated outside mirrors with integrated turn signals. There's wood applique on the dash and the inside door handles. The front seats are heated, leather-surfaced and have power adjustments for all but lumbar and seatback recline, which are manual. The stereo provides AM, FM and MP3 output, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, speed-compensated volume and seven, acoustically positioned speakers augmented by a subwoofer with separate amplifier. Also standard are a universal programmable remote garage opener, carpeted floor mats and polished-metal door scuff plates.

Lincoln Truck Drive

 The front suspension uses double wishbones and a coil-over-shock configuration. Leaf springs and outboard shock absorbers are installed at the rear. Despite being a 'luxury' truck, the Mark LT still drives like a truck. It rides like a truck, rocking and rolling over pavement heaves and mid-corner ripples. The Mark LT tracks around sweeping freeway on-ramps about the way we expect a full-size pickup to track: Initially, it understeers, where the front end wants to slide. Lift off the throttle and the relatively lighter back end teases with hints of oversteer, where the back end gets loose and starts to come around.

Summary

Overall, the Lincoln Mark LT is a thoroughly polished, well-trimmed, four-door truck that can transport five people and handle a payload of more than a ton and a half, and tow up to 8900 pounds. For more details, read Edmunds.com opinion of the '08 Mark LT. All-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution are standard. All seating positions have three-point safety belts, and the front seat belts include pretensioners. Dual front airbags deploy at different levels according to crash severity, and a front-passenger sensing system is installed. With the Mark LT there's no denying its F-150 origins, but Lincoln has done a quality job in endowing the Mark LT with enough creature comfort to earn it a place on any dealer's showroom floor. For anyone looking for truck utility with a little extra comfort, the Lincoln Mark LT serves this purpose well.