Fancy truck, basic features.

Any discussion of Lincoln’s new luxury truck, the Mark LT, revives thoughts of the little known and short-lived Blackwood. Lincoln introduced Blackwood in 2002 and expected to sell in the neighborhood of 20,000 annually. Within 18 months and after only about 1,000 sold, Lincoln pulled the plug.

Blackwood was essentially a Lincoln Navigator with a tiny bed, Dutch doors instead of a traditional tailgate, fake wood on the outside, and a remote control non-removable tonneau cover. It was only available as a four passenger 4x2 and came in one color: black. Its starting price was nearly $60,000, and goes on the books as one of the all-time automotive flops.

This time around, Lincoln corrects all the sins of the Blackwood and at a much more reasonable starting price of $39,995 for a two-wheel drive. Built on the well-executed Ford F-150 chassis, body and power train, the Mark LT is a genuine truck, albeit a gussied up Ford F-150.

Mark LT comes in one model with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 ($3,600). All Mark LTs are powered by a 5.4-liter 300-horsepower V-8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. My test model was the 4x4 with an electric shift-on-the-fly part-time four-wheel-drive system. By comparison, the Cadillac Escalade EXT is full-time all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is a dismal 14 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway. Thankfully, it comes with a 30-gallon tank, but with gas nearly $2.50 a gallon it’ll cost $75 to fill. On a positive note, it will run on 87 octane.

The exterior appearance up front is identical to that of the Lincoln family SUVs. With the signature waterfall grille and prominent crosshair Lincoln star, it is nearly indistinguishable from the Navigator. There’s plenty of chrome to go around and is used on the bumpers, mirrors, door handles and in a wide swath on the lower body. Box rail moldings, also chrome, are an extra $250 but add a nice touch. The overall look is attractive and it gets noticed on the road.

Even though the cabin has a high step-in, I could have done without the optional ($250) running boards that hit the back of my legs each time I exited the vehicle. This would be a real nuisance in snow or on unpaved roads.

Inside, the LT’s seats are upholstered in Nudo leather. Interiors are either pebble with light parchment or black with dove gray. The seats feature a contrasting-color piping similar to the Range Rover.

The center console houses the controls for the audio and climate control. All are simple to use and a pleasant change from the overly sophisticated and annoying electronic gimmicks being used on most luxury vehicles. Real ebony wood completely surrounds the center stack and trims the door panels. But the wood looks fake and only after I checked the window sticker was I convinced it wasn’t a plastic imitation. The dash contains too much hard plastic to be considered luxurious. I wish Lincoln had carried over the premium dash from the Navigator.

The cabin is roomy and seats are comfortable, but oddly only the bottom seat cushion is power adjustable while the seat back must be manually adjusted. An enormous center console with the Lincoln star in embossed relief separates the front seats. Two cupholders and an overly large shifter complete the console. Rear seats seem too upright to be comfortable for long rides.

The Mark LT has a surprisingly good ride without the traditional bouncing movement consistent with most pickup trucks. Because the LT sits high off the ground, expect some body lean when cornering and on sharp curves. I was very disappointed with braking performance; the vehicle requires long stops and has a spongy feeling brake pedal.

Overall, the Mark LT falls short of a full-fledged luxury vehicle, feeling more like a dressed up F-150. Features found on vehicles like the Navigator and other upscale truck-based vehicles are unavailable. Lincoln doesn’t offer side-curtain or side-impact airbags, stability control, navigation system, satellite radio, cooled seats (heated are standard) or dual-zone air conditioning on the Mark LT. It features only partial power seats, tilt but not telescoping steering wheel and the four-speed automatic transmission is outdated.

For now, the Mark LT is more style than substance but is still a far cry from the Blackwood it replaces. Lincoln says upgrades and added features are on the way. Still, for all its shortcomings, the Mark LT is priced $15,000 below the Cadillac Escalade EXT and offers a nicely appointed truck with a smooth ride, eye-catching good looks and all the status and bling of owning and driving a Lincoln pickup truck. That’s usually enough for a vehicle to sell well.

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