walkabout

I don't think the MKX is a better car than the Edge. I think it's got a somewhat nicer interior and some extra options. Otherwise, they're basically the exact same vehicle. It's pure badge engineering, not a district vehicle. I did cross shop my MKX with the Edge and the out the door price diff wasn't huge, so I got the Lincoln. Right now, it's the same drivetrains, same dealers, same options (mostly). I don't see where the "better" is in the equation. The Lexus RX has a much different feel than the Highlander, especially with regard to interior materials. Ditto the Pilot vs MDX (although earlier generations are more akin to the parallel between Fords and Lincolns). Lincoln doesn't really have a district car line. It's essentially Ford's answer to Buick. Upscale versions of mass market vehicles. Same engines, transmissions, and mostly the same features. This is partially why the brand has so little market cache in terms of image and also has lousy resale. I do think the recent SUVs (like the Aviator) have such nice interiors that Lincoln is starting to differentiate itself more. But, the MKX, MKZ, MKC are very similar to their Ford siblings. Basically, modern day Cadillac Cimmarons. The upside to the discussion is that Ford's entire product line is competitive with vehicles that cost thousands more. I think a Ford Edge is a "better" vehicle overall than an RX (which, imo, is bought mostly for image). If you're buying a midsize SUV, there aren't many better values on the market than an Edge. I'm confident that, by the summer, Nautilus will have aggressive incentives. So, at that point, it may make more sense to go for the upgrade. My lease is not up until August but, if I had to do it today, I think the Edge MIGHT be a more sensible option.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the heat issue is in some cars, mine get toasty. I've only had few loaners that had heated seats and they were toasty as well. Not a Ford issue. I say in the base and 22 way seats last week. The bottom bolsters are the same in both cars.

It was worse with earlier versions of sync, with no icon on the home screen. This is an example of how I think Ford phoned it in on the refresh. This was an annoyance that could have been easily fixed but they didn't bother. I don't use the heated wheel much (too warm out here) but I'd be mildly irritated if I lived in a folder climate. Fortunately, most of the other ergonomics in the cabin are first rate (imo).

I can't imagine the 2.0 is going to be a huge seller in the mkx. The main selling feature is the 2.7.

I had that same experience with the MKC although it felt (subjectively) like much less of a risk in the MKZ loaners I had. I was at the dealer over the weekend. Keep in mind that I live in sunny Los Angeles. They were about 50/50 split between the 2.0 and 2.7 and had a grand total of one AWD on the lot.

Honestly, I feel like they jumped the shark. The Nautilus has some notable improvements (the tranny) and I like the new interior colors but there isn't much of an upgrade there. I still think the engine and basic platform are on par with anything from Volvo, Audi, Lexus, etc. Put an aviator quality interior in it, and maybe upgrade a few of the electronic gizmos, and you'd have a car that is at the front of the class. Shoeguy - I found that Lincoln was way more reasonable when it came to negotiating a deal than any other company. The deal they came me on my 2016 was really, really nice. Dealer support has been poor, but the sales experience was excellent.

Caddy is close to the interior quality of the Germans. The newer Lincoln SUVs are as well. I'd put the Nautilus below Mazda and Hyundai (in terms of materials) , to be honest. It's also light-years above most of the Euro competitors in ergonomics and infotainment. And to get a drivetrain anywhere as nice as the 2 7T you'd probably be spending $70,000. I guess everything is a trade-off. Imagine if Lincoln had invested $300 more in a top tier interior? There wouldn't be a sedan in the class that could compete.

Gurgeh, your posts are really thoughtful and balanced. Much appreciated.

A few months ago, there was a rumor here that Lincoln was going to alter the 22-way adjustable seats by making the button bolsters less prominent (so the bolsters don't dig into your leg quite that much). I'm pretty sure (but not certain). That seems to be way less of an issue in the current model year. I mentioned to the salesguy that this had been an issue for me - he laughed and said he'd heard that complaint many times.

Love the color. Definitely my favorite Nautilus color. If I lease again, that's what it will be.

That's always been the case with an MKX. Lincoln suffers horrible depreciation and a used MKX will not cost you more than a used Edge. As for the interior, I'm of two minds. I like the layout and ergonomics (I know the trans buttons get mixed reviews in the press, but I think they're goofy and fun). I think the material quality is light years behind Volvo and the Germans. Not even close,to be honest. The Edge is not a segment leader in that regard either. Mazda, Hyundai/Kia, and Nissan all outclass Ford in that segment (purely in terms of materials). Hyundai's infotainment is on par with Sync too (Mazda doesn't begin to compare).

I didn't find any of that to be true. My understanding is that the unresponsive issue had been resolved. With the Volvo vs Nautilus/Edge, you are very basically giving up superior infotainment system and engine for interior quality, more manageable size, and better mpg. There are aspects of sync 3 I don't love, but it's still one of the best systems out there. Which brings me back to the Edge. I don't think the interior quality is all that different than Ford and most of the other features are parallel. I do think Nautilus prices will come down but I could get a Ford Edge for under invoice right now. A loaded Edge is probably on par with an XC60 or Q5 dynamically and will cost $10,000 less.

https://www.macrumors.com/review/volvo-s60-carplay/ Sorry, left out the link. Basically, supports your post completely.

Guergh, check out this review of Sensus. Pretty damning (especially when compared to the class leading sync).

Not to me. I lease.

Gurgeh, I honestly don't think there is a powertrain in the segment that competes with the 2.7t. It's a joy to drive, no doubt.

I test drove the Nautilus today. It's basically the exact same vehicle I have now with and right speed transmission. Otherwise, not much had changed. The dealer also sells Volvos. I drive an xc60. The Nautilus is not competitive with that vehicle in most regards. Interior quality is in a different league, to be honest.

My lease is about up, and the Nautilus is one of my top choices for a potential replacement. When I bought the MKX it really want that much more than an Edge, all things considered, and I think the cost was work it. Now, the difference is much more marked. Ford Edge sells for less than dealer cost in my neighborhood. The Nautilus is a solid $10,000 more. May change over time as the Nautilus is on the market longer.

I don't think that will happen for a few reasons. One is that Google and Apple are already talking control of infotainment in ways that does not necessarily pleased the car makers (who would prefer to have charge of everything in the car). Alexa is not nearly the same threat as Google and Siri. The other issue is that would really sorry Google's model for interaction with autos. They've not intruded in the space of controlling basic car functions likely because they want autos mfs to be friendly to their data intensive services. But, all this is my guess. Personally, I have both Google home and Alexa devices. I don't find the Google home to be especially useful.

I totally agree with you about the torque steer issue. I think that will probably be somewhat of a problem even with the 2.0. I had a MKC loaner with the 2.0 and saw the issue there. If you live in a warm climate, it can be hard to find someone awd model. Dealers here in SoCal prefer not to stock anything but FWD. I still do not believe there will be anything close to a 90% take rate on the 2.0. I checked dealer stock here and it's essentially the same distribution as the 3.7. Roughly half the models on dealer lots. I also don't buy the epa numbers for the 4cyl because they diverge from the corresponding numbers for the Edge (which makes no sense to me as the 2.7 numbers are identical).

I doubt that "take rate" is true. The distribution for the 3.7 and 2.7 was about 50/50 (if I recall properly) on the MKX. My guess is that it will wind up being something like 30 to 40 percent with the 2.0 and the majority with the 2.7. The only reasons to stick with the 2.0 are fuel economy and $ and I don't think that is going to be a motivating factor for most Lincoln buyers. The 2.7 engine is probably the highlight of the car, and I think most buyers will recognize that with one big BUT. The BUT is that everybody has different driving needs and there are always going to be buyers for whom the 2.0 makes a lot more sense. It is a jewel of an engine, no doubt.

I'm almost certain that feature is there on the Nautilus too. Every loaner I've been in has it too.

I still have that nav volume issue. Most of us do, I think.

Congrats! Should be beautiful. That's my favorite color for this vehicle

Reliability of the 2018 MKX in Consumer Report's survey (which should carry over to the Nautilus) is above average. Higher than Acura MDX, in fact. Its a very nice improvement - suggesting they wiped out the early production bugs.