The problem with the MKT is that it's a Lincoln, and Ford's luxury brand is still a work in progress when it comes to interior materials. Everything is fairly nice, but compared with a Lexus or Acura, it's a step or two below in certain areas. Luckily, versus the Acura MDX you get much more space in the MKT for nearly identical dollars. Against the new Lexus GX I recently tested, you get a vastly better driving experience and save thousands on the MKT's sticker.

Despite a slightly chintzier button here and a clunkier plastic door panel there, I'll still take the MKT.

The driver's seat is comfortable for shorter drivers, but many editors who are 6 feet and taller had a hard time getting it to go far enough back, which hurt the MKT in a recent Faceoff against the MDX and Buick Enclave.

The one difference between my 2011 tester and the 2010 you see in the video on the right was the inclusion of optional second-row captain's chairs and a center-mounted refrigerator. Not only do you lose the capacity to carry an extra person, the added cargo area seems useless, especially the small refrigerator. I also didn't find the seats all that comfortable; they're not a huge upgrade from the bench. Save $995 and go with the bench seat — and save yourself another $895 by not adding that refrigerator.

The third row is uncomfortable in terms of headroom. The sloping rear design aesthetic on the outside means your head will butt the ceiling inside, unless you're a small child or teenager. Adults over 5-foot-5 or so will never want to be placed there. It's unfortunate, because the smaller MDX and Enclave have somewhat comfortable third rows despite being considerably shorter than the MKT. The Ford Flex, upon which the MKT is based, doesn't have the headroom issue either because of its boxy design.