USED: 2016 Lincoln MKX: Luxury For Mama’s 75th Birthday Trip

Terri Marshall |

Updated: Sep 8, 2022

When your Mama turns 75, it’s a big deal.

To celebrate our mother’s 75th birthday, my brother and I took our parents to California for a mini road trip. First order of business was to find the best car. Enter the 2016 Lincoln MKX: athletic, capable and comfortable. This good looking mid-sized luxury SUV with a reasonable base price of $47,650 proved to be the ideal vehicle to maneuver those Pacific Coast Highway curves, the scenic 17-mile drive from Monterey to Pebble Beach, the crooked turns of Lombard Street in San Francisco and the vineyards of Napa Valley. And the capable navigation system helped us with one of my mother’s favorite pastimes: locating all the lighthouses along the way.

Safety Technology is a Must on California’s PCH

It goes without saying, the Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Big Sur is a beautiful drive. It’s also two lanes, crosses high bridges spanning craggy rocks pounded by powerful ocean waves, has twisting curves and generally could scare the hell out of anyone even slightly afraid of heights. That’s exactly why my parents and brother were thrilled this SUV came with all the latest safety technology. Those that know me best (or have ever taken a road trip with me) know that I love to talk. And, I love to look at the people I’m talking to, even when I’m driving.

Fortunately for my parents and brother, the bells and whistles in the Lincoln MKX kept me in line…literally. The slightest drift across the center line of the highway activates a beep. And, believe me, I heard about it every time there was a beep…I’m certain my brother was keeping a tally because that’s what brothers do. And although I prefer to deny any lane drifting (I couldn’t) I truly did appreciate the blind spot monitors. For those occasions when we had more than two lanes, those blind spot monitors came in very handy.

Mama Deserves a Comfortable Ride

As important as the safety technology is, my main focus was making sure my parents were comfortable. They insisted on sitting in the back seat which obviously doesn’t work in a lot of vehicles. But, in the Lincoln MKX, the back seat was the place to be. I wanted them to feel at home as we traveled along California beautiful highways and byways. And they were. The back seat afforded plenty of head room and leg room. There were USB ports and climate control. And, although my parents aren’t very tall, it would have been the same even if they were six feet tall (seriously, that would have been so much better for me!) The panoramic sunroof brought another level of light into the vehicle as we drove through the Napa Valley vineyards.

My parents weren’t worried about luxury, but my brother and I wanted them to have the best. The 2016 Lincoln MKX had all the right touches: soft leather seats, wood grain accents in the cabin, leather steering wheel and quality stitching throughout (Mama is a seamstress, she KNOWS good stitching!)

Who This Car is For

Families that want space and luxury
Anyone that appreciates heated and cooled seats
Drivers who want to carry on a conversation without outside noise
Those who value 5 star crash ratings
Those of us who take multi-generational trips…and want those trips to be comfortable
Anyone that appreciates big doors, easy access and a spacious rear seat and cargo space

What We Loved

Capless fuel fill (seriously, I LOVE THIS!)
Comfortable interior
Sleek style – this SUV makes a statement
Quiet interior – easy to carry on a conversation
Big doors make it easier to get in and out of the back seats
Dual climate control (because none of us can sync our comfortable temperatures!)
Heated seats in the rear and heating & cooling seats in the front
Hands free lift gate for the cargo space – which was plentiful

What You Should Know

Base price is $47, 650, price for model I drove, $57,815
No typical gear shifts – they’re all on the dashboard
GPS system works, but isn’t intuitive (you’ll need to study it beforehand.)
Average MPG is 19, Highway is approximately 24 MPG
Not as sporty as other comparable models, but offers supreme comfort

Other Similar Vehicles to Consider

I must admit, I had never driven a Lincoln before driving the 2016 Lincoln MKX, but I have to say I was impressed. Even recently when my parents and I were together again in Chicago, they mentioned how much they enjoyed our road trip and the 2016 Lincoln MKX was a major contributor to their pleasant memories of the trip.