2008 Lincoln Mark LT

The Mark LT is Lincoln's second foray into the arena of luxury pickups, replacing the Blackwood after its dismal failure and retirement after only one year on the market. If the concept of a luxury pickup truck strikes you as odd, you're not alone: the Mark LT has found few takers, and will be discontinued after the 2008 model year. The Mark LT was introduced in 2005, and is essentially a four-door Ford F-150 with a Lincoln waterfall grille, generous helpings of chrome trim, and a few luxurious interior details.

The Mark LT shares its 5.4 Liter V8 with the F-150; the engine, with only 300 horsepower and 365 lb.-feet of torque mated to an old-tech 4-speed automatic, struggles to motivate the heavy truck with the alacrity of rivals such as the GMC Sierra Denali, which boasts a whopping 103 horsepower advantage as well as a modern 6-speed auto. At least on the inside the Mark LT comes standard with leather seats, a premium audiophile sound system with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, and standard Sirius radio. Of course, all these interior trimmings can be found as options on the F-150; for what its worth, the Lincoln's steering wheel is unique. The Mark LT's safety features boil down traction control and dual front airbags.

The Mark LT comes standard with rear-wheel drive, while four-wheel drive is an option. A choice of two bed lengths, 67 or 78.8 inches, are available; other options include a power moonroof, 20-inch seven-spoke chrome-aluminum wheels, and a DVD based navigation system. These options, aside from the Lincoln grille and chrome trim, are about the only things that differentiate the Mark LT from its Ford sibling and do little to up the luxury quotient. The luxury pickup segment is a tiny niche, and the Mark LT's competitors, the GMC Sierra Denali and Cadillac Escalade EXT, simply have the Lincoln outgunned in terms of style, performance, and practicality. One advantage the Mark LT does have, however, is price: the Mark LT has the distinction of being one of the most heavily discounted new vehicles on the market, with dealers parting with them for as much as $10,000 below the MSRP.