2019 Lincoln MKC

The 2019 Lincoln MKC has a quiet, good-looking cabin. However, there are low-rent materials mixed in with the soft-touch surfaces that detract from the luxury feel. The seats aren't as roomy or supportive as some rivals' seats, and many competitors have a higher maximum cargo capacity. On the tech front, the MKC fares well, featuring an easy-to-use infotainment system and a nice array of standard features.

• The open-pore wood trim is gorgeous, and there's no shortage of soft-touch inserts and stitched accents. But downmarket touches remain, including some uneven panel gaps and the front bin's chintzy door. This MKC also had a persistently creaky driver seat." -- Edmunds (2018)
• "As the first vehicle from the new Lincoln Design Studio, the 2016 MKC's well-finished cabin has a definite 'class-above' character." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• "In our interior evaluation of the 2016 MKC, we tipped our cap to the good folks at Lincoln for creating a genuinely luxurious environment." -- Autotrader (2016)

Seating

The MKC seats five people and comes standard with leatherette upholstery, reclining rear seats, and power-adjustable, heated front seats. Leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available.

"Cavernous" is not a word you'd use to describe the MKC's interior. The front seats have a fair amount of space, but taller people may wish they slid back farther. The rear seats will feel cramped to most adults. On top of that, the seats aren't all that comfortable; they're somewhat lumpy and don't offer as much support as some rivals' seats.

The MKC has two full sets of LATCH connectors for installing child seats. You have to move the front seats way up for some rear-facing car seats to fit, and some of the lower anchors are set too deep in the seat. The tether anchors can be confused with other hardware as well.

• The front seats are noticeably less firm than the German and Japanese norm, but they are supportive. The seats themselves are surprisingly narrow, and the cushions are quite short. The rear seat cushions feel a bit lumpy, but the seatbacks recline." -- Edmunds
• "Luxury cars are supposed to be quiet, so Lincoln insures the MKC's cabin remains hushed by way of the vehicle's audio system. Active noise control cancels out obtrusive sound waves making Bluetooth conversations a bit easier and long road trips a little more enjoyable." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• Interior space is adequate for most adults, but taller folks might find a larger SUV more to their liking. There's good headroom front and rear, but the front seats don't go far enough back to accommodate those long of leg, and pushed as far back as they'll go, rear leg room gets tight." -- Consumer Guide (2015)

Interior Features

Standard features in the MKC include dual-zone automatic climate control, two USB ports, Bluetooth, a nine-speaker audio system, satellite radio, a proximity key, Lincoln's MyKey system (which lets you set speed and radio volume limits for other drivers), remote start, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, and the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Lincoln Connect, which provides an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hot spot, also comes standard.

Available features include a panoramic sunroof, navigation, a 14-speaker THX premium audio system, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, front parking sensors, lane keep assist, parallel park assist, and blind spot monitoring.

The MKC's center-stack controls are an easy reach from the driver's seat, and the large touch screen features crisp, easy-to-see graphics. The screen responds well to touch inputs, and the menu layout is easy to understand. There are physical controls for some functions as well. The center stack and console area has a smooth, uncluttered look. Instead of a traditional shifter, the MKC’s gears are selected via a series of buttons on the dash.

See 2019 Lincoln MKC specs »

• "Sync 3 offers a large, brightly rendered touchscreen with a horizontal function menu at the bottom and user-friendly virtual buttons that respond quickly. Climate controls are small but work well." -- Edmunds (2018)
• "If you crave the latest tech, you'll love the extraordinarily deep feature set. We should warn you about the available THX II Certified Audio system too, because once you hear it pump out your favorite tunes like you're in a surround-sound movie theater, it'll be hard to resist forking over the extra dough." -- Autotrader (2016)
• "… all controls are easy to reach, and automatic climate control is standard, so you probably won't have to fuss with them much." -- Consumer Guide (2015)

Cargo

The MKC has 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 53.1 cubic feet with them folded. That’s a decent amount of space behind the rear seats, but many class rivals have a higher maximum capacity. A power liftgate comes standard, and a hands-free power liftgate is available. The cabin provides ample small-item storage.

• "Cargo capacity is also disappointing. … Most competitors offer more, with the Acura RDX, Jaguar F-Pace and Volvo XC60 being the class leaders." -- Edmunds (2017)
• "Maximum cargo space … falls well below its larger Acura, Audi and BMW rivals." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• "Interior storage is quite good, in part due to the aforementioned gear selector. A smallish two-tiered glovebox is joined by a large two-tiered console box with 12-volt outlet, along with two open cupholders, a forward console bin (with Aux, dual USB, SD card, and 12-volt jacks), and medium-sized map pockets in the doors." -- Consumer Guide (2015)