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2016 Lincoln MKX First Drive [w/video]

The Lincoln Motor Company was one of America's great luxury symbols of the 20th Century. It grew from an aircraft engine maker during the First World War to become the car of presidents. The jaw-dropping Continental concept revealed earlier this year is a clear indication that Lincoln plans to build on its history and recapture some of that luxury magic. While the image of a powerful Continental thundering over a tony Westchester road is certainly romantic, it does little to sell cars today. Enter the 2016 Lincoln MKX. Flagships like the Continental are great, but Americans buy way more crossovers, and Lincoln's redesign of the MKX focuses on the needs of modern luxury customers. That means more and better safety features, a quiet interior with attractive materials, and classy exterior design. The potent 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 pushes out 335 horsepower, outperforming V6 offerings from Lexus and Acura. There's also a new engine – Ford's potent 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 pushing out 335 horsepower – that outguns V6 offerings from Lexus and Acura. All told, it's a tasteful redesign with some spotlight features that might turn a few more customers Lincoln's way. The updates are intriguing, yet many of them (aside from the V6's 380 pound-feet of torque) are rather subtle. So we grab the key fob to an attractive all-wheel-drive model decked out with the Reserve package and set out for a long weekend to absorb the new MKX. Several days of running errands around town, commuting, and a three-and-half-hour drive from metro Detroit to the northern tip of Michigan lay ahead of us. We're going to be spending a lot of time in the MKX, so naturally, we take stock of the interior. Our tester (we photographed a different one) is done up in a cappuccino leather theme, which means brown leather for the steering wheel, armrests, and the tops of the door panels. Another chocolately strip bisects the dashboard. The rest of the cabin – the headliner, the seats, the sides of the doors, etc. – is a creamy white. We sink into the seats, which are cushy yet supportive. The headrest is like a pillow, and the plush floormats feel made for bare feet. The touchscreen works well, and it's complemented by redundant buttons and switches, which we like. The MKX is generally user friendly. The touchscreen works well, with little poking or jabbing. It's complemented by redundant buttons and switches, which we like.

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

Ford patents a multi-touch version of its classic keypad

For decades, Ford has offered a keypad on the doors of their cars that would allow owners access with the right code. Amazingly, the keypad has survived almost unchanged except for a recent touch button version. A new patent from the Blue Oval shows the keypad may get a big upgrade soon. The first big change is that it looks like the keypad may move to the key fob. Although it might be possible to have it on the car itself as well, the patent only seems to focus on the key fob. In addition, the fob will now be a multi-touch pad similar to that of modern smartphones. This will allow for more diverse code entries, according to the patent's description. Instead of just a simple number code, owners could enter a code that involves swipes and keystrokes, and even simultaneous keystrokes. For instance, you could enter a code that requires swiping from 1 to 3, followed by holding 2 and 4 to unlock the car. The patent also seems to indicate that this keypad would then display unlock functions and other functions on the fob after the correct code is entered, thus making it more than just a way to unlock the car. As for the practical implications of this keypad system update, it could provide an added layer of security. If someone steals your keys, they would have to also know your access code to get into the car. Whether this would also help make the key and car harder to hack would remain to be seen, though. Another possible benefit could be the prevention of accidental lock and alarm button presses, although that likely isn't a common issue. There could be potential downsides as well. If used as an extra layer of security, the legitimate owner would have to punch in their code on the fob to get in, which would render proximity key benefits relatively useless. Moving the keypad to the fob would also mean owners couldn't get into their cars without having the key with them. We don't have any clues as to when this could become a feature, but it doesn't seem like it would be difficult to implement, so it could show up in the next few years. Related Video: News Source: United States Patent and Trademark OfficeImage Credit: Ford, United States Patent and Trademark Office / Ford Auto News Ford Lincoln Technology keyless entry