That earlier, faux hauler was an uneasy amalgam of a couple of Ford F-Series pickups and the Lincoln Navigator, which itself was a direct knock-off of the Ford Expedition. This true hauler, however, is in fact a rhinoplasticized and slightly beefier version of nothing less, or more, than the Ford F-150 crew cab pickup. That bodes both good and bad for 10,000 people a year Lincoln hopes will buy the second truck ever to wear the Lincoln brand. Seeing as how Lincoln sold less than 4,000 Blackwoods over two model years, that'd be a bullet on the company's sales charts.

The good news is buyers will get a thoroughly polished, well-trimmed, four-door vehicle that can transport four people in comfort, five people in a pinch, handle a payload of more than a ton and a half, and tow up to 8900 pounds. It's available in two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, which is unique to the class. The latest in engine technology delivers best-in-class fuel economy. An audio/video system is available to entertain rear-seat passengers, and satellite radio is available.

More good news: Pricing. The Mark LT starts at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $38,680 for the two-wheel-drive model and $42,235 for the four wheel-drive model. That's significantly less than the Cadillac EXT, its most logical competitor, which starts at more than $54,000.

The bad news is that even with all the trimmings, the two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, the overstuffed seats, the automatic climate control, the play-anything stereo and so on, the Mark LT cannot overcome the reality that it started life as a pickup. And its ride and handling are the ultimate betrayers of this truth.

This leads us to offer the following recommendation: Do not buy the Mark LT for its stellar performance numbers. Don't buy it for its plush, luxo ride. Buy it instead and only for whatever cachet the Lincoln badge brings with it in the circles in which you live and work, along with its ability as a pickup truck.